Efim To freeze

Efim Petrovitch Geller (in Cyrillic ЕфимПетровичГеллер) is a Soviet player of failures then Russian born the March 8th 1925 and dead the November 17th 1998. It remained in Signal 10 of the best players of failures during approximately 20 years.

It obtains the title of international Maître in 1951 and that of international Large-Master the following year.

To freeze did 23 championships play in of Russia Soviet Union? , a record only equalized by Mark Taïmanov, with good performances in the majority of the championship and by gaining it with 2 recoveries (1955 and 1979).

Among its other good performances, let us quote:

1st with equality with Mikhaïl Botvinnik with the Chess tournament Corus to Wijk aan Zee in 1969 (in front of Paul Keres)
1st in Moscow in 1975 (in front of Boris Spassky, Viktor Kortchnoï and Tigran Petrossian)
1st with equality with Vassily Smyslov in Wijk aan Zee in 1977.

It reaches the last stages of the championship of the world several times, while finishing in particular just in half-time qualificative place with the Tournoi of the candidates of Curaçao in 1962.

According to Jeff Sounded, Geller was classified n°3 world in 1962-63, and remained in Signal 10 during the majority of the years 1950 and 1960, and while returning from time to time in signal 10 in the years 1970.

To freeze also has a positive total score against the world champions: +40-32=123, including/understanding max Euwe (+1-1=0), Mikhail Botvinnik (+4-1=5), Vasily Smyslov (+11-7=31), Mikhail Tal (+6-6=22), Tigran Petrosian (+6-2 =33), Boris Spassky (+6-9=22), Bobby Fischer (+5-3=2), Anatoly Karpov (+1-2=5), Gary Kasparov (+0-1=3).

To freeze is recognized today for its tactical direction and its original style of attack characterized in the first part of its career. He is also a theorist recognized in the opening S, and assisted Boris Spassky in the Championnat of the world 1972 against Bobby Fischer, then assisted Anatoli Karpov. He wrote an autobiography, translated into English by Bernard Cafferty: Grandmaster To freeze At the Chessboard (1969).

A part

Here Geller beats Karpov, which was crowned world champion the previous year:

Efim To freeze-Anatoli Karpov, Championship of the USSR 1976

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Cc3 Fb4 4.e5 Dd7 5.Cf3 b6 6.Fd2 Fa6 7.Fxa6 Cxa6 8.O-O Cb8 9.Ce2 Fe7 10.Tc1 b5 11.Cf4 h5 12.b3 Fa3 13.Tb1 a5 14.c4 c6 15.c5 Fb4 16.Fc1 a4 17.Cd3 Fa5 18.bxa4 bxa4 19.Dxa4 Da7 20.Fg5 Fc7 21.Txb8+! Dxb8 22.Dxc6+ Rf8 23.Cf4 Ta7 24.Ch4 De8
(see diagram)
25.Dxe6!! fxe6 26.Cfg6+ Dxg6 27.Cxg6+ Re8 28.Cxh8 Ta4 29.Td1 Ce7 30.Fxe7 Rxe7 31.Cg6+ Rf7 32.Cf4 Fxe5 33.dxe5 Txf4 34.Tc1 Re8 35.c6 Rd8 36.c7+ Rc8 37.g3 Ta4 38.Tc6 Txa2 39.Txe6 g5 40.Td6 Td2 41.e6 Rxc7 42.e7 1-0

References

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