Big Scalps

Ok.. so I've seen that DT gave Kasparov a can full of whoopass... who else on here has taken out a big gun OTB ? Any amount of boasting ang gloating is acceptable.

Mike

Originally posted by thaughbaer
Ok.. so I've seen that DT gave Kasparov a can full of whoopass... who else on here has taken out a big gun OTB ? Any amount of boasting ang gloating is acceptable.

Mike

It was 1988. I was playing in the Seattle Chess Club championship, round 1. Me 1323 (USCF), and some guy named Ziad 2031 (USCF). 6 hours and 81 moves later he resigned. I had 2 pawns on the 7th rank guarded by 1 bishop, and was up 3 pawns in material. It would cost him his only remaining piece to prevent one of them from queening. 2031 is not exactly a big gun, but defeating someone 700+ points higher than myself is cause for least some modest boasting.😀

It was 1969. I met Bobby Fischer at Woodstock, Bruce Lee introduced us. We took the brown acid, and played blitz. I lost every game, but we had fun. 😕

Originally posted by thaughbaer
who else on here has taken out a big gun OTB ?

We took some big guns out when I was in the Artillery. Never managed to play chess underneath them though.....

Schilde (Antwerp, Belgium), 2006. The 'Boriss Spassky schaakclub' was named after Boris Spassky (who would have thought that) and he is the godfather of that club. The club was created in 1956, the year after Boris Spassky became world youth champion in Antwerp (1955, his first trip outside the Soviet Union). That tournament was led by Hendrik Baelen who asked Boris one year later (1956) if he would agree to become godfather. In 2006 the club celebrated it's 50th anniversary, and part of the festivities included a (rather relaxed) simul between Boris Spassky and some 20 club members (not just from our club but from other Antwerp based clubs as well).




I knew Spassky would play KG if you responded with 1. ... e5, which was my preferred response to 1.e4 at the time, but I needed to avoid that by all means (he is a world expert on KG), so I went for the Sicilian, hoping for a 'closed' Sicilian (was also part of his vast repertoire). But he responded with an open Sicilian and to my accelerated dragon he went on with a Maroczy bind setup.

I struggled a bit in the middle game (no real blunders, I think, but a few too passive moves) and White clearly has some advantage near the end, but there is no obvious clear winning plan, at least not one that he saw during the game, so we agreed on a draw (if it were important, he would certainly have played on). In the aftergame analysis he agreed that if white opened the game, black's kingside pawns (and still at least also the b-pawns on the queenside) in combination with the bishop vs. knight could become a weapon for black with counter chances.

Shortly after that game, I quit OTB chess for good, so it is not only one of my best memories, but also one of the last.

Wow, mephisto! What a truly wonderful memory! You should scan and post the signed card for our enjoyment. You played well. Thanks for posting the game.

In blitz, I have a couple sweeps and splits against masters and higher... in slow OTB, unfortunately, I have no brag yet.

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Wow, mephisto! What a truly wonderful memory! You should scan and post the signed card for our enjoyment. You played well. Thanks for posting the game.

Yes, that is one of the nicest GM vs One of the normal people, games I've looked at. Mep is an asset to the community, along with others such as GP ,SG, etc etc

Originally posted by ChessPraxis
Yes, that is one of the nicest GM vs One of the normal people, games I've looked at. Mep is an asset to the community, along with others such as GP ,SG, etc etc

That kind of game restores one's faith in us little guys! I truly enjoyed the game!

Mephisto - I think we talked about this before but congrats- I also played Spassky in a simul (and also got an AD, the Ng4 variation)-

Spassky is a true gentleman and a real credit to the game of chess.

Thread 138296.

A good one Meph.

Perhaps anyone who has not taken part in a simul
does not realise how hard it is.

There is one main advantage the Master has as oppossed to a normal game

His playing strength is obvious but the fact You Must Move
when he appears at your board is very unsettling.
Especially if you are swithering on a choice between two moves and in the
corner of your eye you can see him coming...

(Usually what happens in these situations is the player flusters,
plays neither move and blunders.)

The player giving the simul can takes as long as he likes.

Some players allow a pass, sometimes two but often it is none.

Read about Raymond Keene who was givin a simul in the 80's.

He appeared at the board, the player did not make a move.
So he pushed all the pieces into the centre of the board. Game Over.

Aparently this is the norm with a lot of GM's.

Some allow more passes when they have the field down to three of four.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
A good one Meph.

Perhaps anyone who has not taken part in a simul
does not realise how hard it is.

There is one main advantage the Master has as oppossed to a normal game

His playing strength is obvious but the fact [b]You Must Move
when he appears at your board is very unsettling.
Especially if you are swithering on a choice between tw ...[text shortened]... with a lot of GM's.

Some allow more passes when they have the field down to three of four.[/b]

Regardless of whom one might play I know my knees would be jelly knowing that the pressure is on like you describe. I can only imagine if it is a former world champ! Therefore, an agreed draw under such circumstances is quite impressive indeed.

Here is me from the last simul I played in v GM Jacob Aagaard.
Glasgow 2008. I'm Black.



My fantasy variation. (every game has one).



To be totally fair it was not a normal simul.
Here are the circumstances + a pic of me working out more fantasy lines.

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=278