Early this year GM Yuri Averbakh turned 100 and set a world record. He became the oldest ever grandmaster in chess history. Sadly, he passed away in May. Averbakh led a rich and extraordinary life that he narrated himself in his autobiography, "Centre-stage and Behind the Scenes". In the series here our columnist draws on this important work and also explains much that was left unsaid. | Photo: Averbakh at the match USA vs. USSR, New York City, 1954 (via D. Griffith)