RIP Viktor Gavrikov

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  • RIP Viktor Gavrikov

    https://chessdailynews.com/rip-gm-viktor-gavrikov/

    I am so sad to report that I have lost a friend and my chess coach Viktor Gavrikov. He was a very kind and knowledgeable man. Viktor helped prepare the 2015 Canadian under 16 olympiad team last year. He was also a big part in the Windsor miracle as he helped me and a number of other Windsor players and coaches with his chess teaching. I will miss him sorely.

  • #2
    Re: RIP Viktor Gavrikov

    I met Viktor Gavrikov at the 1988 World Rapid (Active / Action) Championships in Mazatlan, Mexico. He was a surprise finalist against Karpov. Before the match, the three of us needed to work out some details. Gavrikov at the time did not speak English. I was surprised to find that he spoke quite good Spanish (which he had studied in High School), so we spoke in that language. Karpov's English was not bad, so we spoke in that language. When the three of us were together, Gavrikov and Karpov started speaking in Russian, and apologized to me. When I showed that I was following them, Karpov said "I didn't know that you spoke Russian!" I replied: Мне не хватает and as I was remembering that the word for "practice" was практика and therefore in the accusative case ..., Karpov completed my sentence with практику. The arrangements were quickly set, in whatever languages necessary. Gavrikov and Karpov drew the match and thus became World co-Champions of Rapid Chess.

    It used to be considered important for International Arbiters to speak more than one language. Now it is more important that they have recent practice as arbiters, and, of course, that their dues are kept up to date! In case anybody is wondering, I speak Spanish well enough, perhaps fluently. In Russian, I make the sounds well, but with a limited vocabulary (lots of chess words, though!), people tend to think that I speak the language better than I actually do. I have a wider vocabulary in French, but when I speak, it sounds like I have cotton wool in my mouth (and I apologize to sooooo many Canadian chessplayers for that), so people tend to think that I know less French than I actually do. не хватает практику all around.

    Gavrikov struck me as a good guy. Focused. I didn't study the games, but my impression from the Rapid games I watched was that he was above all a precise player. Overreach was not part of his character. With Karpov's known predilection in Rapid play (equal position with a bit more time on the clock is completely acceptable), perhaps the drawn final match was not a surprise. I could not have guessed that the youngest of the three of us would be the first to go. RIP, Viktor Gavrikov.

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    • #3
      Re: RIP Viktor Gavrikov

      Thanks Jonathan for sharing that memory of Viktor. We shared many conversations over the four years or so that I knew him but it is a bit disconcerting to realize how many people he interacted with around the world and in Canada. I will miss our Friday morning lessons. I think we missed one lesson in four years when his internet connection failed and we missed one when my father had an emergency that required a hospital visit. He was only a few months older than me but he was wise and experienced in all things. Its still hard to believe that we had our last lesson some two weeks ago.

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