|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 15 OF 65 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
| Apr-30-06 | | Gypsy: <chancho> The second Najdorf win is a duplicate. |
|
Apr-30-06
 | | chancho: <Gypsy> Thanks for the correction. |
|
| Apr-30-06 | | 4daluvofchess: Does anybody know if/how Bobby Fischer's now famous anti-semetism affected his relationship with Sammy? |
|
| Apr-30-06 | | Gypsy: Speaking about Smyslov for Flohr. By 1948, Flohr has already turned into an elder statesman of the game. But Flohr is today generally underestimated player because of his AVRO performance. But one has to understand that Flohr's nerves were realy overburdened by worries at time of AVRO: he was seaking a safe haven for self and wife before Hitler takes over Czechoslovakia. Shortly after AVRO, in January 1939, Flohr played in a little known but extraordinarily strong tournament in USSR. The results of this 'Moskow/Leningrad Tournament' went: 1.Flohr +7 (12/17)
2.Reshevsky +4
3-6.Lilienthal, Levenfish, Makogonov, Ragozin +3
7-8.Belavenets, Rabinovich +2
9-10.Alatortsev, Kan +1
11.Konstatinopolsky =
12-13.Keres, Smyslov -1
14.Goglidze -2
15.Tolush -3
16.Romanovsky -5
17.Bondarevsky -7
18.Panov -10
Smyslov was still a teanager, but especially the reversal from AVRO between Keres and Flohr is staggering. And it is likely a result of nerves: while Flohr's family safety just resolved, troubled times for Keres were kicking into a high gear. As for Keres/Botvinnik, especially in 1948: Pachman was of the opinion that Keres believed Botvinnik was instrumental in Keres' escaping the fate of Petrovs; and this was such an emotional burden on Keres that he could not realy play Botvinnik. |
|
| Apr-30-06 | | Akavall: <4daluvofchess> I think Fischer-Reshevsky match stopped (and later the win was awarded to Reshevsky) because it somehow had to do with Reshevsky not wanting to play on the Jewish Sabbath. This was before Fischer joined the worldwide church of god. I know that Fischer refused to play because the games started too early, but I was under impression that Jewish Sabbath was also involved. I would like to know more information myself though. |
|
May-01-06
 | | keypusher: <gypsy> Thanks. Quite extraordinary, that Moscow-Leningrad tournament. The biggest mystery for me remains what happened to Botvinnik's playing strength after 1948, though. <4daluvofchess> Fischer and Reshevsky had plenty of reasons to hate each other; they didn't need Fischer's anti-semitism for that! :-) In any case, Fischer's anti-semitism doesn't seem to have had much effect on his attitude towards actual Jews. |
|
| May-01-06 | | Akavall: <keypusher><Fischer and Reshevsky had plenty of reasons to hate each other> What were some of the reasons? |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: Another link for you guys.
http://www.ishipress.com/botvinni.htm |
|
| May-01-06 | | Gypsy: <keypusher: ... The biggest mystery for me remains what happened to Botvinnik's playing strength after 1948, though.> I do not know, but I can tell you what I think: I think that other players' minds and home prep became much more opaque for him. Botvinnik's strongest point always been an incredible power of home analysis. He had an all-time grandest ability to pinpoint the subtle but essential nuance of a given position. Yet he was not as ready to do that OTB, but instead, as he liked to put it: 'at the quiet of my home study'. I think that after 1948, his intelligence supply chain partly withered away and also other players became much more circumspect and cautious with their prepared lines and so good cognizance became much harder to come by. |
|
| May-01-06 | | madlydeeply: gypsy...i never said I thought Reshevsky was a churchmouse...none of these great players are churchmice! |
|
| May-01-06 | | noone2: Botvinnik is an interesting WC. Unlike most WC apart from Lasker - Botvinnik had a profession away from chess. This may explain his "poorer" performances in first WC - and winning subsequent rematches. Sam Sloan remarked that these appeared to be warmup rounds to Botvinnik. Maybe he was even more correct than he thought! |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: Taylor Kingston getting interviewed.
