Korchnoi master-class
A victory by the chess legend
By Malcolm Pein
5:18PM GMT 03 Jan 2013
The chess legend Viktor Korchnoi has been in hospital after suffering a stroke earlier this year. As recently as September, at the age of 81, Viktor was playing high-level competitive chess, but I fear he has played his last competitive game. He had become noticeably more frail at successive London Chess Classics in 2009, 2010 and 2011, but gave two simultaneous displays. I will never forget his introductory remarks before his first London Chess Classic simultaneous: “I hope you are prepared to stay until midnight.”
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Good luck Victor!
Get well soon, Mr Korchnoi!
Mr. Korchnoi brought a lot of pleasure into my life, through his games and his off-board temperment. I met him – very briefly – at the Toronto International of 1984. It’s because of him that I play the English Opening … but somehow I can’t get it to work quite as well as he did!
Thanks, Mr. Korchnoi, and good luck! Take some time off, go for a few drinks, chase a few girls!
I remember GM Victor Korchnoi in the 1990 Manila Interzonals, there were a lot of chess superstars, the great Mikhail Tal was there as well and future WC Vishy Anand; during a round the maestro’s valuable wrist coupling fell inside a narrow gap of the floor. I was a budding and inspired chess steward then, recording and playing over moves on the demonstration board. After the game he called me to help him get his coupling and there was madam Petra as well. In the end after an hour or two, with the help of fellow stewards we were able to recover the maestro’s coupling.
After showing appreciation and thanks, the tireless chess warrior gave each one of us his autograph on our notebooks.
His games and his campaigns are a happy study!
Get well soon maestro Korchnoi!
GM Bong Villamayor