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Vladimir Bagirov
Bagirov 
Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons  

Number of games in database: 1,507
Years covered: 1955 to 2000
Highest rating achieved in database: 2560
Overall record: +469 -223 =800 (58.2%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 15 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Nimzo-Larsen Attack (101) 
    A01
 King's Indian (88) 
    E90 E61 E71 E69 E88
 Nimzo Indian (80) 
    E30 E32 E39 E42 E46
 Sicilian (57) 
    B44 B32 B98 B28 B60
 Queen's Gambit Declined (51) 
    D35 D31 D37 D30 D36
 Grunfeld (42) 
    D94 D80 D91 D85 D82
With the Black pieces:
 Alekhine's Defense (179) 
    B05 B02 B03 B04
 Caro-Kann (85) 
    B18 B13 B10 B17 B12
 Slav (65) 
    D11 D12 D10 D15 D18
 Semi-Slav (60) 
    D47 D45 D44 D43 D48
 French Defense (53) 
    C05 C18 C12 C11 C19
 Queen's Pawn Game (49) 
    D02 A40 A41 D00 A45
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Bagirov vs K Grigorian, 1976 1-0
   Z Radojevic vs Bagirov, 1973 0-1
   Bagirov vs Korchnoi, 1960 1-0
   P Rahls vs Bagirov, 1990 0-1
   Timman vs Bagirov, 1971 0-1
   Bagirov vs Ehlvest, 1988 1-0
   G Szilagyi vs Bagirov, 1969 0-1
   Bagirov vs G Markovic, 1988 1-0
   Bagirov vs A Machulsky, 1975 1-0
   Bagirov vs S Polgar, 1991 1/2-1/2

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Goglidze Memorial (1974)
   Goglidze Memorial (1971)
   Novi Sad Open (1988)
   URS-ch sf Kirovabad (1973)
   Heart of Finland Open (1993)
   Berliner Sommer (1993)
   USSR Championship (1960)
   URS-ch sf Batumi (1961)
   URS-ch semifinal Novosibirsk (1962)
   Kirovakan (1978)
   Vrnjacka Banja (1974)
   URS-ch sf Vilnius (1960)
   Rubinstein Memorial (1969)
   Budapest Spring Open (1989)
   USSR Championship (1970)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   it's Bagirov to play and win with the NLA by willyfly
   Makagonov's Gruenfeld by rickcarnes
   Makagonov's Gruenfeld by Jesspatrick
   USSR Championship 1977 by Phony Benoni
   Tallinn 1981 by Chessdreamer
   1965 Beverwijk Hoogovens by jww


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VLADIMIR BAGIROV
(born Aug-16-1936, died Jul-21-2000, 63 years old) Azerbaijan (federation/nationality Latvia)

[what is this?]

Vladimir Konstantinovich Bagirov was born in Baku. He won the 1998 World Senior Chess Championship. Awarded the IM title in 1963 and the GM title in 1978, he was a trainer and author of note. He helped to train Garry Kasparov in his early years. In the 1970's Bagirov moved to Latvia. He was 1st= with Eduard Gufeld at Tbilisi 1971, 2nd= at Erevan 1982 and 1st at Cascais 1986. He died of a heart attack while playing in a chess tournament in Finland in 2000.

Wikipedia article: Vladimir Bagirov

Last updated: 2023-12-21 11:56:14

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 61; games 1-25 of 1,507  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. V Zurakhov vs Bagirov  1-02319554th Soviet Team-ch prelimB04 Alekhine's Defense, Modern
2. Veresov vs Bagirov  0-13219554th Soviet Team-ch prelimC12 French, McCutcheon
3. Bagirov vs T Giorgadze 1-04119554th Soviet Team-ch finalC45 Scotch Game
4. T Lomaia vs Bagirov  ½-½231957URS-ch qfA36 English
5. Bagirov vs S Naftalin  1-0321957URS-ch qfB06 Robatsch
6. Bagirov vs A Blagidze  ½-½241957URS-ch qfB32 Sicilian
7. S Giterman vs Bagirov  ½-½281957URS-ch qfC12 French, McCutcheon
8. Bagirov vs A Buslaev  ½-½431957URS-ch qfE30 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad
9. Bagirov vs T Kikiani  ½-½211957URS-ch qfB64 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack
10. E Mnatsakanian vs Bagirov  ½-½421957URS-ch qfB13 Caro-Kann, Exchange
11. Taimanov vs Bagirov  1-0441957URS-ch qfE58 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 8...Bxc3
12. A Miasnikov vs Bagirov  ½-½281957URS-ch qfB01 Scandinavian
13. E Sardarov vs Bagirov  1-0221957URS-ch qfC61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense
14. S Khalilbeili vs Bagirov  ½-½221957URS-ch qfC10 French
15. Baile vs Bagirov  ½-½231957URS-ch qfC01 French, Exchange
16. Bagirov vs M Shishov  1-0361957URS-ch qfB28 Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation
17. Bagirov vs V Sarkisian  ½-½681957URS-ch qfB32 Sicilian
18. Bagirov vs L Kalashian 1-0531957URS-ch qfD25 Queen's Gambit Accepted
19. Bagirov vs Demuria 1-0341957URS-ch qfE30 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad
20. Bagirov vs Aronin  1-0581957URS-ch qfE90 King's Indian
21. D Abakarov vs Bagirov 0-1501957URS-ch qfC17 French, Winawer, Advance
22. S Zhukhovitsky vs Bagirov  1-0341957URS-ch qfB13 Caro-Kann, Exchange
23. K Khanov vs Bagirov  0-1341957URS-ch sf SverdlovskC04 French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line
24. Bagirov vs Gipslis  ½-½171957URS-ch sf SverdlovskB62 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer
25. G Ilivitsky vs Bagirov  ½-½301957URS-ch sf SverdlovskA36 English
 page 1 of 61; games 1-25 of 1,507  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Bagirov wins | Bagirov loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Aug-29-03  Tecumseh: One of the leading figures in Latvian chess for years and an important player for the theory of Alekhine's defence.

