Alexander Tolush
Encyclopedia
Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush (1 May 1910–3 March 1969) was a Soviet
Russia
n chess
grandmaster. He was one of Boris Spassky
's mentors. Tolush was born and died in Saint Petersburg
(in 1969 called Leningrad). He earned the title of International Master (IM) in 1950, Grandmaster (GM) in 1953, and International Master of Correspondence Chess (IMC) in 1965.
Tolush won the Leningrad Championship
in 1937 (joint), 1938, 1946, and 1947 (joint).
He played in the USSR Championship
ten times.
His best result was second place (+8=6−3 shared with Aronin
and Lipnitsky
) behind Keres
in 1950.
He finished fourth in 1952 (+8=7−4, equal with Boleslavsky
and behind Botvinnik
, Taimanov
, and Geller
) and fourth 1957 (+10=6−5 equal with Spassky and behind Tal
, Bronstein
, and Keres).
His best international result was first place (+10=8−1) at Bucharest 1953, ahead of Petrosian
, Smyslov
, Boleslavsky, and Spassky.
In 1968 he was second at Keszthely +7=3−1 behind Portisch
.
Tolush never played in the Olympiads
, but represented the USSR in two European Team Chess Championship.
Although he never reached the very highest level of chess, Tolush was an imaginative attacking player.
He worked as a chess journalist and was a noted trainer whose pupils included Keres and Spassky.
His biography Alexander Tolush (1983) was compiled by his wife Valentina and includes 92 games.
Tolush introduced the Tolush-Geller Gambit of the Slav Defense
to master play in the games Tolush–Smyslov USSR Championship 1947 and Tolush–Levenfish Leningrad Championship 1947.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
grandmaster. He was one of Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
's mentors. Tolush was born and died in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
(in 1969 called Leningrad). He earned the title of International Master (IM) in 1950, Grandmaster (GM) in 1953, and International Master of Correspondence Chess (IMC) in 1965.
Tolush won the Leningrad Championship
Leningrad City Chess Championship
The Leningrad City Chess Championship is a chess tournament held officially in the city of Leningrad, Russia starting from 1920. The city was called Petrograd from 1914 to 1924, then Leningrad until 1991, and Saint Petersburg afterwards...
in 1937 (joint), 1938, 1946, and 1947 (joint).
He played in the USSR Championship
USSR Chess Championship
This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. It was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners...
ten times.
His best result was second place (+8=6−3 shared with Aronin
Lev Aronin
Lev Aronin was a Soviet International Master of chess. He was a meteorologist by profession.- Early years :...
and Lipnitsky
Isaac Lipnitsky
Isaac Oskarovich Lipnitsky was a Ukrainian-Soviet chess player of close to Grandmaster strength. He was a two-time Ukrainian champion , and was among Ukraine's top half-dozen players from 1948 to 1956...
) behind Keres
Paul Keres
Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
in 1950.
He finished fourth in 1952 (+8=7−4, equal with Boleslavsky
Isaac Boleslavsky
Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky was a Soviet–Jewish chess Grandmaster.-Early career:Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age 9...
and behind Botvinnik
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
, Taimanov
Mark Taimanov
Mark Evgenievich Taimanov is a leading Soviet and Russian chess player and concert pianist.-Chess:He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurich in 1953, where he tied for eighth place. From 1946 to 1956, he was among the world's top...
, and Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
) and fourth 1957 (+10=6−5 equal with Spassky and behind Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
, Bronstein
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
, and Keres).
His best international result was first place (+10=8−1) at Bucharest 1953, ahead of Petrosian
Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
, Smyslov
Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
, Boleslavsky, and Spassky.
In 1968 he was second at Keszthely +7=3−1 behind Portisch
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...
.
Tolush never played in the Olympiads
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
, but represented the USSR in two European Team Chess Championship.
Although he never reached the very highest level of chess, Tolush was an imaginative attacking player.
He worked as a chess journalist and was a noted trainer whose pupils included Keres and Spassky.
His biography Alexander Tolush (1983) was compiled by his wife Valentina and includes 92 games.
Tolush introduced the Tolush-Geller Gambit of the Slav Defense
Slav Defense
The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be explored extensively...
to master play in the games Tolush–Smyslov USSR Championship 1947 and Tolush–Levenfish Leningrad Championship 1947.
External links
- Tolush, Alexander at Olimpbase.org (European Team Championship results)