Evgeni Vasiukov
| Evgeni Vasiukov | |
|---|---|
Evgeni Vasiukov, Bad Liebenzell 1995
|
|
| Full name | Евгений Андреевич Васюков |
| Country |
 Russia
|
| Born |
March 5, 1933 Moscow |
| Title | Grandmaster |
| Peak rating | 2580 (January 1976) |
Evgeni Andreyevich Vasiukov (Russian: Евгений Андреевич Васюко́в, born March 5, 1933 in Moscow) is a Russian chess Grandmaster. During his career, he won the Championship of Moscow on six occasions (1955, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1972, and 1978) and scored many victories in international tournaments, such as Belgrade Open 1961, Moscow International 1961, East Berlin 1962, and Manila 1974. He was rarely at his best in Soviet Championship Finals, which were among the very toughest events in the world. Somewhat remarkably, Vasiukov never made the Soviet team for an Olympiad or a European Team Championship. Vasiukov has continued to play Master events, well into his 70s, and was active in February 2007 at the European Seniors event at Dresden.
Evgeni Vasiukov was strong enough, certainly National Master strength, by 1954 to represent Moscow in the Soviet Team Championship finals in Riga. He scored his first important chess success in 1955 by winning the Moscow City Championship with 10.5/15, ahead of Salo Flohr who was second. He played in the Soviet Championship semi-final at Yerevan 1955 and finished in the middle of a powerful field.
Vasiukov represented the Soviet Union twice in Student Olympiads. In 1955 at Lyon, he was first reserve, and scored 5.5/6 (+5 =1 −0). Then at Uppsala 1956, he made exactly the same score as first reserve, this time winning a board gold medal. Both times, the Soviet Union won team gold medals.
Although scoring respectably in his first two attempts at qualifying for the Soviet Final (10/18 at Kharkov 1956 and 10.5/19 at Kiev 1957), he failed to advance, but was gathering experience and strength at high levels.
Vasiukov got his first international chance at Gotha 1957, where he did very well to place third with 10/15; the winner was David Bronstein. This earned him the International Master title in 1958; he won the Moscow Championship again later that same year. At the Moscow International of 1959 (Alexander Alekhine memorial), Vasiukov tied for 4th-6th places with 6/11, behind only winners Vasily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, and Bronstein. He made the field for his first Soviet final at Tbilisi 1959 (URS-26ch), but was overmatched and finished tied 16th-17th with 7/19, as Tigran Petrosian won. However, he regrouped with his third Moscow Championship title in 1960.
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