Maxim Rodshtein

Maxim Rodshtein — chess gm with roots in the Russian Empire

Maxim Rodshtein is a Russian-Israeli chess grandmaster born in Leningrad who emigrated to Israel and became one of the country's strongest players. He has competed at the highest levels of international chess and represented Israel at Chess Olympiads.

Tracing the roots — Leningrad

Born in Leningrad in 1989 and trained in Russia's elite chess system before emigrating to Israel, Rodshtein is part of the wave of Soviet-Jewish chess talent that transformed Israeli chess into a world-class programme. He represents the direct transfer of Russian chess culture through the Soviet-Jewish emigration.

Moved to Israel at age 9.

Historical context

Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917

Leningrad. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.

Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

A career defined by ambition