Author with massive opening knowledge!?

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  • Author with massive opening knowledge!?

    Q: Who was the world-famous Italian author with an encyclopedic knowledge of chess openings!?
    A: Umberto ECO (1932-2016)!
    [Hey, it's a new year, so bad puns are allowed again!]

  • #2
    Before Umberto Eco, the master of book openings was the player Eero Einar Book (1910-1990)..

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    • #3
      Very good, Erik!
      Eero Book was Finland's strongest player for over 20 years, from the late 1930s into the late 1950s. He was awarded the IM title in 1950, when FIDE formalized the international title process, and was made an honorary GM in 1984. He defeated former world champion GM Max Euwe of the Netherlands at the Dubrovnik Olympiad 1950, and also won over Soviet GM Paul Keres at the Helsinki Olympiad 1952. Both are terrific games. He played mainly in the Baltic area and in eastern Europe. Book was a civil engineer by profession, and also wrote several chess books in his native language. He scored 50 per cent at the Saltsjobaden (near Stockholm) Interzonal 1948, the first one; Canada's Daniel Yanofsky also played in this event.

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      • #4
        There was once a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates named Bob Walk. Also, a fantastic boxer named Hagler, and I recall a football player in the CFL named Proudfoot.
        Last edited by Brad Thomson; Saturday, 8th January, 2022, 02:46 PM.

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        • #5
          And the current pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays is Pete Walker! He had a 10-year professional career, and has been a coach in the Jays' organization for a decade. Last year, he coached lefthander Robbie Ray to his best season ever, winning the Cy Young award. Then of course Ray left as a free agent to sign for bigger money elsewhere!

          What makes this funny is that 'walking' a batter in baseball, for a pitcher, is one of the bad outcomes! I am sure both Bob Walk and Pete Walker got kidded endlessly.

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