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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
14:02:02
Play online chess |  Subject: Who are those players ?
Message:
Here are descriptions of some of the well-known chess players of history. For each description, your mission, should you accept it, is to guess which player it refers to.
The person who wrote those descriptions is a well-known chess-player and chess-writer himself. So we can at least assume he knows what he's talking about.
1. His aim is always to sieze the initiative. A remarkably deep combination player who can think out and compare long sequences of moves. But also an excellent position player, a good defender and a master of the endgame .... It is no exaggeration to call him the most versatile champion in the history of chess. Only in excessively tedious and dull positions was he vulnerable.
2. He never concerned himself with any particularly deep planning. In the opening all he asked for was a decent position; a shade the better, a shade the worse, this mattered little to him. Only with the arrival of middlegame complications and dangers did his genius truly awaken.
3. His play was sound and his style was primarily positional. In addition he had tactical talent which came into its own especially when the opponent had been outplayed strategically. His weak point lay in his optimism and lack of objectivity.
4. His play exhibits on one hand the combinative richness of Alekhine, with a bias towards adventurousness, and on the other hand the solid positional basis of Smyslov and Petrosyan. Since he is the master of so many attacking weapons he is also well qualified to appraise the attacks of his opponents with great accuracy.
5. He's one of the most accomplished strategists in the history of chess,but in contrast to his collegues, he scores most of his positional victories not by intuition but by precise calculation. He is at home in all sorts of positions. He can conduct an attack well, and has registered many successes by mating attacks after the queens had gone. Equally he's a past master of defense, which he manages in active style.
Good luck! Awaiting your guesses ...
PS: If you know the source this is taken from, please do not ruin the quiz for everyone else by posting something like "nya nya I know the answers" ....
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Posted by gambitnut
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
14:18:33
Play online chess | Number two ...
Message:
... sounds like Lasker.
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Posted by zepelin
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
14:43:06
Play online chess | Number one..
Message:
Kasparov I think... but if there isn't a computer in the other side :).
Nice post, zdrak
———
A tribute to Vassily Smyslov — Vassily Smyslov, the seventh world chess champion, died of heart failure in Moscow on March 27, three days after his 89th birthday. He was one of the greatest stars when the Soviet Union dominated chess. Smyslov enjoyed a long chess career, stretching from his days as a teenage master to occasional appearances in his late 70s. But he will be remembered most for his successes in the 1950s. He won two Candidates tournaments, in 1953 (probably his greatest tournament performance) and 1956, to earn the right to challenge world chess champion Mikhail Botvinnik. Their 1954 match ended in a 12-12 tie. Smyslov defeated Botvinnik ...
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Posted by myway316
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:23:59
Play online chess | #3 sounds like
Message:
Nimzovich,and #5 could be Reshevsky(?).The others I don't know,could be almost anybody.
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American Grandmaster Makes a Stand in Philadelphia — Most of the top chess players are European, and most of the top chess tournaments are in Europe. So it is not surprising that there are few spots in those competitions for non-Europeans. For many years, if an American chess player was included in an elite event, the invitation went to Gata Kamsky. But Kamsky’s world ranking has slipped to No. 34, while Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning United States chess champion, has risen to No. 17. Nakamura, at age 22, is 13 years younger than Kamsky, and he plays an exciting chess that is popular with fans. So Nakamura now seems to be claiming most of the choice tournament spots. Nakamura competed in ...
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Posted by mikhail_tal
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:25:03
Play online chess | number 2...
Message:
sounds like my namesake. number 3 sounds like Petrosion.
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Sochi 2010 looking to overcome lack of recognition for chess in Russia — Russia stages the world's strongest national team chess championship, yet it receives little publicity. This is partly due to a slow website, and also because most of the team names are non‑geographical. For several years, however, Tomsk were the team to beat. The Siberians, though, were out of contention at halfway in this week's 2010 contest in Sochi, where Moscow and St Petersburg squads vied for the lead. Both front-runners fielded six-player 2700-rated teams, a level which would outclass the best sextet from the UK. The Russian nucleus was boosted by grandmasters from the old USSR, China, and even the odd Westerner. Thus Scotland's Keti Arakhamia-Grant, a former ...
