Canadian Chess Biographies
Researched, compiled, written and copyright 2000-12 by David Cohen. Last updated: 2012.05.07.
Main web site & contact: Canadian Chess.
More biographies
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
Index - V
Photo: Dutton Chess Club, Toronto, 2002. Copyright 2002 by the photographer David Cohen.
- Awarded FIDE Master title 2010
- Canadian Junior Champion 2001
(1911-83)
Photo: 1951 Canadian Chess Champion.
- 2011 Canadian Chess Hall of Fame
- 1958 Represented Canada at Olympiads
- 1957 Canadian Champion
- 1954 Represented Canada at Olympiads
- 1953-5 Wrote chess column, Hamilton Spectator
- 1952 Awarded International Master title
- 1952 Represented Canada at World Championship Interzonal
- 1951 Canadian Champion
- 1949 Arrived Canada
- 1944 Lithuania Champion
- 1942 Lithuania Champion
- 1939 Represented Lithuania at Olympiads
- 1938 Lithuania Champion
- 1937 Represented Lithuania at Olympiads
- 1937 Lithuania Champion
- 1936 First player in major competition to use the move order of the Benko Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 (Thorvaldsson-Vaitonis, Munich)
- 1935 Represented Lithuania at Olympiads
- 1934 Lithuania Champion
- 1933 Represented Lithuania at Olympiads
- 3 times Lithuania pole vault champion
- Born Uzpaliai, Lithuania
Sources: Family of Povilas Vaitonis (photo); Szachy od A do Z by Wladyslaw Litmanowicz and Jerzy Gizycki, Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka, Warszawa, 1986, 1987 referenced on Wikipedia (biography). Contributors (biography): Denis Allan, Valentinas Normantas, Eduardas Rozentalis, Vaitonis family.
(1840-85)
- Leading player, Seaforth, Ontario, 1870s
- Played Canadian Championship 1965
Photo: 2004 Canadian Championship, Toronto. Copyright 2004 by the photographer David Cohen.
Photo: 1969 Canadian Championship Playoff Match, Hart House, Toronto. Chess Canada 1970.04.
- Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto; 1995-2000 Chair, Division of Engineering Science
- Co-author of many books in his field; five editions on the fundamentals of digital logic use chess in the cover design
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto
- 2010 Canadian Chess Hall of Fame
- 1991 3rd place, Canadian Championship; one of only 4 players to compete in Canadian Championships in each of 4 consecutive decades of 1960s-90s
- 1981 4th place, Canadian Championship
- 1981 Ontario Closed Champion
- 1980 Represented Canada at Olympiad; Team Captain
- 1979 Toronto Open Champion
- 1978 10th place, Canadian Championship
- 1975 8th place, Canadian Championship
- 1974-7 Co-developer (provided chess input) of Chute 1 (later Chute 1.2),
a computer chess program which competed in the North American Computer Championships (1974-77) and World Computer Championship 1977
- 1973 Correspondence International Master
- 1972 Represented Canada at Olympiad
- 1972 4th place, Canadian Championship
- 1972 Toronto Closed Champion
- 1970 Grandmaster Norm at Olympiad
- 1970 Represented Canada at Olympiad
- 1970 Ontario Open Champion
- 1971 Toronto Open Champion
- 1970 Toronto Closed Champion
- 1969 International Master
- 1969 Tied 1st place Canadian Championship
- 1967 Ontario Open Champion
- 1967 Toronto Closed Champion
- 1966 Represented Canada at Olympiad
- 1966 Ontario Open Champion
- 1964 Represented Canada at Olympiad
- 1964 2nd place, Canadian Open Championship
- 1964 Represented Canada at World Championship Interzonal
- 1963 2nd place, Canadian Championship
- 1963 Ontario Open Champion
- 1961 2nd place, Canadian Championship
- 1959 Ontario Open Champion
- 1959 Toronto Closed Champion (perfect score 9/9)
- 1958 Arrived Canada from Yugoslavia via France (Zagreb field hockey team member)
- 1957 Yugoslavia Junior Champion
Sources: 100 Years of Chess in Canada by D. Abraham Yanofsky, 1967; Bulletin 9, 1975.03-04, Chess Federation of Canada, p.11; chess column by Lawrence Day, Toronto Star, 2008.05.03 and 2010.05.01; Zvonko Vranesic's home page, University of Toronto; McGraw-Hill; Archive, Chess Federation of Slovenia.
Contributors: Vladimir Dobrich (photo), Zvonko Vranesic (biography).
Photo: Bulletin, No. 7, 1974.11-12, cover.
- Woman International Master 1977
- Born Yugoslavia, arrived Canada 1967
- Bookkeeper, now retired
- Woman's board on Belgrade Partizan team, many times Yugoslav team champion
- Canadian Women's Champion from best Women's result at Canadian Open 1970, 1973
- Canadian Women's Champion 1975
- 2nd place Canadian Women's Championship 1989
- Best Women's result at Canadian Open 1976, 1988, 1991, 1993
- Represented Canada at Women's Olympiads (1974, 1976, 1990, 1992, 1994)
- Represented Canada on Group B 1st place team at Women's Olympiad 1976
- Bronze medal, Board 1, Women's Olympiad 1976
- Represented Canada at Women's Interzonal 1976
- Top rated female Canadian at Year-end 3 years in a row (1973-5)
Smilja Vujosevic's choice for her best game:
Smilja Vujosevic vs. Milunka Lazarevic
Canada vs. Yugoslavia, Women's Olympiad, Medellin, Columbia, Board 1, 1974
Two games which illustrate Smilja Vujosevic's style:
Milinka Merlini - Smilja Vujosevic
France - Canada, Women's Olympiad, Haifa, Israel, Board 1, 1976
Smilja Vujosevic - Nava Starr
Canadian Women's Championship, Scarborough, Ontario, 1989
Contributor: Smilja Vujosevic (biography, game selection)
(1936-2002)
- Represented Canada at Olympiad 1980