En Passant: Andor Lilienthal (1911-2010)

He spanned the generations by beating world champions Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine....and old age. But time finally ran out for legendary GM Andor Lilienthal, who sadly died on Saturday at his home in Budapest after a short illness, aged 99. Moscow-born Lilienthal moved to Budapest with his Hungarian parents as a youngster and competed for Hungary in three Chess Olympiads in the 1930s. He moved back to the USSR in 1935 to become a chess trainer to the trades unions; going on to later train world champions Smyslov and Petrosian. He retired and moved back to Budapest in 1976. Lilienthal, who had just turned 99, was one of the "original" 27 grandmaster awarded the title by Fide in 1950. He was active right up to his death, and was busy organising his 100th birthday celebratory invitational tournament next May in Budapest.