Lev Alburt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lev Alburt |
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Alburt in 1980
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| Full name | Lev Osipovich Alburt (Лев Альбурт) |
| Country | Soviet Union (until 1979) United States (since 1979) |
| Born | August 21, 1945 Orenburg, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Grandmaster (1977) |
| FIDE rating | 2539 (August 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2580 (July 1981) |
| Peak ranking | No. 22 (January 1981) |
Lev Alburt (born August 21, 1945) is a famous American chess player, writer, and coach. He was born in Orenburg, Russia. Before moving to the United States, he won the Ukrainian Chess Championship three times. After he came to the U.S. in 1979, he became the U.S. Champion three times too!
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Lev Alburt's Chess Journey
Lev Alburt started his amazing chess journey by winning the Ukrainian Chess Championship in 1972, 1973, and 1974. He became an International Master in 1976. Just one year later, in 1977, he earned the highest title in chess: Grandmaster.
In 1979, while on a chess trip to Germany, Alburt decided to move to the United States. He settled there and quickly became a top player. In 1980, he even led the U.S. team at the Chess Olympiad in Malta.
Winning U.S. Championships
Lev Alburt showed his strength by winning the U.S. Chess Championship in 1984, 1985, and 1990. He also won the U.S. Open Chess Championship in 1987 and 1989. In 1986, he played a close match against the British Chess Champion, Jonathan Speelman, and it ended in a draw.
Helping Others Learn Chess
Besides playing, Alburt has written many popular chess books. These books help people learn and improve their chess skills.
He has also been a chess coach for many years. In 2004, he received a special award called "FIDE Senior Trainer." This award recognized him as a top coach. In New York City, where he lives, he has taught chess to many important people.
In January 1981, Lev Alburt was the highest-rated American chess player on the FIDE rating list. This shows how strong he was at the peak of his career.
Alburt's Chess Legacy
A special chess opening is named after Lev Alburt. It's called the Alburt Variation in Alekhine's Defence. This move sequence is 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6. It's cool to have a chess move named after you!
Famous Chess Games
Lev Alburt played many exciting games. Here are a couple of his most famous wins:
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In 1977, Alburt played against Vlastimil Hort, who was one of the top players in the world. Alburt won this game using a chess opening called the Benko Gambit. He played with the black pieces.
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In the 1990 U.S. Championship, Alburt defeated Yasser Seirawan, who had won the U.S. Championship four times. This win helped Alburt secure his third U.S. Championship title. He played with the black pieces in this game.
See also
In Spanish: Lev Alburt para niños