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:25:33
Play online chess | Probably...
Message:
1. Kasparov
2. Capablanca
4. Shirov
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Smyslov style — I continue my appreciation of the 7th World Chess Champion Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov (1921-2010) who passed away on Saturday in Moscow, with a personal reminiscence. I attended the Candidates semi final in 1983 staged at the Great Eastern Hotel which then adjoined Liverpool Street Station in London. This was Smyslov’s last virtuoso performance as he easily overcame the Hungarian Zoltan Ribli, an excellent chess opening theoretician and very difficult to beat. In the following game Smyslov embarked on a long sacrificial sequence which in the days before chess computers was hard to comprehend. I recall vividly the moment I noticed – belatedly – that 28,Rxe6+!! was arriving. Smyslov was ...
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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:29:40
Play online chess |
Message:
Sorry, I should have mentioned that these descriptions were written in the late 1960's. Those who nominated Kasparov and Shirov get a 2nd chance ....
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Finding a draw against a pair of queens — It's never easy to face a brace of queens. But can black find an answer here? Kramnik-Gashimov, Melody Amber 2010. Black to play. RB It's never exactly a comfort to find yourself facing a brace of queens, but at least they're as far from the defence of their own king as it's possible to get, and that king is exposed. Also, as long as the black queen can keep an eye on f8 neither enemy queen can give check on the next move. So there may be a chance for a draw. Three possible moves suggest themselves: 1...Qxg3, Ne1 and 1...Qf1+. 1...Qxg3 looks tempting – the threat is 2...Nf2 mate – but it has the rather obvious and slightly fatal drawback of ...
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Posted by gambitnut
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:31:35
Play online chess | If number one isn't Kasparov ...
Message:
... is it Morphy?
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
15:42:36
Play online chess | 2nd guess...:)
Message:
1. Alekhine
4. Spassky
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Posted by aggropolis
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
16:09:51
Play online chess | My guesses
Message:
1. Tal
2. Capablanca
3. Nimzowitsch
4. ?
5. Botvinnik
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Posted by tulkos
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
16:28:51
Play online chess | NUMBER 2!!
Message:
The answer is TAL!
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
17:19:27
Play online chess | quiz
Message:
Good one zdrak
1. number one sounds very much like Fischer but since Fischer had not won the championship at this time (late 60's) I'll say LASKER.
2.CAPABLANCA
3.STEINITZ
4.SPASSKY
5.BOTVINNIK
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
17:26:50
Play online chess |
Message:
On second thought
1. Spassky
2.Capablanca
3.Steinitz
4.Tal
5. Botvinnik
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Posted by brankort
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
21:27:41
Play online chess | my guesses
Message:
1- Capablanca
2-Lasker
3-Botvinnik
4-Fischer
5-Petrosian
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
21:50:52
Play online chess | If it's not late...
Message:
I would add 5. Botvinnik.
However I have no idea about 3 - definition is not too distinctive:)
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
22:50:46
Play online chess | clarification
Message:
Are we talking official world champions here or are some unofficial champions or just strong Gm's?
I mention this because in number one the writer says "...most versatile champion" and I'm assuming all his thumbnail descriptions are of of official world champions.
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Posted by dorisia
uskidscompute.com
2/11/2003
23:48:02
Play online chess | Maybe...
Message:
1. Lasker
2. Capablanca
3. Euwe
4. Spassky
5. Botwinnik
2 and 5 seem certain, the others are not so clear.
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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
00:41:16
Play online chess |
Message:
tonlesu,
We are talking about players who are very prominent grandmasters, some of them world champions.
tovmauzer,
You're right, #3 is a bit too vague, so I'll give a hint: His lack of objectivity was almost legendary. He was known for saying: "When I'm white, I win because I'm white. When I'm black, I win because I'm <name>"
Other than that, I'll supply no further hints ;-)
Some very interesting guesses so far.
