Akiba Rubinstein was born on 1 December 1880 in Stawiski, Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Before the First World War he became one of the world's strongest players and was a possible challenger to world champion Emanuel Lasker. But after the war he never regained his former strength. He suffered from mental problems and died in a sanatorium in Belgium on 14 March 1961. Rubinstein is famous for the strategic clarity of his play, his contributions to opening theory and his endgame skills.
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