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182:, Ivanov learned chess at age five. He studied music intensively as a youth, specializing in piano and cello, and was very talented. He was orphaned at age 14 when his mother died; she had wanted him to become a concert performer. He essentially gave up this path (although he remained an accomplished pianist) to concentrate on chess. Ivanov studied mathematics at
186:, but left before completing his degree. He was a member of the Army Sports Club, for which he trained chess players, and also played extensively. For several years in the early to mid-1970s, he was part of the exceptionally deep class of Soviet masters which was just below international standard. Ivanov did qualify for the 1975
225:), Kasparov, on tiebreak, was the sole qualifier for the elite Soviet Championship Premier League. Ivanov had to settle again for the First League. Thus, despite being a very strong master, Ivanov never had the opportunity before 1980 to participate in tournaments where he could earn international master or grandmaster norms.
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Although he was clearly a player of grandmaster strength, Ivanov did not actually receive the title until the last year of his life, 2005. The delay was caused mainly by Ivanov's disdain for the paper trail involved in reporting the GM norms achieved in the 1990s. "Let it be," he said. "After all,
407:, where he resided with his American wife Elizabeth, a retired teacher who was at one time a distinguished chess player herself. Ivanov won the Utah Open and Utah Championship titles whenever he competed, and personally trained many of Utah's top chess players including the prodigy,
384:
Circuit") to earn a living. He traveled around the US mostly by bus, playing in small and medium-sized tournaments nearly every weekend, which he very often won, as well as many major
American events. He won nine first prizes, worth $ 10,000 each, for most
287:. At this stage, Ivanov was untitled and rated 2430, but soon proved he was much stronger. His first significant tournament win in Canada was the 1980 Quebec Open Championship in Montreal, where he made an undefeated 7/8, to finish half a point ahead of
40:
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England's top player has to concede defeat after being outmaneuvered, as Ivanov invests in a very deep pawn sacrifice to break Black's coordination, then follows up by sacrificing a bishop for a glorious
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Far from being overawed in such lofty company, Ivanov makes a very strong bid to advance as a world championship candidate, defeating one of the players who would, in fact, play in that candidates' cycle.
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His defection came at a steep personal and professional cost. He was ghosted in the Soviet Union, and his relationships with his former compatriots became very distanced; only former world champion
252:
In 1980, Ivanov came into the international spotlight again when, during the return trip from Cuba, he defected to Canada. He had been sent as a member of the Soviet delegation to play at the
236:
team tournament. The win caught the attention of Soviet authorities, earning him the coveted privilege of travel outside the Soviet Union to play in a tournament in
291:, whom he defeated in their head-to-head game. Spraggett later said that Ivanov was playing some of the best tournament chess in the world during this period.
268:, Newfoundland. Ivanov, seizing his chance, ran from the plane with only his pocket chess set while chased by his KGB handler. He was granted political asylum.
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Ivanov moved in the 1980s to the United States (although he continued to visit Canada), where he participated in the Grand Prix tournaments (also known as the "
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took their toll. Ivanov's consumption of alcohol, which had always been heavy, grew increasingly out of control; there were reports of him playing at the
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653:"Soviet Chess Unknown's End Game Wins Freedom in Utah: Russia: Igor Ivanov's 1979 defeat of Anatoly Karpov sparked a circuitous escape to the West"
275:
would speak to him in public. Ivanov also apparently left behind two women who had had children by him, as well as a wife and child in
Leningrad.
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306:
cycle the next year. He went on to win the
Championship of Canada four times in all, including three straight years from 1985-1987. He won the
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197:, a central Asian Soviet republic, and to be a professional player there. Several victories in strong Soviet events soon followed, such as
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After defecting, Ivanov is the new guy in
Montreal, and makes his presence felt immediately with a win over one of Canada's top players.
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Ivanov captured the attention of the chess world in this sharp game where the World
Champion is defeated by near-perfect play.
