A picked team of Russian chess champions left for Israel yesterday to participate in the Sixteenth World Chess Championships in Tel Aviv.
The players include Tigran Petrosian, world chess titleholder; Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasili Smyslov, both former world champions; Leonid Shtein, USSR chess champion, and grand masters Paul Keres and Boris Spasky. Alexander Kotov is the team captain.
Petrosian, speaking for the team, said “we know the Israeli chess players and we will be glad to meet them again. We have no doubt that the tournament will be well organized and will serve the cause of strengthening peace and friendship among nations.”
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