The oldest GM. Former USSR champion and Candidate (1953). RIP
Yuri Averbakh (1922 - 2022)
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GM Yuri Averbakh may have been the first and only GM to reach age 100.
He was the last remaining player from the 1953 double-round-robin Candidates' Tournament, one of the greatest events in the history of chess. That year may have been the peak for international Soviet strength, as nine of the 15 contestants were Soviets: GMs Averbakh, Boleslavsky, Bronstein, Geller, Keres, Kotov, Petrosian, Smyslov, and Taimanov, There were no FIDE ratings yet, for the tournament which lasted almost two months, from late August, but by the retrospective chessmetrics.com rating list, the tournament had 14 of the world's top 16 players!!! The six non-Soviets were: GMs Euwe (Netherlands), Gligoric (Yugoslavia), Najdorf (Argentina), Reshevsky (USA), Stahlberg (Sweden), and Szabo (Hungary).
GM Averbakh was known for advocating the Averbakh variation against the King's Indian Defense, and for a line of the Modern Defense from Black's standpoint.
His most famous achievement would be: world-class writings and analysis of the endgame, on which he authored a popular series of books. He was also an important contributor to the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, in its early volumes.
He also earned the International Arbiter title.
A great chess life, well lived, with wide, deep, and long-standing contributions, free from controversy and personal scandal.
Rest In Peace, Grandmaster Averbakh.
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https://en.chessbase.com/post/congra...bakh-turns-100 Interesting article. Check out GM Averbakh's play with the knights in the sample games.
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Originally posted by Frank Dixon View PostGM Yuri Averbakh may have been the first and only GM to reach age 100.
He was the last remaining player from the 1953 double-round-robin Candidates' Tournament, one of the greatest events in the history of chess. That year may have been the peak for international Soviet strength, as nine of the 15 contestants were Soviets: GMs Averbakh, Boleslavsky, Bronstein, Geller, Keres, Kotov, Petrosian, Smyslov, and Taimanov, There were no FIDE ratings yet, for the tournament which lasted almost two months, from late August, but by the retrospective chessmetrics.com rating list, the tournament had 14 of the world's top 16 players!!! The six non-Soviets were: GMs Euwe (Netherlands), Gligoric (Yugoslavia), Najdorf (Argentina), Reshevsky (USA), Stahlberg (Sweden), and Szabo (Hungary).
GM Averbakh was known for advocating the Averbakh variation against the King's Indian Defense, and for a line of the Modern Defense from Black's standpoint.
His most famous achievement would be: world-class writings and analysis of the endgame, on which he authored a popular series of books. He was also an important contributor to the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, in its early volumes.
He also earned the International Arbiter title.
A great chess life, well lived, with wide, deep, and long-standing contributions, free from controversy and personal scandal.
Rest In Peace, Grandmaster Averbakh.
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