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Daniel Yanofsky

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Daniel Abraham Yanofsky (March 25, 1925- March 5, 2000) was Canada's first chess grandmaster and an eight-time national champion.

He was born in Brody, Poland, and moved to Canada when he was eight months old. He learned to play chess at the age of eight. When he was 21, he beat Mikhail Botvinnik at Groningen.

In 1964, he became the first grandmaster in the British Commonwealth.Outside of chess, he pursued legal studies at Oxford University and practised law in Winnipeg with his brother Harry. He was mayor of the Winnipeg suburb of West Kildonan, and served on the Winnipeg City Council from 1970 to 1986.


Yanofsky campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 1959 provincial election as a candidate of the Liberal-Progressive Party. He finished third against Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate David Orlikow in the St. Johns constituency.
In 1972, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was also made a member of the Queen's Counsel.
Categories: Canadian chess players | Jewish chess players