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Mecking 
 
Henrique Mecking
Number of games in database: 438
Years covered: 1964 to 2009
Current FIDE rating: 2548
Highest rating achieved in database: 2635
Overall record: +150 -72 =216 (58.9%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (33) 
    B81 B67 B83 B90 B44
 Ruy Lopez (25) 
    C67 C69 C92 C78 C73
 King's Indian (21) 
    E93 E81 E92 E97 E82
 Nimzo Indian (19) 
    E41 E52 E54 E56 E48
 Modern Benoni (14) 
    A70 A56 A58 A59 A71
 French Defense (13) 
    C18 C11 C16 C19 C12
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (50) 
    B90 B92 B96 B48 B52
 Sicilian Najdorf (21) 
    B90 B92 B96 B99 B93
 Ruy Lopez (20) 
    C98 C96 C99 C95 C92
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (19) 
    C98 C96 C99 C95 C92
 King's Indian (16) 
    E76 E66 E60 E92 E98
 English (14) 
    A15 A14 A17 A11 A13
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Mecking vs A Rocha, 1969 1-0
   Smyslov vs Mecking, 1973 0-1
   Mecking vs L A Tan, 1973 1-0
   Najdorf vs Mecking, 1978 1/2-1/2
   Mecking vs Korchnoi, 1974 1-0
   Mecking vs C Juarez, 1972 1-0
   Savon vs Mecking, 1973 0-1
   Polugaevsky vs Mecking, 1977 1/2-1/2
   Mecking vs Miles, 1978 1-0
   Korchnoi vs Mecking, 1974 1/2-1/2

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   MecKing! by Lejgvs
   Mecking is back! by Yopo
   Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens 1971 by suenteus po 147
   San Antonio 1972 by suenteus po 147
   Henrique Mecking by RodicH

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Henrique Mecking
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HENRIQUE MECKING
(born Jan-23-1952) Brazil

[what is this?]
Henrique Mecking was born in Santa Cruz, Brazil on January 23rd, 1952. He learned chess at the age of 6. He won his state championship at the age of 11. In 1965, when just thirteen years old, he won his country's championship, 2.5 points more than 2nd place. For this victory, many chess critics hailed him as "the next Fischer," referring to the fact that Robert James Fischer had won the U.S. championship at fourteen. Mecking also won the Brazil championship in 1965 and 1967, never playing in another Brazilian championship. In 1967, he won his Zonal championship. He played in the Sousse Interzonal at the age of 15 and won the Sousse speed championship. Mecking was awarded the title of International Grandmaster in 1971 (at the age of 19) after winning at Vrsac and taking 3rd at Hastings. He won his Zonal in 1972. He won two Interzonal events in 1973 (Petropolis without a loss) and 1976 (Manila, only losing to Spassky). These and other tournament victories vaulted him to third place on FIDE's world rankings list in 1977, behind only World Champion Anatoli Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi.

In 1979, Mecking was attempting his third consecutive Interzonal victory (Rio de Janerio) when he was forced to withdraw from the tournament, having been stricken with near-fatal illness (myasthenia gravis). It took 12 years for him to recover enough to resume his chess career. He still lives in Brazil and maintains a high rating, although he has not yet managed to rejoin the world's elite.


 page 1 of 18; games 1-25 of 438  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Mecking vs S Benevenga  ½-½25 1964 Mecking 13 years oldC64 Ruy Lopez, Classical
2. Mecking vs J Souza-Mendes 0-160 1965 BRA-ch 32thB06 Robatsch
3. Mecking vs N Silveira  ½-½35 1965 BRA-ch sfC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
4. Mecking vs M Miranda ½-½47 1965 BRA-ch 32thE50 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Nf3, without ...d5
5. Mecking vs M De Freitas  ½-½32 1965 BRA-ch 32thC58 Two Knights
6. Mecking vs E Stenzel ½-½38 1965 BRA-ch sfC97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
7. Mecking vs Francisco Alves 1-034 1965 BRA-ch 32thE64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System
8. Mecking vs Americo Machado Vieira  1-036 1965 BRA-ch sfB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
9. Mecking vs B Moreira  1-041 1965 BRA-ch 32thE81 King's Indian, Samisch
10. Mecking vs C Peixoto  1-032 1965 BRA-ch sfB41 Sicilian, Kan
11. Mecking vs L Tavares Da Silva 1-051 1965 BRA-ch 32thA61 Benoni
12. Mecking vs J Vilela  1-050 1965 BRA-ch sfA95 Dutch, Stonewall
13. Mecking vs E Cotta  1-038 1965 BRA-ch 32thA39 English, Symmetrical, Main line with d4
14. Mecking vs J L Alvarez del Monte  1-022 1966 Rio Hondo ztE59 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line
15. Mecking vs S Ammar ½-½53 1966 Sao Paulo CXSP-chD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
16. Mecking vs J A Rubinetti  1-044 1966 RioE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
17. Mecking vs O Quinones  ½-½66 1966 Rio Hondo ztE82 King's Indian, Samisch, double Fianchetto Variation
18. Mecking vs Uhlmann  ½-½26 1966 Hastings 6667D78 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6
19. S Schweber vs Mecking  1-039 1966 Rio Hondo ztA15 English
20. Mecking vs Keene 1-037 1966 Hastings (England)A71 Benoni, Classical, 8.Bg5
21. Mecking vs M Basman 0-131 1966 Hastings /7A43 Old Benoni
22. Mecking vs Pelikan  1-051 1966 Rio Hondo ztB34 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto
23. J Penrose vs Mecking  1-048 1966 HastingsC98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
24. Mecking vs J Souza-Mendes 1-042 1966 Rio Hondo ztE48 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5
25. Mecking vs G W Fonrobert  1-058 1966 Sao Paulo CXSP-chE44 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 5.Ne2
 page 1 of 18; games 1-25 of 438  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Mecking wins | Mecking loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 8 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing >
May-31-08   square dance: ok, then does that mean that, for example, jesus is to blame for korchnoi's failed attempts to capture the title?
May-31-08   savagerules: < SickedChess: "In an interview, published in Romanian language, he attributes his current progress to external assistance he receives from Jesus Christ, something a fomer world championship finalist (you guess who) has suggested may be against the FIDE rules." Surely he was Short =) >

