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Kholmov 
 
Ratmir Kholmov
Number of games in database: 2,267
Years covered: 1946 to 2005
Current FIDE rating: 2432
Highest rating achieved in database: 2555
Overall record: +728 -343 =1190 (58.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      6 exhibition games, blitz 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 C88 C80 C96 C69
 French Defense (101) 
    C06 C03 C05 C07 C02
 French Tarrasch (66) 
    C06 C03 C05 C07 C09
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (62) 
    C85 C88 C96 C84 C89
 Sicilian Najdorf (61) 
    B91 B90 B92 B99 B98
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (201) 
    C92 C77 C95 C88 C91
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (142) 
    C92 C95 C88 C91 C87
 Nimzo Indian (141) 
    E55 E21 E32 E54 E48
 Queen's Indian (68) 
    E18 E19 E14 E17 E16
 Bogo Indian (64) 
    E11
 English (63) 
    A15 A17 A13 A14 A10
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
   T Wiesniak vs Kholmov, 1991 0-1
   Bagirov vs Kholmov, 1961 0-1
   Kholmov vs W Golz, 1956 1-0
   N Padevsky vs Kholmov, 1956 0-1
   Furman vs Kholmov, 1963 0-1
   Jansa vs Kholmov, 1976 0-1
   Kholmov vs Savon, 1970 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Cool Moves by Kholmov by Resignation Trap
   Ratmir Kholmov - Selected Games 1945-1957 by Resignation Trap

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Ratmir Kholmov
Search Google® for Ratmir Kholmov


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 joint second, 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 2,267 
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Kholmov vs M Aizenshtadt  1-043 1946 First Category TournamentB24 Sicilian, Closed
2. Pachman vs Kholmov 1-031 1947 MpscowD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
3. Kholmov vs Boleslavsky  0-130 1947 Chigorin memA48 King's Indian
4. Kholmov vs Smyslov  ½-½43 1947 Moscow-chC49 Four Knights
5. K Plater vs Kholmov  0-155 1947 Chigorin memC01 French, Exchange
6. Kholmov vs Gligoric  0-160 1947 Chigorin memD14 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation
7. Petrosian vs Kholmov  0-172 1947 URS-ch sfE19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
8. Kholmov vs Ravinsky  0-145 1947 URS-ch sfA48 King's Indian
9. C Kottnauer vs Kholmov  ½-½42 1947 Chigorin memA43 Old Benoni
10. Ragozin vs Kholmov  1-022 1947 Memorial M.ChigorinB10 Caro-Kann
11. Kholmov vs Kasparian  0-178 1947 URS-ch sfA46 Queen's Pawn Game
12. Kholmov vs E Zagorjansky  1-067 1947 URS-ch sfA46 Queen's Pawn Game
13. Kholmov vs Tsvetkov  1-050 1947 Chigorin memE80 King's Indian, Samisch Variation
14. Kholmov vs Novotelnov  0-152 1947 Chigorin memC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
15. Kotov vs Kholmov  ½-½96 1947 RUSA56 Benoni Defense
16. P Trifunovic vs Kholmov  ½-½21 1947 Chigorin memE17 Queen's Indian
17. Averbakh vs Kholmov 1-026 1947 URS-ch sfA15 English
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. Simagin vs Kholmov 1-060 1947 Ch URS (1/2 final)E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
21. Kholmov vs Bondarevsky  1-068 1947 Chigorin memD58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst
22. Bastrikov vs Kholmov  0-131 1947 YaroslavlA30 English, Symmetrical
23. Botvinnik vs Kholmov  1-030 1947 Moscow Chigorin-memE47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3
24. Sokolsky vs Kholmov  ½-½80 1947 Chigorin memB10 Caro-Kann
25. Kholmov vs Nezhmetdinov  0-161 1947 All-Union Candidate Master TtA46 Queen's Pawn Game
 page 1 of 91; games 1-25 of 2,267 
  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 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Mar-17-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: Never heard of him before today :(

I hope he's playing Capablanca now. :)

Mar-18-06   Jim Bartle: "Never heard of him before today :( "

That's probably because he appears to be one of those Soviet players who was never allowed to travel to tournaments outside the Communist bloc.

Mar-18-06   babakova: Im actually quite familiar with mr Kholmov since one of the first chess books I ever read was about the soviet championships where he played some nice games. Rest in peace.
Mar-18-06   independentthinker: Babakova - what is the name of this book? do u have an amazon link?
Mar-19-06   babakova: The book is called simply "the soviet championships" and amazon do have it. Written by Cafferty and Mark Taimanov. Not an excellent book with annotations perhaps, but a gem when it comes to chess history.
Mar-19-06   DCP23: "Vstrechayas za doskoi s Ratmirom,
luboi okonchit boi rad mirom"

When meeting Ratmir over the board, anyone is happy with a draw.

Not sure who's the author of the original.

Mar-20-06   stanleys: Rest in peace GM Kholmov!
May-13-06   BIDMONFA: Ratmir Kholmov

KHOLMOV, Ratmir
http://www.bidmonfa.com/kholmov_rat...
_

Aug-11-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Timothy Glenn Forney: His knowledge of chess strategy is amazing.
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.

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