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Kholmov 
 
Ratmir Kholmov
Number of games in database: 2,268
Years covered: 1946 to 2005
Current FIDE rating: 2432
Highest rating achieved in database: 2555
Overall record: +729 -340 =1190 (58.6%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      9 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (403) 
    B91 B40 B80 B30 B33
 Ruy Lopez (124) 
    C85 C84 C88 C80 C96
 French Defense (101) 
    C06 C05 C03 C02 C07
 French Tarrasch (66) 
    C06 C05 C03 C07 C09
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (62) 
    C85 C84 C88 C96 C89
 Sicilian Najdorf (61) 
    B91 B90 B92 B99 B98
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (201) 
    C92 C77 C95 C91 C88
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (142) 
    C92 C95 C91 C88 C87
 Nimzo Indian (141) 
    E55 E32 E21 E54 E48
 Queen's Indian (68) 
    E19 E18 E17 E14 E16
 English (64) 
    A17 A15 A14 A13 A10
 Bogo Indian (64) 
    E11
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Kholmov vs Bronstein, 1965 1-0
   Kholmov vs Keres, 1959 1-0
   Fischer vs Kholmov, 1965 0-1
   Bagirov vs Kholmov, 1961 0-1
   T Wiesniak vs Kholmov, 1991 0-1
   Kholmov vs W Golz, 1956 1-0
   Spassky vs Kholmov, 1957 1/2-1/2
   Furman vs Kholmov, 1963 0-1
   Kholmov vs Savon, 1970 1-0
   Uhlmann vs Kholmov, 1960 0-1

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Cool Moves by Kholmov by Resignation Trap
   Ratmir Kholmov - Selected Games 1945-1957 by Resignation Trap
   USSR Championship 1962 by suenteus po 147
   USSR Championship 1954 by suenteus po 147
   USSR Zonal 1964 by Phony Benoni

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RATMIR KHOLMOV
(born May-13-1925, died Feb-18-2006) Russia

[what is this?]
Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov was born on May 13, 1925 in Shenkursk. He learned chess at age 12, and it took him only a couple of years to reach master level but in 1960 he was awarded the Grandmaster title. He played in the final of the Soviet Championship sixteen times between 1948 and 1972. In 1963 he tied for first in this event with Boris Spassky and Leonid Stein (who ultimately won the playoff). Two years later he scored one of his finest international results, finishing sole fifth, undefeated, at the 21-round Capablanca Memorial in Havana. A formidable attacking player, he was able to record victories against Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, Boris Spassky, Robert James Fischer and Garry Kasparov during a distinguished career that remained in progress until his death in 2006.

 page 1 of 91; games 1-25 of 2,268  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Kholmov vs M Aizenshtadt  1-043 1946 First Category TournamentB24 Sicilian, Closed
2. Petrosian vs Kholmov 0-172 1947 URS-ch sfE19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
3. K Plater vs Kholmov  0-155 1947 Chigorin memC01 French, Exchange
4. Kotov vs Kholmov  ½-½96 1947 RUSA56 Benoni Defense
5. Botvinnik vs Kholmov  1-030 1947 Moscow Chigorin-memE47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3
6. Pachman vs Kholmov 1-031 1947 MpscowD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
7. Kholmov vs Ravinsky  0-145 1947 URS-ch sfA48 King's Indian
8. Kholmov vs Nezhmetdinov 0-161 1947 All-Union Candidate Master TtA46 Queen's Pawn Game
9. Kholmov vs Kasparian  0-178 1947 URS-ch sfA46 Queen's Pawn Game
10. C Kottnauer vs Kholmov  ½-½42 1947 Chigorin memA43 Old Benoni
11. Bastrikov vs Kholmov  0-131 1947 YaroslavlA30 English, Symmetrical
12. Kholmov vs Gligoric 0-160 1947 Chigorin memD14 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation
13. Kholmov vs E Zagorjansky  1-067 1947 URS-ch sfA46 Queen's Pawn Game
14. Ragozin vs Kholmov  1-022 1947 Memorial M.ChigorinB10 Caro-Kann
15. Averbakh vs Kholmov 1-026 1947 URS-ch sfA15 English
16. Kholmov vs Tsvetkov  1-050 1947 Chigorin memE80 King's Indian, Samisch Variation
17. Simagin vs Kholmov 1-060 1947 Ch URS (1/2 final)E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
18. Kholmov vs Kan 1-077 1947 URS-ch sfE12 Queen's Indian
19. Kholmov vs Keres 0-140 1947 MoscowA32 English, Symmetrical Variation
20. P Trifunovic vs Kholmov  ½-½21 1947 Chigorin memE17 Queen's Indian
21. Kholmov vs Bondarevsky 1-068 1947 Chigorin memD58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst
22. Kholmov vs Novotelnov  0-152 1947 Chigorin memC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
23. Kholmov vs Konstantinopolsky  1-036 1947 URS-ch sfD61 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack
24. Sokolsky vs Kholmov  ½-½80 1947 Chigorin memB10 Caro-Kann
25. Kholmov vs Smyslov  ½-½43 1947 Moscow-chC49 Four Knights
 page 1 of 91; games 1-25 of 2,268  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Kholmov wins | Kholmov loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Oct-19-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: An interesting excerpt from Kholmov's final interview (which can be found at the link provided by Iron Maiden [Mar-17-06]):

Question: "Many things have changed. What do you think about the new FIDE time controls?"

Kholmov: "I am at odds. On the one hand it is good for us, the older generation. You don't have to sit there for five hours or longer. That is very tiring. But for the grand game of chess the short time controls are suicide."

