His play for his age is extraordinary. He's always played some of the most tenacious chess I've ever seen. Korchnoi's range is enormous: Truly magnificant and an inspiration to us all. What a guy.

REMEMBER ME!?

VLADIMIR ZUKHAR,
Doc. of Parapsychology

The World Championship match of 1978 was held in Baguio in the Philippines, and deserves its reputation as the most bizarre World Championship match ever played. Karpov's team included a Dr. Vladimir Zukhar (a well known parapsychologist), while Korchnoi adopted two local renegades currently on bail for attempted murder. There was more controversy off the board, with histrionics ranging from X-raying of chairs, protests about the flags used on the board, the inevitable hypnotism complaints and the mirror glasses used by Korchnoi. When Karpov's team sent him a blueberry yogurt during a game without any request for one by Karpov, the Korchnoi team protested, claiming it could be some kind of code. They later said this was intended as a parody of earlier protests, but it was taken seriously at the time.

Searches on google/wiki dont turn up much.

As far as qop is concerned, I dont know how anyone can write what Ive posted, from wiki, as the games are still WC match games. Its not like they plyaing club chess here!

And regarding game 10, the N-N5 game in the Open Ruy played by Karpov; the move that Korch said at the time, "you only see this move once in a century" in WC match play. Sort of like the Ruy Lopez version of the Wilkes-Barre/Traxler (N-N5)counterattack from the Two Knights.

As regards to that game, I think Korch handled it well, seeing as he prob had to solve it "at the board" and not in preparation.

I was really rooting for Korch in those days...a nicer man you will not find, even today. And def has succedded Keres as the strongest player to never become a WC.

I have not kept up in chess for many years, just finding this site recently, so I have a question?

Regarding N-N5 as play, has theory ever validated this move? The ideas at the time were 11...QxN 12 Q-B3...B-Q2 13 BxP+ ...K-K2 14 B-Q5...NxP 15 Q-K2 etc..

As far as "the stare" goes, I really always liked you Vitya, but as you know, the KGB "made me do it." LOL!

But, as we all know today, games of any kind are really only about political statements. Just ask Kasparov. Its all just a means of control. And I believe taht this applies to any games; baseball, football, soccer, etc. Those in control use them for political means when convenient/expedient for them to do so. There is no real freedom, just an illusion....but I know, this is a chess website...LOL!

And for what its worth, computer matches are the same thing...I agree with Kasparov that a computer, no matter how powerful can never truly beat a WC, even tho Kramnik was beaten. I believe that these are all fixed or cheated games, where in crucial situations, there are "hidden" GMs helping the computer.

A computers code is "static". A world class GM given 20-30 games to study, can find a weakness in its play; probably positionally, as they do excel at tactics, but maybe how they handle the Knights or Bishops etc., etc. Once the weakness is found, a World class GM will easily beat the computer. Also, a computer team should not be allowed to "tweak" opening either after a match has started. The team claims that a human is allowed to do this, so the computer should be allowed. Nonsense. The computer is NOT human, thus it should not be allowed. If they want to claim the computer is just as good as a human, then self program the computer to do this without human help. Thats why its called a computer, not human.

<mastertobe> its fun, yes, but productive? not for me...the ideas at that level are too deep for me, until they become obvious, and by then its too late. just like in a game. by th time youve figured out what your opponent is doing, its time to resign. lol!

by the way, back to the computer, when playing against one, i read on a blog somewhere to make them play openings that force them to utilize knight play. take their bishops away when you can, as for some reason, knight moves are in 3-D, and all other moves are linear. this forces the computer to use different thinking and is somehow supposed to be slightly more difficult for it to do. dont know if its true or not, and of course, one must be within 100 or so points of the computer or obviously, it wont matter.

and ive always felt anyway, that at the highest levels of any game/sport/battle, taht its not about technique anyway, but it becomse "spiritual"

the slightest psychological edge. for example, to a person living in quiet mediation in a cave, the slighest hum of a bee would probably disturb him.

And now i dont like christmas at all.

ELO <2200 PLAY THE BOARD

ELO 2200-2400 PLAY 1/2 BOARD, 1/2 MAN

ELO >2400 PLAY THE MAN

at this level, studying the play and tendencies of the opponent are the most important, rather than openings, etc. if you do this, the rest will take care of itself.

i remember following the match and
reading GM Keenes analysis during the baguio match of K/K

by the way, can one change their user name after creating it. i only wanted to use this name in jest to wish viktor a happy birthday...

as i know that he is well liked, i am sure that even in jest that some may have not too fond memories of the match and the mere mention of this name causes much irritation/indignation

This year Gelfand is the highest rated of the eight participants:

<Boris Gelfand (2723, Israel)
Ruslan Ponomariov (2719, Ukraine)
Anatoly Karpov (2655, Russia)
Pavel Tregubov (2629, Russia)
Viktor Korchnoi (2598, Switzerland)
Yuri Drozdovskij (2581, Ukraine)
Valery Beim (2523, Austria)
Mikhail Golubev (2474, Ukraine)>