Happy birthday to chess genius, concert pianist Mark Taimanov

Chess blog for latest news and trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011

Hello everyone,

We greet the talented concert pianist and chess grandmaster Mark Taimanov on his 85th birthday. He has opening variations named after him in the Sicilian Defence, Benoni Defence and Nimzo-Indian Defence. He has written books on both of his named variations, as

well as an autobiographical best games collection.

He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurichin 1953, where he tied for eighth place. From 1946 to 1956, he was among the world's top ten players. He played in 23 USSR Chess Championships (a record equalled by Efim Geller), tying for first place twice. In 1952 he lost the playoff match to Mikhail Botvinnik, while in 1956, he beat Yuri Averbakh and Boris Spassky for the title.

You can find a very nice article on www.chess-news.ru.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com

Ludwig Nobel Prize for Grandmaster Mark Taimanov

Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010

Eighty-four-year-old grandmaster Mark Taimanov with his wife, Nadezhda, and 6-year-old twins Masha and Dima. Photo: www.eg.ru

Hi Everyone,

We found this nice report in Russian here that Grandmaster Mark Taimanov has been awarded with the Nobel Prize - Ludwig Nobel Prize that is which is not to be confused with the Swedish Alfred Nobel Prize.

This is the Ludwig Nobel Prize that has been given for the last five years. For 2010, the winners are historian Edvard Radzinsky, choreographer Vladimir Vasiliev and Grandmaster Mark Taimanov. The prize carries an amount of $1 million Russian Roubles and honours people from different walks of life.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com