Oct-19-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <Prugno: *** I hope some good author will pay tribute by writing a worthy book about his life and games.>

This may or may not fully meet your criteria, but there is at least one book with 64 annotated games played by Kholmov: "Ratmir Holmov", by Aidan Woodger, The Chess Player (c)1999, ISBN 1 901034 23 2.

May-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: A very talented player Mr.Kholmov. After learning how to play the game at the age of twelve, it took him only a couple of years to reach the master's level! Very few, if any, compare to that.

A fine tactician. I liked his attacking/aggressive approach to the game.

Amongst his "victims" were Fischer, Spassky, Petrosian, and even Kasparov!

I believe that many years of heavy alcohol abuse prevented Kholmov from accomplishing more. He was quite a legendary boozer. My kind of a guy :-)

RIP GM Kholmov.

May-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiskeyrebel: He's my kind of guy too, even though his "tree" has been hacked down over the years by many sage critics. It just so happens I'm working on "How to Calculate Chess Tactics" by Valeri Beim, which rakes Kholmov over the coals..I feel deservedly, whereas of course others may not. Either way, Kholmov's infamous book was a mind blowing shot when it made it way to the U.S. when I was young. I raise my shot glass to him.
May-13-08   zoat22: did he ever become GM?
May-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <zoat22> <did he ever become GM?>

Yes he did in 1960 and I thought that was in the bio originally. Maybe someone edited that bit out subsequently.

May-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: <Kholmov's infamous book>

<whiskey> do you mean "Think Like a GM"? Thats Kotov not Kholmov.

May-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiskeyrebel: Yow!...pardon my K-name blunder. Thanks for pointing it out Calli. I feel like a knucklehead.
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Yeah... All those names with K's... Kramnik, Kasparov, Karpov, Khiskeyrebel, KannaBe... =)
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: Mix those names with a few shots of whiskey, and pretty soon You can't tell between Kholmov and Kotov :-)
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiskeyrebel: Where's my krayons?
I'm gonna draw me a pitcher of Kapablanca, Keuwe, and the Klasker sisters.
May-14-08   Hafen Slawkenbergius: <brankat> Didn't you mean vodka?
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiskeyrebel: When my deceased Father (an always sober but crabby Professor) would lose a game to me, he often would angrily accuse me of playing the "Revashevsky" opening against him. I Don't know where he dreamed that one up or why he thought the Revashevsky was so lethal, but if I had corrected him he would've belted me.
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <Hafen Slawkenbergius> I used "whiskey" because of <whiskeyrebel>'s handle :-)
May-14-08   najdorfman: There is a very funny story about Kholmov that goes something like this. He sits down at the chessboard quite drunk. He has the black pieces. The game goes 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 b6 3.Nf3 e5??! (blundering away a pawn). Kholmov remarks, "I've been playing the Grunfeld Defense my whole life. Never have I gotten such a bad position out of that opening!"
May-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <najdorfman: There is a very funny story about Kholmov that goes something like this. He sits down at the chessboard quite drunk. He has the black pieces. The game goes 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 b6 3.Nf3 e5??! (blundering away a pawn). Kholmov remarks, "I've been playing the Grunfeld Defense my whole life. Never have I gotten such a bad position out of that opening!">

I love the story, but I don't believe it. According to the database he never played 1...Nc6 against 1. e4 in his life.

Repertoire Explorer: Ratmir Kholmov (black)

Hmm, I wonder if the "Picky Killjoy" handle is taken.

Dec-06-08   GrahamClayton: In the course of finishing =3rd in the 26th USSR championship at Tbilisi in 1959, Kholmov won the following 7 prizes:

1. Best result by a master player
2. Best results by a master against GM opponents
3. Best results over last 5 rounds
4. Most number of wins with Black
5. Best result against the top 6 finishers in the tournament. 6. Making a GM norm
7. Playing the "most beautiful game"

Dec-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  blacksburg: <I love the story, but I don't believe it. According to the database he never played 1...Nc6 against 1. e4 in his life.>

perhaps kholmov mistook e4 for d4 and was trying to go into the grunfeld with Nc6(f6), b6(g6).

Jan-25-09   TheChessGuy: Ratmir is an unusual first name for a Russian person. It sounds Serbian or Croatian.
Apr-21-09   returnoftheking: GM Ree tells the same story as Najdorfman. In dutch unfortunately:

http://weblogs3.nrc.nl/schaken/2007...

He concludes that the "Inversed Grunfeld" is quite playable.

Jul-07-09   ughaibu: Three games in which Kholmov played the Gruenfeld: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...
Aug-02-09   myschkin: . . .

".. Ratmir Kholmov was known as <The Central Defender> in Soviet chess circles, because of his great skill at repulsing enemy aggression. But he was also a very dangerous attacker, as most of the leading Soviet players learned, at one stage or another, often to their chagrin. During his peak years, Kholmov was exceptionally tough to defeat, even at the top levels. He qualified for 16 Soviet finals between 1949 and 1972, with an aggregate well over 50 per cent, and never had a truly bad tournament at the Finals level. .."

Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratmir...

*

In Memoriam:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

(by Dagobert Kohlmeyer)

Sep-19-09   alshatranji: A "stylistic" comment on the bio. The second part of the second sentence doesn't make a lot of sense: "and it took him only a couple of years to reach master level but in 1960 he was awarded the Grandmaster title". Why is the "but"? Do you mean "but he was awarded the Grandmaster title only in 1960" or "but it took him until 1960 to be awarded the Grandmaster title". A small issue, but you can make things clearer.
Oct-03-09   andrewjsacks: Kholmov is another of the under-appreciated Soviet GMs of the second level, overshadowed by their chess superstars.
Oct-04-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: well in the 50s - 70s chess in the USSR seemed much more collaborative to me..voluntary or otherwise...
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