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{{chess notation}}
{{family name hatnote|Lvovich|Averbakh|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Short description| Russian chess grandmaster}}
{{Infobox chess player {{Infobox chess player
|name = Yuri Averbakh |playername = Yuri Averbakh
|image = Yuriy Averbakh 1963.jpg |image = ]
|caption = Averbakh in 1963 |caption = Yuri Averbakh at his 80th birthday
|full_name = Yuri Lvovich Averbakh |birthname = Yuri Averbakh
|country = Soviet Union → Russia |country = {{RUS}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|2|8|df=y}} |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1922|2|8}}
|birth_place = ], ]
|birth_place = ], ] (Present-day ], ])<!-- Soviet Union not formally existed until 31 December 2022 -->
|death_date =
|death_date = {{death date and age|2022|5|7|1922|2|8|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yuri Averbakh passes away at age 100 |url=https://chess24.com/en/read/news/yuri-averbakh-passes-away-at-age-100 |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=chess24.com |language=en}}</ref>
|death_place = ], ] |death_place =
|title = ] (1952) |title = ]
|worldchampion = |worldchampion =
|womensworldchampion =
|rating =
|rating = 2445
|peakrating = 2550 (July 1971) |peakrating = 2550 (July 1971)
|FideID = 4101529
}} }}


'''Yuri Lvovich Averbakh''' (born February 8, 1922 in ], ]) is a ] and ] ] player and author. He is currently the oldest living chess grandmaster.
'''Yuri Lvovich Averbakh''' ({{lang-ru|Ю́рий Льво́вич Аверба́х}}; 8 February 1922 – 7 May 2022) was a Russian ] grandmaster and author. He was chairman of the ] from 1973 to 1978. He was the first ] FIDE ]. Despite his eyesight and hearing having worsened, as of his 100th birthday he continued to devote time to chess-related activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yuri Averbakh celebrates his 100th birthday|url=https://chess24.com/en/read/news/yuri-averbakh-celebrates-100th-birthday|access-date=2022-02-08|website=chess24.com|language=en}}</ref>


==Biography and career==
]
His father was ] ]ish,<ref>, ], 8-2-2007</ref> and his ancestors came from Germany and were named ], meaning "meadow brook." His mother was Russian. Both sets of grandparents disapproved of their marriage because his father was a likely ] and his mother was ], as well as the fact that his maternal grandmother died very young so his mother was expected to look after the family. Yuri himself calls himself a ]. Ruti Averbakh is a holocaust survivor , having spent a year in ] in 1945.
]


His first major success was first place in the ] of 1949, ahead of players such as ], ] and ]. He became an ] in 1952. In 1954 he won the ] ahead of players including ], ], ], ] and ]. In the 1956 Championship he came equal first with Taimanov and ] in the main event, finishing second after the playoff. Later Averbakh's daughter, Jane, would marry Taimanov. Averbakh's other major tournament victories included Vienna 1961 and Moscow 1962. He qualified for the 1953 Candidates' Tournament (the last stage to determine the challenger to the ]), finishing joint tenth of the fifteen participants. He also qualified for the 1958 Interzonal at ], by finishing in fourth place at the 1958 USSR Championship at Riga. At Portorož, he wound up in a tie for seventh through eleventh places, half a point short of advancing to the Candidates' Tournament.
==Early life==
Averbakh was born in ], Russia. His father was German ]ish,<ref>, ], 8-2-2007</ref> and his ancestors came from Germany and were named ], meaning "meadow brook". His mother was Russian. Both sets of grandparents disapproved of their marriage because his father was likely an ] and his mother was ], as well as the fact that his maternal grandmother died very young, so his mother was expected to look after the family. Averbakh himself called himself a ].
==Career==


His solid style was difficult for many pure attackers to overcome, as he wrote: :"...], who if he had the attack, could kill anybody, including ]. 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."
===Tournament successes===
His first major success was the first place in the ] of 1949, ahead of players including ], ] and ]. He became an ] in 1952. In 1954 he won the ] ahead of players including ], ], ], ] and ]. In the 1956 Championship, he came equal first with Taimanov and ] in the main event, finishing second after the playoff. Later Averbakh's daughter, Jane, would marry Taimanov. Averbakh's other major tournament victories included Vienna 1961 and Moscow 1962. He qualified for the 1953 ] (the last stage to determine the challenger to the ]), finishing joint tenth of the fifteen participants. He also qualified for the 1958 Interzonal tournament at ], by finishing in fourth place at the 1958 USSR Championship at Riga. At Portorož, he wound up in a tie for seventh through eleventh places, half a point short of advancing to the Candidates' Tournament. He played in the ] in Israel, coming in fourth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chesstempo.com/gamedb/player/12966|title=Yuri L Averbakh - Chess Games|website=chesstempo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Maccabiah_1993/16407|title=Maccabiah 1993|website=365Chess.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=February 2021}}


