GM Andras Adorjan

[Simon Rogers]

The sad news has been reported that Hungarian Grandmaster Andras Adorjan, passed away yesterday at the age of 73.
Andras was born on 31st March 1950 in Budapest, Hungary.
He secured the title of European Junior Champion at the 'Niemeyer Tournament' in Groningen, and in 1969 at Stockholm, he finished runner-up in the World Junior Championship to Anatoly Karpov.
His qualification as an International Master came in 1970 and as a Grandmaster in 1973.
In 1973, he jointly won the Hungarian Championship and in 1984, won it outright.
Andras was also a well known author, particularly of the black openings, his books include Black is OK, Black is Still OK, and Black is OK Forever.
RIP

[Nick Ivell]

What a player.

A little-known brilliancy of his was played against yours truly in 1976. Played in Karl Plaza's house of all places. Available for view on all good databases.

Check out how his attack raged, even with the queens off.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Had quite a few short draws, but when he felt like playing most certainly could.

Was also known as Andras Jocha in his youth, and there are probably still some games in databases under that name.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Why the name change? (I see he "adopted his mother's maiden name, Adorján, in 1968".) Someone should post the win against Nick!

[NickFaulks]

Someone should post the win against Nick!

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1666899

By the way, it's worth checking why Black gets mated at the end after, for instance, 28...e5. I had something a bit similar recently, assumed it was mate but it wasn't.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I think that is just Ribli and Portisch left of the historic 1978 Olympiad winning side.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Someone should post the win against Nick!

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1666899

By the way, it's worth checking why Black gets mated at the end after, for instance, 28...e5. I had something a bit similar recently, assumed it was mate but it wasn't.

Thanks. That is a lovely finish (28...e5. 29.Rh3+ Bxh3 30.g3#; there is also 28...Kh5 29.Rh3# as the double check means the knight cannot block the rook check; finally 28...Kg4 29.Rxf7+ Kh4 30.Rxh7# feels like it matches up in a study-like way with the other mates.).

The first mating pattern is maybe best described as a deflection to create a smothered pawn mate?

I won't spoil the effect by asking if Black was winning at any earlier stage... It is quite funny how after 17.Rxf6, all Black does is shuttle his rook from f8 to e8 and then back again, and if you ignore king moves, the only other action is to move the knight from e5 to c6, back to e5 and then to g6. The rooks and bishop just sit there compared to their murderous counterparts. But then h3 and Rh6# is a massive threat after 25.Bd2.

[Nick Ivell]

Thanks for the upload. I always assumed I was winning at one stage.

A game which shows that the younger Adorjan was fantastic at tactics. It was a clock simul. Almost a pleasure to play the part of AN Other!

[Mick Norris]

Chess Mind

Sad news comes that Hungarian grandmaster and maverick Andras Adorjan passed away on Thursday at the age of 73. Adorjan (né Jocha) had a distinguished career, from his days as a junior (runner-up to Anatoly Karpov in the 1969 World Junior Championship) to a pair of Hungarian championships, successful participation in many Olympiads, and his qualification for the Candidates in 1979.

He was also an invaluable second to Garry Kasparov and Peter Leko, a noted exponent of the Gruenfeld Defense, and famously a bit of a propagandist for the black pieces in his trilogy of “Black is OK” books. He was a colorful figure in the chess world, but as he had retired from the game by 2000 he won’t be well-known to many of today’s players.

Didn't know about him seconding Leko and Kasparov

[Matt Mackenzie]

Remember him doing the latter for Gazza's famous "monster with a thousand eyes" match against Tony Miles in 1986.

[James Plaskett]

What a player.

A little-known brilliancy of his was played against yours truly in 1976. Played in Karl Plaza's house of all places. Available for view on all good databases.

Check out how his attack raged, even with the queens off.

"Plasa" ... whom I last saw at the British in Brighton in 1987... by when I believe he was teaching English in Cardiff...

[Nick Ivell]

I stand corrected.

Is Black really ok? I would say, 'only if you work harder on your Black openings than your White'.

I never read the Adorjan opus, but it would be a start!

[NickFaulks]

I never read the Adorjan opus, but it would be a start!

I bought it and did read it, can't remember anything I learned but that would be through no fault of the author.

Oddly enough, when this thread started the book was sitting in a pile to be given away as part of of a drive to slim down. I shall now take another look first.

[Nick Ivell]

I have no use for openings books now, but I suspect the old adage eternally true:

With White, you can afford the odd inaccuracy. But with Black, beware: inaccurate play can land you in a critical situation.

Also, I suspect my loss above to be very typical. How many games get lost without Black's queenside pieces doing anything? I except the b8 knight, of course, which is easy to develop.

[NickFaulks]

I have no use for openings books now

But it isn't really an openings book, more an extended chat about why going second doesn't have to be such a bad thing. If some of the exact lines in the games quoted were refuted thirty years ago, it doesn't really matter.