Yuri Averbakh

Yuri Lvovich Averbakh was a Russian chess grandmaster and author. He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978. Averbakh 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.

Early life

Averbakh was born on 8 February 1922 in Kaluga in the Russian SFSR. His father was German Jewish, and his ancestors were named Auerbach, meaning "meadow brook". His mother was Russian. Both sets of grandparents disapproved of their marriage because his father was likely an 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. Averbakh called himself a fatalist.

Career

Tournament successes

Averbakh's first major success was taking first place in the Moscow Championship of 1949, ahead of players including Andor Lilienthal, Yakov Estrin and Vladimir Simagin. He became an international grandmaster in 1952 by qualifying for the 1953 Candidates' Tournament, finishing joint tenth of the fifteen participants. In 1954, Averbakh won the USSR 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, won by Taimanov. Later Averbakh's daughter, Jane, would marry Taimanov. Averbakh's other major tournament victories included Vienna 1961 and Moscow 1962. He also qualified for the 1958 Interzonal tournament at Portorož, by finishing in fourth place at the 1958 USSR Championship at Riga. At Portorož, Averbakh wound up in a tie for seventh through eleventh places, half a point short of advancing to the Candidates' Tournament. He played in the 1993 Maccabiah Games in Israel, coming in fourth.
In February 2020, at the FIDE Congress in Abu Dhabi, Averbakh became an honorary member of FIDE.

Playing style

Averbakh's 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 had plus records against world champions Max Euwe and Tigran Petrosian.

Writings

Averbakh was also a major endgame study 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 FIDE the title of International Judge of Chess Compositions and in 1969 that of 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 a four-volume anthology on the endgame, Shakhmatnye okonchaniya.

Openings contributions

Averbakh is the eponym of several opening variations.

King's Indian Defence: Averbakh variation : 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 : 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3
Modern Defense: Averbakh variation : 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4
Ruy Lopez: Averbakh variation : 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 d6

Death and tributes

Averbakh died on 7 May 2022 in Moscow. Averbakh was survived by a daughter, who was married to Mark Taimanov for ten years.