Veniamin Sozin

Veniamin Innokentevich Sozin (, 1896–1956) was a Soviet chess master, writer, and theoretician.

Chess career Sozin was an active player during the 1920s and 1930s, competing in four Soviet chess championships. Following the third Soviet Championship in 1924, in which he finished a creditable ninth with a score of 9/17, Sozin was awarded the title of Master of Sport; however, he was unable to maintain this level of performance, and was one of several players whose title was revoked in 1935.

Sozin was a noted chess theorist and writer, contributing many articles to the Moscow magazine Shakhmatny Vestnik and writing two books. Kombinatsii i Lovushki (Combinations and Traps), Leningrad 1929. English translation 1936 by Fred Reinfeld. Shto Kazhdy Dolzhen Znat ob Endshpile (What Everyone Should Know about the Endgame), Moscow 1931.

Legacy

Among Sozin's contributions to opening theory, the Sicilian Sozin Attack and Semi-Slav Sozin Variation bear his name.

Sicilian, Sozin Attack

Sozin played this line during the 1930s, and it became popular from the 1950s, when it was frequently employed by Bobby Fischer. Fischer refined and advanced its theory, leading to the alternative name "Fischer–Sozin Attack". While the classic Sozin involves castling, another important continuation called the Velimirovic Attack involves the setup 7.Be3, 8.Qe2, 9.0-0-0 with a view to initiating a sharp attack on Black's kingside.

Semi-Slav, Meran, Sozin Variation