Vasiukov's brilliant longevity

Yevgueni Vasiukov (1933-2018) had reason to feel fortunate to have been born in the Soviet Union: it allowed him to turn his passion into a profession and live from it reasonably well, with a permanent salary for being a great teacher and a record that would make the person happy. 99% of chess players;

he won tournaments for five decades, he was a six-time Moscow champion (and eight more rapid games);

at its peak (sixties) it was among the fifteen best in the world.

But being a contemporary of Mikhail Tal, Tigrán Petrosián, Vasili Smyslov or Borís Spassky, among other immortals, greatly overshadowed his brilliance, although his great talent was praised by Bobby Fischer, no less.

His list of victims includes many famous names: Smyslov, Bronstein, Petrosián, Tal, Keres, Taimánov, Gueller, Polugayevski… And among his most brilliant games, the one in this video stands out, which he won at 68 years old! against the Dutch Loek Van Wely, 14th in the world at that time. The committee of grandmasters of the prestigious publication

voted it as the most beautiful of 2002. A well-deserved culmination for someone as lucky as they are frustrated.