Averbakh was also a major ] theorist. He has published more than 100 studies, many of which have made notable contributions to endgame theory. In 1956 he was given by ] the title of ] and in 1969 he became an ]. Averbakh was also an important chess journalist and author. He edited the Soviet chess periodicals '']'' and '']''. From 1956 to 1962 he edited (with ] and others) a four-volume anthology on the ], ''Shakhmatnye okonchaniya'' (revised in 1980-84 and translated as ''Comprehensive Chess Endings'', five volumes).
===Playing style===
His solid style was difficult for many pure attackers to overcome, as he wrote:
{{Quote|"...], who if he had the attack, could kill anybody, including ]. 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."<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.bg.ru/article/8937/|title=Юрий Авербах|website=Большой город|language=ru}}</ref>}}


Averbakh is the ] of several ] variations, perhaps most notably the Averbakh System in the ]: '''1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Bg5'''.
He had plus records against the ] ] and ].


===Writings=== ==Other==
]
Averbakh was also a major ] theorist. More than 100 studies were published during his lifetime, many of which have made notable contributions to endgame theory. In 1956, he was given by ] the title of ] and in 1969 that of ].
In the 1960s, Averbakh worked for the Soviet journal ''Znanie - sila'' (Knowledge is Power), which published science and science fiction stories, and once even played a simultaneous game against representatives from the notorious state censorship organ 'Glavlit'. A colleague claims to have begged him before the match "Yuri, have a heart and lose!"<ref>{{citation| editor1-first=Martin| editor1-last=Dewhirst| editor2-first=Robert| editor2-last=Farrell| title=The Soviet Censorship| place=Metuchen, NJ| publisher=The Scarecrow Press| year=1973| page=55}}</ref>


==Writings==
Averbakh was also an important chess journalist and author. He edited the Soviet chess periodicals '']'' and '']''. From 1956 to 1962 he edited (with ] and others) a four-volume anthology on the ], ''Shakhmatnye okonchaniya'' (revised in 1980–84 and translated as ''Comprehensive Chess Endings'', in five volumes).
* ''Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge'', by Yuri Averbakh, 1966, 1993, ], ISBN 1-85744-022-6.
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 1: Bishop Endings, Knight Endings'' by Averbakh and Chekhover, 1983, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026900-1
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 2: Bishop vs Knight Endings, Rook vs Minor Piece Endings'' by Averbakh, 1985, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026901-X
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 3: Queen Endings'' by Averbakh, 1986, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026904-4
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 4: Pawn Endings'' by Averbakh and Maizelis, 1987, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-032043-0
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 5: Rook Endings'' by Averbakh, 1987, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-032048-1
*''Chess Tactics for Advanced Players'', by Averbakh, 1985, Pergamon, ISBN 0-87568-218-9


==References==
===Openings contributions===
<references/>
{{algebraic notation|pos=secright}}
Averbakh is the ] of several ] variations.
*]: Averbakh variation (E73): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5
*]: semi-Averbakh system (E73): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3
*]: Averbakh variation (A42): 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4


==Death and tributes==
Averbakh was born on 8 February 1922, in ] and died on 7 May 2022.<ref name="Chess.com"></ref> Averbakh is survived by a daughter, who was married to ] for ten years.<ref name="Chess.com" />

==Honours and awards==
* ]
*] (1981)
*] (1957)
*] (1970)
*] (1970)
* ]: Knight Commander of the ]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Imperial House - The Head of the Russian Imperial House and Her Heir Visit Moscow, April 23-29, 2017|url=http://www.imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/the-head-of-the-russian-imperial-house-and-her-heir-visit-moscow-april-23-29-2017.html|access-date=2021-02-08|website=www.imperialhouse.ru}}</ref>
*]<ref></ref>

==Books==
* ''Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge'', 1966, 1993, ], {{ISBN|1-85744-022-6}}.
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 1: Bishop Endings, Knight Endings'' by Averbakh and Chekhover, 1983, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-503-2}}
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 2: Bishop vs Knight Endings, Rook vs Minor Piece Endings'', 1985, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-504-0}}
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 3: Queen Endings'', 1986, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-505-9}}
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 4: Pawn Endings'', with Ilya Maizelis, 1987, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-506-7}}
*''Comprehensive Chess Endings 5: Rook Endings'', 1987, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-507-5}}
*''Chess Tactics for Advanced Players'', 1985, Pergamon, {{ISBN|4-87187-508-3}}
*''Chess Tactics for Advanced Players'', 2008, Lebate, {{ISBN|978-0-87568-219-8}}
* ''A History of Chess from Chaturanga to the Present Day'', 2012, Russell Enterprises, {{ISBN|978-1-936490-44-8}}
*''Journey to the Chess Kingdom'', with Mark Beilin, 2014, Chess Evolution, {{ISBN|978-83-934656-6-8}}
*''Centre-Stage and Behind the Scenes: A Personal Memoir'', 2011, New In Chess, {{ISBN|978-9056913649}}
*''Chess Middlegames: Essential Knowledge''
*''Averbakh's Selected Games''
*''Rook v Minor Piece Endings''
*''The World Chess Championship'', with Mark Taimanov
*''Small Chess Dictionary''

