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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi has passed away
June 6, 2016
Chess24.com has a fine tribute today:
Viktor Korchnoi
Born: Mar 23, 1931 Leningrad, Russia
Died: Jun 6, 2016 (Aged 85) Wohlen, Switzerland
FIDE Title: Grandmaster
Federation: Switzerland
Peak Rating: 2695 (January 1979)
Rating: 2499 (June 2016)
Korchnoi is one of the true chess legends and many people’s choice as the “strongest player never to become World Champion”. He played three matches that could have given him that title and was at the very top of world chess for 30 years, winning games against all the World Champions from Botvinnik to Kasparov. His four USSR Championships and six Olympiad gold medals for the USSR are all the more remarkable given he famously defected to the West in 1976, at the very height of his powers. In terms of chess longevity he has few rivals, and the furious will to win that saw him nicknamed “Viktor the Terrible” helped him feature in the Top 100 at the age of 75 and beat young star Fabiano Caruana at 79.
Korchnoi’s talent was evident when he won the USSR Junior Championship in 1947, but it was his capacity for hard work and gradual improvement that set him apart. His counterattacking style based on deep calculation rather than intuition gave Korchnoi erratic results in the 1950s, but he was consistently at the top when he turned 30, winning the USSR Championship in 1960, 1962, 1964 and 1970. It’s been suggested that he lost the final Candidates match against Tigran Petrosian in 1971 due to a Soviet agreement that Petrosian would have the best chances against Bobby Fischer, but when Fischer stopped playing it seemed as though it might finally be Korchnoi’s turn to claim the crown.
His great misfortune was that the peak of his career overlapped not with one but two great champions. The young Anatoly Karpov emerged from nowhere to become the darling of Soviet chess, and would prove Korchnoi’s nemesis. In their first match in 1974 Korchnoi suffered three defeats but posted a late recovery to lose only 12.5:11.5. That match effectively gave Karpov the crown when Fischer refused to defend his title. Four years later Korchnoi had defected from the USSR but dismayed the Soviet authorities by qualifying for the next World Championship match against Karpov. Their showdown in the Philippines will be remembered as one of the most bitter and bizarre contests in chess history, with cheating allegations involving hypnotism and coded messages sent by yogurt. On the chessboard Korchnoi again trailed at the start (4:1) but managed to fight back to tie the first-to-six match 5:5 after 31 games, only to go on to lose the next game.
In 1981 Korchnoi turned 50, but yet again qualified to play Karpov. That match was dubbed the “Massacre in Merano” as Korchnoi fell to a 6:2 defeat in the Italian town, although chess events were overshadowed by the imprisonment of his son. The next cycle signaled a changing of the guard, as Korchnoi lost to the young Garry Kasparov.
While he never again managed to challenge for the title, Korchnoi has remained active and strong in competitive chess long after his peers retired. At the age of 80 he told an interviewer he continues to work on chess four hours a day, and his latter achievements include winning the World Senior Championship in 2006 and the Swiss Championship in 2009 and 2011.
In 2012 Korchnoi suffered a stroke, but remained indomitable, returning to play competitive chess in a wheelchair before passing away at the age of 85.
https://chess24.com/en/read/players/viktor-korchnoiLast edited by Wayne Komer; Monday, 6th June, 2016, 11:29 AM. -
Re: Viktor Korchnoi
A legend is gone. End of an era. Before my first tournament game I knew about the great Viktor! - hard to believe 43 years have passed since then! RIP Viktor Korchnoi! I look forward to many articles in the news over the next few weeks. (somehow appropriate that Muhammad Ali and Viktor Korchnoi are in the news at the same time - both great fighters! - my utmost respect to both of them.)Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
RIP
A true warrior.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Korchnoi videos from the 2004 Quebec Open blitz tournament:
http://canbase.fqechecs.qc.ca/videos...rsov(2490).wmv
http://canbase.fqechecs.qc.ca/videos...rube(2107).wmv
http://canbase.fqechecs.qc.ca/videos...ataf(2700).wmv
http://canbase.fqechecs.qc.ca/videos...lduc(2402).wmv
http://canbase.fqechecs.qc.ca/videos...vski(2641).wmvComment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Kortschnoj was arguably the strongest player never to hold the title of world champion (although Rubinstein, Short and Shirov would have to be considered). He emerged as the star of a remarkable generation of Soviet chessplayers who dominated chess through the 60s, 70s and 80s. Denied the chance to go up against Fischer, his struggles with the new generation's leading player, Anatoly Karpov, were truly legendary. Magnificent fighting chess, with Kortschnoj coming from behind and just falling short, it set a new standard for world championship chess which was carried on by Karpov against Kasparov. To put it in Canadian terms, he was the Gordie Howe of chess, playing at the top level for decade after decade, long after his early rivals had stepped down. He will be missed.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
June 6, 2016
Early Reaction to his passing on-line
(Fred Lindsay) (tweet) – I faced him, played next to him in another event, but this is my favorite memory of seeing Korchnoi in action:
“It’s hard to tell from afar just how great a player Viktor Korchnoi was. In Saint John 1988 I saw Nunn, Speelman and two other English players analyze an endgame for about 30 minutes. Korchnoi walked into the room and Speelman asked if he would take a look at it. After a couple of minutes he gave his opinion and left. They thanked him and put the pieces away, knowing he must be right.”
