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Yuri Averbakh

Averbakh, playing at Hoogovens, 1963. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

YURI AVERBAKH (born Feb-08-1922, died May-07-2022, 100 years old) Russia PRONUNCIATION: [what is this?] Yuri Lvovich Averbakh was born in Kaluga, Russia. He was awarded the IM title in 1950, the GM title in 1952 and played in the Zuerich Candidates (1953). Notable tournament results: Averbakh won the USSR Championship in 1954 (1) ahead of Mark Taimanov, Viktor Korchnoi, Tigran V Petrosian, Efim Geller and Salomon Flohr he was also equal first in the Soviet Championship of 1956, but lost in the playoff for first place. He won the Championship of Moscow in 1949 (2), 1950 (3) (jointly), and 1962 (jointly). Averbakh also won international tournaments in Vienna in 1961, Moscow in 1962 and Rio de Janeiro in 1965 (4). Theoretician, author and historian: Averbakh is renowned as an opening and endgame theorist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he co-edited a five-volume anthology on the endgame, Shakhmatnye okonchaniya, which was revised in 1980-84 and translated as Comprehensive Chess Endings. A list of Averbak's books can be found in the Wikipedia article about him (see footnotes below). He also edited the magazines Shakhmaty v SSSR and Shakhmatny Bulletin, and has published more than 100 endgame studies and written several books, mainly about endgame theory. Averbakh has a deep interest in chess history, shown in his most recent book about life in the chess world called Centre-Stage and Behind the Scenes. He also gave an in depth interview about the history of chess and other board games on his 90th birthday. (5) Eponymous opening variations: Opening variations named for Averbakh include: 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: click for larger view Kings Indian Defence, Semi-Averbakh system (E73): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3 click for larger view Modern Defense: Averbakh variation (A42): 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 click for larger view Other: Averbakh became an International Judge of Chess Composition in 1956 and an International Arbiter in 1969. He was President of the Soviet Chess Federation from 1972 until 1977 and took an active role on a number of important FIDE committees. Averbakh was the world's oldest grandmaster. Sources and references: Wikipedia article: Yuri Averbakh; 1[rusbase-1]; (2) [rusbase-2]; (3) [rusbase-3]; (4) [brasilbase-1]; (5) http://www.chessintranslation.com/2... Last updated: 2022-08-09 19:02:12

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page 1 of 46; games 1-25 of 1,134  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Averbakh vs Y Neishtadt 1-0 33 1938 Moscow C70 Ruy Lopez 2. Averbakh vs Brekhes   1-0 27 1938 Ch URS (juniors) C12 French, McCutcheon 3. E Stoliar vs Averbakh   0-1 34 1938 Ch URS (juniors) B73 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical 4. Smyslov vs Averbakh 1-0 24 1938 junior tt E17 Queen's Indian 5. Averbakh vs Smyslov 0-1 24 1939 19th Ch Moscow A06 Reti Opening 6. V Lyublinsky vs Averbakh   0-1 48 1940 Candidates-Masters C28 Vienna Game 7. Sakin vs Averbakh   0-1 40 1940 20th Ch Moscow (qf-9) E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3 8. Averbakh vs A Kuznetsov 1-0 28 1940 20th Ch Moscow (qf-9) C02 French, Advance 9. Averbakh vs P Morton   1-0 33 1940 20th Ch Moscow (sf-1) B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen 10. Averbakh vs A Ebralidze   0-1 36 1940 Candidates-Masters B14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack 11. V Mikenas vs Averbakh   0-1 31 1943 Moscow Championship 1943/44 E02 Catalan, Open, 5.Qa4 12. Averbakh vs Botvinnik   ½-½ 40 1943 Moscow Championship 1943/44 C07 French, Tarrasch 13. Averbakh vs Simagin   1-0 41 1943 Moscow Championship-sf A56 Benoni Defense 14. Yaroshevsky vs Averbakh   0-1 61 1943 23rd Ch Moscow (sf-3) A45 Queen's Pawn Game 15. Averbakh vs F Duz-Khotimirsky   1-0 37 1944 Ivanovo C78 Ruy Lopez 16. P Dubinin vs Averbakh   1-0 44 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow D38 Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation 17. Averbakh vs N Ovechkin   0-1 34 1944 Ivanovo C03 French, Tarrasch 18. Averbakh vs Ragozin   ½-½ 43 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow A10 English 19. P Romanovsky vs Averbakh   1-0 42 1944 training tournament B15 Caro-Kann 20. Averbakh vs Botvinnik ½-½ 40 1944 23rd Ch Moscow C07 French, Tarrasch 21. Alatortsev vs Averbakh   0-1 66 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow E22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation 22. Averbakh vs Flohr   ½-½ 18 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow C82 Ruy Lopez, Open 23. Averbakh vs Kotov 0-1 30 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack 24. Averbakh vs M Yudovich Sr   ½-½ 30 1944 URS-ch sf Moscow C67 Ruy Lopez 25. Ragozin vs Averbakh 1-0 36 1944 Ivanovo B73 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical  page 1 of 46; games 1-25 of 1,134