http://www.chessville.com/Editorial... |
|
| May-01-06 | | Gypsy: <madlydeeply> Sorry if it sounded I was getting on your case. <... none of these great players are churchmice!> Well said. <noone2: Botvinnik is an interesting WC. Unlike most WC apart from Lasker - Botvinnik had a profession away from chess.> Well Euwe was a regular college mathematician, Capablanca was most busy being a full time gentleman (and skirt chaser), Bronstein (if we include him) a journalist, and that realy is it. Botvinnik of course had his GM stipend to live off, and his work/research that we know of was very chess related. <chancho: Taylor Kingston getting interviewed.> Do I recall it right that this 'Taylor Kingston' is an alter-ego of our own <wmd>? |
|
May-01-06
| | keypusher: <Do I recall it right that this 'Taylor Kingston' is an alter-ego of our own <wmd>?> Compared to <wmd>, Taylor Kingston is a pussycat! :-) Well, sort of. Here's a quote from the interview: <On the whole, the chess newsgroups are appalling, at least the two I visit, rec.games.chess.misc and especially rec.games.chess.politics. Ideally, they should serve as information exchanges and forums for discussion and resolution of problems. This happens in maybe 10% of the posts. The rest is a swamp of misinformation, ignorance, irrelevancy, opinionated rants, petty one-upmanship, insults, empty threats, slander, profanity, mendacity, bigotry, obscenity, cat-fights and pissing contests, with the occasional porno ad thrown in, because it’s a free-for-all with no rules of civilized discourse. Some threads are like two skunks arguing over who makes the bigger stink. One of the most prolific posters seems to think the sites were created solely to chronicle his sex life and marital problems.> |
|
| May-01-06 | | Gypsy: <keypusher> Hmmm, off the mark then... But he does sound like he could pass for <wmd>'s long lost brother! |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: I think Botvinnik's second career kept him very busy. Here he relates how he did not hardly practice chess for a time. < From 1941 to 1943 I gave all my time to my work as an engineer. During the summer I had to travel a great deal, visiting the power stations in the Urals to test high-tension insulation.During the winter I worked in the high-tension laboratory at Molatov, servicing the works of the Molotov Electricity Corparation in the repair and testing of insulations. It may not be superflous to remark that the insulation installations in the charge of our laboratory worked throughout this time without breakdowns.> Source: One Hundred Selected Games. |
|
| May-01-06 | | Gypsy: <chancho> At that time chessplayers like Belavenets fell manning mortar guns defending Moscow. Ilin-Genevsky got taken out of gulag and sent to a barge in Stalingrad where he perished. Even good-boy Kotov became a full time engineer. But when Botvinnik complained about getting rusty on chess, he and only he got a reprieve and time off to work on his chess. The command was written in Suslov's hand, but had the an unmistaken Stalin diction to it: "The chess skills of tovarisch Botvinnik must be preserved!" |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: <Gypsy> Yes, he was given time to devote to the game when the occasion merited it. (He was Mr. Soviet Chess, after all) But he did have other things keeping him busy. (His Engineering profession) |
|
May-01-06
| | keypusher: <gypsy> I have no idea who <wmd> is. But I miss him! |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: <keypusher> WMD was a pain in the ass. But he was one of the most knowledgeable posters here bar none. |
|
| May-01-06 | | Karpova: Are you sure about <WMD> never coming back? |
|
May-01-06
| | chancho: Karpova> He'll be back. But when... is anybody's guess. |
|
| May-01-06 | | Gypsy: I believe when Eric Shiller joined the kibitz gang around here, somebody linked to a <Taylor Kingston> link as being the possible civilian avatar of <wmd>. But I am fuzzy on this memory. Profile of <wmd> is: knowledgable, witty, very sharp, and sometimes short tempered and caustic. |
|
| May-01-06 | | Silman: Life sure is funny with its twists & turns. Firstly I refer to 55 when Reshevsky got the upper hand over Botvinnik and <Jim Bartle> tells me four games isn't enough for a representative sample. Then <Rsignation Trap> quotes me two games from 45 which is "now allowed" to be classed as a match...and these games played by radio!! I don't think Reshevsky was the only one on an unlevel playing field...I sure as hell have an uphill task with you guys! On a positive note, your chessforum is really good RT, I particularly like the 50 Years ago segments, keep up the good work. I see plenty of posters on the Reshevsky page are some of your regular contributors... |
|
| May-01-06 | | Resignation Trap: On page 3 of the June 1948 issue of <<Chess Review>>: <"NO GO" Apparently the United States will not be represented in the Interzonal Tournament at Stockholm this July. Neither Isaac Kashdan , zonal nominee, nor Arnold Denker , who was chosen by International Chess Federation ballot, will go. The reason: money. Although the U.S. Chess Federation has raised the unprecedented sum of $1000 (half by contribution; half from their treasury) to back Kashdan, he feels that since this barely covers his expenses, it is impossible to undertake the trip. Denker's case is even more clear cut: he would have to finance the entire journey himself.> <Silman> I believe this is another example of an "unlevel playing field", the USSR sends a lot of their best players and trainers to the Interzonal, while chess in the USA has so little support that they cannot even send one! |
|
 |
|
|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 15 OF 65 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
Kibitzing
