Eric Hansen - Officially #1 in Canada!

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  • #91
    Re: Eric Hansen - Officially #1 in Canada!

    Originally posted by Bindi Cheng View Post
    I don't know about the past Canadian greats and so I'm not going to try and compare Eric with any of them.

    What I see is a pretty impressive rating at a young age with potential to get even higher. While at his current rating he might not match the all-time greats like Yanofsky, Suttles, Spraggett, Lesiege etc. especially when adjusting for inflation, the advantage that Eric still possesses is his young age and the fact that most of his achievements is based on his own discipline and self-study. He didn't come from the Soviet school of chess or studied in any specific chess school, he did it mostly on his own and a private coach here and there.

    I believe that most chess players peak at around age 25-35, similar to lots of other professional sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey etc. and so he still has some years left in the tank to aim for 2600, and then maybe 2700 with some luck and good timing. After that, who knows, Nakamura was bouncing around high 2600s low 2700 for a long time before finally jumping into the world stage as one of the top players in the world. It's fully possible for Eric to do the same but obviously, when someone tries to achieve greatness in such a specialized field, it's going to be a hard, grueling journey and sacrifices will have to be made.

    Also, I don't see Anton as Canadian - he's fully Argentinian, playing in the summer tournaments and winning the Quebec junior every year does not make him a home-grown Canadian player in my eyes.
    All very good points. Thanks for the excellent analysis.

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    • #92
      Re: Eric Hansen - Officially #1 in Canada!

      Originally posted by Gordon Ritchie View Post
      Some would argue that the strongest player Canada ever produced, in relantion to his era, was Abe Yanofsky.
      I'd go with Kevin Spraggett. I guess, like you say, it's opinion.

      I've sometimes wondered why those who give up chess for a career don't try to stay involved like in the old days.
      Gary Ruben
      CC - IA and SIM

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