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Stein 
 
Leonid Stein
Number of games in database: 687
Years covered: 1951 to 1973
Highest rating achieved in database: 2620
Overall record: +278 -77 =329 (64.7%)*
   * 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:
 Ruy Lopez (67) 
    C91 C93 C92 C96 C95
 Sicilian (66) 
    B44 B32 B92 B47 B42
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (47) 
    C91 C93 C92 C96 C95
 French Defense (26) 
    C19 C05 C07 C11 C16
 English (25) 
    A15 A17 A16 A14 A10
 King's Indian Attack (24) 
    A07 A08
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (101) 
    B27 B57 B61 B31 B52
 King's Indian (89) 
    E92 E82 E80 E62 E69
 Grunfeld (32) 
    D90 D93 D79 D94 D87
 Modern Benoni (21) 
    A56 A57 A64 A79 A75
 Ruy Lopez (21) 
    C92 C95 C89 C96 C78
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (16) 
    C92 C95 C89 C96 C98
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Krogius vs Stein, 1960 0-1
   Gligoric vs Stein, 1962 0-1
   Stein vs Portisch, 1962 1-0
   Stein vs Smyslov, 1972 1-0
   Stein vs R Hartoch, 1969 1-0
   Stein vs Tal, 1971 1-0
   Poltoranov vs Stein, 1955 0-1
   Stein vs Petrosian, 1961 1-0
   Stein vs Golombek, 1968 1-0
   Keene vs Stein, 1967 0-1

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Leonid Stein - Master of Risk Strategy by jakaiden
   Leonid Stein - Master of Attack by Kasekrainer
   Leonid Stein's Best Games by KingG
   Garry Kasparov's On My Great Predecessors Vol. 3 by Anatoly21
   Leonid Stein - Forgotten Genius by Open Defence
   Benoni Volume I:Modern Benoni by Nikita Smirnov

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Leonid Stein
Search Google® for Leonid Stein


LEONID STEIN
(born Nov-12-1934, died Jul-04-1973) Ukraine (citizen of Russia)

[what is this?]
Leonid Zakharovich Stein was born in the Ukraine in 1934. He became a master at the age of twenty-four--unusually late for one who goes on to become a player of his caliber. Three years later he qualified for the Soviet Championship for the first time, placing third and gaining the International Grandmaster title. In the 1960's, he signaled his arrival among the world's elite with a string of strong tournament victories, including three U.S.S.R. Championships. Although he never qualified for the Candidates, he came extremely close in 1962 and 1964 (when he would have qualified if not for a rule restricting the number of candidates from one country) and again in 1967 (where he was eliminated after drawing a tie-break playoff with Vlastimil Hort and Samuel Reshevsky due to the latter's better tiebreaks).

Stein might have qualified in the 1973 cycle, but as he was preparing to leave for Bath, he collapsed of an apparent heart attack in the Rossiya Hotel in Moscow, only 38 years old.

Garry Kasparov wrote that Stein "went beyond the bounds of Botvinnik-Smyslov harmony, expanding the limits of our understanding of the game, changing our impressions of the correlation of material and quality of position, of situations with disrupted material and strategic balance, and created the grounds for the emergence of modern, ultra-dynamic chess." (My Great Predecessors Vol. 3, p. 231)


