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Mark Taimanov

MARK TAIMANOV (born Feb-07-1926, died Nov-28-2016, 90 years old) Russia PRONUNCIATION: [what is this?] Mark Yevgenyevich Taimanov was born in Kharkov, Ukraine (formerly USSR) and was awarded the IM title in 1950 and the GM title in 1952. Despite this, he never devoted himself fully to chess, splitting his time and talents between the game and his career as a concert pianist. He still enjoyed several tournament successes over his lengthy career, particularly in the years 1950 to 1956 when he was considered to be among the top ten players in the world. He was a World Championship Candidate in 1953 and 1971, finishing 8th in the 1953 tournament, while in the Fischer - Taimanov Candidates Quarterfinal (1971), he famously lost to Fischer 6-0. Although he never beat Fischer, he won many games against world champions, beating Botvinnik (twice), Smyslov (thrice), Tal (thrice), Petrosian (four times), Spassky (thrice), and Karpov. He was more successful in national tournaments: he played in 23 USSR Championships from 1948 to 1976, which is a record equaled only by Efim Geller. In the 1952 Soviet Championship, he tied for first with Mikhail Botvinnik, but lost to him in their playoff for the title*. However, he won the title in 1956 after a play-off with Yuri L Averbakh and Boris Spassky. Playing hors concours, he won the Latvian Championship in 1949, and the Leningrad Championship in 1948, 1950, 1951, 1961 (jointly) and 1973. In 1993 and 1994 he won the World Senior Championship. In 2008, he played in his last FIDE rated tournament. Taimanov has authored important opening works on the Dutch and Nimzo-Indian Defences, and on the Reti Opening. As an opening theoretician, he left a legacy of openings that bear his name, including a variation in the Benoni, the King's Indian, and most notably the Sicilian, Taimanov Variation (B46) (1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 ♘c6 5.♘c3 a6). * [rusbase-1] ** [rusbase-2] Wikipedia article: Mark Taimanov Last updated: 2021-05-18 23:22:36

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page 1 of 99; games 1-25 of 2,451  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Lisitsin vs Taimanov 0-1 30 1938 Telephone Match C45 Scotch Game 2. V Makogonov vs Taimanov 1-0 21 1944 URS-ch sf E70 King's Indian 3. Taimanov vs Koblents 1-0 44 1944 Ch URS (1/2 final) C11 French 4. V Chekhover vs Taimanov   0-1 68 1944 URS-ch sf E87 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox 5. Taimanov vs Panov 1-0 31 1944 URS-ch sf B83 Sicilian 6. Ragozin vs Taimanov 1-0 26 1945 Leningrad Championship B74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical 7. Taimanov vs K Vinogradov   ½-½ 37 1945 Leningrad Championship D07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense 8. Taimanov vs G Zachodiakin 1-0 23 1945 Ch Trade Unions (team) C74 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense 9. Taimanov vs A Model 1-0 23 1945 Leningrad Championship B02 Alekhine's Defense 10. Taimanov vs A Model   0-1 41 1945 URS-ch sf Leningrad C18 French, Winawer 11. Taimanov vs E Kuzminykh   0-1 54 1946 20th Ch Leningrad C79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred 12. Simagin vs Taimanov   1-0 41 1946 URS-ch sf Leningrad C80 Ruy Lopez, Open 13. Taimanov vs M Katetov   ½-½ 42 1946 Leningrad-Prague C16 French, Winawer 14. Taimanov vs V Chekhover   1-0 38 1946 Leningrad E41 Nimzo-Indian 15. M Katetov vs Taimanov   0-1 40 1946 Leningrad-Prague A15 English 16. Lisitsin vs Taimanov 0-1 37 1946 20th Ch Leningrad D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 17. Lisitsin vs Taimanov   0-1 37 1947 Leningrad D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 18. A Budo vs Taimanov   0-1 41 1947 21st Ch Leningrad D43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 19. Taimanov vs Averbakh   0-1 90 1947 Trades Union Team Ch. E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 20. Taimanov vs E Kuzminykh   ½-½ 36 1947 21st Ch Leningrad B67 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 8...Bd7 21. V Zagorovsky vs Taimanov   0-1 38 1947 URS-ch sf Leningrad C82 Ruy Lopez, Open 22. Taimanov vs K Klaman 1-0 40 1947 URS-ch sf Leningrad B80 Sicilian, Scheveningen 23. A Sokolsky vs Taimanov   ½-½ 18 1947 URS-ch sf Leningrad C55 Two Knights Defense 24. V Mikenas vs Taimanov   ½-½ 33 1947 URS-ch sf Leningrad D47 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 25. Taimanov vs N Kopilov 1-0 52 1947 URS-ch sf Leningrad B10 Caro-Kann  page 1 of 99; games 1-25 of 2,451

