Russian Chess Federation Auction

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  • Russian Chess Federation Auction

    Russian Chess Federation Auction
    March 30, 2015

    This announcement for the Russian Chess Federation went out this morning:

    We are selling one-of-a-kind manuscripts written by the 6th world chess champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, Lev Polugaevsky’s grandmaster conferral, the one-of-a-kind Kremlin chess set, numerous pictures, autographs, score-sheets kept by famous chess players, issues of old Russian chess magazines and much more.

    You can see the various items here or copy the following URL into your browser:

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/russian_ches...p2047675.l2562

    Chess collectors and historians should make a copy of these pages now because the link will be terminated in six days when the auction is over.

    One item starting at $900 are handwritten notes by Botvinnik on the Pioneer program.

    At wikispaces.com there is an interesting entry about “Pioneer”.

    Pioneer, (Russian: Пионер)

    was a Soviet Artificial Intelligence project headed by Mikhail Botvinnik with the aim to develop a chess program to model a Chess Master's Mind, also used as general purpose planning tool to solve economical problems in the Soviet Union. Based on a hierarchical mathematical model consisting of square control, trajectories, sheaves of trajectories, and counter trajectories of attacking and defending pieces, piece chains, and zones, and the intermediate goal to win material within a given horizon, its purpose was a minimax best-first search of extremely narrow but deep game trees. The name Pioneer was chosen in 1977, when the program was invited to play the WCCC 1977 in Toronto. However, Pioneer was never completed in a way that it could play a game of chess in public under tournament conditions.

    https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Pioneer

    A little way down the page is a letter from Botvinnik to Z. Vranesic, the Canadian world chess computer championship organizer, in Russian with a translation added:

    Dear Professor Vranesic,

    I’m rather grateful to have received your kind letter dated 26.4.77 in which you mention that PIONEER will be one of the tournament participants. Regretfully, we must inform you that we will be unable to finish the program by the tournament start date, therefore PIONEER won’t take part. Please let the world chess computer championship participants and organizers know and wish them the best of luck from us.

    Yours truly,
    M. Botvinnik
    ____________

    Other items in the auction with starting bid in brackets:

    Chess certificate of Polugayevsky ($750)

    28 large photos of Karpov in Krasnoyarsk in 1976 ($700)

    Shakhmatny Listok 1930 ($350)

    Scoresheets Taimanov-Koblents 1944 ($300)

    Shakhmatny 1926 ($250)

    Scoresheet Karpov-Korchnoi 1973 ($250)

    The book Grossmeĭster Polugaevskiĭ, published by Fizkultura i sport in 1982 (Polugayevsky and Damskii I.V.) covered with signatures by Tal, Geller and other players ($110)

    and a host of photos, scoresheets and letters. In all a total of 58 items. A veritable history of modern Russian chess at bargain basement prices!

  • #2
    Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

    Originally posted by Wayne Komer View Post
    Russian Chess Federation Auction
    March 30, 2015

    This announcement for the Russian Chess Federation went out this morning:

    We are selling one-of-a-kind manuscripts written by the 6th world chess champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, Lev Polugaevsky’s grandmaster conferral, the one-of-a-kind Kremlin chess set, numerous pictures, autographs, score-sheets kept by famous chess players, issues of old Russian chess magazines and much more.

    You can see the various items here or copy the following URL into your browser:

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/russian_ches...p2047675.l2562
    Do you have a link to the announcement?

    Ebay seller is "russian_chess_house_2012" Amannnazarov Murad - General Director, Russian Chess House, the largest publishing houses in Russia for production of chess literature in Russia.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

      Russian Chess Federation Auction

      The on-line link is:

      http://stat.atmprk.com/views/en/MTY2...5f171730d9e8aa

      My assumption, of course, is that Murad Amannazarov, Director of Chess House, is running the auction for the Russian Chess Federation, which is selling some of its archival material to get money.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

        I doubt. Russia suffered a big blow in 199x when they sold/auctioned a lot of soviet memorables. They learned the hard way. This auction is private. (imho)

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

          Russian Chess Federation Auction

          The two probable possibilities are that the collection is from a private collector, which Chess House is selling on consignment or that an organization like the Russian Chess Federation is selling some of its material through Chess House.

          If you look at the eBay listings, on each item it says:

          From Russian Federation

          which would seem to decide it.

          This is priceless material and, believe me, I would like to be wrong in thinking that donated items were sold cheaply because of economic conditions.
          Last edited by Wayne Komer; Monday, 30th March, 2015, 04:42 PM. Reason: added "an organization like"

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

            Russian Chess Federation Auction

            On further reflection, I may be wrong about the source of the chess items. “From Russian Federation” might just be that the books will be mailed from Russia.

            извините

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

              In three previous Russian auctions I was very fortunate to win a signed copy of volume 1 of Shakhmatnoye Nasledie Botvinnika, a signed copy of Persona Non Grata by Viktor Korchnoi, and a mint copy of Vasily Smyslov's game collection Letopis' Shakhmatogo Tvorchestva.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

                Dan, regarding the Smyslov book you mentioned, what part of his career does it cover? I purchased a used copy of Smyslov's In Search of Harmony a few months ago and am really enjoying the games as I slog my way through the book with my Russian-English dictionary in hand. :)
                "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
                "Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
                "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Russian Chess Federation Auction

                  The Smyslov book has 326 annotated games and covers the period from 1935 to 1994. It was translated into English and published in two volumes as Smyslov's Best Games of Chess. All of the games from his two previous collections (1952 and 1979) are included but there are extra games from those years. One of his later wins is against Leon Piasetski.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Russian Chess Auction

                    Russian Chess Auction
                    April 7, 2015

                    Auction Prices Received

                    A selection from the items at the auction, with the number of bids and the winning bid (in U.S. $ - shipping extra). There were a number of no bids.

