Efim Geller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Efim Geller
Geller in 1977
Full name	Efim Petrovich Geller
Country	Soviet Union → Russia
Born	(1925-03-08)8 March 1925 Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died	17 November 1998(1998-11-17) (aged 73) Moscow, Russia
Title	Grandmaster (1952)
Peak rating	2620 (January 1976)

Efim Petrovich Geller (Russian: Ефим Петрович Геллер, Ukrainian: Юхим Петрович Геллер; 8 March 1925 – 17 November 1998) was a famous Soviet and Russian chess player. He was known as a world-class grandmaster during his best years.

Geller won the Soviet Chess Championship twice, in 1955 and 1979. He also tried to become the World Chess Champion six times by playing in the Candidates Tournaments. He won the Ukrainian SSR Championship four times. Later in his life, he won the World Seniors' Championship in 1992.

Efim Geller also helped train two World Champions, Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov. He also wrote books about chess.

Early Life and Chess Beginnings

Efim Geller grew up in Odessa, which was part of the Soviet Union. He was very good at basketball and even earned a degree in physical education. He only focused on chess later in life. His journey to becoming a top chess player was slowed down by World War II.

Geller started getting noticed in chess in the late 1940s. He did well in the 1947 Ukrainian SSR Chess Championship. In 1949, he won a big qualifying tournament in Tbilisi. This allowed him to play in the USSR Championship finals for the first time.

Becoming a Grandmaster

Geller in 1973

In his first USSR Championship final in Moscow, Geller surprised everyone. He tied for third place, even though he was not well-known at the time. He beat many strong players like David Bronstein and Vasily Smyslov.

Geller was considered one of the top ten chess players in the world for about 20 years. He earned the International Master title in 1951. The next year, he became an International Grandmaster, which is the highest title in chess.

He played in the USSR Chess Championship 23 times, which is a record. He won his first title in 1955 in Moscow. He tied for first place and then won a playoff match against Vasily Smyslov. Geller won his second USSR Championship in 1979 in Minsk. At 54 years old, he became the oldest Soviet champion ever.

Geller also won many other important tournaments around the world. These included events in Dresden (1959), Wijk aan Zee (1969), Havana (1971), Budapest (1973), and Moscow (1975). He continued to play well into his later years. In the early 1990s, he won the World Seniors' Championship in 1992. He kept playing competitive chess until he was 70 years old.

Aiming for the World Title

Geller tried to become the World Chess Champion several times. To do this, players must go through a series of tournaments called the Candidates cycle. He was a "Candidate" in 1953 and 1956.

His best chance came in 1962. He finished second in the Interzonal tournament in Stockholm, right behind Bobby Fischer. In the Candidates' Tournament in Curaçao, he came very close to playing for the world title. He finished just half a point behind Tigran Petrosian. Petrosian went on to become the World Champion.

Geller also played in the Candidates' matches in 1965 and 1968. In 1965, he won his first match against Smyslov. But he lost in the next round to Boris Spassky. In 1968, he again lost to Spassky in the first round. He qualified for the Candidates' one more time in 1970 but lost to Viktor Korchnoi.

Playing for His Country

Geller in 1977

Efim Geller was a key player for the Soviet Union team. He represented his country seven times in the Chess Olympiad, which is a big international team competition. He played from 1952 to 1980. Each time, his team won the gold medal. Geller himself won three gold medals and three silver medals for his performance on his board. He had a very impressive record in these events, winning 46 games, losing only 7, and drawing 23.

He also played for the USSR team six times in the European Team Championships. His team won gold every time. Geller also won four gold medals for his individual performance on his board in these championships.

Geller's Chess Style

Efim Geller was known for his strong tactical skills and his original attacking style, especially earlier in his career. As he got older, he became a more all-around player. He was also an expert in chess openings, which are the first moves of a game.

Geller helped develop the King's Indian Defence, a popular opening, along with other Ukrainian players. He also improved many parts of the Sicilian Defence, another common opening. He even used one of his new ideas in the Sicilian Defence to beat Bobby Fischer. Geller also created a sharp opening called the Geller Gambit.

He worked as an assistant (called a "second") to World Champions Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov. He also helped his good friend Tigran Petrosian. Geller wrote an autobiography called Grandmaster Geller at the Chessboard, which was later updated. It contains 100 of his games with his own notes. Former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik believed that Geller was the best player in the world in the late 1960s.

Geller had a positive record against many World Champions. He beat eight different World Champions in classical chess games. He had more wins than losses against Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Tigran Petrosian, and Bobby Fischer.

Lifetime Scores Against Top Grandmasters

Geller played many games against the best players of his time. Here is a summary of his results against some of them:

Images for kids

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  Geller in 1977

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  Geller in 1973

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  Geller in 1977

See also

In Spanish: Yefim Géler para niños