Notable Games
Yuri Averbakh
14 celebrated games · 342 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Averbakh – Suetin · 1950 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1950. Meeting a Sicilian Richter-Rauzer, Averbakh outplays Alexey Suetin in 33 moves for an early championship-level scalp.
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Averbakh – Smyslov · 1951 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1951. A 40-move Ruy Lopez win over Vasily Smyslov, who would become World Champion in 1957 — a notable classical victory in hindsight.
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Averbakh – Bondarevsky · 1951 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1951. Averbakh grinds down Igor Bondarevsky in an Old Indian, converting a 42-move positional squeeze in the field of a Soviet final.
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Averbakh – Taimanov · 1953 · 1–0
Zurich Candidates 1953. A sharp Sicilian Sozin Attack in which Averbakh defeats Mark Taimanov in 36 moves at the tournament that decided the challenger to the world title.
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Averbakh – Euwe · 1953 · 1–0
Zurich Candidates 1953. In a Nimzo-Indian, Averbakh beats former World Champion Max Euwe in 45 moves; he finished his career with a plus score against Euwe.
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Averbakh – Lilienthal · 1954 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1954, the event Averbakh won outright with 14.5/19. Here he defeats Andor Lilienthal from a King's Indian Fianchetto in 43 moves on the way to the Soviet title.
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Averbakh – Bannik · 1954 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1954. A 62-move English against Anatoly Bannik, a long technical win from the tournament in which Averbakh became Soviet Champion undefeated.
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Averbakh – Panno · 1954 · 1–0
Argentina–USSR match, 1954. A model win over Oscar Panno in the King's Indian Averbakh Variation — the 6.Bg5 system that bears Averbakh's name — decided in 31 moves.
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Averbakh – Fuchs · 1956 · 1–0
Dresden 1956. A crisp 26-move win over Reinhart Fuchs in his own King's Indian Averbakh Variation, later used as a chess.com teaching model of positional understanding.
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Averbakh – Botvinnik · 1957 · 1–0
Secret Botvinnik–Averbakh training match, January 1957. Averbakh defeats reigning World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik in a Ruy Lopez in 45 moves during Botvinnik's preparation for his return match with Smyslov.
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Averbakh – Polugaevsky · 1958 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1958. Averbakh handles the Modern Defense with his own restraining setup and beats Lev Polugaevsky in 30 moves.
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Averbakh – Larsen · 1958 · 1–0
Portoroz Interzonal 1958. A 43-move win over Bent Larsen in a Sicilian Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, at the tournament where Averbakh finished half a point short of the Candidates.
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Averbakh – Petrosian · 1960 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1960. Averbakh defeats Tigran Petrosian — future World Champion — in 43 moves; he was one of the few players to hold a plus score against Petrosian.
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Averbakh – Platonov · 1969 · 1–0
USSR Championship 1969. A compact 25-move win over Igor Platonov out of a Tarrasch Defense, from one of Averbakh's later Soviet finals.
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