Alexander Konstantinopolsky facts for kids
Alexander Markovich Konstantinopolsky (Russian: Александр Маркович Константинопольский; born February 19, 1910 – died September 21, 1990) was a famous Soviet chess player, coach, and writer. He won the Kiev chess championship five times in a row! He also coached the future world title challenger David Bronstein from a young age.
In 1950, he was given the title of International Master (IM) by FIDE, which is the world chess organization. He also won the first Soviet Correspondence Chess Championship in 1951, where players send their moves by mail. Later, in 1966, he became an International Master in correspondence chess, and in 1983, he earned the special title of Honorary Grandmaster.
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Early Chess Days in Ukraine
Alexander Konstantinopolsky was born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire back then. What's interesting is that he didn't learn to play chess until he was almost 20 years old. This is quite late for someone who became such a strong player!
At the start of his chess career, Alexander became the champion of Kiev five times in a row, from 1932 to 1936. He also played in many Ukrainian championships. For example, he placed 3rd in Kharkov in 1933 and 3rd in Kiev in 1938.
He also competed several times in the main Soviet Chess Championships, which were some of the strongest tournaments in the world. In 1937, he tied for 2nd-3rd place in Tbilisi, which was a fantastic result! He also had good showings in 1940, tying for 4th-7th.
Chess Coach and Strategist
In the late 1930s, Alexander Konstantinopolsky started coaching young chess players and beginners in Kiev. He worked at the Palace of Young Pioneers. People remembered him as a very friendly and kind person. His most famous student was David Bronstein, who later played for the World Championship title in 1951. Alexander and David were close friends, and Alexander even helped David during his important match in 1950.
Alexander was also a pioneer in developing the King's Indian Defence, a popular chess opening. He worked on this opening with other strong players like Isaac Boleslavsky and David Bronstein. Before their work, this opening was not considered very strong. He also played one of the earliest games in a very popular line of the Sicilian Defence, called the Yugoslav Attack. He was known for having a wide range of openings he could play, which was a great skill he taught to his student, Bronstein. He was also very good at planning long-term strategies and finding clever tactical moves.
Becoming a Grandmaster
Alexander continued to play in strong tournaments. In 1939, he played well in a tournament in Leningrad/Moscow. During World War II, he kept playing in national tournaments. He won a tournament in Kuibyshev in 1943 and later moved to Moscow in 1944. He also played in the 1945 Moscow City Championship, which was one of the strongest city championships in the world.
After the war, he played in more Soviet championships. In 1945, he tied for 1st place in a qualifying tournament in Baku. He then tied for 4th-6th in the main Soviet Championship that year. In 1948, he tied for 6th-9th, and in 1950, he tied for 5th-6th.
His best results in these Soviet championships were being in the top six four times. The Soviet Union had so many incredibly strong chess players that it was very hard to earn the highest title of Grandmaster. In almost any other country, his results would have made him a national champion and a Grandmaster. He managed to beat many top players, including world champions like Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov, and other famous players like Paul Keres and Viktor Korchnoi.
Later Life and Legacy
From 1948 to 1951, Alexander Konstantinopolsky won the first Soviet Correspondence Chess Championship. He received the International Master (IM) title in 1950. Later, he became an International Master of correspondence chess (IMC) in 1966 and an Honorary Grandmaster (HGM) in 1983.
He only had one chance to play in an international tournament outside the Soviet Union, in Amsterdam in 1966. He was 56 years old then, but he still played well. He continued to work as one of the most respected chess coaches in the Soviet Union even into his 70s.
He even has a chess opening named after him, called the Konstantinopolsky Opening (which starts with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3). He played this opening against Viacheslav Ragozin in Moscow in 1956. He also wrote two chess books after he turned 70.
Alexander Konstantinopolsky passed away in Moscow on September 21, 1990, at the age of 80.
See Also
- List of chess openings named after people
Images for kids
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Alexander Konstantinopolsky, around 1932
