Yuri Lvovich Averbakh, born February 8, 1922, is a Russian and Soviet chess player and author. He is the oldest living chess grandmaster, having been awarded the title by Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) in 1952. He is also the oldest living chess player who had been included in the world's top 10 rankings, reaching the ranking list in 1960.
Throughout his career, he won numerous international chess tournaments. His biggest achievement was probably winning the USSR Chess Championship in 1954 after defeating Mark Taimanov, another renowned Soviet chess player, in a playoff match. Averbakh became an International Judge of chess compositions in 1956.
Averbakh contributed significantly to endgame theory, and many of his theoretical analysis, published in a number of books, are still considered relevant. Apart from endgame studies, he made substantial contributions to opening theory too. The Averbakh System in the King's Indian Defence is named after him.
Averbakh's extensive career also saw him serve in administrative roles in chess. He was the president of the Soviet Chess Federation from 1972 to 1977, and vice president of FIDE from 1972 - 1978 and 1982 - 1986. During his later years, Averbakh turned his primary focus to the study of the history of chess.
Post his retirement, he gained recognition as a well-respected chess historian and author. His writings were not confined to chess tutorials or guides, but also dealt with the sociocultural aspects of the game. Averbakh is the author of numerous books on chess, which have been translated into several languages.