Canada's Greatest Chess Player of All Time?

[Neil Frarey]

Who would you say is Canada's greatest chess player of all time?

And, by what metrics would you use to qualify that person?


Thanks in advance!

[Hans Jung]

I'll bite.

Abe Yanofsky - more accomplishments than anyone else.
Prodigy - performance at the Chess Olympics 1939
beat Botvinnik
did respectably against Fischer
first Grandmaster
8 time Canadian Champion
many times first board for Canada
also Canada's top player from 1941 - 1969 longer than anyone else

[Neil Frarey]

Hm, thought it might be Kevin Spraggett...

8 Canadian Open Chess Championships.
7 Closed Canadian Chess Championships.
Only Canadian to have qualified for the Candidates' level, having done so in 1985 and 1988.
Represented Canada 8 times at the Chess Olympiad.

???

[Brad Thomson]

When he was on form, Nick.

[Hugh Brodie]

Assuming they had access to today's training methods and access to competitions - in no particular order, i would pick Maurice Fox, Fedor Bohatirchuk, Abe Yanofsky, and Kevin Spraggett

[Pargat Perrer]

Who would you say is Canada's greatest chess player of all time?

And, by what metrics would you use to qualify that person?


Thanks in advance!

Is there a top computer engine that was produced by a Canadian? Because if yes, that engine gets my vote.

Unless you are restricting your poll to human players only?

Oh, the metrics I am using: ELO rating.

[Brad Thomson]

Oh, the metrics I am using: ELO rating.

The greastest golfer of all time, not only Canadian but from anywhere on the planet, was in fact a Canadian who never won a single event on the PGA tour, yet no less personages than Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods agreed that he was by far and away the greatest "striker of the ball" that they had ever seen. HIs name was Moe Norman. Paul Keres said that Nick had the talent to become the world champion of chess, and Kevin Spraggett once told me that Nick dwarfed him in terms of pure talent for the game.

[Erik Malmsten]

Evgeny Bareev is obviously the best, but he didn't play for Canada at his peak.Anton Kovalyov is next on the FIDE list.

What makes somebody a Grandmaster isn't just talent, like Nickoloff, but also hard work, stamina and emotional control. Usually requiring financial and social support so he can focus on chess. Maurice Fox was the best in the 1920-30s but was only part time and got easily angry. Abe Yanofsky was part time. Duncan Suttles should be on the list, but were his openings a bad influence that limited the growth of Canadian masters? Igor Ivanov was a great force when he arrived and I wonder if his presence was a boost for Kevin Spraggett. But Spraggett was the one who made the leap out of the Canadian bubble, so I would vote for him as the G.O.A.T.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

I agree on many points with Erik:


The best is clear - E.Bareev. Even after his prime he manages on the top of the list.

The greatest - imho - K.Spraggett -- his win against A.Sokolov and keeping on equals with A.Yusupov are great achievements overall and barely anyone has something at this level.

[Frank Dixon]

I will qualify my input, separating players into professionals and amateurs. I will also offer input on Canada's greatest female players, and on those whose careers are still in progress, or could have more to present. Finally, greatest all-rounders!

Primarily professionals: 1) GM Kevin Spraggett, 2) GM Igor Ivanov, 3) GM Alex LeSiege, 4) IM Jean Hebert, 5) IM Lawrence Day, 6) GM Duncan Suttles, 7) GM Peter Biyiasas, 8) IM Bryon Nickoloff, 9) GM Evgeny Bareev, 10) IM Deen Hergott, 11) IM Tom O'Donnell;
Primarily amateurs: 1) GM Abe Yanofsky, 2) Maurice Fox, 3) IM Dr. Zvonko Vranesic; 4) J.S. Morrison, 5) IM Paul Vaitonis, 6) IM Leon Piasetski, 7) IM Dr. Bruce Amos, 8) Magnus Smith;
Female players: 1) WIM Nava Starr, 2) WIM Smilja Vujosevic;
Still in progress: 1) GM Mark Bluvshtein, 2) GM Pascal Charbonneau, 3) GM Anton Kovalyov, 4) GM Eric Hansen, 5) IM Raja Panjwani, 6) IM Nikolay Noritsyn, 7) GM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon, 8) GM Razvan Preotu, 9) IM Mark Plotkin, 10) IM Igor Zugic;,
All-rounders: 1) GM / GMC Duncan Suttles, 2) IM / GMC Jean Hebert, 3) FM / GMC / IA Jonathan Berry, 4) IM / IMC Dr. Zvonko Vranesic, 5) IM / IMC Dr. Fedor Bohatirchuk.

[Victor Plotkin]

I will qualify my input, separating players into professionals and amateurs. I will also offer input on Canada's greatest female players, and on those whose careers are still in progress, or could have more to present. Finally, greatest all-rounders!

