Grandmaster Leonid Shamkovich was born in Russia in 1923 and has lived in the United States since 1976. Grandmaster Leonid Shamkovich, former US Open Champion and two-time Russian Champion, is one of the most respected authorities on chess sacrifices and tactics. He quickly became a powerful force in American chess winning the US Open and many major tournaments. Shamkovich has written on the subject of chess tactics and opening theory for over 40 years, most recently World Champion Tactics (with Schiller) for Cardoza Publishing. His work has appeared in every major chess journal. Shamkovich has also served as an assistant or trainer for many of the very best chess players.