{{short description|Estonian chess player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox chess player | image = Iivo Nei 1966.jpg | caption = Nei in 1966 | country = Soviet Union<br>Estonia | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1931|10|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Tartu, Estonia | death_date = | death_place = | title = International Master (1964)<br>Grandmaster (2024) | peakranking = No. 82 (July 1972) | peakrating = 2510 (January 1976) | FideID = 4500059 }}
'''Iivo Nei''' (born 31 October 1931 in Tartu) is an Estonian chess grandmaster.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esbl.ee/biograafia/Iivo_Nei |title=NEI, IIVO |website=Eesti Spordi Biograafiline Leksikon |lang=et |date=2024-02-17}}</ref>
==Tournament career== In 1947, at the beginning of his career, Nei took 3rd in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) at the sixth USSR juniors championships won by Viktor Korchnoi. In 1948, he tied for first with Korchnoi in Tallinn (seventh USSR juniors championships). Nei won the Estonian Championship eight times (1951, 1952, 1956, 1960–1962, 1971, and 1974). In 1955, he tied for third through sixth place in Pärnu (Baltic Republics championships), an event won by Paul Keres. In 1960, he tied for 14–15th at the 27th USSR championships in Leningrad won by Korchnoi. Nei won the Baltic Republics championships in 1961 in Palanga, in 1962 in Tartu, in 1963 in Estonia, and in 1964 in Pärnu. In 1964, he also tied for first with Keres in Beverwijk (Corus chess tournament). In 1965, he took second, behind Vladas Mikėnas, in Palanga (Baltic championships).
==Recognitions== Nei was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1964. He was one of Boris Spassky's {{chessgloss|seconds}} (along with Efim Geller and Nikolai Krogius) for the {{nowrap|1972 Fischer–Spassky World Championship match}}. He has also served as Nona Gaprindashvili's second for the Gaprindashvili-Kushnir World Championship. He went on to become a trainer, teaching grandmaster Lembit Oll. In February 2024, he was awarded by FIDE the title of Honorary Grandmaster.<ref>{{cite web |title=Iivo Nei and Andreas Dueckstein awarded Honorary Grandmaster title |url=https://www.fide.com/news/2886 |website=www.fide.com |access-date=17 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref> After the death of Andreas Dückstein on 28 August 2024, Nei became the oldest living grandmaster.<ref name=chesscom>{{cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/andreas-duckstein-1927-2024 |website=Chess.com |title=Andreas Dueckstein (1927-2024) |first=Peter |last=Doggers |date=4 September 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== His youngest brother Mati Nei (b. 1942) is also a chess player and won the Estonian Chess Championship in 1990.<ref>[http://www.maleliit.ee/turniirid/tabelid/tiitlid/eestimeistrid.html Eesti meistrid males]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Fide}} *{{Chessgames player|id=37224}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nei, Iivo}} Category:1931 births Category:Living people Category:Estonian chess players Category:Soviet chess players Category:Chess International Masters Category:Sportspeople from Tartu Category:Chess Grandmasters