How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I like Jordan's idea. How about some stories of meeting World Champions (or ex)?

I didn't really meet any of the six world champs I gave at the start of this thread, but I can relate the circumstances. Botvinnik I saw briefly from somewhat afar in a big hall in Toronto in 1977 or 1978(?), after he had finished giving some sort of a lecture at a world computer chess championship (there was a big demo board of a position from his famous win against Capa in 1938).

I saw Spassky giving a simul at the Square One mall in Mississauga sometime in the 1980s. I didn't watch much of it, but I was also there before the games started. Wannabe simul players were stuffing the entry box with their names more than once, and organizers were a bit exasperated when they kept pulling out the same names.

I vaguely recall later seeing Spassky giving a simul at the Chess Festival in Saint John N.B. in 1988, but I'm not too sure. Also there, I saw Kasparov up close several times, e.g. when he was giving a press conference, and when I shared an elevator ride with him, American GM Seirawan and fellow Canadian Stephen Ball (Stephen and I kept quiet). Karpov I saw fairly close as well on one occasion, and American GM Joel Benjamin (whom I had met in New York in 1981) said jokingly to me "who's that little guy"?

I also saw Tal in Saint John. He watched some of my games, as well as those of many other players naturally. He and other people looked disappointed when in a better position I incorrectly traded a B for a N against an older GM in the final round, and then soon agreed to a draw. Tal was the only world champ I ever had any sort of a conversation with. Earlier in the event while we were both away from our games we each accidentally headed for the same 'stall' simultaneously. I instantly defered by saying 'sorry', to which he replied 'da'. Well, you asked for a world champ encounter story, Hans. :)

Capablanca's tomb I saw two years ago while playing in the Capablanca Memorial. It was more decorated at the time (e.g. flowers, maybe) I seem to recall, than it appears in Jordan's photo [edit: I believe the Capa chess club arranged for the flowers]. I also visited the Capablanca Chess Club in Havana, where there was preserved the set, chairs, clock and table used for the 1921 match between Capa and Emmanuel Lasker.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Six.

Botvinnik (Toronto)
Smyslov (Monaco 1969)
Petrosian (simul, Paris)
Spassky (Toronto)
Fischer (Toronto)

While living in Paris, I used to go over to visit the grave of Alekhine at Montparnasse Cemetery. It is a red granite monument.

[Patrick Kirby]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I attended the Russia vs. the World match back in 2002, where Anand, Kasparov, Karpov, and Kramnik played.

None of the world champs were playing particularly well. I remember Kramnik lost a game to Smirin and left the playing venue pretty quickly.

Ponomariov made a big impression on me because he was so short and frail-looking - I doubt anyone looking at him would believe he was one of the best players in the world. When he walked around there were schoolkids following behind him to ask for autographs and he was only a few inches taller than they were.

Also I remember in one of the rounds Short and Rublevsky played out an ending to bare kings and the whole audience applauded at the end of the game.

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Karpov (Montreal 1979 and simul at Toronto Eaton Ctr around the same time)
Tal (Montreal 1979)
Botvinnik (World Microcomputer Championship, Toronto late '70s)
Also probably saw Capablanca's grave in Havana (can't remember for sure, did visit the famous cemetery while there)

Also:
Korchnoi (Toronto International (?) Open, mid '80s)
Keres (Hart House simul, 1975)

[Hans Jung]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I have a number of stories. I'll start with: I played in an international Swiss in Bulgaria on the Black Sea in 1987. On one of the days there were a few kids there (selected apparently and quite strong) and they wanted volunteers to play speed chess. I did and didnt do so well - about 50% on the whole but I did score two wins and one loss against a skinny little 12 yr old by the name of Topalov. My how time changed things.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Somewhere in Vancouver are some late middle-age men who analysed a chess game with Spassky when he was World Champion - and they don't even know it!

It happened after the 1971 Canadian Open where I had met and played him in the 5th round. After the tournament, we played tourist for a few days and one of the visits was to the UBC campus. There we found in the middle of the student lounge a group of some ten or fifteen students gathered over a chess board going over some game. Spassky, always curious, walked up and peered over someone's shoulder to see the game and then reached over the top to suggest a move. Whoever sat at the board, contemptuously wave his hand away whereupon Spassky walked back with a huge grin on his face:D. They never knew!

