Genrikh Gasparyan
Encyclopedia
Genrikh Kasparyan is considered to have been one of the greatest composer
s of chess
endgame studies. Outside Armenia
, he is better known by the Russian
version of his name Genrikh Moiseyevich Kasparyan or Kasparian .
Kasparyan became a national master
in 1936 and an international master in 1950. He was awarded the titles of International Judge of Chess Compositions
in 1956 and International Grandmaster of Chess Composition in 1972, the first composer to receive this title from FIDE .
Kasparyan was also an active chess player, winning the Armenian championship
ten times (from 1934 to 1956, including two ties with future World Champion Tigran Petrosian
) and the Tiflis championship three times (1931, 1937, 1945). He reached the USSR Championship
finals four times (1931, 1937, 1947, 1952), but never finished higher than tenth place.
Kasparyan is best known for his compositions. He started with chess problems, mainly three-movers, but soon discovered that his best field was in endgame studies. He wrote several books and collections and composed about 600 studies, many on the theme of domination, winning 57 first prizes. He won the USSR Composing Championship several times .
included five of Kasparyan's compositions in his book 200 Brilliant Endgames. This study uses a "model mate
" in the middle of the board.
Chess composer
A chess composer is a person who creates endgame studies or chess problems. He usually specializes in a particular genre, e.g. endgame studies, twomovers, threemovers, moremovers, helpmates, selfmates, fairy problems...
s of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
endgame studies. Outside Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, he is better known by the Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
version of his name Genrikh Moiseyevich Kasparyan or Kasparian .
Kasparyan became a national master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
in 1936 and an international master in 1950. He was awarded the titles of International Judge of Chess Compositions
International Judge of Chess Compositions
International Judge of Chess Compositions is a title award by FIDE via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions to individuals who have judged several chess problem or study tournaments and who are considered capable of judging such awards at the highest level.The title was...
in 1956 and International Grandmaster of Chess Composition in 1972, the first composer to receive this title from FIDE .
Kasparyan was also an active chess player, winning the Armenian championship
Armenian Chess Championship
This is a list of all the winners of the Armenian Chess Championship. The first championship was played in 1934, when Armenia was a part of the Transcaucasian SFSR. Championships were held sporadically in the Armenian SSR until 1945, when they became contested every year; this has continued today...
ten times (from 1934 to 1956, including two ties with future World Champion Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
) and the Tiflis championship three times (1931, 1937, 1945). He reached the USSR Championship
USSR Chess Championship
This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. It was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners...
finals four times (1931, 1937, 1947, 1952), but never finished higher than tenth place.
Kasparyan is best known for his compositions. He started with chess problems, mainly three-movers, but soon discovered that his best field was in endgame studies. He wrote several books and collections and composed about 600 studies, many on the theme of domination, winning 57 first prizes. He won the USSR Composing Championship several times .
Sample study
Irving ChernevIrving Chernev
Irving Chernev was a prolific Russian-American chess author. He was born in Priluki in the Russian Empire and emigrated to the United States in 1920. Chernev was a national master strength player, and was obsessed with chess...
included five of Kasparyan's compositions in his book 200 Brilliant Endgames. This study uses a "model mate
Model mate
A model mate is a type of pure mate checkmating position in chess in which not only is the checkmated king and all vacant squares in its field attacked only once, and squares in the king's field occupied by friendly units are not also attacked by the mating side , but all units of the mating side A...
" in the middle of the board.
Notable games
- Vitaly Chekhover vs Genrikh Kasparian, Erevan, Match 1936, King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Fianchetto (E67), 0-1
- Genrikh Kasparian vs David Bronstein, Ch URS 1947, Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack (B23), 1-0
- Genrikh Kasparian vs Anatoly Ufimtsev, Ch URS 1947, Reti Opening: Anglo-Slav, Bogoljubow Variation Stonewall Line (A12), 1-0
Books
- Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies by Genrikh Kasparyan. ISBN 0-923891-87-0
- The Complete Studies of Genrikh Kasparyan by A. J. Roycroft. http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=5&PID=6