Yuri Averbakh
Yuri Averbakh | |
---|---|
Full name | Yuri Lvovich Averbakh |
Country | Soviet Union → Russia |
Born | Kaluga, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | 8 February 1922
Died | 7 May 2022 Moscow, Russia | (aged 100)
Title | Grandmaster (1952) |
Peak rating | 2550 (July 1971) |
Yuri Lvovich Averbakh (Russian: Ю́рий Льво́вич Аверба́х; 8 February 1922 – 7 May 2022) was a Russian chess grandmaster and author. He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978. He was the first centenarian FIDE Grandmaster. Despite his eyesight and hearing having worsened, by his 100th birthday he continued to devote time to chess-related activities.[1]
Early life
Averbakh was born in
Career
Tournament successes
His first major success was the first place in the
Playing style
His solid style was difficult for many pure attackers to overcome, as he wrote: "...Nezhmetdinov, who if he had the attack, could kill anybody, including Tal. But my score against him was something like 8½–½ because I did not give him any possibility for an active game. In such cases he would immediately start to spoil his position because he was looking for complications."[6]
He had plus records against the world champions Max Euwe and Tigran Petrosian.
Writings
Averbakh was also a major
Averbakh was also an important chess journalist and author. He edited the Soviet chess periodicals Shakhmaty v SSSR and Shakhmatny Bulletin. From 1956 to 1962 he edited (with Vitaly Chekhover and others) a four-volume anthology on the endgame, Shakhmatnye okonchaniya (revised in 1980–84 and translated as Comprehensive Chess Endings, in five volumes).
Openings contributions
Averbakh is the eponym of several opening variations.
- King's Indian Defence: Averbakh variation (E73): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5
- King's Indian Defence: semi-Averbakh system (E73): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3
- Modern Defense: Averbakh variation (A42): 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4
- Ruy Lopez: Averbakh variation (C87): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 d6
Death and tributes
Averbakh was born on 8 February 1922 in Kaluga, and died on 7 May 2022, in Moscow.[7][8][9][10][11] Averbakh is survived by a daughter, who was married to Mark Taimanov for ten years.[8]
He was an icon in the chess world. Apart from being the archetypal Soviet chess grandmaster, during the heyday of the USSR's chess imperium, Averbakh was the Renaissance Man of chess: a highly successful player, awarded the Grandmaster title in 1952, World Championship Candidate in 1953, Soviet Champion 1954, International Judge of chess composition (otherwise known as chess problems) in 1956, International Arbiter in 1969.[12]
— Raymond Keene, The Article: Yuri Averbakh, 1922–2022
Honours and awards
- Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (1981)
- Medal "For Labour Valour" (1957)
- Medal "For Distinguished Labour" (1970)
- Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin"(1970)
- Russian Imperial Family: Knight Commander of the Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus[13]
- Order of Honor (2022)[14]
Books
- Averbakh, Yuri (1993). Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge. ISBN 978-1857440225.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Chekhover, Vitaly (1983). Comprehensive Chess Endings, Volume 1: Bishop Endings, Knight Endings. Pergamon. ISBN 978-4871875035.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1985). Comprehensive Chess Endings, Volume 2: Bishop Against Knight Endings, Rook Against Minor Piece Endings. Pergamon. ISBN 978-4871875042.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Henkin, Victor; Chekhover, Vitaly (1986). Comprehensive Chess Endings, Volume 3: Queen and Pawn Endings, Queen Against Rook Endings, Queen Against Minor Piece Endings. Pergamon. ISBN 978-4871875059.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Maizelis, Ilya (1987). Comprehensive Chess Endings, Volume 4: Pawn Endings. Pergamon. ISBN 978-4871875066.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Kopayev, Nikolai (1987). Comprehensive Chess Endings, Volume 5: Rook Endings. Pergamon. ISBN 978-4871875073.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1992). Chess Tactics for Advanced Players. Sportverlag Berlin, Chess Digest. ISBN 978-0875682181.
- Averbakh, Yuri (2012). A History of Chess: From Chaturanga to the Present Day. Russell Enterprises. ISBN 978-1936490448.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Beilin, Mikhail (2014). Journey to the Chess Kingdom. Chess Evolution. ISBN 978-8393465668.
- Averbakh, Yuri (2011). Centre-Stage and Behind the Scenes: A Personal Memoir. New In Chess. ISBN 978-9056913649.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1996). Chess Middlegames: Essential Knowledge. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1857441253.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1998). Averbakh's Selected Games. Cadogan. ISBN 978-1857445480.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1978). Rook v. Minor Piece Endings. Batsford. ISBN 978-0713408683.
- Averbakh, Yuri; Taimanov, Mark (1986). The World Chess Championship, Karpov-Kasparov: Moscow 85. Raduga. ISBN 978-5050005533.
- Averbakh, Yuri (1980). Small Chess Dictionary. Sahovski Informator. ISBN 978-8672970128.
See also
Notes
- ^ "Yuri Averbakh celebrates his 100th birthday". chess24.com. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
- Chessbase, 8-2-2007
- ^ "Yuri L Averbakh - Chess Games". chesstempo.com.
- ^ "Maccabiah 1993". 365Chess.com.
- ^ "Yuri Averbakh, the Oldest Living Grandmaster, Turns 100". 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Юрий Авербах". Большой город (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
- ^ "Yuri Averbakh passes away at age 100". chess24.com. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
- ^ a b Chess.com: Yuri Averbakh, 1922–2022
- ^ Chessbase: Yuri Averbakh passes away in Moscow
- ^ FIDE: Yuri Averbakh (1922–2022)
- ^ Chess Federation of Russia: Yuri Averbakh Has Passed Away
- ^ The Article: Yuri Averbakh, 1922–2022
- ^ "Russian Imperial House - The Head of the Russian Imperial House and Her Heir Visit Moscow, April 23-29, 2017". www.imperialhouse.ru. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ^ 100-year-old grandmaster awarded the Order of Honor
References
- Petursson, Margeir (1996). King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation. Cadogan Books. ISBN 978-1-85744-118-5.
- Interview in The Day Kasparov Quit by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam
External links
- Yuri L. Averbakh rating card at FIDE
- Yuri L. Averbakh chess games at 365Chess.com
- Yuri L. Averbakh player profile and games at Chessgames.com
- Interview Part 1, ChessCafe.com
- Interview Part 2, ChessCafe.com
- Yuri Averbakh (1922-2022), Edward Winter