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 10 OF 11 ·  Later Kibitzing> May-07-22    ndg2: I still profit in each game from Yuri's endgame books. Farewell, old friend. May-07-22    whiteshark: May he Rest in Peace: https://www.chess.com/news/view/yur... May-07-22    Albertan: Yuri Averbakh (1922-2022): https://www.fide.com/news/1738 R.I.P. May-07-22    alexmagnus: At death he was the oldest living grandmaster and the oldest living world championship candidate. The new top-3 of oldest living grandmasters are Matanovic, Krogius, Nikolac The new top-3 of oldest living Candidates: Olafsson, Panno, Spassky. May-07-22    Fusilli: <At death he was the oldest living grandmaster and the oldest living world championship candidate.> And after death, he is the longest-lived grandmaster (right?) and oldest-lived world championship candidate. RIP to a great player. May-07-22    Messiah: Rest in peace. May-07-22    perfidious: Tip o' the cap to a player and theoretician who left his mark, long before his time on earth came to its end. As the line over the gates to a Sicilian cemetery went, from a Puzo novel: <We have been like you--and you shall be like us> May-07-22    moronovich: Chapeau maitre. Et bonne voyage. Merci. May-07-22    0ZeR0: Rest in peace to one of the giants of chess, GM Yuri Averbakh. Though you are now gone, your legacy will live on forever over chessboards all over the world. May-08-22    paulalbert: May he rest in peace. I had the honor of meeting GM Averbakh at the Watson ,Farley, Williams Tournament in NY in 1990. Since it was played privately in the law firm offices there were only invited guest spectators. Fortunately as a Trustee of the American Chess Foundation and investment banker at Morgan Stanley i was deemed worthy of an invitation. With so few spectators we were able to personally interact with all the players before and after the games. Yuri was already well along in age at that time, but still managed a couple nice wins over much younger GMs. Much later I learned from a chess playing neighbor ( deceased many years ago) Billy Levine, a dentist, but strong chess player that he knew Yuri well from the International Chess Set Collectors Association in which Yuri was also very involved. Billy's house was filled with an incredible collection of unique and valuable sets from all over the world. Billy actually had a win in a simul over Yuri at one of the Chess Set Collectors Conventions in Europe. Now that Yuri Averbakh is gone I believe that few, if any, of the really elite players from the peak era of Soviet chess remain, other than Boris Spassky whom I also had the pleasure of meeting a few times in NY. May-08-22    nok: I bet <alexmagnus> will come like a vulture to post his updated lists before Yuri's body is cold. Oh wait... May-08-22    piltdown man: Vale, you legend. Always an inspiration to me. May-08-22    alexmagnus: <I bet <alexmagnus> will come like a vulture to post his updated lists before Yuri's body is cold. Oh wait...> Consider me the chess version of the Gerontology Research Group, who also update their lists of oldest people very quickly and publicly :D May-08-22    whiteshark: <I bet <alexmagnus> will come like a vulture to post his updated lists before Yuri's body is cold. Oh wait...> :D It could also be seen as a <to do> list, for whomever.... May-09-22    wordfunph: rest in peace, legend. May-09-22    OhioChessFan: A wildly entertaining and very long interview from around 2014. https://thealmanach.ru/en/action/av... May-09-22    HeMateMe: a russian man living to age 100? That's a rarity. a tip of the hat to the author of many great games. I think I owned one of his books, too. May-09-22    An Englishman: Good Afternoon: His works on the endgame helped me become a Master. Yuri Averbakh, RIP, and thank you for existing. May-12-22    offramp: Did he died? May-12-22    moronovich: <offramp: Did he died?> Yes, he is supposed to be very dead by now. May-14-22    Fusilli: <HeMateMe: a russian man living to age 100? That's a rarity.> True. May-14-22    MissScarlett: Pickling a liver in vinegar is better than vodka. May-14-22    Honza Cervenka: Rest in peace, Yuri Lvovich. May-15-22    Albertan: Averbakh on Averbakh:Grandmaster and World Championship Candidate: https://en.chessbase.com/post/averb... May-17-22    Albertan: How Yuri Averbakh fell in love with Chess-Grigoriev’s best pawn studies: https://chess24.com/en/read/news/ho... Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 11) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 10 OF 11 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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