Frederick Yates

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Frederick Dewhurst Yates (January 16, 1884 – November 10, 1932) was a chess master who won the British Chess Championship six times. He was not one of the top players, but could be very dangerous, as shown by his victories over Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Akiba Rubinstein, and Milan Vidmar. However, he had minus scores against them: Alekhine +2-10=3, Rubinstein +2-8=5, Euwe +2-5=1, and Vidmar +1-4=1. Positional players such as José Raúl Capablanca (+8-0=2) and Géza Maróczy (+8-0=1) gave him little chance. Yates died through an asphyxiation accident as he slept. Although some have suggested that this was suicide, a friend testified that he saw Yates the night before and that he was in good spirits.

Yates was a very sporting player, publishing one loss to Capablanca in his (Yates') own collection of best games:

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 O-O 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. d4 Nd7 9. dxe5 Ndxe5 10. Nc3 Re8 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Qd2 a5 13. Rac1 Rb8 14. h3 Bd7 15. Nd5 b6 16. f4 Nc6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Qb2+ f6 19. g4 Nb4 20. g5 Nxd5 21. cxd5 Rc8 22. e4 c6 23. dxc6 Rxc6 24. gxf6+ Kf7 25. e5 Rxc1 26. Rxc1 dxe5 27. fxe5 Qb8 28. Qd4 Bf5 29. Bd5+ Kf8 30. Qf4 Rxe5 31. Qh6+ Ke8 32. f7+ 1-0.

He was also noted for extreme doggedness, fighting until the last vestige of hope was gone before conceding defeat.

Yates' most famous victory was against Alekhine at Karlsbad in 1923, involving a very deep combination with the black pieces:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. d5 Nb8 8. e4 Nbd7 9. O-O a5 10. Be3 Ng4 11. Bd4 Nge5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. c5 dxc5 14. Bxc5 b6 15. Bd4 Ba6 16. Re1 Qd6 17. Bf1 Bxf1 18. Rxf1 c5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. Qb3 Rab8 21. Qb5 f5 22. Rae1 f4 23. Qd7 Rbd8 24. gxf4 Qxf4 25. Qe6+ Kh8 26. f3 Qg5+ 27. Kh1 Rd6 28. Qh3 Be5 29. Re2 Rdf6 30. Nd1 Rf4 31. Ne3 Rh4 32. Qe6 Qh5 33. Ng4 Rxg4 34. fxg4 Rxf1+ 35. Kg2 Qxh2+ 36. Kxf1 Qh1+ 37. Kf2 Bd4+ 38. Kg3 Qg1+ 39. Kh3 Qf1+ 40. Rg2 Qh1+ 41. Kg3 Qe1+ 42. Kh3 g5 43. Rc2 Qf1+ 44. Kh2 Qg1+ 45. Kh3 Qh1+ 46. Kg3 Qd1 47. Rc3 Qg1+ 48. Kh3 Qf1+ 49. Kg3 Bf2+ 50. Kf3 Bg1+ 0-1.