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Robert James Fischer vs Ratmir Kholmov
Havana (1965), Havana CUB, rd 18, Sep-20
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Chigorin Defense (C98)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-31-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I think Bobby was intimidated by his opponent's name. The Kholmov region is part of Siberia, near the arctic circle. In the 20th century the Russians sent many thousands of political prisoners to the labor camps there. Alexander Szholzenitsyn wrote about it in his series of books "The Gulag Achipelago".
May-31-09  AnalyzeThis: Either that, or Kholmov played a great game.
May-31-09  Lt.Surena: Now Yugoslavia was part of Soviet Union? lol !! Western Propaganda machine at its best ! The same spin that created Bobby vs. Russians (Oh yea, Keres, Tal, Petrosian were Russian in the eye of the liers not Estonian, Lativian, Armenian). All to demonize the opponenets. The lunatic loses 7 games in 63, complains/bi@tches/moans about everything and still the spin masters aligned with him. Well, the one-time wonder put his tail between his legs and ran in 72 when he ran out of bag of tricks. The spin master were left with eggs on their faces !!
May-31-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I think Bobby was caught up in "Freezer Fear"! ahhhhh
May-31-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <totololo: To keypusher

Ivkov(Serbs) and the Russians had a coordinated system of chess training byb their national federations under the control of the Soviets.>

No, they didn't. And the Yugoslavs would have beaten you black and blue if you suggested anything of the kind to them.

Is Tito forgotten so soon?

Jun-01-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: The Yugoslavs were always independent. Tito advocated a 'rotating presidency', whereby each Balkan country would hold the title of president of the Yugo federation for, I think, one year apiece. Such power sharing was unheard of in Moscow.

The Yugos are slavs, and have a kinship with russian slavs (as opposed to the Croations or muslims in the Yugo federaton) but Tito's bunch were never owned by Moscow.

Jul-08-09  Ulhumbrus: After 18...fxe6 White has the bishop pair and Black's e pawn is doubled. White has no need to pay an undue price in order to gain more. On the other hand Black threatens ..Nd4 followed by ..exd4, ...d3 and ...d2. 19 Ng4 Nd4 20 Nxf6+ Bxf6 21 cxd4 exd4 22 Qg4 d3 23 Qxe6+ Kh8 24 e5 Be7 25 Bxd3 cxd3 26 Bd2 may be adequate.
Jul-21-11  Eduardo Bermudez: Kholmov and Korchnoi the only players non-world champion to beat both Fischer and Kasparov
Jul-22-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: <Kholmov and Korchnoi the only players non-world champion to beat both Fischer and Kasparov>

Thats an incredible trivia question. Is the answer accurate?

Aug-16-11  Eduardo Bermudez: a very special trivia question !!
Jun-22-12  Call Me TC: <When Kholmov played 19 ..., Nd4, everyone suspected that Bobby had run into a prepared variation.>

<How did I beat Fischer? That was in '65 in Cuba, when Fischer was playing by telex and they were transmitting his moves from New York. I was under a lot of pressure during that game, understanding that if I lost, they'd all set the dogs on me, they'd remember everything, and the evening before the game in particular. Why? The bar in the hotel was open all night and I was drinking Bacardi as you do. This rum is marvellous in Cuba. It was already very late when Smyslov came looking for me. Let's go, Ratmir, he says, I'll show you a variation that you can play against Fischer tomorrow. We went up to Smyslov's room and he showed me a new idea in the Chigorin Variation of the Spanish, but I was so drunk that Vasily Vasilievich was sure I wouldn't remember anything.

I sit down to play the next day and think to myself, what did you do yesterday, there'll be hell to pay for your behaviour, and it had to be right before the game with Fischer. They'll say, you son of a bitch, you were drunk as a skunk. I sit there, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, not getting up from the chair. So you can imagine, the entire variation we'd looked at that night came on the board. After the game Fischer congratulated me, but we didn't discuss the game.>

Jun-22-12  Petrosianic: Absolutely disgraceful.

The very idea of a Russian drinking Rum. That's like James Bond having his martini stirred. In the privacy of his own home, maybe, but in public, it should be Vodka or nothing.

Jun-22-12  RookFile: Fischer remembered games like this when he played Spassky in 1972. That's why he didn't let Spassky see the exact same opening twice.
Jun-22-12  Call Me TC: Maybe that's why he skipped the Karpov match too.
Jan-05-17  Pedro Fernandez: Since 2012 this game has not been analyzed anymore. It is very interesting the analysis that Stockfish 8 makes, now in 2017.
Jan-06-17  Howard: How about sharing it with us when you get a chance ?
Nov-16-20  Justin796: Did Fischers seconds ever give him game winning advice like Smyslov did with Kholkov? Russians discussing the game among themselves, disgraceful!
Nov-16-20  carpovius: <drunk as a skunk> what does this mean?
Nov-16-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: 'Drunk as a skunk' is an expression I heard numerous times in my teens here in New England, but have never heard from a Russian.
Nov-18-20  carpovius: <perfidious> and meaning what? "very, absolutely, deadly drunk" or it's just for rhyme?? in case if skunks are good drunkers, I'll offer s shot of rum or vodka to a skunk who sometimes visits my backyard..
Nov-18-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Williebob: I don't see the problem with group preparation, <Justin>. It will still be only two brains at the board when it's time to summon all your chess powers!
Regarding your first question, however, I cannot recall any anecdotes where Fischer received (or accepted?) assistance during a tournament. Wasn't Larsen his second at a big event who said Fischer never used him?
Nov-18-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Williebob: Oh, I meant to add somewhere in there:
Ratmir is one heck of a name.
Nov-18-20  morfishine: <carpovious> I believe the term "drunk as a skunk" refers to way they walk; its a sort of ambling, non-definite way their body moves left and right, this way and that, which is sort of like a drunk stumbling his way home from the pub

Look how raccoons or opossum move with concentrated precision; meanwhile a skunk meanders all over the place

However, recent studies disprove my colorful explanation stating their diet contains so much fermented fruit, they become intoxicated in the wild. They are the only wild animal that has learned to enjoy a cold one

So have one on me!

Nov-19-20  carpovius: <morphishine> wooooow the version!!

<They are the only wild animal that has learned to enjoy a cold one> how about the Siberian bears?

Nov-19-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: Bobby with the internet

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