| Mark Taimanov |
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Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов) (born February 7 , 1926 ) is a leading Russian Chess player and Concert Pianist . He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurich in 1953 , where he tied for 8th. From 1946-56, he was among the world's top ten players. He played in 23 USSR Chess Championship s, a record equalled by Efim Geller , and tied for 1st twice. In 1952 he lost the playoff match to Mikhail Botvinnik , while in 1956, he beat Yuri Averbakh and Boris Spassky for the title. However, he is probably best known for his 6-0 loss to Bobby Fischer in the 1971 World Championship Candidates match. After his loss to Fischer, the Soviet government was embarrassed, and, as Taimanov later put it in a 2002 interview, found it "unthinkable" that he could have lost the match so badly to an American without a "political explanation". {Link without Title} They took away Taimanov's salary, and he was no longer allowed to travel overseas. They later "forgave" him, and lifted the sanctions against him. Fischer's 6-0 defeat of Bent Larsen later in 1971 may have helped change their minds. He has opening variations named after him in the Sicilian Defense and Nimzo-Indian Defense - see Taimanov Variation . With his wife Lyobov Bruk he formed a piano duo, some of whose recordings were included in the Philips series ''Great Pianists of the 20th Century''. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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