As a boy, Lubomir was a member of his school's soccer team. One afternoon, during an interscholastic match, he kicked the ball for a goal and missed. The ball crashed into a group of spectators, two of whom, were playing chess on a magnetic board. The pieces were knocked all over the place and when Kavalek went to retrieve the ball he was scolded in no uncertain terms. "Oh, come on." he said, "Who plays this silly game anyway? Only sissies!" The argument became more serious and ended only when Lubomir's teammates pulled him away from the group.

But the boy was impressed --- so may people thought that chess was much more exciting than soccer. So the next day the young Kavalek went to the library and found a book on chess; it was written by Ludek Pachman.

He learned fast. One day, Pachman came to his school to give a lecture and exhibition. Kavalek played and lost but he managed to have a talk with Pachman, who invited him to his home in Prague if the youngster ever found himself there. Kavalek let no grass grow under his feet - it was not too long before he was ringing Pachman's doorbell and telling the Czech grandmaster that he was ready to learn everything he could.

He thus became a pupil of Pachman and soon won the championship of Czechoslovakia, defeating his teacher in the process!

- GM Lubomir Kavalek

And what about kicking under the table?:-)

Gufeld vs Kavalek, 1962

Watch the situation after Black's 28th move:

click for larger view

Black has only a bishop and 5 pawns against White's two rooks ... and 4 moves later White resigned!