I read somewhere that he died at the board in 2000 during an arduous game.

Does anyone know if this is true?

Aug-29-03  ughaibu: http://www.geocities.com/chesschamp...
Dec-14-03  Benjamin Lau: Wow, he's a very unorthodox player! He plays the Nimzo-Larsen opening, can you believe it?
Sep-08-04  Giancarlo: Unorthodox indeed. The Nimzo-Larsen, and the Alekhine's defense as his #1 lines.
Feb-15-05  Mating Net: Is Bagirov the best player nobody has ever heard of? I think he's pretty awesome and I definitely want to learn more about him. Many of his combinations are Spassky like.
Jun-09-05  DanRoss53: Incredible! Bagirov's record with the Nimzo-Larsen was +49 =32 -7 (73.86%); his record as white with all other openings was +196 =324 -72 (60.47%) which makes me wonder why he didn't use it exclusively. (He also won 18 of his last 22 games and drew the other four with the Nimzo-Larsen for an amazing 90.91%). I wonder if only a small portion of his games are shown here.
Jun-09-05  suenteus po 147: <DanRoss53> I wouldn't call 1,300+ games a small portion...but maybe you're right and there are more games missing.
Jun-09-05  DanRoss53: Fair enough...instead of "small portion" perhaps I should have said "select number".
Jul-12-05  aw1988: I love his last name. "Bugger off".
Jul-21-06  BIDMONFA: Vladimir Bagirov

BAGIROV, Vladimir K.
http://www.bidmonfa.com/bagirov_vla...
_

Aug-16-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Here's to the POTD and the patron saint of Alekhine's Defense!
Aug-16-07  Harvestman: Bagirov scores +54 =76 -28, or 58.2% with Alekhine's Defence as black. If you believe some people on this site 1.e4 Nf6 is virtually a forced loss for black! Not for Bagirov.

Of course, he's a bit better than most of us...

Jan-10-08  Jesspatrick: Vladimir Bagirov was a brilliant and imaginitive chessplayer. Some of his games astound me. Here's one of my favorites: Bagirov vs N Radev, 1976
Aug-16-08  ravel5184: Happy Bee-day!
Apr-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <Mating Net: Is Bagirov the best player nobody has ever heard of? *** >

Bagirov may be under-appreciated, but he is by no means unknown. He is perhaps best known for being the losing player in this famous game: Bagirov vs Gufeld, 1973 .

Apr-09-09  Poisonpawns: Study Bagirov,Kengis,Alburt,Shabalov if you want to really get into Alekhines defense
Oct-29-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: <I read somewhere that he died at the board in 2000 during an arduous game.>

He died the next day after the game. The game itself had to be aborted though because of heart attack.

Jun-30-10  wordfunph: GM Vladimir Bagirov, the leading proponent of Alekhine's Defense, took up the defense after Alexander Alekhine appeared in a dream and urged Bagirov to rehabilitate his eponymous defense.

(Source: King's Gambit - A Son, A Father and the World's Most Dangerous Game by Paul Hoffman)

Aug-11-10  wordfunph: GM Vladimir Bagirov's pension in Riga was paltry. Winning the World Senior Championship in 1998 brought Bagirov not only moral satisfaction: the prize, although nothing special, was more than two years of his pension.

(Source: The Reliable Past by Genna Sosonko)

Aug-11-10  wordfunph: "You must understand. I can't manage without chess. Without chess, there is no reason for me to live…"

- GM Vladimir Bagirov

Aug-11-10  wordfunph: When Vladimir Bagirov became a Grandmaster late in life, at the age of 42, "When he phoned home, he was crying with happiness," recalls his widow Iraida Bagirova. "At last I am a Grandmaster! I am a Grandmaster!" he kept repeating.

(Source: The Reliable Past by Genna Sosonko)

Feb-11-11  TheaN: For a player looking for off-beat (white) openings after a pretty terrible (still ongoing) season Bagirov is definitely worth to study.

Although his Alekhine % is not that major it's pretty high for a black opening, and his NLA % is insane even for white standards, losing only seven in what's supposed to be a 'good game' for black in the followup. Maybe I'm going to check the NLA a bit more.

Feb-26-11  Resignation Trap: I had never seen a photograph of Bagirov until this last week. Here it is: http://www.chesspro.ru/_images/mate... .
Feb-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <Resignation Trap> He definitely looks like The Most Interesting Chess Player in the World. Obviously not the clean-cut conventional type so favored by Soviet authorities.

BIDMONFA also provided a photograph above, clearly taken many years later.

Feb-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, DosXX?
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