Vladimir Makogonov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vladimir Makogonov |
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| Full name | Vladimir Andreevich Makogonov |
| Country | Soviet Union, Azerbaijan SSR |
| Born | August 27, 1904 Nakhchivan, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | January 2, 1993 (aged 88) Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Title | International Master (1950) Grandmaster (honorary, 1987) |
Vladimir Andreevich Makogonov (Russian: Влади́мир Андре́евич Макого́нов) was a famous chess player from Azerbaijan. He was born on August 27, 1904, in Nakhchivan, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. He lived most of his life in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Makogonov became an International Master in 1950. Later, in 1987, he was given the honorary title of Grandmaster. He passed away on January 2, 1993, at the age of 88.
Even though he wasn't widely known outside the Soviet Union, Makogonov was highly respected in his home country. He was known as a strong player and a great coach. In the 1940s, he was considered one of the best chess players in the world.
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Vladimir Makogonov's Chess Journey
Makogonov was a very successful chess player in Azerbaijan. He won the championship of Azerbaijan five times between 1947 and 1952. He also played in eight USSR Championships from 1927 to 1947. His best results in these championships were finishing fourth in 1937 and tying for fourth place in 1939.
He also had impressive results in other tournaments:
- In 1939, he tied for third place at a tournament in Leningrad and Moscow. He finished behind famous players like Salo Flohr and Samuel Reshevsky.
- In 1943, he came in second place at a tournament in Sverdlovsk. He was only behind Mikhail Botvinnik, but ahead of other strong players like Vasily Smyslov and Isaac Boleslavsky.
In 1942, Makogonov played a special twelve-game match against Salo Flohr in Baku and won with a score of 7½ to 4½. He also represented the Soviet Union in the 1945 USSR–USA radio match. He played on Board 9 and beat Abraham Kupchik 1½ to ½. Makogonov stopped playing in competitive tournaments in the 1950s.
Makogonov as a Chess Coach
Makogonov was also very famous as a chess coach. He helped many talented players improve their game.
- He helped Vasily Smyslov prepare for his 1957 World Chess Championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik.
- He trained other chess masters like Vladimir Bagirov and Genrikh Chepukaitis.
- One of his most famous students was Garry Kasparov, who later became a World Chess Champion. Makogonov was one of young Kasparov's first teachers, recommended by Botvinnik himself.
Vladimir's brother, Mikhail Makogonov (1900–1943), was also a chess master. They even tied for first place in the very first Baku chess championship in 1923.
Makogonov's Contributions to Chess
As a player, Makogonov was known for his positional style. This means he focused on placing his pieces in good positions and controlling key areas of the board, rather than just looking for quick attacks.
He also made important contributions to chess opening theory. Chess openings are the first few moves of a game, and Makogonov developed new ideas in several of them:
- Makogonov Variation in the King's Indian Defence: This opening starts with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6. Makogonov's idea was to play 5.h3.
- Makogonov Variation in the Grünfeld Defence: This opening starts with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 0-0. Makogonov's idea was to play 6.b4.
He also helped develop a system in the Queen's Gambit Declined opening. In Russian, this system is called the Tartakower–Makogonov–Bondarevsky System, or TMB System, named after the three players who helped create it.
See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Makogónov para niños
