Which title was conferred to Yuri Averbakh in 1951?
Yuri Averbakh Yuri Lvovich Averbakh ( ; born February 8 , 1922 ) is a Russian chess player and author . He is the oldest living chess grandmaster . He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978 . Life and career . Averbakh was born in Kaluga , Russia . His father was German Jewish , and his ancestors came from Germany and were named Auerbach , meaning meadow brook . His mother was Russian . Both sets of grandparents disapproved of their marriage because his father was likely an atheist and his mother was Eastern Orthodox , as well as the fact that his maternal grandmother died very young so his mother was expected to look after the family . Averbakh himself calls himself a fatalist . Tournament successes . His first major success was the first place in the Moscow Championship of 1949 , ahead of players including Andor Lilienthal , Yakov Estrin and Vladimir Simagin . He became an international grandmaster in 1952 . In 1954 he won the USSR Championship ahead of players including Mark Taimanov , Viktor Korchnoi , Tigran Petrosian , Efim Geller and Salo Flohr . In the 1956 Championship , he came equal first with Taimanov and Boris Spassky in the main event , finishing second after the playoff . Later Averbakhs daughter , Jane , would marry Taimanov . Averbakhs other major tournament victories included Vienna 1961 and Moscow 1962 . He qualified for the 1953 Candidates Tournament ( the last stage to determine the challenger to the World Chess Champion ) , finishing joint tenth of the fifteen participants . He also qualified for the 1958 Interzonal tournament at Portorož , by finishing in fourth place at the 1958 USSR Championship at Riga . At Portorož , he wound up in a tie for seventh through eleventh places , half a point short of advancing to the Candidates Tournament . He played in the 1993 Maccabiah Games in Israel , coming in fourth . Playing style . His solid style was difficult for many pure attackers to overcome , as he wrote:...Nezhmetdinov , who if he had the attack , could kill anybody , including Tal . But my score against him was something like 8½–½ because I did not give him any possibility for an active game . In such cases he would immediately start to spoil his position because he was looking for complications . He has plus records against the world champions Max Euwe and Tigran Petrosian . Writings . Averbakh is also a major endgame study theorist . He has published more than 100 studies , many of which have made notable contributions to endgame theory . In 1956 he was given by FIDE the title of International Judge of Chess Compositions and in 1969 that of International Arbiter . Averbakh is also an important chess journalist and author . He edited the Soviet chess periodicals Shakhmaty v SSSR and Shakhmatny Bulletin . From 1956 to 1962 he edited ( with Vitaly Chekhover and others ) a four-volume anthology on the endgame , Shakhmatnye okonchaniya ( revised in 1980-84 and translated as Comprehensive Chess Endings , in five volumes ) . Openings contributions . Averbakh is the eponym of several opening variations . - Kings Indian Defence : Averbakh variation ( E73 ) : 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 - Kings Indian Defence : semi-Averbakh system ( E73 ) : 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3 - Modern Defense : Averbakh variation ( A42 ) : 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Honours and awards . - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR - Order of Friendship of Peoples ( 1981 ) - Medal For Labour Valour ( 1957 ) - Medal For Distinguished Labour ( 1970 ) - Jubilee Medal In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Ilich Lenin ( 1970 ) - Russian Imperial Family : Knight Commander of the Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus Books . - Chess Endings : Essential Knowledge , 1966 , 1993 , Everyman Chess , . - Comprehensive Chess Endings 1 : Bishop Endings , Knight Endings by Averbakh and Chekhover , 1983 , Pergamon , - Comprehensive Chess Endings 2 : Bishop vs Knight Endings , Rook vs Minor Piece Endings , 1985 , Pergamon , - Comprehensive Chess Endings 3 : Queen Endings , 1986 , Pergamon , - Comprehensive Chess Endings 4 : Pawn Endings , with Ilya Maizelis , 1987 , Pergamon , - Comprehensive Chess Endings 5 : Rook Endings , 1987 , Pergamon , - Chess Tactics for Advanced Players , 1985 , Pergamon , - Chess Tactics for Advanced Players , 2008 , Lebate , - A History of Chess from Chaturanga to the Present Day , 2012 , Russell Enterprises , - Journey to the Chess Kingdom , with Mark Beilin , 2014 , Chess Evolution , - Centre-Stage and Behind the Scenes : A Personal Memoir , 2011 , New In Chess , - Chess Middlegames : Essential Knowledge - Averbakhs Selected Games - Rook v Minor Piece Endings - The World Chess Championship , with Mark Taimanov - Small Chess Dictionary References . - Averbakhs Selected Games by Averbakh , 1998 , Everyman Chess , - Interview in The Day Kasparov Quit by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam