Ilya Kan

Ilya Abramovich Kan (Russian: Илья Абрамович Кан; 4 May 1909 – 12 December 1978) was a Soviet chess player.

The website Chessmetrics.com, which retroactively rates older players, ranks Kan as 13th in the world in 1944.

His opening theory contributions were mainly in the Sicilian Defence variation which bears his name: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6.

This flexible line has been adopted frequently by top players since 1950, including Anatoly Karpov and Tony Miles.

He was editor-in-chief of Chess-Bulletin, a well-known Russian Chess Magazine Shakhmatny Bulletin issue 6.