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
00:53:37
Play online chess | Helpful hint:)
Message:
3. Bogolubov.
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
01:59:28
Play online chess | Thanks
Message:
3 Bogolubov!
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Posted by gambitnut
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
09:44:53
Play online chess | Zdrak
Message:
It's nice to hear you find our guesses interesting! Are any of them right?
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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
11:50:53
Play online chess |
Message:
gambitnut et. al.
I think I'll give this quiz one more day to run....
Hints:
- nobody got #1 and #4. Come on, those are very well known players.
- #4 was never world champ, but was one of world's best for quite a long time.
- #3 is indeed Bogoliubov. The quote was too much of a giveaway ;-)
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Posted by atrifix
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:04:54
Play online chess | My guess
Message:
1) Fischer
2) Lasker
3) Bogolyubov
4) Kortschnoi
5) Botvinnik.
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Posted by gambitnut
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:17:02
Play online chess | So, we also have gotten numbers two and five?
Message:
For number two, we have guessed Lasker, Tal and Capablanca, which is it?
For number five, it's between Reshevsky, Botvinnik and Petrosian, again, which is it?
Is number one Stenitz?
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:37:35
Play online chess | Gambitnut
Message:
Let us guess for one more day:) It is really interesting quiz.
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Posted by atrifix
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:45:08
Play online chess | Ah
Message:
Rereading the thread now, I see that #1 does indeed say "champion" and Fischer was not yet champion in the late 60s (even though this is a remarkably accurate description of Fischer), so I'll have to change my guess to Alekhine.
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Posted by gambitnut
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:48:42
Play online chess | I also don't know i f ...
Message:
... Kortschnoi was well known by the 60's.
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
12:49:23
Play online chess | Atrifix
Message:
Alekhine was my guess as well, but from Zdrak's post follows that nobody got #1 and #4. So #1 is not Alekhine. I'm still thinking about #4, but almost gave up on #1, though number of possible solutions is very small for it:)
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
13:02:53
Play online chess |
Message:
1, Botvinnik
4. Keres
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Posted by atrifix
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
14:30:22
Play online chess | Revision
Message:
Kortschnoi was well known--and one of the world's top players--by the late 60s, although at that point he was still young and had not yet had a shot at the world title. I almost went with Geller here, but I think it's a more accurate description of Kortschnoi.
#1-Steinitz? I liked my original answer of Fischer better :)
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Posted by aggropolis
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
14:40:11
Play online chess | But
Message:
I think I have read about Tal hating dull positions, sometimes accusing opponents to create them only to bore him out? His endgame was great, which he showed against Botvinnik and he was a positional player as well although mostly a tactic player.
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Posted by mikhail_tal
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
15:15:04
Play online chess | Tal
Message:
For everyone thinking Tal was a great endgame player have not read The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. Another player called him an ordinary master at endgames!
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Posted by atrifix
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
17:24:32
Play online chess | Botvinnik
Message:
won the rematch with Tal precisely by exploiting his weak endgames, although Tal's health was not in very good shape for much of the match.
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
22:08:43
Play online chess | Well
Message:
I don't know...:)
Probably Tonlesu last guess is true (especially #4)
In this case I would say that #5 could be Reti.
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/12/2003
23:33:31
Play online chess | I think
Message:
We should start working as a team. What do you think of either Smyslov or Botvinnik for one? The description says he was the most versatile champion in history. I'm taking that to mean great in openings, great in middlegames and great in the endings. I'm sure there are other interpretations for versatile, for instance, I consider Lasker versatile in that he was a classical player for the first half of his life and came back after a layoff to win the 1924 NY tournament when hypermodernism was all the rage. Thats versatile.
Korchnoi or Keres could fit 4. Intuitively, I like Keres better but it could be either or neither.
