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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 6 OF 12 ·  Later Kibitzing> Apr-26-06    BIDMONFA: Mark Taimanov TAIMANOV, Mark E. http://www.bidmonfa.com/taimanov_ma... _ Jul-18-06    fred lennox: Taimanov wrote an Opening book of the the sicilian defense Taimanov system. It an excellent book. For it's size, one of the finest books i've come across on an opening. Economy is one of it's strength. True, not everyone will be taken by this opening. Instead of aiming towards tactical fireworks of, say the Najdorf, it's path is more intricate and subtle, true to Taimanov style in general. Even so, the perception he gives to the moves and variations would benefit many. Nov-05-06    Eyal: A good anecdote I have read today in Kasparov's MGP, about what happened after the Russian Chess Federation decided to punish Taimanov for his 6-0 loss to Fischer: <A pretext was found: in a custom inspection at sheremetyevo Airport they found Solzhenitsyn's novel THE FIRST CIRCLE, which at the time it was forbidden to bring into the country, in his luggage. As a result Taimanov was stripped of his 'Honoured Master of Sport' title, excluded fron the USSR team, and for nearly two years prevented from traveling abroad...[a joke which then became popular in Moscow was:] "Have you heard that Solzhenitsyn is in trouble? He has been found in possession of Taimanov's book THE NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENCE!"> Nov-05-06    Karpova: A modern version would be trying to bring in <Kramnik: My Life & Games> to Bulgaria... Feb-07-07    Phoenix: Happy Birthday, Taimanov! One of my favorite grandmasters. We share a trio of things in common: we are both chess players, classical pianists and Ukrainians (well, sort of). Many happy returns. Feb-19-07    who: <"Have you heard that Solzhenitsyn is in trouble? He has been found in possession of Taimanov's book THE NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENCE!"> That's funny. Jun-23-07    wolfmaster: What was Taimanov's main style of play? Aug-17-07    kevin86: A possible pun based on Taimanov's name:Taimanov at Last--- Based on the Twilight Zone's famous episode with Burgess Meredith as the man who never was given the time to read. Sep-08-07    Confuse: gotta love this mans style. "At least I still have my music" - after his 6-0 loss to fischer. classic. : ) Nov-07-07    iron maiden: Taimanov back in action tomorrow: http://www.chessmoscow.ru/index.php... Dec-14-07    capatal: <The Kremlin could also be ruthless> in punishing players who let Russia down. After Mark Taimanov, the pianist and grandmaster, was shut out by Fischer 6-0 in the quarter finals of the World Championship Candidate Matches in 1971, his wife and musical partner denounced him and left him, and Moscow cut his salary, banished him from the national team, and prohibited him from playing chess abroad. - King's Gambit by Paul Hoffman Jan-23-08    spirit: "at least i still have my music"...at least i can now breath ;) Feb-07-08    Eastfrisian: I met him personally. A very sympathic player. Feb-07-08    FSR: Somehow I was sure that Taimanov had died. Happily, it appears that I was wrong. Feb-07-08    FSR: Taimanov's book "Taimanov's Selected Games" features his wins against every world champion from Botvinnik through Karpov (e.g. Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, and Karpov) except Fischer, against whom he was +0=1-7 (six of those wins coming from their Candidates match, of course). Feb-07-08    onemorechessplayer: 82, wish you all the best,Mark Evgenievich! Feb-07-08    brankat: Best wishes for Your Birthday! Feb-07-08    brankat: True grandmastership is not easy to achieve, but it stays with one for life, always with extra room for further growth, both in depth and width. A longevity of a high, grandmaster-like level of play. Mark Taimanov is an example of such a Grandmaster. Lasker, Capablanca, Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch, Alekhine, Vidmar, Euwe, Keres, Reshevsky, Botvinnik, Najdorf, Bronstein, Gligoric (85 years old 5 days ago), Smyslov (first a Candidate in 1948, last one in 1983!), Petrosian, Tal, Spassky, Geller, Larsen, Portisch, Karpov, Kasparov, and of course Victor the Terrible! And there are a few others. They have devoted their lives to Caissa, and have stood the test of time. Hat off to all of them! Feb-07-08    Open Defence: they have a link in that article to one of Taimanov's performances.. wonderful! lovely! <Achieve> I hope you heard it Feb-07-08    jurado96: his contibution the thw world of chess is as important as other great playrs Feb-07-08    Riverbeast: Happy birthday, Grandmaster Taimanov! Feb-07-08    Refused: <FSR: Somehow I was sure that Taimanov had died. Happily, it appears that I was wrong.> He became father for the first time a few years ago, maybe you mixed that up. When I read that news back then, my first reaction was pretty much the same, "ugh thought he was already dead" :) http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail... Anyway Happy Birthday Mr. Taimanov May your children enjoy your presence as long as possible Feb-07-08    Riverbeast: Fathering chilren in his late 70s...also quite impressive, Mr. Taimanov :-) Feb-07-08    ketchuplover: Happy Birthday :) Feb-07-08    The Rocket: "brankat" Taimanov lost his grandmaster title for a while when losing the match against fischer, so a grandmaster title is not safe to stay with you forever. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 12) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 12 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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