Yanofsky, Daniel Abraham

▪ 2001

“Abe” 

      Polish-born Canadian chess master (b. March 25, 1926, Brody, Pol.—d. March 5, 2000, Winnipeg, Man.), was Canada's first chess grandmaster and an eight-time national champion. He was a chess prodigy who, by the age of 12, was champion of Manitoba. In 1939, as Canada's second-ranking player, he participated in the Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires, Arg., scoring a remarkable 85% in his first international tournament. Yanofsky captured the first of his eight Canadian championships in 1941. He later embarked on a playing tour of Europe, winning a memorable match against future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik in 1946, but eventually opted to pursue a law career rather than play chess full-time. In 1953, while studying law at the University of Oxford, Yanofsky won the British championship. He qualified as a grandmaster—the highest title in chess—in 1964. By that time he had established a successful law practice and also entered politics, winning election as mayor of the Winnipeg suburb of West Kildonan. From 1970 to 1986 he served on the Winnipeg City Council and was credited with bringing the Pan American Chess Championships to Winnipeg in 1974. Yanofsky was awarded the Order of Canada in 1972.

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