Second Piatigorsky Cup International Grandmaster Chess Tournament Held in Santa Monica, California August 1966
It has been reported that the great violin pedagogue, Ivan Galamian, once described Piatigorsky as the greatest string player of all time. He was an extraordinarily dramatic player. His orientation as a performer was to convey the maximum expression embodied in a piece. He brought a great authenticity to his understanding of this expression. He was able communicate this authenticity because he had had extensive personal and professional contact with many of the great composers of the day. Piatigorsky also enjoyed playing chess. His wife, Jacqueline, was a strong player who played in several US women's championships and represented the United States in the women's Chess Olympiad. In 1963, the Piatigorskys organized and financed a strong international tournament in Los Angeles, won by Paul Keres and Tigran Petrosian. A second Piatigorsky Cup was held in Santa Monica in 1966, and was won by Boris Spassky.