Alexander Solovtsov

{{Short description|Russian chess player}} '''Alexander Vladimirovich Solovtsov''' ({{langx|ru|Александр Соловцов}}; 14 November 1847, in Kazan – 20 March 1923, in Moscow) was a prominent Russian chess master who made significant contributions to the chess world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the Sankt Petersburg tournament of 1878/79,<ref>[http://storiascacchi.altervista.org/storiascacchi/tornei/1851-99/1879sanpietroburgo.htm La grande storia degli Scacchi, ''San Pietroburgo (Russia) 6/16 gennaio 1879'']</ref> Solovtsov performed admirably, tying for 3rd-4th place and then drawing a match for the third place with Emanuel Schiffers with a score of 1:1.

He also participated in a noteworthy correspondence match between the Moscow and St. Petersburg chess clubs from January 1878 to March 1879. The match concluded with the Moscow team emerging victorious, winning with a score of 2:0.

During the Moscow tournament of 1879, Solovtsov achieved another significant milestone by sharing the first place. The following year, in the Moscow tournament of 1880, he secured a victory, finishing ahead of players like Hellwig, Muratov, and Maude.<ref>[https://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz144.pdf#page=6 ChessCafe.com – Tim Harding, ''Tolstoy and his Biographer'']</ref>

Throughout his career, Solovtsov engaged in several matches against esteemed opponents. In 1884, he drew a match with another Russian chess legend, Mikhail Chigorin, with a final score of 1:1.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1019715 Chessgames.com – Chigorin Matches]</ref> In 1892, Solovtsov emerged victorious against Raphael Falk with a score of 7:2. However, he faced defeat in 1893, losing to Chigorin with a score of 0:4.<ref>[http://edochess.ca/players/p412.html Edo Historical Chess Ratings – Solovtsov, Alexander Vladimirovich]</ref>

In 1894, Solovtsov demonstrated his capabilities once more, defeating Jacques Mieses, and showcasing his strength in chess.

In the year 1899, he achieved a significant triumph by winning the match against Boris Grigoriev, earning him the title of the first champion of Moscow.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=99876 Chessgames.com – Alexander Solovtsov]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solovtsov, Alexander}} Category:1847 births Category:1923 deaths Category:Chess players from the Russian Empire Category:Chess players from Kazan