Profession: Chessplayer Grandmaster at Work by Vladimir Tukmakov Foreword by Germa Sosonko 2012 Russell Enterprises, Inc. Milford, CTUSA Profession: Chessplayer Grandmaster at Work by Vladimir Tukmakov © Copyright 2012 Vladimir Tukmakov All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. ISBN: 978-1-936490-28-8 Published by: Russell Enterprises, Inc. PO Box3131 Milford, CT 06460 USA http :/Avww .russell-enterDrises.com
[email protected] Cover design by Janel Lowrance Translated from the Russian by Ingi Gurevich and Sofia Ozul Printed in the United States of America Table of Contents Foreword by Geima Sosonko From the Author Vovik. Vova. Volodya Critical Games The Decisive Move Games with World Champions Irrationally Logical Sacrifices Theoretical Duels The Colorful Life Face Control Playing for the Team Career Highlights Player Index Opening Index Foreword Looking Inward You are holding a very special book, special because the author, writing about his life, takes many different perspectives, including that of a perfect stranger. Occasionally he distances himself from the lead character, and at times he is that character, at first little Vovik from the fifties, who is engrossed in playing “cops and robbers” till dusk in the courtyards of Odessa, then Vova, a serious and independent boy, making decisions difficult even for grown-ups. “I was guiding him, a thinker and a bit of a bore, too proper, bookish and with no real life experience (where would it come from?), down the right path, or rather, I was helping him avoid clearly wrong ones.