Korchnoi is back!

[Ken Kurkowski]

Fans of Viktor Korchnoi will be happy to hear that he is playing chess again (at age 83!). In a match against fellow veteran Wolfgang Uhlmann (79), Korchnoi won the first game.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

I am glad he's back playing. I couldnt imagine his life without active tournament games. Good on him!

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

It is really very nice to hear that Victor Korchnoi is back and playing competitive chess again. Bravo Victor!!!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

Recently got a book by Korchnoi. There were two volumes (White & Black) published ~15 years ago. The new version is only one volume but have all games some more. That fact somehow slipped through me otherwise would have bought it earlier.
(Un)Fortunately he is the only GM from the old school whom I witnessed playing and analyzing. Captivating.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

Yes Toronto International 1985 was a treat with Viktor analysing and I also saw him at US Open 1983. Apparently Quebec has been blessed with him a couple of times as well. Lets hope he gets well enough to play at Gibraltar again.

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

How come when Fischer and Spassky played in 1992, at much younger ages, it was dismissed as 'old man's chess' by many supposed chess commentators during television interviews but now that it is Korchnoi, at a much more advanced age, it is the opposite reaction seemingly?

[Hans Jung]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

There will always be chessplayers (I believe quite a number but no proof) who consider any chessplayers over 40 old. Referring to Fischer - Spassky it meant many years beyond peak performance and considered a bit of an insult. Someone I respect very much - GM Yasser Seirawan did video commentary recently on the first two games of the 1992 match where he described the play of Bobby after basically no tournament chess for 20 years as mindboggling. You can find those videos in another thread I posted here on chesstalk (called Musings of Grandmaster in residence I think). What Korchnoi is doing no other grandmaster in the world has ever done - playing grandmaster chess over the age of 80! Although admittedly his chess lately is below GM level (sadly) I for one am hoping he can return to GM form. I think its something to admire (admittedly small compared to everything else going on but there it is).

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: Korchnoi is back!

Fischer was 29 when he played Spassky in 1972, thus ONLY 49 when they had the rematch in 1992. That's only a few years older than today's Anand! As we boomers get older, our perspective changes. When I was a kid, I thought my parents (then in their early 40s) were ancient!