Primarily professionals: 1) GM Kevin Spraggett, 2) GM Igor Ivanov, 3) GM Alex LeSiege, 4) IM Jean Hebert, 5) IM Lawrence Day, 6) GM Duncan Suttles, 7) GM Peter Biyiasas, 8) IM Bryon Nickoloff, 9) GM Evgeny Bareev, 10) IM Deen Hergott, 11) IM Tom O'Donnell;
Primarily amateurs: 1) GM Abe Yanofsky, 2) Maurice Fox, 3) IM Dr. Zvonko Vranesic; 4) J.S. Morrison, 5) IM Paul Vaitonis, 6) IM Leon Piasetski, 7) IM Dr. Bruce Amos, 8) Magnus Smith;
Female players: 1) WIM Nava Starr, 2) WIM Smilja Vujosevic;
Still in progress: 1) GM Mark Bluvshtein, 2) GM Pascal Charbonneau, 3) GM Anton Kovalyov, 4) GM Eric Hansen, 5) IM Raja Panjwani, 6) IM Nikolay Noritsyn, 7) GM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon, 8) GM Razvan Preotu, 9) IM Mark Plotkin, 10) IM Igor Zugic;,
All-rounders: 1) GM / GMC Duncan Suttles, 2) IM / GMC Jean Hebert, 3) FM / GMC / IA Jonathan Berry, 4) IM / IMC Dr. Zvonko Vranesic, 5) IM / IMC Dr. Fedor Bohatirchuk.

Interesting. Agree with many points.

Professionals: Bareev - too low. No Sambuev ??

Still in progress: Kovalyov and Hansen - both too low.

If measure by rating performance while playing for Canada on official events - Kovalyov is clear number one.

[Brad Thomson]

If Garry Kasparov were to become a Canadian I would not define him as the greatest Canadian chess player of all time, nor even as a Canadian chess player (unless he came out of retirement), because he would not have been a Canadian when he did it.

[Hans Jung]

Strong point Brad! I totally agree.

[Brad Thomson]

Thanks Hans. I suggested Nick based upon subjective assessments of his talent made by Keres and Spraggett. But if we are to speak purely objectively, I think that your choice of Yanofsky, or Spraggett, are the only two possible answers. No one else came close to their accomlishments AS Canadians.

[Frank Dixon]

Respectfully regarding Victor's input on my suggestions -- thank you very much. It means a lot from a player and person of his stature, who I admire greatly.

I looked at length of time covering achievements, as well as the heights of the achievements themselves; thus ranking GM Bareev lower than he liked. GM Bareev is one of my favourite Canadians; I met him and visited with him briefly at the 2019 Zonal which he won; I have purchased his recent book which is outstanding; I hope he will continue to succeed.

Point taken, though, on GMs Kovalyov and Hansen. The 'in progress' section is the toughest to define, since we don't know what the future will bring. Both are young and will probably justify higher rankings.

Regarding GM Sambuev: He is a strong player with some notable achievements. I like his play and his games. But Canadian chess has a problem with his conduct during the 2017 Zonal playoff with IM Noritsyn. I left him out of my lists for this reason.

Omissions on my original input:
Other players, primarily amateurs, who have performed well: IM Frank Anderson, IM Ron Livshits, IM Stephen Glinert, IM Arthur Calugar, IM Michael Kleinman (last three potentially active, ongoing career players).

But I believe that a fair ranking for the top Canadian players has to embrace the changing nature of chess competition, over historical frameworks.
Who knows: If D.A. Yanofsky had played professionally from age 20, he may have been a Candidate by 1950, when he was 25, or shortly afterwards. Remember that the entire system for the World Championship was undergoing a complete revision just at that time. But the prize money, sponsorship, and other income streams in chess, were simply not there at that time, in the western world, for that to happen, and for him to have a chess career where he could even make a decent living. He was a fantastic player from a young age; world-renowned at age 14 from his play at the 1939 Buenos Aires Olympiad, the first time Canada took part. He was, also, a brilliant student, from a family without much financial resources. He notched some impressive chess achievements; when he won over GM Botvinnik at Groningen 1946, he was defeating the player who was to become the next World Champion -- at the time, no one could believe it! Look at his win over GM Ragozin from the 1948 Interzonal; he overwhelms one of the strongest and most experienced players in the world. He then followed through with his education, where he had consistently excellent outcomes. He also served in the Canadian Navy during World War II, while under no obligation to do so. While studying in Britain, at Oxford University, he won the British Championship, in 1953. He then built a solid and impressive legal career, which still allowed some time for him to participate in chess events at a reasonable level; when he did so, he continued to be a notable player. First GM in the Commonwealth, from his 1964 Tel Aviv Olympiad performance; crushing GM Reshevsky as Black, in one of my all-time favourite games. He continued into his 50s, and beyond; Brilliancy Prize for his win over GM Szabo from Winnipeg 1967, which he organized; it was Canada's first GM round-robin. He won the Canadian Open in 1979 at age 54. He made a very good showing in the 1986 Zonal, when he was 61; it was enough to qualify him to advance to the Interzonals; but he conceded the opportunity to a younger player!
Kevin Spraggett made a different choice; he was an excellent student at McGill University in engineering, while at the same time making a mark as a player; he was an IM by age 20, from the 1975 Zonal. He decided to leave university, and aim for a professional chess career; he succeeded against enormous odds. Twice a Candidate; dominated the Zonal, dominated the Canadian Open, twice Commonwealth champion, many high results strong European events, played well for Canada in Olympiads.
GMs Yanofsky and Spraggett are the best Canadians in their classes in terms of achievements, in my view.