Canadian Chess Biographies

Researched, compiled, written and copyright 2000-17 by David Cohen. Last updated: 2019.6.12.
Main web site & contact: Canadian Chess.

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Index - Y


Daniel Abraham Yanofsky

(1925-2000)

D. Abraham Yanofsky

Photo: 1951 Canadian Championship, Vancouver.

Defeated future World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik, which he later described as "the greatest sense of achievement in life":

D. Abraham Yanofsky - Mikhail Botvinnik
Groningen, Netherlands, Round 15, 1946

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cd4 Nc6 14.d5 Nb4 15.Bb1 a5 16.Nf1 Bd7 17.Bd2 Rfc8 18.Bxb4 axb4 19.Bd3 Bd8 20.Qd2 Qa5 21.Ne3 b3 22.a3 Qa4 23.Nd1 b4 24.Ne3 bxa3 25.Rxa3 Nxe4 26.Qd1 Qb4 27.Rxb3 Qa4 28.Bc2 Nc5 29.Rc3 Qb4 30.Qb1 g6 31.Rc4 Qb7 32.b4 Na6 33.Rxc8 Rxc8 34.Bd3 Nxb4 35.Re2 Ba5 36.Rb2 Rb8 37.Nd2 Qa7 38.Ndc4 Qc5 39.Nxa5 Qxa5 40.Nc2 Nxd3 41.Rxb8+ Kg7 42.Ne3 Qd2 43.Qf1 Nc5 44.Qd1 Qc3 45.Rb6 Ba4 46.Qf3 Qe1+ 47.Kh2 f5 48.Rxd6 f4 49.Nf5+ Kf7 50.Qg4 Ne4 51.Qh4 gxf5 52.Qxh7+ Ke8 53.Qg8+ 1-0

Drew future World Champion Robert Fischer:

Robert Fischer - D. Abraham Yanofsky
Nethanya, Israel, Round 12, 1968

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Qb3 Bg7 7. cxd5 O-O 8. Be2 Na6 9. Bg5 Qb6 10. Qxb6 axb6 11. a3 Rd8 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Rd1 Bf5 14. Bc4 Rac8 15. Bb3 b5 16. Nf3 b4 17. axb4 Nxb4 18. Ke2 Bc2 19. Bxc2 Nxc2 20. Kd3 Nb4+ 21. Ke4 Rd6 22. Ne5 Bg7 23. g4 f5+ 24. gxf5 gxf5+ 25. Kf4 Rf8 26. Rhg1 Nxd5+ 27. Nxd5 Rxd5 28. Nf3 Kh8 29. Rge1 Bf6 30. Ne5 e6 31. h4 Rc8 32. Nf7+ Kg7 33. Ng5 Bxg5+ 34. Kxg5 Rc6 35. Re5 Rcd6 36. Rxd5 Rxd5 37. f4 Rb5 38. Rd2 Rb3 39. d5 h6+ 40. Kh5 exd5 41. Rxd5 Rxb2 42. Rd7+ Kf6 43. Rd6+ Kf7 44. Rxh6 Rg2 45. Rb6 Rg4 46. Rxb7+ Kf6 1/2-1/2

D. Abraham Yanofsky's most famous game, and the most famous game played by a Canadian:

D. Abraham Yanofsky (Canada) - A. I. Dulanto (Peru)
Olympiad, Board 1, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Preliminary Round 7, 1939.08.30

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nbd7 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Nxf6+ Nxf6 8. Bd3 c5 9. dxc5 Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 11. O-O O-O 12. Re1 Rd8 13. Ne5 b6 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Bxh7+ Kf8 16. Qh5 Bxe5 17. Rxe5 Qc7 18. Be4 Bb7 19. Bxb7 Qxb7 20. Qh8+ Ke7 21. Qxg7 Rg8

Diagram Yanofsky-Dulanto 22. ?

22. Rxe6+ Kxe6 23. Re1+ Kd6 24. Qf6+ Kc5 25. Re5+ Kc4 26. b3+ Kd3 27. Qd6+ Kc2 28. Re2+ 1-0

Sources: family of Frank Anderson (photo); Chess Federation of Canada holdings by Library and Archives Canada; The Games of D.A. Yanofsky by David J. Ross, 1985; En Passant 59, 1983.03-04; Governor General of Canada.

Research note: The first Grandmaster in the British Commonwealth was Jacques Mieses, who became a British citizen late in life, then received the title in 1950.


Harry Yanofsky


Frank Yerhoff Jr.

(1918-99)

Contributor: Knut Neven


John (Jack) Yoos

Jack Yoos

Photo: 2004 Canadian Championship, Toronto. Copyright 2004 by the photographer David Cohen.

Contributor (biography): Jack Yoos.


Yuanling Yuan

Yuanling Yuan

Photo: copyright 2014 by Yuanling Yuan.

Contributor (photo): William Yuan.