A name from the past

[Stephen Wright]

Ilias Kourkounakis, who has written a "comparative thinking" analysis of the recent Kramnik-Carlsen game in London:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6876

[Brian Hartman]

Re: A name from the past

Good to see Illias is alive and well. During his UoT days he played lots of chess in the Toronto area and influenced how some of us approached the game.

I still recall the psychology test he developed where he surveyed several players of varying strength asking for the square color of various coordinates, e4 (white), a3 (black), etc. Then, once you confidently gave out a few in succession, he asked z26....x34...like an idiot I attempted to visualize a board that large :) Whereas Paul Simon (and perhaps others), realized the mathematics to always know...

I also roomed with Illias for a short while when he was the house monitor for disengaged youth...it wasn't the best of places to obtain a good night's rest before a round...but less expensive than alternatives.

Illias scolded me at a tournament once when Bryon Nickoloff was paired with me, and he had slept in. Stephen Boyd was the director, and I called Bryon to wake him, but Stephen indicated he had lost on time...I shared the time loss, Bryon got there and...yes, won :) Illias thought I enabled Bryon's behavior and also adversely affected the tournmament by doing this...though I never had another opportunity to see if I would repeat this.

It would be good to see Illias again, and perhaps see some of his books translated and published in English...

Brian

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: A name from the past

Ilias wrote an outstanding article for the old CFC Bulletin / Chess Canada Echecs / En Passant in the early 1980s. Maybe more than one.

[Ian Findlay]

Re: A name from the past

Ilias was my coach for a brief period at U of T. I remember the first lesson and only chess lesson I paid for in my life. What are the 4 elements of chess. I spent the whole hour trying to answer but could only come up with 3 - time, space and material. At the end of the hour, Ilias exclaimed the Human Element! Of course, and to him, maybe the most important element.

He did give me numerous free lessons, where he would get me to do chess exercises and really helped me improve. For that I am grateful.

He had a great sense of humour and always was going to the 'party' on Friday nights at his residence. He was a great speed chess player and was instumental in U of T winning the Pan AM championship in 1980. I corresponded with him a couple of years ago and he is doing well, except for a bad back.

[Frank Dixon]

Re: A name from the past

I never met Ilias, but definitely remember the excellent EP article to which Jonathan Berry (EP editor in the early 80s) refers! It was very clear that an imaginitive, original thinker was behind the article! :) :)

Ilias was either an IM at the time or about to become one. A big issue involving Ilias at that time was: If he were to play for Canada internationally, for example on an Olympiad team, he was apparently told that he would NEVER be able to play for Greece (his homeland) in the future! I know he never played for Canada; not sure if he ever played for Greece.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: A name from the past

not sure if he ever played for Greece.

just a search: 20. Kourkounakis, Ilias GRE 1 1982 5½ 10 4 3 3 55.0 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 0 - 0
http://www.olimpbase.org/players/oesuqqej.html

and he was the Greek co-champion in 1982. (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=44916 )