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:05:31
Play online chess | About #1
Message:
I think it is definitely neither Smyslov, nor Euwe. Then only two options left (excluding wrong answers): Steinitz and Botvinnik. Botvinnik fits better in the description. Though not as good as Alekhine, Fischer and Kasparov:)
If #1 is Botvinnik, what would be your guess for #5?
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:25:02
Play online chess | Logical approach. I'm slow today:)
Message:
If #1 is Botvinnik, then #5 is Petrosyan - Zdrak said that nobody got #1 and #4, so there was right answer for #5 (we had only two guesses: Botvinnik and Petrosyan).
Though I feel that Botvinnik fits better for #5...
I think it is time for more hints probably:)
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:28:50
Play online chess | tov
Message:
Didn't zdrak say someone got #5? But you're right, if we know #5 that would help a lot.Petrosian was mentioned, he seems to fit ok.
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:34:50
Play online chess | sorry
Message:
didn't see your last message
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:47:45
Play online chess | tov how about
Message:
1. Botvinnik
2. Capablanca
3. Bogolubov
4. Keres
5. Petrosian
Of course 2 could be either Lasker or Capablanca.
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
00:53:09
Play online chess | The one...
Message:
I'm almost sure about is #2 - it's Capablanca.
So let's try to go with this.
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
02:37:50
Play online chess |
Message:
OK
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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
05:33:23
Play online chess |
Message:
THE ANSWERS:
1. Botvinnik
2. Lasker
3. Bogoliubov
4. Keres
5. Petrosian
Source: Max Euwe, "The development of Chess style"
Hope you enjoyed this little quiz !
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Posted by tovmauzer
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
10:24:59
Play online chess | Thank you, Zdrak
Message:
for this quiz! Though it looks like I have different point of view compare to Euwe, I enjoyed this thread a lot:) And sorry about Capa and Lasker, Tonlesu:)
We had very good chess trivia thread ~year ago. As I remember Sarah Tran & Tonlesu were the best there. Probably we could revive the tradition...:)
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Posted by aggropolis
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
10:38:41
Play online chess | Well thank you Zdrak
Message:
and even if I do not agree with Euwe, I still think it was a good quiz.
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
12:23:54
Play online chess | Thanks
Message:
Good, tough, entertaining and informative quiz!
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Posted by tulkos
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
12:35:04
Play online chess | darn---
Message:
I was sure that two was Tal. It all fits him to a T!
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Posted by tonlesu
uskidscompute.com
2/13/2003
15:04:24
Play online chess | Well
Message:
Tal was playing in big tournaments as a young teen and never strayed far from the chessboard. He was always up to date on the openings.
Lasker,on the other hand, left chess on several occasions, for years at a time. He often went into tournaments with little opening preparation.
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Posted by tulkos
uskidscompute.com
2/14/2003
10:57:12
Play online chess | yes, but---
Message:
Tal wrote that he would more probably take a draw in the opening, when the fight was still in the offing, then in the middlegame.and his genius only fully awakened in the middlegame!
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Posted by atrifix
uskidscompute.com
2/14/2003
12:09:14
Play online chess |
Message:
Well, two keys gave me Lasker rather than Capablanca :)
"Only with the arrival of middlegame complications and dangers did his genius truly awaken. "
The key word being dangers--Lasker often found himself in very bad positions of the opening and somehow made an active fight of defending out of it, whereas Capa was more inclined to solid play, even though he was never much into openings. And:
"He never concerned himself with any particularly deep planning."
This really sounds a lot more like Lasker. Capa had some incredibly deep and great planning, especially in the endgames, whereas Lasker was much more of a tactical and combinative player.
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Posted by zdrak
uskidscompute.com
2/14/2003
12:35:22
Play online chess |
Message:
One curious point about #1: even Botvinnik himself said that combinative ability was his weakness - while Euwe noted this ability as Botvinnik's main strength! Just shows you how difficult it is to properly evaluate a chess player, even one that has been under GMs scrutiny for decades!
By the way, thanks to all who took the time to participate in this quiz!
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