8 February 2017

Yury Averbakh Celebrates His 95th Birthday

He is the oldest living grandmaster in the world.

On February 8, grandmaster Yury Lvovich Averbakh celebrated his 95th birthday. 

In 1938 he won the national schoolchildren tournament. His major achievements in “adult” chess came after the Second World War. In 1949 and 1950 Averbakh won Moscow Championship, and in 1954 he became the USSR Champion. In 1956 Averbakh once again tied for first place in the USSR Championship, but finished second in a tie-breaking tournament with Taimanov and Spassky. 

The 50s were the most successful years in Yury Averbakh's chess career. He qualified for Interzonal tournaments of 1952 and 1958, and took part in the Candidates tournament of 1953. In the 60s he did not participate in late stages of the World Championship Cycle, but won a number of international tournaments. He won two European Team Championships with USSR and participated in friendly matches against USA, England, Sweden, and Yugoslavia.

Yury Averbakh is distinguished by original opening ideas, accurate assessment of position, and excellent endgame technique. He published a number of books on endgame theory. 

Yury Averbakh was a member of Executive Committee of FIDE, Chairman of USSR Chess Federation. He is a prolific chess writer and organizer, dedicated chess historian, and a man of truly encyclopaedic knowledge.
 

Russian Chess Federation congratulates Yury Lvovich Averbakh on his birthday! We wish the grandmaster health, energy, optimism, and new creative achievements!