[Andrei Botez]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Six.

Botvinnik (Toronto)
Smyslov (Monaco 1969)
Petrosian (simul, Paris)
Spassky (Toronto)
Fischer (Toronto)

While living in Paris, I used to go over to visit the grave of Alekhine at Montparnasse Cemetery. It is a red granite monument.

[Laurentiu Grigorescu]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I have seen Anand and Kramnik in Bonn, 2008 when they played their WCM, I have seen Topalov in Dresden in 2008 at the Olympiad (but I do not count him because he was just FIDE Champion). I also saw Magnus in Dresden, an almost certain future World Champion.
I have seen as juniors Shirov, Kamsky, and Polgar sisters in Timisoara, Romania, 1988 at the Junior World Championships.
But the best picture I took is attached...an almost World Champion :-)

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

OK - let's start counting with those I remember.

1) Boris Spassky (Montreal and Toronto, 1971).
2) Mikhail Tal (Montreal 1979).
3) Anatoly Karpov (Montreal 1979).
4) Garry Kasparov (Saint John, 1988).
5) Mikhail Botvinnik (Montreal 1978(?))

And since sex wasn't specified, I will add:

6) Susan Polgar (Montreal - a couple of times)
7) Nona Gaprindashvili (Montreal 1967, and Tbilisi 1987).

I have also visited Alekhine's grave.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

The gravestone of Lev Polugaevsky is in Montparnasse Cemetery, just a short distance from Alekhine’s. There appears to be a copy of his Sicilian Love as part of the monument.

http://www.chessintranslation.com/20...tes-qf-game-3/

The gravestones of Morphy, Lasker and Steinitz can be seen in the article at

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/graves.html

There are also photos of the memorials of Reti, Bronstein and Dr. Bohatirchuk.

[Hans Jung]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Good story on Spassky. I have one to share. One morning (1995?) my student and I went to Spassky's simul in Pickering Town Center? Mall. We arrived early and walked on the second floor which was basically vacant at that hour. Then we spotted a gentleman sitting on one of the benches. My student (very social) went over to chat. After the niceties were dispensed with my student asked. "Sir, do you play chess? (Yes, Im a player) Im playing Spassky in the simul, are you playing? (Yes, Im playing) Im going to play the Kings Indian Defence against him. Fischer played it. Im going to win, he doesnt stand a chance. (raised eyebrows - then winks at me - I was in shock) By this point I was embarrassed and had to drag my student away but as we were parting he wished Boris good luck!

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

OK - let's start counting with those I remember.

1) Boris Spassky (Montreal and Toronto, 1971).
2) Mikhail Tal (Montreal 1979).
3) Anatoly Karpov (Montreal 1979).
4) Garry Kasparov (Saint John, 1988).
5) Mikhail Botvinnik (Montreal 1978(?))

And since sex wasn't specified, I will add:

6) Susan Polgar (Montreal - a couple of times)
7) Nona Gaprindashvili (Montreal 1967, and Tbilisi 1987).

I have also visited Alekhine's grave.

How can sex be specified when it is possible someday a woman will win the world chess championship (and/or the women's world chess championship and/or the junior world chess championship?

Chess players never cease to kill me when the intent of a question is obvious...

[Gary Ruben]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I don't like visiting cemeterys unless it's to tidy up and leave flowers. Too many dead people.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

Fwiw Havana's Necropolis is a huge, beautiful place that doubles as a tourist attraction. There are many stories about some of the famous people laid to rest there that a Necropolis guide will tell you about. There's one tomb that attracts visitors from all over the world, as the woman is an unofficial saint that many miracles are attributed to, albeit just by people who have prayed a certain way at her grave:

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y98/feb98/12e2.htm

[Spencer Martin]

Re: How many world chess champions have you seen in person, or visited their grave?

I met Tal at the airport in Saint John. I was leaving to fly home and he had just arrived for the Blitz Tournament. He was standing by himself waiting for someone and I walked over and shook his hand. He would have been about 50then, but I remember he looked really old.