Yehuda Gruenfeld

Yehuda Gruenfeld (; born 18 February 1956) is an Israeli chess player, who holds the title of grandmaster.

Career He was born in Dzierżoniów, Poland. In 1974, Gruenfeld won the Israeli championship for youth players. In 1978, he tied for 2nd-5th in Skien. In 1978, he won in Gausdal. In 1979, he tied for 1st-2nd in Biel. In 1979, he took 2nd in the Lucerne Zonal. In 1979, he took 12th in the Riga Interzonal, won by Mikhail Tal.

In 1980, he tied for 3rd-4th in Beer Sheva, tied for 2nd-8th in Lugano, tied for 2nd-4th in Gausdal, tied for 1st-4th in Oberwart, tied for 2nd-5th in Ramat Hasharon, and won in Biel. In 1981, he tied for 1st-3rd in Lugano, and won in New York.

In 1982, Gruenfeld won the Israeli championship. In 1984, he won in Dortmund. In 1985, he was equal first with Maxim Dlugy and Dmitry Gurevich at the 13th World Open of Philadelphia (Dlugy won the play-off). In 1987, he won the Munich Zonal). In 1987, he tied for 8-11th in the Zagreb Interzonal, won by Viktor Korchnoi. In 1990, he again won the Israeli championship.

Gruenfeld played for Israel in six Chess Olympiads: In 1978, at second reserve board in the 23rd Olympiad in Buenos Aires (+2 –0 =7); In 1980, at third board in the 24th Olympiad in La Valletta (+6 –3 =2); In 1982, at first board in the 25th Olympiad in Lucerne (+2 –2 =7); In 1984, at first board in the 26th Olympiad in Thessaloniki (+3 –4 =4); In 1990, at second board in the 29th Olympiad in Novi Sad (+0 –3 =5); In 1992, at first reserve board in the 30th Olympiad in Manila (+4 –1 =4).

FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1978, and the International Grandmaster title in 1980.

Gruenfeld is deaf, but is able to speak, however hoarsely, and can read lips. He played in 5 Olympiads (from 2010 to 2018) on the for the International Chess Committee of the Deaf team.

He claimed gold medal in the men's blitz event at the 2019 Winter Deaflympics where chess was officially included as a medal sport for the first time.

Brilliant game

This is an example of his sharp tactical acumen, against the future grandmaster Murray Chandler, who later included it in his own book “How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, position 105: