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

[Jonathan Yu]

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

I have a friend who touched Karpov and hasn't let anyone touch his hand since. The other day I tricked him into a handshake though.

[Hans Jung]

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

No more stories? Amongst the regulars of chesstalk there must be more stories? Here's one: In February 1986 I played in Reykjavik Iceland in my first international event outside North America. Celebrating 200 years of Reykjavik it was a special event which has been held virtually every year since (well worth attending and I recommend it highly). In 1986 the organizers in order to get a lot of participation organized the Nordic Cup (a team event just before which pitted the best Scandinavian players vs the Americans). The event had a mindboggling (at the time!) 40 grandmasters. I received an invite from Kristjian Gudmundsson who had previously got his PhD from UWO in my hometown of London, Ontario. In the first round I was paired with Salov but more importantly was sitting between GM Geller and GM Tal. My intro to Efim Geller was interesting. He looked like an old fashioned railway engineer! with the work pants and suspenders and a striped shirt. All that was missing was the peaked cap. He had a cigarette constantly going and allowed the ash to build until it was longer than the rest of the cigarette. Between him and Misha Tal I was basically being smoked out but I didnt care, I was too fascinated by my observations. The aroma was intoxicating, Geller was smoking something musty, dark, mysteriously profound, maybe originating from somewhere near Turkey whereas Tal was high octane - a super light with a high spike. Something about Geller's game confused me. Here was one of the fathers of Soviet theory (he had beaten Fischer in complex theoretical duels as well as a host of other chess legends) but in this game that I was observing he was playing a hypermodern! Geller was channeling Canada's own Duncan Suttles! (Later on I was ruminating that Geller in his old age was having fun exploring other openings). By contrast I was also confused with Tal's play. There was no evidence, not even the remotest, of any sacrifice. It was one of the most conservative, technical games I have ever seen. Later I concluded that Tal must have been having an off day. The tournament followed the same pattern every day. One round from early afternoon until early evening followed by spectating a dozen or more grandmaster games in the analysis rooms. Then a late supper followed by adjourning to the bar. The perfect chess atmosphere! The bar was dark, cozy, intimate. In one corner was Misha Tal with various older grandmasters, but sometimes alone! In another corner a lively bunch of Americans and front center GM Miles! I soon discovered that Tony Miles was a raconteur extraordinaire (storyteller was too shabby a name for him!). For the price of a few Black Deaths (Iceland's national drink! and the cheapest drink available - about a dollar a shot) Tony regailed me with continuous hilarious anecdotes of the chess world! But I apologise - I digress, Ive gone far off topic - I'll bring it back to encounters with ex - world champions. After one round in the analysis room I was watching analysis between Yasser Seirawan (what a lovely human being!) and Bent Larsen (Mr. endless wit!). They were in the midst of a compicated position with an unusually interlocking pawn structure (I had promised myself to be a good spectator and keep my patzer opinions to myself - but alas!) Suddenly I spotted an amazing sacrifice which drew out the black king on a king hunt. Yes! - the king was forced to run across the board. I mentioned it but Yasser said: "No, no - its not in the nature of the position to do that - its not worth looking at - we are looking at strategical considerations - what is the most effective pawn play to achieve the best structure." What to do? Luckily Misha Tal just arrived in the room. I begged him to have a look before the position changed. He came over, focused on the position, inhaled his cigarette, thought for about 15 seconds and then turned to me and said "Ka3" and smiled with his piercing gaze and then left. What is he crazy? There is no such move. Wait a sec Hans! - he's Tal - he must be right. I stood there and looked and looked - the position changed but I had it fixed in my mind. I pondered probably 15 minutes or more and finally a light bulb went on! At the end of the hunt (about 12 moves deep) the king was on a3 but there was no successful way for White to get at it. - My realisation was that was why Tal was Tal (15 seconds!) and I was just another ordinary master.

[Brad Thomson]

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

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 had the same experience with Spassky when he did a Simul at the Bayshore Mall here in Ottawa. Robert Hamilton organized the show and invited me to help out. One of my duties was to pull out the names of the lucky participants and one name came out several times. The first time was fine, I called the player's name and he took his seat. The second time I pretended I could not read the handwriting, the third time I had had enough and stated to the excited audience that this name had already been called. As there were already a number of players seated the identity of the culprit was known only by myself, and I shall keep it to myself now. I remember the evening well because it was the very night that the jury returned the not guilty verdict in the OJ Simpson murder trial. At least someone was innocent.

[Kevin Pacey]

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

Decades ago I visited an electronics store in Toronto that was holding a contest. Even such a business doesn't always monitor how people stuff their names into its contest ballot box, as was the case when I visited. I didn't wish to enter the contest as a result, as I had no desire to 'cheat' in order to be 'competitive' for such a 'contest'.

A typical chess event, including a simul or chess club night, has opening cerimonies, however minimal. Only 'important' chess events seem to have closing cerimonies (possibly including a banquet) at least sometimes, plus a dress code. Chess may have a harder time rising above hobby status for most people, say in North America, based on the lack of a more serious atmosphere, alone, for the vast majority of (typical) chess events.

[Gordon Ritchie]

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

I had the pleasure of attending a small dinner with Karpov back in 2007 in a Toronto restaurant. His associates were pitching to get a subsidy to establish a branch of the "Karpov Academy" in Canada and he let them do most of the talking. He finally became quite animated when I asked him if, given his connections with the Soviet establishment, he had any advice for us about Afghanistan. He recounted a conversation with the famous Russian general who made a point of being the last one out when the Soviets withdrew. As I recall, the general calculated that for each kilometre of highway on the supply route to Kabul it required 1,000 fully trained and equipped troops to provide security. As the shortest route was over 100 Km even I could do the math. At that time, the total "ISAF" contingent to protect all the supply routes was less than half that. I concluded it was past time to get the hell out and have remained of that view.
The host that evening was Hal Bond and I look forward to seeing his response to this thread.

[John Henry]

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

Well i met BS in Toronto in a simul in the 90's at the Don Mills Centre.After about an hour he stopped playing,looked around-i sensed a bathroom break-no one helped him,then I came to the rescue and walked him to a bathroom through a restaurant and asked him for a authograph-he said when simul was finished,i could not wait for the finish,so i waited for him and brought him back to simul.We had a short pleasant talk and i left in good spirits....

[Hal Bond]

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

I believe I had “sightings” of Smyslov and Botvinnik back in the 80’s but we did not get a chance to chat. I never met Fischer or Petrosian. At the World Chess Festival in St. John, 1988 I had the pleasure of spending an evening in Tal’s company. He was great – very engaging, no pretense at all. I have met Spassky several times, in Canada and Europe. He was also good company.

In 1984 I attended my first Olympiad in Thessalonikki, Greece. Karpov and Kasparov were playing their first match at the time, and I recall much speculation after Karpov’s 5th win that the 6th and final victory was imminent and the two of them would join team USSR at the Olympiad. Yeah right!

They were both on hand for Dubai 1986 where I served as Councillor for the late John Prentice. We met once or twice casually with Karpov and he was pretty laid back – then as now. Kasparov on the other hand was full of fury and was determined to revolutionize the world of chess. As spokesman for the newly formed Grandmasters’ Association he advised the General Assembly that the World Championship cycle had changed. Canada had the rights to the Candidates matches in 1988 so we stood to lose the most right away.

Prentice was frustrated by Kasparov and asked me to take care of it. We had some tense moments but everything worked out – and certainly not just by my hand. Spraggett got his big chance against Sokolov and has shown his gratitude ever since.

My relationships with Topalov, Kramnik and Anand have been primarily professional but these are all friendly people. Looking to the future, I have worked a few World Cups with Magnus Carlsen but I am in more frequent contact with his father Henrik.

As a side note, the most recent Women’s World Championship tournament in Khanty Mansiysk included the current champ and her most recent challenger, along with 2 former world champions. I think the new champion Anna Ushenina deserves more credit for her dramatic accomplishment. She was very understated and polite throughout the event.

[David Ottosen]

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

No more stories?

My story just isn't very interesting. I visited the London Chess Classic and briefly met Anand and Kramnik, and took a picture with each of them.

[Hans Jung]

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

Maybe next time try to think of an original or offbeat question to ask them. Both Anand and Kramnik are known as very witty fellows, I think they would appreciate a question that wasnt run of the mill.

[Paul Bonham]

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

This is a poll to see how many world chess champions respondents have seen in person (not necessarily having met), or visited their grave. They could have been seen before, during or after they were world champions.

For example, I recall over the years seeing in person Botvinnik (in Toronto), Karpov, Kasparov and Tal (in Saint John) and Spassky (in Mississauga, if not Saint John as well). I have also visited the grave of Capablanca (in Havana). That makes for a total of six, for my own answer to the poll question.

I met Houdini 3 at a gaming store lately. She was running on a Windows 8 machine, and as I walked by she said "I CRUSH YOU!"

At first I thought that, in her computer-speak, she was trying to say she has a crush on me, but then she continued:

"I CRUSH CARLSEN! I CRUSH ANAND! I CRUSH KRAMNIK! I CRUSH EVEN FISCHER!"

[Wayne Komer]

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

Coincidentally with this posting and thread is the issuing of The World Champions I Knew by Genna Sosonko, New In Chess, 2013, pb, 240 pp.

Genna Sosonko, in a brilliant 70-page essay not published in English before, gives a startling portrait of his friend Misha Tal. Here you get, for the first time, the real Tal: nonchalant genius, charming wit, womanizer, cult hero and drug addict.

Besides Tal, Sosonko brings to life: Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botwinnik, Smyslov and Petrosian. His portraits are based on fresh research and/or personal memories.