Viacheslav Ragozin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Viacheslav Ragozin |
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| Full name | Viacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Born | 8 October 1908 St.Petersburg, Imperial Russia |
| Died | 11 March 1962 (aged 53) Moscow, Russian SFSR |
| Title | Grandmaster (1950) ICCF Grandmaster (1959) |
| ICCF World Champion | 1956–59 |
Viacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin (born October 8, 1908 – died March 11, 1962) was a famous Soviet chess player. He was also a writer and editor. Ragozin became a world champion in correspondence chess, where players send moves to each other over time. He earned the top title of Grandmaster in both regular (over-the-board) and correspondence chess.
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Ragozin's Amazing Chess Journey
Viacheslav Ragozin was born in St. Petersburg. His chess skills became clear in the 1930s. In 1930, he beat a strong player named Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky. This win earned him the title of Soviet master.
Early Chess Success
Ragozin showed his talent in big tournaments. At the Moscow 1935 event, he won a prize for the best game against Andor Lilienthal. In the strong Moscow tournament of 1936, he defeated famous players like Salo Flohr and Emanuel Lasker. He almost beat José Raúl Capablanca, a former world champion, who barely managed a draw at the end.
Ragozin continued to win. He won the Leningrad championship in 1936. In the Soviet Championship of 1937, he tied for second place. In 1939, he finished third in a tournament with top players like Paul Keres.
Achievements in the 1940s
Ragozin's success continued into the 1940s. He won first prize at Sverdlovsk in 1942 and again at the Leningrad Championship in 1945. In 1946, he won in Helsinki and beat Igor Bondarevsky in a match.
His biggest success in regular chess came in 1947. At the Mikhail Chigorin Memorial tournament in Moscow, he finished second. He was just behind Mikhail Botvinnik, who would become a world champion. Ragozin finished ahead of other strong players like Vasily Smyslov and Paul Keres.
Later Years and Correspondence Chess
By the 1950s, new, younger players from Soviet chess schools began to dominate. However, Ragozin still played in the Soviet Championship eleven times between 1934 and 1956. One of his best results after 1950 was in 1956. He finished second at the Wilhelm Steinitz Memorial tournament in Mariánské Lázně.
Ragozin was interested in many parts of chess. He became a Grandmaster in 1950. In 1951, he became an International Arbiter, which means he could judge chess games. From 1956 to 1958, he focused on correspondence chess. He became the second ICCF World Correspondence Chess Champion in 1959. He won 9 games, drew 4, and lost only 1. He also earned the correspondence chess grandmaster title that same year.
A World Champion's Helper
Ragozin's creative and risky playing style caught the eye of world champion Mikhail Botvinnik. Botvinnik saw Ragozin as a perfect training partner. They played many secret training matches. Ragozin helped Botvinnik prepare for important world championship games.
Ragozin often took risks, like giving up pawns to gain an advantage. Botvinnik wanted to make his openings strong and reliable. Testing them against Ragozin's risky style was very important. Many chess historians believe Ragozin's help was a big reason for Botvinnik's success.
Ragozin and Botvinnik also trained together for the 1944 Soviet championship. To get used to tournament noise, they practiced with the radio playing loudly. Botvinnik won the tournament. Ragozin, who finished 13th, joked that he lost because his surroundings were too quiet!
Ragozin's Other Work
From 1946 to 1955, Ragozin was the editor of the chess magazine Shakhmaty v SSSR. He also worked as a civil engineer. He was the vice-president of FIDE, the world chess organization, from 1950 to 1961.
Viacheslav Ragozin passed away in Moscow in 1962. He was working on a collection of his best games at the time. His friends finished the book for him, and it was published in 1964. It was called Izbrannye Partii Ragozina (Ragozin's Selected Games) and included 74 of his games.
How Ragozin Helped Chess Openings
| This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
Ragozin made important contributions to chess opening theory. He helped develop ways for the Black pieces to get a good position in openings like the Queen's Gambit and the Nimzo-Indian.
One of his ideas is the Ragozin Defence. It usually starts with the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4. This opening gives Black active play from the very beginning. It has become very popular again in recent times.
See also
In Spanish: Viacheslav Ragozin para niños