                    1. Score sheet Miles-Polugayevsky 1984 No Bids at $75

                    2. Score Sheet Polugayevsky-Bronstein No Bids at $120

                    3. Levenfish The IX All Union Champ. Book 7 Bids $149.50

                    4. Botvinnik Handwritten Notes about PIONEER Program 1 Bid at $900

                    5. Korchnoi-Karpov Photo 1 Bid at $20

                    6. Jantar Wooden Chess Clock 1950-1960 2 Bids at $150

                    7. Recommendation Letter for Polugayevsky 2 Bids at $80

                    8. Photo of M. Botvinnik Simul No Bids at $30

                    9. Score Sheet Geller-Ney 34th USSR Champ. 1967 1 Bid at $100

                    10. Chess Certificate for GM Polugayevsky No Bids at $750

                    11. M. Botvinnik’s Letter to Z. Vranesic 1 Bid at $200

                    12. Victor Korchnoi’s Handwritten Letter to Izvestiya 2 Bids at $266

                    13. Shakhmatny Listok 1930 No Bids at $350

                    14. Score Sheet Karpov-Korchnoi USSR 1973 1 Bid at $250

                    15. Polugayevsky Book Signed by Tal, Geller and Others 1982 4 Bids at $122.50

                    I won one item, which I shall describe when I receive it.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Russian Chess Auction

                      I purchased items 4 and 11. When I first was learning chess I was lucky enough to get computer time on the University of Calgary's main frame (in 1975! and the thing played well enough that it was interesting). The notes about the pioneer program are interesting. The early work done in this area was of interest although later on sadly they were never able to get Pioneer working to the point where it could play a full game of chess under normal tournament conditions. Hence the letter to Dr Vranesic declining to participate in the world computer chess championship all those years ago.


                      Originally posted by Wayne Komer View Post
                      Russian Chess Auction
                      April 7, 2015

                      Auction Prices Received

                      A selection from the items at the auction, with the number of bids and the winning bid (in U.S. $ - shipping extra). There were a number of no bids.

                      1. Score sheet Miles-Polugayevsky 1984 No Bids at $75

                      2. Score Sheet Polugayevsky-Bronstein No Bids at $120

                      3. Levenfish The IX All Union Champ. Book 7 Bids $149.50

                      4. Botvinnik Handwritten Notes about PIONEER Program 1 Bid at $900

                      5. Korchnoi-Karpov Photo 1 Bid at $20

                      6. Jantar Wooden Chess Clock 1950-1960 2 Bids at $150

                      7. Recommendation Letter for Polugayevsky 2 Bids at $80

                      8. Photo of M. Botvinnik Simul No Bids at $30

                      9. Score Sheet Geller-Ney 34th USSR Champ. 1967 1 Bid at $100

                      10. Chess Certificate for GM Polugayevsky No Bids at $750

                      11. M. Botvinnik’s Letter to Z. Vranesic 1 Bid at $200

                      12. Victor Korchnoi’s Handwritten Letter to Izvestiya 2 Bids at $266

                      13. Shakhmatny Listok 1930 No Bids at $350

                      14. Score Sheet Karpov-Korchnoi USSR 1973 1 Bid at $250

                      15. Polugayevsky Book Signed by Tal, Geller and Others 1982 4 Bids at $122.50

                      I won one item, which I shall describe when I receive it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Russian Chess Auction

                        Russian Chess Auction

                        Congratulatons, Sid. I got Item 15, the Polugayevsky book signed by a raft of grandmasters.

                        I thought the prices were bargains. Some of the photos would have made good prizes to tournament winners or as a presentation gift to an older member retiring from the chess club.

                        I should have bid on the Botvinnik simul photo – only $30.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re : Re: Russian Chess Auction

                          I found the Botvinnik items to be absolutely amazing. I tried to get one of his letters, but unfortunately failed... However, I did get a book signed by Tal at $60, which I think is a pretty good deal :)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Re : Re: Russian Chess Auction

                            I am amazed at the response to the auction by ChessTalk members. I too was going to bid on the Tal book but decided to pass as I am chasing a few other bucket list items.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Russian Chess Auction

                              Russian Chess Auction

                              The one thing that puzzled me in this auction was the 28 large photos of Karpov in Krasnoyarsk in 1976 for $700.

                              Myself, I cannot conceive of anyone wanting these, but you speak of your bucket list. Perhaps a bucket list exists out there, somewhere, with these entries:

                              1) Visit Fischer’s grave in Selfoss, Iceland

                              2) Visit Angkor Wat

                              3) Visit Machu Picchu

                              4) Get 28 large photos of Karpov at Krasnoyarsk and put them up on the walls of our house for the enjoyment of me and my family

                              5)…

                              Comment

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