The chess games of Michael Francis Stean

Michael Francis Stean
Number of games in database: 231
Years covered: 1970 to 1982
Current FIDE rating: 2500
Highest rating achieved in database: 2540
Overall record: +43 -56 =129 (47.1%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      3 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS

With the White pieces:

Sicilian (28)
    B89 B83 B96 B46 B52
English (16)
    A10 A15 A14 A16 A13
English, 1 c4 c5 (14)
    A30 A36 A34 A33 A32
English, 1 c4 e5 (9)
    A29 A21 A28 A27 A22
Pirc (9)
    B08 B09 B07
Ruy Lopez (9)
    C69 C72 C88 C63

With the Black pieces:

Sicilian (30)
    B93 B96 B90 B84 B50
Sicilian Najdorf (19)
    B93 B96 B90 B92 B97
Queen's Indian (11)
    E17 E15 E19 E12
Grunfeld (11)
    D86 D78 D87 D85 D73
English (9)
    A15 A10 A13
Reti System (7)
    A04

Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   M Stean vs Browne, 1974 1-0
   M Stean vs Sax, 1978 1-0
   M Stean vs Timman, 1980 1-0

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MICHAEL FRANCIS STEAN
(born Sep-04-1953) United Kingdom

[what is this?]

Michael Francis Stean was born on the 4th of September 1953 in London, England. He finished 3rd at the 1973 World Junior Chess Championships behind Alexander Belyavsky and Tony Miles. Awarded the IM title in 1975 and the GM title in 1977 (The 3rd Englishman to attain the title after Miles and Keene). He finished 1st= in the 1974 British Championship but lost the play-off. He played on 5 English Olympiad teams from 1974 - 1983 and has won 1st prizes at Vrsac 1979, Smederevska Palanka 1980 and Beer Sheba 1982. A specialist in Opening Theory he served as one of Viktor Korchnoi 's seconds in the 1977 - 1981 period. He is the author of Simple Chess, an introduction to chess strategy.

page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231

Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. Nunn vs M Stean	0-1	23	1970	Islington Junior A	B99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line
2. Miles vs M Stean	1-0	53	1970	Islington Junior A	B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
3. S Mariotti vs M Stean	0-1	37	1970	Islington Junior A	D87 Grunfeld, Exchange
4. M Stean vs R O'Kelly	1-0	28	1970	Islington Junior A	A30 English, Symmetrical
5. R Johannes vs M Stean	1-0	23	1970	Islington Junior A	E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
6. M Stean vs Timman	1-0	25	1970	Islington jr A	B46 Sicilian, Taimanov Variation
7. M Stean vs J Hardinge	1-0	26	1970	Hastings Christmas Congress	B42 Sicilian, Kan
8. R Bellin vs M Stean	½-½	26	1970	Islington Junior A	B87 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin with ...a6 and ...b5
9. M Stean vs Timman	0-1	48	1970	Islington	B03 Alekhine's Defense
10. M Stean vs R W Moberly	0-1	19	1970	Islington Junior A	C72 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O
11. M Stean vs R R Smith	½-½	35	1970	Islington Junior A	B14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack
12. M Stean vs J Bellin	1-0	25	1971	Cambridge C	B14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack
13. M Stean vs Keene	0-1	32	1971	Camb Univ blitz	B09 Pirc, Austrian Attack
14. N J Patterson vs M Stean	0-1	30	1971	Cambridge C	B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
15. M Stean vs A J Whiteley	½-½	63	1971	Slater Young Masters	C18 French, Winawer
16. M Stean vs Hort	½-½	65	1972	Hastings	B09 Pirc, Austrian Attack
17. Browne vs M Stean	½-½	70	1972	Hastings	B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
18. Hartston vs M Stean	½-½	50	1972	Hastings 7273	B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
19. M Stean vs Smyslov	½-½	18	1972	03, Hastings	C69 Ruy Lopez, Exchange, Gligoric Variation, 6.d4
20. M Stean vs Larsen	0-1	37	1972	Hastings 7273	A14 English
21. Sosonko vs M Stean	0-1	57	1972	Islington op	D97 Grunfeld, Russian
22. J R Cooke vs M Stean	0-1	34	1972	Brighton	B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
23. V Tukmakov vs M Stean	0-1	44	1972	Hastings 7273	A04 Reti Opening
24. M Stean vs D Cox	½-½	20	1972	Norwich Junior	B80 Sicilian, Scheveningen
25. M Stean vs Ulf Andersson	½-½	23	1972	Hastings	C16 French, Winawer


page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231

REFINE SEARCH: White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Stean wins | Stean loses

Jan-28-03		morphynoman2: Quotes from �Simple Chess� by Michael Stean: "The most important feature of the chess position is the activity of the pieces. This is absolutely fundamental in all phases of the game (opening, middlegame and especially endgame). The primary constraint on a piece's activity is the Pawn structure." "You can retreat pieces... but not pawns. So always think twice about pawn moves". "Open files can be used by both players. The chess player, not being an unselfish advocate of equal opportunity, naturally prefers a one-way system".

Jun-28-05		Knight13: Michael Francis Stean is a great player.

Jul-31-05		chancho: What is Michael Stean doing nowadays, does anyone one know?

Aug-12-06		biglo: According to Bill Wall: "In 1977 Michael Stean became the first grandmaster to lose to a computer; it was a blitz game."

Sep-04-06		BIDMONFA: Michael Francis Stean STEAN, Michael F. http://www.bidmonfa.com/stean_micha... _

Aug-11-07		Fusilli: <chancho: What is Michael Stean doing nowadays, does anyone one know?> I second this question. Why did he retire so early?

Aug-11-07		jahhaj: Simple Chess is the book that made me a half-way decent player. Sadly out of print now.

Aug-11-07		jahhaj: Good grief, seems it's back in print. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Ches... If you're an improving chess player who's looking to move beyond cheap tactics, buy this book. It's probably a bit dated by modern GM standards but for ordinary players I couldn't recommend it highly enough. The principal is to teach strategic concepts using games the illustrate those concepts in the clearest possible way, without any distracting complications. Hence the title, Simple Chess.

Aug-11-07		jahhaj: <Why did he retire so early?> It seems accountancy paid better than professional chess.

Aug-21-07		jahhaj: Recent photo of Michael (at the bottom of the page) http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

Jan-10-08		whiteshark: Quote of the day: <Where are their new objectives? If each player is capable of quick development, castling, and of not blundering any pieces away, what is there to separate the two sides? > --- Michael Stean Two questions, no answer :D

Jan-10-08		jahhaj: <whiteshark> The rest of the book (Simple Chess) is the answer, no?

Jul-30-08		whiteshark: <Simple Chess> If it's simple, why the book? :D

Sep-04-08		RandomVisitor: Quotes from Simple Chess: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzesz4a6/...

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