1. Subscriberjoesheppe
    Lesser Poobah
    Northern California
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    01 Nov '11 06:38
    Folks,
    I was just watching a JRobi video on Youtube, and my ears went dead when he pronounced Najdorf as Nahjdorf. It is not that!
    It is correctly pronounced Nidorf, with a long i or eye sound. N eye dorf. A more pleasing sound, anyway.
    While we're at it. Alekhine is pronounced by Russians as Al eck in. There is no long i in that.
    Keres, I believe, is supposed to sound like Keresh. Those in the know say Petroseon, not Petrozhin.
    Smyslov is best Smiz lov.
    I once heard Bronstein pronounced as Bronshtain.
    Paco Vallejo is, in Spain pronounced like Paco Vahyechho as if saying yechh

    Of course the Frenchman Bacrot is like Bacrow' with the accent on the last syllable.
    Vlad Kramnik's last name is properly pronounced like Krawmnick.
    Jakovenko as Yaakovenko
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Dutchman Anish Giri is said as Awnish Geeree.
    Dreev is Dree ev. There are more than a few of those double e names around.
    Vassily Ivanchuk? like Va silly Evonshewk.
    Again I believe Armenians like to pronounce Aronian as Aroneon.
    Carlsen is, I think, Carlsen.
    heh.
  2. Wat?
    Joined
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    01 Nov '11 07:24
    Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

    double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

    To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

    -m.
  3. Donationketchuplover
    Isolated Pawn
    Wisconsin USA
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    01 Nov '11 12:46
    When Aronian's play is flawed then it's pronounced Erronian.
  4. Subscriberjoesheppe
    Lesser Poobah
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    01 Nov '11 16:06
    Hah. Who writes your material, kl? 😉
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  6. Joined
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    01 Nov '11 20:15
    Originally posted by mikelom
    Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

    double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

    To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

    -m.
    Double L in Spanish is an English e.
  7. Wat?
    Joined
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    01 Nov '11 20:351 edit
    Originally posted by Trev33
    Double L in Spanish is an English e.
    The 'e' has an 'L' before it.

    You speak too much Portugese.

    Wan't a war about it? 😀

    -m.

    Edit: Valley-aycho good enough ? 😉
  8. Joined
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    1015
    01 Nov '11 20:44
    Originally posted by Trev33
    Double L in Spanish is an English e.
    ll in spanish = y in english.

    llamas = yamas
  9. Joined
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    1015
    01 Nov '11 20:47
    Originally posted by mikelom
    Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

    double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

    To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

    -m.
    This is not pronounced valyayco - rather va yay ho
  10. Joined
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    01 Nov '11 21:41
    Originally posted by UnderPromote
    ll in spanish = y in english.

    llamas = yamas
    Sevilla

    Saveea.
  11. Standard memberatticus2
    Frustrate the Bad
    Liverpool
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    92474
    01 Nov '11 22:492 edits
    An essential tip with Russian names is to roll the R's.

    So, it's Karrrr-poff (Karpov); and Korrrr-chnoi (Korchnoi); and Kas-PARRRR-off

    For Baltic state languages, 's' is often 'sh'. So Saranas Sulskis is pronounced 'Sharunash Shulshkish'. Best drink several pints of beer first, then you'll get it right 🙂

    Topalov is 'To-PAH-loff'

    Anand is 'an-AND'

    And the President of FIDE, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is pronounced 'Kirrr-RYST Ima-FUKKIN-frootloop'
  12. SubscriberPaul Leggett
    Chess Librarian
    The Stacks
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    01 Nov '11 23:25
    Originally posted by joesheppe
    Folks,
    I was just watching a JRobi video on Youtube, and my ears went dead when he pronounced Najdorf as Nahjdorf. It is not that!
    It is correctly pronounced Nidorf, with a long i or eye sound. N eye dorf. A more pleasing sound, anyway.
    While we're at it. Alekhine is pronounced by Russians as Al eck in. There is no long i in that.
    Keres, I believe, i ...[text shortened]... elieve Armenians like to pronounce Aronian as Aroneon.
    Carlsen is, I think, Carlsen.
    heh.
    I learned from this. Thanks and thumbs up!
  13. Donationketchuplover
    Isolated Pawn
    Wisconsin USA
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    71174
    01 Nov '11 23:39
    Originally posted by joesheppe
    Hah. Who writes your material, kl? 😉
    Zombies!
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    01 Nov '11 23:412 edits

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  15. Standard memberwormwood
    If Theres Hell Below
    We're All Gonna Go!
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    02 Nov '11 00:15
    The post that was quoted here has been removed
    he didn't speak of finnic languages as far as I can see, only baltic.
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