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Igor Ivanov vs
Vladimir Bagirov, USSR Championship Qualifying tournament, Cheliabinsk 1975, Queen's Gambit Declined (D30), 1–0
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166:, he represented Canada at an interzonal tournament for the world chess championship and was a Canadian team member at two
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First League; this event, with several grandmasters in the field, was still one stage below the top level at that time.
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221:, Latvia, in 1978. However, although their individual game was drawn (which Kasparov later annotated in his book,
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Kevin
Spraggett vs Igor Ivanov, Quebec Open, Montreal 1980, Nimzo-Indian Defence, Rubinstein Variation (E41), 0–1
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560:
Sosonko, Genna (2013). "A Letter and a word all by himself: The life and times of Igor Ivanov (1947-2005)".
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Ivanov was diagnosed with cancer in March 2005. The
Professional Players' Health and Benefit Fund of the
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Igor Ivanov vs
Anthony Miles, Lucerne Olympiad 1982, English Opening, Symmetrical Variation (A30), 1–0
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Igor Ivanov vs
Eugenio Torre, Toluca Interzonal 1982, Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav Defence (D14), 1–0
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Igor Ivanov vs Jan Timman, Lucerne Olympiad 1982, English Opening, Symmetrical Variation (A35), 1–0
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There is no mention in the literature who Ivanov's father was, or of a father figure in his life.
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Igor Ivanov vs Anatoly Karpov, USSR Spartakiade 1979, Sicilian Defense, Kan Variation (B43), 1–0
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In a sharp tactical battle, Ivanov shows his talent by defeating an experienced grandmaster.
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Maxim Dlugy vs Igor Ivanov, Las Vegas 1994, Modern Defence, Averbakh Variation (A42), 0–1
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A quiet struggle gradually intensifies into a tactical battle where Ivanov sees further.
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Ivanov first became known internationally later in 1979, when he upset World Champion
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He played at the Utah Open on October 29, 2005, finishing in a tie for first place.
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In August 2005, three months before his death, he tied for eighth place at the
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821:"Chess: Like an army of Ivan Appleseeds, ex-Russians are spreading expertise"
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Pavel Blatny vs Igor Ivanov, U.S. Open, Reno 1999, Reti Opening (A05), 0–1
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points in a year, and was one of the most active players in the country.
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Ivanov takes down one of the West's top players in a positional squeeze.
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332:, Ivanov narrowly missed a grandmaster norm as well as advancing as a
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150:(January 8, 1947 – November 17, 2005) was a Russian-born chess
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gave him financial support for his chemotherapy treatments.
348:. Later that year, he represented Canada on top board at the
260:. On what was supposed to have been a direct flight home to
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1979. He tied for first place with the 15-year-old prodigy,
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Ivanov makes fairly quick work of another Soviet emigre GM.
170:. He also was a nine-time US Grand Prix chess champion.
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US Chess Federation Membership Service Area result service
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310:three times, in 1981, 1984, and 1985. For the
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682:Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter
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29:
742:OlimpBase: The Encyclopedia of Team Chess
440:Igor Ivanov died on November 17, 2005.
372:I'm the strongest master in the world!"
193:Ivanov took an opportunity to represent
963:Chess Olympiad record at OlimpBase.org
764:"Canadian Asset [chess column]"
505:
213:, at the 64-player Soviet Championship
318:, he was a second for the challenger,
27:Canadian chess grandmaster (1947–2005)
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244:, was instead determined to defect.
234:Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR
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957:FIDE rating history at OlimpBase.org
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336:, finishing in a 4th-place tie with
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360:. He also played for Canada in the
162:in 1980. A four-time winner of the
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700:"En Passant" magazine, 09-10/1980
392:The grueling years of travel and
948:rating and tournament record at
939:rating and tournament record at
591:Donaldson, John (January 2006).
308:Canadian Open Chess Championship
217:(qualifying tournament) held at
909:"GM Igor Ivanov dead at age 58"
1031:Naturalized citizens of Canada
883:Berry, Jonathan (2005-12-05).
791:"On the road with Igor Ivanov"
628:. Pergamon Press. pp. 4–5
421:United States Chess Federation
1:
871:Crosstable for Utah Open 2005
564:. No. 5. pp. 56–64.
