Mikhail Chigorin
Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin (Russian: Михаил Иванович Чигорин, scientific transliteration Mikhail Ivanovich Čigorin; * 31 Oktoberjul / November 12 1850greg in Gatchina, .. .. † 12 Januarjul / January 25 1908greg in Lublin ) was a Russian chess player and a the leading chess master of his era. He was instrumental in the spread of chess in Russia.
Life
Since Tschigorins parents died early, he grew up in an orphanage, where he also learned to play chess. At 18, he left the orphanage. In St. Petersburg Chess Cafe Domenika he played often successful for money. Against the astronomer Viktor Knorre he won a short match, the first published in 1877 and became very popular in the 20th century in 1874. 1875 met the Chigorin Chess Master Winawer. This prompted him to deal with the chess theory.
In 1879 he won the national championship in a Russian tournament in St. Petersburg.
His debut on the international chess stage was Chigorin in the tournament of 1881 in Berlin, where he was able to win the tie for third place behind Blackburne and Zukertort. In 1889 he was first at the 6th American Chess Congress in New York, 1895 Second in Hastings.
Made famous are two games between Wilhelm Steinitz and Chigorin, which fought out the masters for the clarification of opening theory controversy in 1891 by telegraph between Russia and the United States. Both matches decided Chigorin for themselves. Steinitz said to have been suspected because of the incomprehensible radio messages even espionage.
In two longer events where it came to the title of world champion, however, Chigorin could not prevail against the sober, scientific game of Steinitz ultimately. In the first competition of 20 January to 24 February 1889 in Havana, he lost 6,5:10,5 ( six wins, ten losses and a draw ), and in the second competition from 1 January to 28 February 1892 also in Havana, he had to be the world champion with 10,5:12,5 ( eight wins, ten losses and five draws) to admit defeat.
In between, he organized in his native chess tournaments, played some remote parts, issued a Russian chess magazine and wrote chess columns for newspapers.
His last tournament played Chigorin only a few months before his death in Karlovy Vary in 1907, in which he took the 17th place due to illness.
Importance for chess
Due to its ingenious combination game, he was considered a forerunner of the Soviet chess school. Chigorin was one of the greatest opening theorist of the 19th century, and after him many opening variations are named: including a variant of the Queen's Gambit, the Chigorin Defence, 1.d2 d5 2.c2 d4 d7 - c6 - c4 Sb8; The Chigorin system in the Ruy Lopez: 1.e2 -e4 e7 - e5 -f3 2.Sg1 Sb8 - c6 - b5 a7 - a6 3.Lf1 4.Lb5 -a4 Ng8 - f6 5.0-0 Bf8 - e7 6.Tf1 b7 - b5 - e1 7.La4 -b3 d6 8.c2 - d7 c3 Nc6 - a5 (or 8 .. 0-0 9.h2 - h3 Nc6 - a5 ) and the Chigorin Variation in the French defense: 1.e2 -e4 e7 - e6 2.Dd1 - e2.
His best historical Elo rating, he achieved in 1895 with a value of 2797th His best position to No. 2 in the world rankings had Chigorin 1889-1897 held by 17 monthly ratings.