It is not surprising that accolades have poured in from all over the world on the death of Vasily Smyslov, the seventh world champion. Though Smyslov was the titleholder for only a year, he was among the world’s best players for decades and his games had a certain clarity to them that was widely admired.

He did not play speculatively like Mikhail Tal, or adhere to a set of scientific principals, like his great rival, Mikhail Botvinnik. He was not stubbornly dogmatic, like Bobby Fischer, or a technician, like Anatoly Karpov. Though he drew inspiration from Alexander Alekhine, his style was unique. Boris Spassky has often been described as a “universal” player because he was at home in any type of position, but for people who want to learn how to play chess well, studying Smyslov’s games might be more fruitful.

In every situation, in every game, he always tried to find the best move. No more, no less. In an interview five years ago, Vladimir Kramnik, the world champion from 2000 to 2007, said of Smyslov,

He is truth in chess! Smyslov plays correctly, truthfully and has a natural style. By the way, why do you think he lacks that aura of mystique like Tal or Capablanca? Because Smyslov is not an actor in chess, his play is neither artistic nor fascinating. But I am fond of his style. I would recommend a study of Smyslov’s games to children who want to know how to play chess because he plays the game how it should be played: his style is the closest to some sort of ‘virtual truth’ in chess. He always tried to make the strongest move in each position. He has surpassed many other of the World Champions in the number of strongest moves made. As a professional, this skill impresses me. I know that spectators are more interested in flaws … ups and downs. But from the professional standpoint, Smyslov has been underestimated.

It may be apocryphal, but a quote attributed to him was, “I will play 40 good moves. If you play 40 good moves, we will draw.” Given his approach to the game, the quote rings true.

His victory at the< Zurich Candidates tournament in 1953> was one of the great feats in chess history. Though there is plenty of room for argument, it was one of the strongest tournaments of all time — and Smyslov buried the competition, losing only one game.

Though Smyslov was clearly best known as a chess player, he had a great love for music. He believed that the two were interrelated. In his book, “Smyslov’s 125 Selected Games,” (Cadogan Chess Books), he wrote,

My study of chess was accompanied by a strong attraction to music, and it was probably thanks to this that from childhood I became accustomed to thinking of chess as an art, and have never regarded it as anything else, for all the science and sport involved in it. And, moreover, an art which in some ways is closer to music than it is customary to think. Perhaps chess and music are drawn together by laws of harmony and beauty which are difficult to formulate and difficult to grasp, or perhaps by something else.

However, all is not lost, as your beautiful games will live for ever. "A chess player, unlike, for instance, a golfer, creates something permanent" - Hugh Alexander. Even more true for a genius like you.

"Smyslob bacht шарф, oder носок" some would translate this as "sock".

Smyslov's memoirs mention that he intended to smuggle a Swiss sock back into the USSR for Mstislav Rostropovich.The sock was discovered by the NKVD, soaking wet, at the bottom of a barrel of mackerel in Smolensk in 1956. At the time, no charges were brought (at the moment the case is 'on hold') and the sock was forwarded on to Rostropovich. But he then found himself under 24-hour surveillance, especially as he had to walk around with only one sock on.

In 1959 Smyslov managed to send the other sock back, this time sellotaped inside Petrosian's hat. But Smyslov had made a mistake. Poor Rostropovich had to walk around in the agony of two left socks!

In the early part of his career Smyslov enjoyed the blessings of Botvinnik and as a result got a lot of tournament invitations. There was, for example, a lot of talk as to whether Vasily deserved to be in the 1948 world championship tournament. Bronstein had this to say: <"Botvinnik cheated by excluding Boleslavsky and Najdorf from the 1948 World Championship.> Boleslavsky was more deserving than Smyslov, but Botvinnik decided the one Soviet Jew was enough -- him."

Anyway, Smyslov’s inclusion proved to be completely justified -- he placed second to Botvinnik ahead of Reshevsky, Keres and Max Euwe.

The conflict between the two started during the preparations of the Soviet team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympiad. Although he was world champion, Botvinnik had a relatively poor playing record in the early 1950s: no formal competitive games after winning the 1948 match tournament until he defended his title, then struggled to draw his 1951 championship match with Bronstein, placed only fifth in the 1951 Soviet Championship, and tied for third in the 1952 Geza Maroczy Memorial tournament in Budapest. As a result of this perceived poor form the team voted to put Keres on top board and Botvinnik on second. Botvinnik refused playing second fiddle and withdrew from the team -- he blamed Smyslov for this and started a feud which lasted till almost the end of his life.