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 12 ·  Later Kibitzing> Dec-12-05    paulalbert: <KingG>My first thought is Akiba Rubinstein, since I just read the article in New in Chess about Rubinstein's anti-Meran variation, an early Ne5. The preface to the discussion points out the numerous opening variations with Rubinstein's name attached. I wholly agree with your point that Mark Taimanov deserves to be known for more than the 6-0 loss to Fischer. He was a very talented GM, as well as being a virtuoso concert pianist. I like your game collections. Paul Albert Dec-12-05    Gypsy: Nimzowich. Dec-12-05    who: One of the lines in the Open Ruy is known as the Tarrasch defense. And then of course there is the Tarrasch French and QGD. Dec-12-05    who: Chigorin also has two different lines in the closed Ruy named after him plus his defense to the QG. Dec-12-05    Gypsy: Smyslov. Dec-12-05    who: Steinitz has a line in the caro-kann, the Petrov, and the Ruy. But your point is more accurate if you talk about modern players. Dec-12-05    square dance: steinitz has a line in the french too. Dec-12-05    who: Botvinnik has a line in the caro-kann, the nimzo, and the dutch. Dec-12-05    who: Alekhine has a defense, Catalan and QGA. Dec-12-05    Gypsy: Alekhine... and French (Alekhine-Chatard attack) Dec-12-05    Gypsy: Nimzo-Larsen, Larsen-Bronstein, and ....? Dec-12-05    who: Bronstein, Larsen, Richter, and Keres too. Dec-12-05    who: <Gypsy> Richter-Rauzer (Bronstein variation) - B61. Dec-12-05    who: http://www.answers.com/topic/list-o... Dec-12-05    KingG: Yeah, i forgot about Botvinnik and Tarrasch. Dec-12-05    keypusher: OK, a super-GM can invent stuff (or have it named after him anyway). How about a really lousy player with three lines named after him (lines in openings like 1 f3, 1 a4 etc. don't count)? Caro and Kann have a whole defense named for them -- that's pretty good. But who is the Chatard in Alekhine-Chatard? Who was Snyder (1 e4 c5 2 b3)? Finally, is the Moller Attack in decay? Dec-12-05    who: But I think your point is a good one. The Tarrasch defense isn't all that common in the QG and the Ruy. Botvinnik's Dutch isn't played all that often. On the other hand Taimanov's variation in the Grunfeld is considered practically a refutation. And his lines in the Sicilian and KI are still played quite frequently. Dec-12-05    Gypsy: Who would be the most significant pathbreakers in the opening theory? Definitely these 20 names: Morphy Paulsen Steinitz Tarrasch Chigorin Rubinstein Nimzovich Breyer Reti Alekhine Gruenfeld Saemish Botvinnik Keres Boleslavsky Bronstein Smyslov Larsen Miles Kasparov And I go back and forth on Petrov, Alapin, Pillsbury, Lasker, Capablanca, Tartakover, Bogolubov, Najdorf, Tajmanov, Gligoric, Spassky, Ujtelky, Ufimcev, Portish, Polugaevsky, Benko, Fischer, Karpov, ... Btw, who is credited with the invention of the Sicilian hedgehog? Dec-12-05    keypusher: <Btw, who is credited with the invention of the Sicilian hedgehog?> I don't know if any single individual gets credit -- kind of like Bronstein, Geller et al. with the modern King's Indian. Anyway, Suba, Adorjan, Andersson are the names you tend to hear associated with the development of the hedgehog. See the discussion on Suba's page. Mihai Suba Dec-12-05    who: <Gypsy> why are Boleslavsky and Smyslov on your definite list? Dec-12-05    KingG: <Gypsy> I can't beleive that after what has just been said, that you left out Taimanov from your original list. You put Miles ahead of Taimanov, Fischer(!) and Polugaevsky? Dec-12-05    KingG: By the way, here a couple of games where Polugaevsky introduced some important opening ideas. Zagorovsky vs Polugaevsky, 1959 (Polugaevsky variation of the Najdorf) Polugaevsky vs Korchnoi, 1988 (New way of playing the Gruenfeld exchange) Dec-12-05    Gypsy: <who: ... why are Boleslavsky and Smyslov on your definite list?> Smyslov has many, many lines do his credit. As for Boleslavsky: people in the West do not quite realize the impact of this guy on the opening theory. King Indian and e5-Sicilians are just the most known examples. But as the head trainer of Sbornaya, many of his inventions came out trough other players, eg, Petrosian. Just a random example : few people know that the modern treatment of Fischer-Sozin Sicilian was given life by ... Boleslavsky. Dec-12-05    Gypsy: <kind of like Bronstein, Geller et al. with the modern King's Indian.> Bronstein and Boleslavsky are considered the fathers of modern KID. But Geller (I spaced out about him), Gligoric (Mar del Plata), ... were part of that great generation. Dec-12-05    Gypsy: <KingG: <Gypsy> I can't beleive that after what has just been said, that you left out Taimanov from your original list. ... > Oh I chiefly wanted to open this debate. The definite list was quick and dirty, and it realy depended on the immediate angle of view : That is why Miles (Modern English 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 ... ) made it, and Tajmanov (does he realy stand above such as Gligo, Najdorf, Polu...?) did not. But I can be convinced otherwise. Also, realize that most of the opening manuals I still have lying around here are in Russian or Czech and that many date to 50's and that in those books variations have different names and/or history of invention. (Btw, maybe we should not leave Marshall completely out?) Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 12) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 12 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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