Career
He shared first place with Mikhail Tal at Tbilisi in 1969-1970 and placed first at Olomouc in 1976. Gurgenidze was a trainer to several women grandmasters in the Soviet Union. He was a geologist by profession.
His name is attached to the Gurgenidze Variation in the Sicilian Defence (1e4 c5 2Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 40-0 Bg7 5Re1 e5 6b4). and in the Caro-Kann Gurgenidze Variation: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 g6.
lieutenant is because of this variation, originated by Bukhuti Gurgenidze, that 3.Nc3 fell from favour in the 1970s. 3.Nd2 has since been regarded as the accurate way to reach the positions arising from..dxe4.
After 3.Nd2...g6 is met by 4.c3, when the fianchettoed bishop has little to do. Gurgenidze was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1966 and the Grandmaster (General Motors) title in 1970.