 page 1 of 28; games 1-25 of 687  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. E Lazarev vs Stein  0-134 1951 Ukrainian Junior ChC05 French, Tarrasch
2. L Goltsov vs Stein 0-133 1955 TournamentE69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
3. Poltoranov vs Stein 0-125 1955 Ch Armed ForcesA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
4. Liublinsky vs Stein  0-134 1955 Ch Armed ForcesC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
5. Stein vs V Soloviev  1-036 1956 Ch Armed ForcesB51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack
6. E Zagorjansky vs Stein  0-149 1956 Ch Moscow (1/2 final)E70 King's Indian
7. Stein vs B Vladimirov  ½-½29 1957 RUS-UKR mB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
8. Stein vs Flohr 0-133 1957 Ch UkraineB17 Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation
9. B Vladimirov vs Stein  0-157 1957 RUS-UKR mA56 Benoni Defense
10. M Usachyi vs Stein 0-134 1957 Ch UkraineA85 Dutch, with c4 & Nc3
11. Shamkovich vs Stein  ½-½73 1959 Olympiad URSE70 King's Indian
12. Stein vs Kliavin 1-034 1959 Olympiad URSB42 Sicilian, Kan
13. I Nei vs Stein  1-032 1959 URS-ch sf playoffA35 English, Symmetrical
14. Stein vs M Shishov  ½-½48 1959 Olympiad URSC44 King's Pawn Game
15. Stein vs V Osnos 1-024 1959 Ch URS (1/2 final)B65 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...Be7 Defense, 9...Nxd4
16. Stein vs I Nei  0-141 1959 URS-ch sf playoffB22 Sicilian, Alapin
17. Stein vs Averbakh  ½-½48 1959 Olympiad URSC44 King's Pawn Game
18. Stein vs Spassky ½-½18 1959 USSR club ChC21 Center Game
19. Savon vs Stein  ½-½13 1959 UKR-chE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
20. Stein vs Y Krutikhin  ½-½44 1959 Olympiad URSB29 Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein
21. I Nei vs Stein  ½-½20 1959 URS-ch sf playoffD41 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch
22. Gufeld vs Stein  ½-½53 1959 UKR-chC44 King's Pawn Game
23. Bannik vs Stein  0-166 1959 UKR-chE62 King's Indian, Fianchetto
24. Remeniuk vs Stein 1-019 1959 Kharkov (Ukraine)B80 Sicilian, Scheveningen
25. Stein vs Zamikhovsky  1-050 1959 UKR-chD31 Queen's Gambit Declined
 page 1 of 28; games 1-25 of 687  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Stein wins | Stein loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 12 OF 12 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Aug-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  jakaiden: Hey Stein lovers, does anyone have the complete game - Kotlerman vs Stein 1958, Kirovograd (Ukrainian Spartakaid)? If so please upload it so my collection can be complete. In the book "Master of Risk Strategy" it is the 1st ending fragment that begins with 22...Rxf2 23. Kxf2 e4! and goes on to move 41...Bxf2 and then it says in a few moves white resigned. Somebody help me out. Thanks!
Aug-28-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <jakaiden> I possess both Ray Keene's "Master Of Attack" and Gufeld's & Lazarev's "Master Of Risk Strategy" and have recently submitted the following games into the DB:

Stein - Matanovic 1965

Borisenko - Stein 1964

Ustinov - Stein 1965

Lazarev - Stein 1951

Stein - Padevsky 1965

but I have been unable to find the full scores of

Shianovsky - Stein 1950

Kotlerman - Stein 1958 and

Gipslis - Stein 1959.

Perhaps <Resignation Trap> or <Sneaky Pete> might be able to help you out here.

Aug-28-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <jakaiden> I have checked megabase 2008 and rusbase for Kotlerman vs Stein 1958, Kirovograd, but without success. :(
Aug-29-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  jakaiden: Thanks 4 the effort guys, I appreciate it.
Aug-29-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionyseus: <jakaiden> Hi there, I noticed you have the Data avatar, I uploaded it and was wondering if you'd be willing to switch out so I can use it? I understand if you're not willing to do so. Please let me know either here or at my forum, thanks.
Nov-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: I find it hard to believe that it's been 35 years since a very premature passing of this extraordinarily talented GM. At the age of 39. Would have been 74 today!

R.I.P. GM Stein.

Nov-12-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy birthday to the guy no WC wanted to play.one of the few men who died doing what he loved to do.
Nov-20-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: In January he'll be featured in a book on attacking chess with Kasparov and Tal.
Dec-10-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <ketchuplover: In January he'll be featured in a book on attacking chess with Kasparov and Tal.>

Stein definately belongs in the Alekine-Tal-Kasparov lineage - but his style had a hypermodern spin as well - he liked the double-finachetto as White and played the English and KIA.

To my thinking Stein was one of the great players who could have been WC - along with Pillsbury, Rubinstein, Keres and perhaps Flohr, Reshevsky, Fine as well. I'm sure there would be votes for Bronstein and Korchnoi. Others?