302:title, and qualified for the
298:also held there, earning the
974:player profile and games at
818:Byrne, Robert (1989-04-30).
761:Byrne, Robert (1982-12-12).
428:U.S. Open Chess Championship
846:Short, Nigel (2006-01-12).
789:Cohen, Marcy (March 1983).
518:Cohen, David (2019-10-10).
296:Canadian Chess Championship
164:Canadian chess championship
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1071:Chess Olympiad competitors
1066:Deaths from cancer in Utah
1061:20th-century chess players
1051:Soviet emigrants to Canada
992: (archived 2005-12-14)
941:Chess Federation of Canada
711:"Toluca Interzonal (1982)"
678:"A Tribute to Igor Ivanov"
524:Canadian Chess Biographies
294:Ivanov won the 1981 Zonal
184:Leningrad State University
771:. pp. 42 (Section 2)
37:
828:. pp. 66, Section 1
651:Mims, Bob (1995-07-02).
620:Kasparov, Garry (1986).
593:"Igor Ivanov, 1947-2005"
232:in a superb game at the
676:Spassky, Boris (2006).
312:1981 World Championship
148:Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov
50:Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov
1021:Canadian chess players
350:Lucerne Chess Olympiad
154:who defected from the
1056:20th-century pianists
403:In 1991, he moved to
398:US Chess Championship
141:No. 33 (January 1984)
1016:Soviet chess players
409:Kayden William Troff
400:while intoxicated.
352:, where he defeated
300:International Master
950:US Chess Federation
444:Notable chess games
362:1988 Chess Olympiad
254:Capablanca Memorial
248:Defection to Canada
188:Soviet Championship
133:2550 (January 1984)
1026:Chess Grandmasters
304:World Championship
657:Los Angeles Times
415:Illness and death
394:Swiss tournaments
279:New Canadian star
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138:Peak ranking
104:November 17, 2005
16:(Redirected from
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848:"The king and I"
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382:Church's Chicken
223:The Test of Time
178:Born in 1947 in
129:Peak rating
111:St. George, Utah
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376:Years of travel
346:Yasser Seirawan
338:Lev Polugaevsky
320:Viktor Korchnoi
289:Kevin Spraggett
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168:Chess Olympiads
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738:"Ivanov, Igor"
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211:Garry Kasparov
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917:. Retrieved
915:. 2005-12-04
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852:The Guardian
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562:New in Chess
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527:. Retrieved
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366:Thessaloniki
325:At the 1982
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156:Soviet Union
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106:(2005-11-17)
61:(until 1980)
59:Soviet Union
1011:2005 deaths
1006:1947 births
972:Igor Ivanov
961:Igor Ivanov
937:Igor Ivanov
483:conclusion.
434:, Arizona.
215:Otborochnii
199:Vladivostok
152:grandmaster
121:Grandmaster
33:Igor Ivanov
1000:Categories
919:2023-08-14
894:2023-08-14
857:2023-08-13
832:2023-08-13
804:2023-08-12
798:Chess Life
775:2023-08-12
747:2023-08-12
720:2023-08-12
715:Chessgames
687:2023-08-13
662:2023-08-10
632:2023-08-11
606:2023-08-13
600:Chess Life
529:2023-08-10
500:References
387:Grand Prix
358:Tony Miles
354:Jan Timman
330:Interzonal
258:Cienfuegos
219:Daugavpils
205:1979, and
195:Uzbekistan
174:Early life
80:1947-01-08
334:Candidate
314:match in
207:Ashkhabad
203:Yaroslavl
180:Leningrad
87:Leningrad
285:Montreal
988:at the
885:"Chess"
432:Phoenix
55:Country
344:, and
327:Toluca
316:Merano
266:Gander
262:Moscow
201:1978,
160:Canada
123:(2005)
64:Canada
794:(PDF)
596:(PDF)
117:Title
91:RSFSR
405:Utah
356:and
238:Cuba
101:Died
95:USSR
74:Born
430:in
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364:in
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