- Kasparov on Korchnoi: “No player had his discipline, vigour, and ferocity.” RIP, original chess badass
(Mark Stockwell) (tweet) - Boxing had its Thriller in Manila. The duel between Karpov and Korchnoi in Baguio City, also in the Philippines, was every bit as brutal.
- Korchnoi and Leonid Stein were the two GMs whose games first captured my attention (yes, this is getting to be a long time ago). Stein's games seemed witty, but Korchnoi was pure fighter.
Godspeed Victor. In heaven, the increment is always big enough to keep you out of time trouble.
- I think he was the strongest player never to be world champion. He was hellaciously strong at his peak (in the 70s) and was close to the equal of Karpov. One of the best end-game players ever, a great tactician, and a Lasker-like defender and fighter. RIP.
- RIP Arturo Pomar
RIP Muhammad Ali
RIP Viktor Korchnoi
(Nigel Short) (tweet) - Farewell Victor Lvovich - a cantankerous, old git, but a true chess great nevertheless. Thanks for the many battles we had over 40 years.
(Justin Horton) - will never forget turning on the car radio for the news, fully expecting and hoping to be told he was the new world champion, and hearing instead that he had lost the thirty-second game.
There's never been a greater sporting contest.
_________
Leonard Barden has his obituary in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...chnoi-obituary
Two paragraphs from that obituary:
Kasparov’s series of books about former champions, My Great Predecessors, gives Korchnoi greater prominence than any other player who did not win the title, and that is likely to prove the firm verdict of history. His fighting qualities, defensive resilience, endgame subtlety, and psychological skills stood out even among elite grandmasters.
On a personal level, Korchnoi could be a prickly character, and he had few close friends among his peers. He worked hard at the board, and often said that he played better if he could regard an opponent as an antagonist rather than as a friendly rival.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Nava and I knew Victor Lvovich and his wife Petra, who was his faithful companion for almost 40 years...
I've read Kasparov's material on Korchnoi in Russian. You cannot miss Kasparov's love, respect and sheer admiration for Victor Lvovich!
Looking forward to see his and Karpov's (YES, Anatoly Evgenievich!) thoughts on great Victor Lvovich... He is to be missed...Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
June 6, 2016
Photos of Petra and also, Viktor with Garry and Mark in the ChessBase tribute by Frederic Friedel:
http://en.chessbase.com/post/viktor-korchnoi-dies-at-85Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
The 2004 Quebec Open was organized by the Chess'n Math Association in collaboration with the FQE. When Korchnoi accepted my invitation to take part, I knew he would leave his mark :) Korchnoi is never an easy person to deal with but he certainly made the event a very special one! An outstanding player and someone that made a huge contribution to the game.
His books entitled ''Chess is my Life'' say it all!
LarryComment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Several rare photographs accompany a just-published Garry Kasparov's eulogy to Viktor Korchnoi (ru, Google Translate produces a passable en text).
Leningrad, 1975: 12-year-old Kasparov v. Korchnoi, as well as Lucerne-1982, London-1983 and Brussels-1988: Karpov, Kasparov, Korchnoi.
Chess is My Life is great indeed. I would also recommend this documentary book.
R.I.P. Viktor Lvovich.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
A few pics from Las Vegas 2007.
http://chessmanitoba.blogspot.ca/201...-years-in.htmlComment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Wanted to express my sadness at the loss of Victor Korchnoi. I was fortunate to play him in a simul in Montreal in 2004. He had won the Quebec Open, I had won the 2nd section. He was 72 years old, he played around 30 boards at once. He lost 0 games and surrendered 5 draws. It was scorching out with strong sunlight and no cover, he didn't wear a hat, never sat down once, never ate or drank water and towards the last few games he was skipping from board to board! I lost in 19 moves. Thoughts are with his family and close friends. A true legend on the chessboard and a one of the last great chess characters. RIPLast edited by Daryl Bertrand; Tuesday, 7th June, 2016, 02:01 AM.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Tried to send a pic of Korchnoi from 2004 Quebec Open but it exceeding limit. I'll try again tomorrow.Last edited by Daryl Bertrand; Tuesday, 7th June, 2016, 01:40 AM.Comment
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Re: Viktor Korchnoi
Originally posted by Jack Maguire View Post
He is now engaged in a chessboxing match with Muhammad Ali.Only the rushing is heard...
Onward flies the bird.Comment
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