Boris Verlinsky
Boris Markovich Verlinsky (8 January 1888 – 30 October 1950) was a Soviet
Biography
Verlinsky was born in
After World War I, Verlinsky moved from Ukraine to Russia. In 1923, he tied for 1st with Kutuzov in
In November–December 1925, he tied for 12th-14th in Moscow (1st Moscow International Tournament) – the winner was Bogoljubow. But in this event, Verlinsky scored many beautiful wins over strong players, with perhaps the most impressive being his victory over World Champion José Raúl Capablanca with the Black pieces in a dazzling tactical display. In 1926, Verlinsky tied for 1st with Marsky in Odessa (3rd Ukraine Championship). In 1926, he tied for 8th-9th in Moscow (7th Moscow Championship) – Abram Rabinovich won. In 1928, he won the 9th Moscow City Championship.[1]
In 1929, Boris Verlinsky won the 6th Soviet Championship in Odessa, at the time earning the title of grandmaster. The title was removed in 1931. It has been argued that this was done in order to make Mikhail Botvinnik the first Soviet grandmaster.[2][3]
According to the site chessmetrics.com, Verlinsky was rated at 2627 in May 1926, and this placed him 16th in the world at that time. Chessmetrics provides historical ratings for players and events throughout chess history. Official ratings were introduced by FIDE only in 1970.
In 1930, Verlinsky took 7th in Moscow (
Verlinsky was less active at chess in his later life, but could still provide a competitive test for strong masters. After many years away from top competition, he attempted to qualify for the Soviet Championship final in 1945, at age 57, but could only manage 4.5/15 in the semi-final, and did not advance. However, he defeated rising star Bronstein in this event. Verlinsky's last major competitive event was the 1945 Moscow Championship, where he scored 5/16.
Verlinsky was awarded the
Style and legacy
Verlinsky was strong in the classical openings with both colours. At his peak, he won against
References
- ^ Name Index to Jeremy Gaige's Chess Tournament Crosstables Archived July 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 1-85744-201-6.
- ISBN 978-90-5691-272-7.
- ^ Russian Chess Base
External links
- Boris Verlinsky player profile and games at Chessgames.com
- Boris Verlinsky chess games at 365Chess.com