Oldest Grandmaster Alive : Yuri Averbakh

A very Happy Birthday to Yuri Averbakh. Yuri Lvovich Averbakh ( born February 8, 1922) is a Soviet and Russian chess player and author. As of 8 feb 2017, he is the oldest living chess grandmaster. He was born in Kaluga, Russia. He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978.

    Yuri Averbakh

His first major success was on first place in the Moscow Championship of 1949, ahead of some very strong players including Andor Lilienthal, Yakov Estrin and Vladimir Simagin. He became an International Grandmaster in 1952. In 1954 he won the USSR Chess Championship ahead of players including Mark Taimanov, Viktor Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian, Efim Geller and Salo Flohr.His solid style was very difficult for many attacking players to overcome.

Averbakh is also a great endgame study theorist. He has published more than 100 studies, many of which have made notable contributions to endgame theory. In 1956 he was given by FIDE the title of International Judge of Chess Compositions and in 1969 he became an International Arbiter. 

     We Wish him  a very Happy Birthday again.