Famous Disabled Chess players?

I now this is a very random question but does anyone know of anyone who was physically or mentally disabled (not including blind) that has made it in Chess e.g at least IM level etc?

Originally posted by plopzilla
I now this is a very random question but does anyone know of anyone who was physically or mentally disabled (not including blind) that has made it in Chess e.g at least IM level etc?

Tal had a severely deformed right hand.
http://chessville.com/images/Benko_P.155_(Tal.Fischer).jpg

Steinitz (club foot).

Tarrasch had a club foot.

Jon Speelman is visually impared. In Jan 89 he was ranked 4th in the world.
He is also known for playing an amazing sacrificial combination to deliver mate. The only problem was that he had gotten his opponent's king and queen mixed up.

What about that chap who was inside the mechanical Turk?

mental: all of them
physical: Michael Aigner (limited fame though)

Originally posted by torten
mental: all of them
physical: Michael Aigner (limited fame though)

he's only a uscf NM though, so more like a strong club player. no FIDE title as far as I know.

Bobby Fischer's early teacher Jack Collins was a wheelchair user, and must have been master strength though I think he only competed in correspondence events.

I seem to remember there was a Soviet player in the 1950s who had lost both his hands during the war, but I can't remember his name.

Thomas Luther, the German GM, has thalidomide-style foreshortened arms.

Jon Speelman wears spectacles, but I'm not aware his 'visual impairment' goes beyond that.

Korchnoi now has serious mobility problems; but hardly surprising at his age.

Keene is obese

Smyslov's eyesight was a disability. I like the pic where VS is blind and dapper Kramnik is holding his hand. Smyslov probably thought Kramnik is still a fat drunk with long hair.

Originally posted by wormwood
he's only a uscf NM though, so more like a strong club player. no FIDE title as far as I know.

I thought he was FM but can't find him on their list,so guess not.Perhaps he just didn't bother to pay for it?

Anyway,he's been close to 2300,don't know if he ever made it across that barrier.
Pretty respectable imo,and better than the 'strong clubplayer'.Unless your area has very strong clubplayers,of course 🙂

Originally posted by torten
I thought he was FM but can't find him on their list,so guess not.Perhaps he just didn't bother to pay for it?

Anyway,he's been close to 2300,don't know if he ever made it across that barrier.
Pretty respectable imo,and better than the 'strong clubplayer'.Unless your area has very strong clubplayers,of course 🙂

well, you know, I regard all untitled players as club players. sure he has honorary titles and is a liked and known player/coach, but still just a club player.

I know he AIMED for FM, so probably wasn't about the money had he made it.

...

just looked up, on his ICC profile he says he peaked at 2298 FIDE. now 2188 FIDE and 2200 USCF (that's a rating floor, right?). so didn't quite make it. and "now retired from serious chess."

Originally posted by wormwood
well, you know, I regard all untitled players as club players. sure he has honorary titles and is a liked and known player/coach, but still just a club player.

I know he AIMED for FM, so probably wasn't about the money had he made it.

...

just looked up, on his ICC profile he says he peaked at 2298 FIDE. now 2188 FIDE and 2200 USCF (that's a rating floor, right?). so didn't quite make it. and "now retired from serious chess."

I looked up Michael Aigner on the USCF website. His peak rating was 2340, and he earned the original Life Master title, which means he played at least 300 tournament games at a rating above 2200. That title includes a 2200 floor for his rating.

Original Life Masters are rare in the USCF, and very well respected. There are a number of players who break the 2200 threshold long enough get the rating published and claim the National Master title, but there are very few who can sustain that performance over 300 tournament games.