So JC likes the QP opening better than KP opening, since Mecking always plays 1 d4 now? I always wondered why 1 e4 players ended up crazy and possessed.

May-31-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: new picture for mecking. this one is a little too spooky...the interzonals maybe.
May-31-08   Augalv: <square dance: ok, then does that mean that, for example, jesus is to blame for korchnoi's failed attempts to capture the title?>

It's Korchnoi's fault for not resorting to Jesus help.

May-31-08   square dance: <augalv> i dont know. it seems like jesus just sort of sided with the commies on that one. what the heck?!
May-31-08   tud: This was a great player, who made it without a chess school or an army of secondants. We should see him in the dropdown list. During his match with Korchnoi he was outplayed by experience mostly and not the quality of the game. Wins 2 interzonals... Probably the best south american player ever, based on these results.
May-31-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: <tud> i agree. mecking and leonid stein on the dropdown list.
Jun-03-08   zoren: guess hes failing as a theologian if hes fallen into some cult
Jul-30-08   Jason Frost: Good to see him playing chess again
Sep-09-08   mjmorri: Another promising career derailed by serious illness.
Sep-18-08   zoren: <he seems a very religious guy and he is convinced that Jesus will come back to earth in 5-10 years as there are more and more signs for that in brazil lately "and because he is my main supporter, the closer he is, the better i'll play!" http://www.frsah.ro/index.htm >

One can only surmise how close Jesus is...

Dec-17-08   Oliveira: He'll play at Corus B in the next year.

Good Luck, Mequinho!

Dec-17-08   tud: He was kind of an idol and a hope for Westerners when Bobby went down. But...
Jan-16-09   TheChessGuy: Welcome back, Mequinho!
Jan-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  amadeus: He won the Brazilian Internet Blitz Championship a couple of weeks ago: http://www.campbradexadreznainterne... Not bad for an old guy.
Jan-28-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Billy Vaughan: He's no longer last place.
Jan-29-09   laskereshevsky: i got what really happened to GM Mecking.....

As <chanco> already gived in this page, a picture of a young Mecking when still was a world class player....

http://www.clubedexadrez.com.br/por...

more below another photo....

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1961008...

.....victim of a laboratory incident?!.....

Apr-02-09   crakling: Mecking saying that he'll need government support to compete in the three year World Championship cycle as he has to dedicate himself deeply to Chess. The description says 1972, but he says that he hasn't become a Grandmaster yet (and has been International Master for three years). He looks and sounds hardly fifteen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f47...

I wonder if he spoke English, I doubt if there was much decent Chess literature in Portuguese at the time. He must have at least studied a lot to get so good so fast, since there was no one to teach him directly.

Jun-24-09   nummerzwei: In April 2004, i.e. long before I came onto this site, the following splendid piece of thought (concerning Reshevsky) was posted on the Samuel Reshevsky player page by someone called fred lennox:

"fred lennox: I've always admired his subtle and twisting tactics. A wizard at generating tension in near symmetrical and nearly drawn positions. Also of keeping the tension going while exchanging. Unlike the other prodigies, Morphy, Capablanca, Fisher, Revhevsky style is not classical. Nor is it hypermodern or romantic. It's what I call "street fighter" style as is Lasker, Korchnoi and Miles. These GMs are pragmatic, tenacious, good at defense, like complications. They aren't drawn to combinations but aren't of afraid of them either."

In my opinion, that's also a good description of how Mecking plays, isn't it? What's your opinion?

Sep-01-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: It appears there will be a match between Henrique Mecking and Alexander Hilario Ta Fier in Sao Paulo 23rd-27th September 2009. This will be between Brazil's first and fifth rated player, with Mecking currently some 102 points below his opponent but, of course, with a lot more experience.
Oct-03-09   walker: Magnus Carlsen reminds me a lot of Mecking when he was his age.
Nov-26-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  amadeus: Mequinho? http://twitter.com/GM_Mequinho
Dec-25-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: South American Zonal http://www.brasilbase.pro.br/rot196...

and the play-off next year
http://www.brasilbase.pro.br/rot196...

...so, he was awarded the FIDE IM title for his performance in Rio Hondo 1966 (at the age of 14 years and four/five months) or only after winning the playoff in 1967, being already 15 years old in the end ?!)

Jan-23-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: Korchnoi-Mecking Match in Augusta USA 1974: During one of the last few games, Mecking informed Korchnoi that he was being disturbed by Korchnoi's heavy breathing.

Happy Birthday GM Henrique "The Bandit" Mecking!

Jan-23-10   Oliveira: Feliz aniversário, Mequinho!
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