Jan-01-09   M.D. Wilson: Rubinstein should have been given the opportunity, but WW1 really threw a spanner in the works. Korchnoi was a great contender, and it took Karpov to beat him, so there's no shame in that. Stein played a solid brand of attacking chess, like Spassky and the pre-1958 and 1970s Tal, making dynamism the key to his play.
Jan-02-09   M.D. Wilson: It must be said that Bronstein got the closest to the title, but to no avail. He could only hold a relatively out-of-form Botvinnik to a draw, although he often outplayed Botvinnik until the endgame.
Feb-02-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: STEIN! STEIN! STEIN!
CONGRATULATIONS!
to chessgames for righting this wrong.
STEIN is back on the Drop Down List!!
Feb-02-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <talisman:
<STEIN! STEIN! STEIN! <CONGRATULATIONS! <to chessgames for righting this wrong. <STEIN is back on the Drop Down List!!>>>>>

Those are the Days of Magic Miracles !!!

Feb-02-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: <whiteshark> that's a great quote. is that paul simon or yours?

thanks to <whiteshark> who led the Movement.

thanks to everybody who ordered t-shirts and bumper stickers to get STEIN back on the drop down list.

Feb-03-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <talisman>

'Those are the Days of Magic Miracles' ©

:D

Mar-06-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: "Infinite faith in himself was characteristic of Stein." ...Karpov
Apr-13-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: Anyone have a personal review of the new book by Colin Crouch (mentioned some time back on this board) Chess Secrets of the Attackers - Kasparov, Tal, Stein? I have ordered it but not here as yet.
Apr-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <But the good news is that Colin Crouch is writing a book in the EVERYMANCHESS Giant of Chess Series on Attacking Chess which features Kasparov, Tal, and Stein(!). Oh yes! See http://www.everymanchess.com/displa... for details.>

I received my copy of this book and spent some time on the Stein section. I have to say I was a little disappointed.

First, I don't think simply classifying Stein as an Attacking Player/'Master of Attack' does his unique style justice. I was hoping to see more about him qua Power Player or Master of the Initiative. This book closely paralleled the discussion in Leonid Stein Master of Risk Strategy by Gufeld and Lazarev.

Second, not much if anything about the clearly hypermodern thread that runs through his opening repertoire. I think an initiative-driven player with a hypermodern rep is something special.

Third, I thought the entire section just sort of rambled along (although with some excellent content along-the-way) with no particular theme.

The upside - the game annotations were sharp, informative.

I liked the first Chess Secrets volume (The Giants of Strategy by McDonald) quite a lot better.

May-07-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  kamalakanta: <talisman: STEIN! STEIN! STEIN! CONGRATULATIONS!
to chessgames for righting this wrong.
STEIN is back on the Drop Down List!!>

Hi! He does not appear to be on the Drop Down list at all...

May-07-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: Actually, he WAS on it at one time - now gone... There are many 'lessor lights' on the list, Stein definately deserves inclusion, IMHO.

I have found quite a few Stein games in old Shakmatnyi Byulletins and CCCPs not in the CG database or either of the two English language Stein tomes. As I get time I will post as a collection.

Perhaps my mentor <Chessman95> will assist?

May-07-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: <kamalakanta> Hi!... he's back!

<parisattack> i agree with everything. Dissapointed is the word. limited to one year??? why?

May-07-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: that book of his, the tactical puzzles, is very tough, very useful if you want to beef up your tactical vision.
May-07-09   Shams: Chessgames, once again you have stripped Leonid Stein from the home page drop-down menu. You have some kind 'a pree-de-lick-shun?
May-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  kamalakanta: Hi! Stein is available in the drop-down menu, if you change your preferences and choose a "longer list of players on home-page". Then he becomes visible.
May-31-09   RickN: I think it was a great "lost" for the world of chess players : Leonid died at 39 years old : (excuse me for my english :I live in Belgium). I began to interest me to the career of Leonid Stein (I was 34 years). I don't say why, but I am sure that he would to become a "top 10" in the circle of GMI's world ! Claude (Belgium). (PS : game 5 of Petrossian - Botvinnik (0/1), 1963, is one of my "prefered" games : domination of bishop by a "magic" knight)
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