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book *{{cite book
| author=Petursson, Margeir | author=Petursson, Margeir
Line 87: Line 51:
| year=1996 | year=1996
| publisher=Cadogan Books | publisher=Cadogan Books
| isbn=978-1-85744-118-5}} | id=ISBN 9781857441185}}
*''Averbakh's Selected Games'' by Averbakh, 1998, Everyman Chess, {{ISBN|1-85744-548-1}} *''Averbakh's Selected Games'' by Averbakh, 1998, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-548-1
*Interview in ''The Day Kasparov Quit'' by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam *Interview in ''The Day Kasparov Quit'' by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

==See also==
* ]


==External links== ==External links==
* {{fide|id=4101529}}
{{Commons}}
* {{chessgames player|id=20559}}
*{{FIDE|4101529|Yuri L. Averbakh}}
*
*{{365Chess.com player|Yuri_L_Averbakh|Yuri L. Averbakh}}
*
*{{Chessgames player|20559|Yuri L. Averbakh}}
*, ''ChessCafe.com'' *
*, ''ChessCafe.com''

{{Authority control}}


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Revision as of 03:21, 8 May 2022

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Yuri Averbakh
Yuri Averbakh at his 80th birthday
Full nameYuri Averbakh
Country Russia
Born (1922-02-08) February 8, 1922 (age 102)
Russia, Kaluga
TitleGrandmaster
FIDE rating2445
Peak rating2550 (July 1971)

Yuri Lvovich Averbakh (born February 8, 1922 in Kaluga, Russia) is a Soviet and Russian chess player and author. He is currently the oldest living chess grandmaster.

Biography and career

His father was German Jewish, and his ancestors came from Germany and were named Auerbach, meaning "meadow brook." His mother was Russian. Both sets of grandparents disapproved of their marriage because his father was a likely atheist and his mother was Eastern Orthodox, as well as the fact that his maternal grandmother died very young so his mother was expected to look after the family. Yuri himself calls himself a fatalist. Ruti Averbakh is a holocaust survivor , having spent a year in Auschwitz in 1945.

His first major success was first place in the Moscow Championship of 1949, ahead of players such as Andor Lilienthal, Yakov Estrin and Vladimir Simagin. He became an International Grandmaster in 1952. In 1954 he won the USSR Chess Championship ahead of players including Mark Taimanov, Viktor Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian, Efim Geller and Salo Flohr. In the 1956 Championship he came equal first with Taimanov and Boris Spassky in the main event, finishing second after the playoff. Later Averbakh's daughter, Jane, would marry Taimanov. Averbakh's other major tournament victories included Vienna 1961 and Moscow 1962. He qualified for the 1953 Candidates' Tournament (the last stage to determine the challenger to the World Chess Champion), finishing joint tenth of the fifteen participants. He also qualified for the 1958 Interzonal at Portorož, by finishing in fourth place at the 1958 USSR Championship at Riga. At Portorož, he wound up in a tie for seventh through eleventh places, half a point short of advancing to the Candidates' Tournament.

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."

Averbakh was also a major endgame study theorist. He has published more than 100 studies, many of which have made notable contributions to endgame theory. In 1956 he was given by FIDE the title of International Judge of Chess Compositions and in 1969 he became an International Arbiter. 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, five volumes).

Averbakh is the eponym of several opening variations, perhaps most notably the Averbakh System in the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Bg5.

Other

Averbakh in 2007

In the 1960s, Averbakh worked for the Soviet journal Znanie - sila (Knowledge is Power), which published science and science fiction stories, and once even played a simultaneous game against representatives from the notorious state censorship organ 'Glavlit'. A colleague claims to have begged him before the match "Yuri, have a heart and lose!"

Writings

  • Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge, by Yuri Averbakh, 1966, 1993, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-022-6.
  • Comprehensive Chess Endings 1: Bishop Endings, Knight Endings by Averbakh and Chekhover, 1983, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026900-1
  • Comprehensive Chess Endings 2: Bishop vs Knight Endings, Rook vs Minor Piece Endings by Averbakh, 1985, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026901-X
  • Comprehensive Chess Endings 3: Queen Endings by Averbakh, 1986, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-026904-4
  • Comprehensive Chess Endings 4: Pawn Endings by Averbakh and Maizelis, 1987, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-032043-0
  • Comprehensive Chess Endings 5: Rook Endings by Averbakh, 1987, Pergamon, ISBN 0-08-032048-1
  • Chess Tactics for Advanced Players, by Averbakh, 1985, Pergamon, ISBN 0-87568-218-9

References

  1. Yuri Averbakh turns 85, Chessbase, 8-2-2007
  2. Dewhirst, Martin; Farrell, Robert, eds. (1973), The Soviet Censorship, Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, p. 55
  • Petursson, Margeir (1996). King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation. Cadogan Books. ISBN 9781857441185.
  • Averbakh's Selected Games by Averbakh, 1998, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-548-1
  • Interview in The Day Kasparov Quit by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

External links

Categories: