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My original post in the Biographers Bistro on Poliak/Ivanov mystery: Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19424)

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Paint My Dragon Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19426)

<Paint My Dragon: <Jess> I'd probably take some comfort from Di Felice having a credible sounding source for this tournament (even though it's a bit of a mouthful)

Rolf Voland: Stratagen im Hinterland Das UdSSR-Schach 1941-45

In which case, it should be G Ivanov (although Gaige hasn't heard of him) and Evsey Isaakovich Poliak. Both Poliaks played in a similar timeframe so once again, Gaige provides no clinching evidence, sadly.>

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Telemus Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19442)

Telemus: <jessicafischerqueen> Voland covers Sverdlovsk 1942 on six pages. Extensive text covering the winter 1941/42 in Sverdlovsk, whereto several chess masters had been evacuated, and five games. He mentions a rare tournament bulletin (three issues, complete title in his list of references). The two players in question are named "G. Iwanow" and "J. Poljak" in the crosstable. The latter appears also in the text, where he is in a list of three 'strong master candidates', the others being Poltoranov and Bastrikov.

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Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19559)

On which players participated in the <Sverdlovsk 1942 National Tournament I think I have a solution with respect to which "Poliak" was present.>

It was Evsey Poliak , not Abram Borisovich Poliak .

365Chess lists Abram Borisovich Poliak as the participant, and that is the name on the pgns I downloaded from them.

But it is actually Evsey Poliak

Rolf Voland's "Strategem im Hinterland- Das UdSSR-Schach 1941-1945" published a crosstable for <Sverdlovsk 1942> based on an actual contemporaneous source- a tournament bulletin:

"Sverdlovskij sachmatnyj turnir s ucastiem masterov SSSR; Sverdlovsk 1942"

But the crosstable lists a "J. Poljak"

I just now realized why- Voland's volume is in German, and the "j" is meant to sound as a "y" in English.

So if you type "Evsey Poliak" into the google translator from English to Russian, you will see the Russian result to be "Yevsey Polyak". Now click on the "sound icon" and listen to the pronunciation in Russian- it clearly says "Yevsey Polyak". So in German, "Jevesy Poljak".

Here is a screenshot of the translation result: https://i.imgur.com/evX5op2.png

So the contemporaneous tournament bulletin cited by Voland does not conflict with the listing of Evsey Poliak as the correct participant.

Now the tournament bulletin matches the Rusbase information- which lists "E. Poliak" in the crosstable, and "Evsey Poliak" on the pgns if you download them.

http://al20102007.narod.ru/nat_tour...

"E. Poliak" on Rusbase becomes "J. Polyak" in the German language crosstable published by Voland.

I believe this mystery is solved.

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zanzibar Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19427)

zanzibar: <The first successful test for George Iliwitsky already as a candidate for the master of sports was an exemplary tournament in Sverdlovsk, which was held right at the height of the Great Patriotic War, in 1942. Five masters of sports and six candidates for masters took part in it. In addition to Ilivitsky, Sverdlovsk was also represented by I. Boleslavsky, G. Bastrikov and G. Ivanov. Following several tense days of struggle, Iliwicki finished a step away from the prize podium, dividing fourth to seventh places in the standings with Boleslavsky, Mikenas and Vistanzkis> Fragment of the book by A. Terentyev and K. Bronnikov "History of Chess of Yekaterinburg"

http://ruchess.ru/news/report/pervy...

G. Ivanov

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NOBODY Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19432)

https://web.archive.org/web/2012052... names them <Poliak,Abram>* and <Ivanov,Peter>.

http://ruchess.ru/news/report/zhert... also names him <Абрам Поляк>.

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hemy Biographer Bistro (kibitz #19444)

hemy: <JFQ> Games of Abram Borisovich Poliak played in Sverdlovsk 1942 tournament on Internet Chess:

Poliak - Ilivitzki:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Poliak - Boleslavsky:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Sokolsky - Poliak:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Vistaneckis - Poliak:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Poltoranov - Poliak:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Poliak - Ragozin:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Poliak - Petrovs:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Ivanov - Poliak:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

Bastrikov - Poliak:
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

The only game with Evsei Poliak:
Evsei (???) Poliak - Mikenas (Estonia ???)
http://www.ichessbase.com/icbgame.a...

The article of Dmitri Kriavkin on the Russian chess federation website includes Abram Poliak in the list of players of Sverdlovsk 1942: "Исаак Болеславский, Вячеслав Рагозин, Владимир Петров, Владас Микенас, Георгий Бастриков, Алексей Сокольский, Абрам Поляк, Георгий Иливицкий." http://ruchess.ru/news/report/zhert...

English google translation:

Between the Vladimir Mikhailovich was sent to evacuate in the Urals, in Sverdlovsk, which should was held a regular chess tournament. After a year in such training competition act itself Botvinnik, but and in 1942 composition was very personable: Isaac Boleslavsky, Vyacheslav Rogozin, Vladimir Petrov, Vladas Mikėnas, Georgy Bastrikov, Alexey Sokolsky, Abram Polyak, Georgy Ilyvitsky.