This was first published on my www.ChessCafe.com monthly column (March 2003)
My Top 10 Most Memorable Moments in Chess
I have experienced hundreds if not thousands of exciting, wonderful and memorable moments during my chess career that has spanned almost 30 years. It was not easy, but I have narrowed it down to the top 10. This is a short preview of the book I am working on right now titled My Top 10 Most Memorable Moments in Chess. This is part of the new chess book series of the same name. I hope you enjoy it. David Letterman, the top 10 countdown is in your honor.
10. Meeting Bobby Fischer
9. Scoring 10-0 at the 1973 Budapest Championship for girls under 11 at the age of 4!
8. Winning 1981 World Junior Championship for girls under 16
7. Winning the gold medal at the 1990 Olympiad
6. Becoming the first woman ever to break the gender barrier, qualifying for the Men’s World Championship Zonal Tournament.
5. Becoming the #1 ranked woman player in the world at age 15
4. Winning the 1992 Women’s World Blitz and Rapid Championship
3. Winning the 1996 Women’s World Chess Championship
2. Winning the gold medal at the 1988 Olympiad
1. Becoming the first woman ever to break the gender barrier, earning the Grandmaster title
10. Meeting Bobby Fischer
If you randomly ask someone on the street to name one chess player, chances are the name Bobby Fischer will come up. Some consider him the greatest world champion ever. Some consider him the most eccentric. People may disagree with his views on various issues. However, no one can ever dispute what he has done for chess. No one can doubt his love and passion for the game and definitely no one can question his skills in chess. Bobby Fischer is a chess genius. He is a chess legend. He raised chess to another level.
One of my memorable moments in chess was meeting him. He visited my family and me in Hungary and stayed in our summer home. Even though it was supposed to be a secret, he could not escape the media frenzy. When Bobby did not talk about issues that were very dear to his heart or chess, he was a very friendly, funny, and definitely a “normal” person.
When he talked about issues he feels strongly about, he became very “passionate”. Whether I agree with his views or not is irrelevant. It does not change my respect and admiration for his abilities, knowledge and accomplishments in chess. He is simply one of best ever. And he is definitely one of the most colorful and one of the most recognized world champions ever.
It was such a unique experience for me to be able to play (Fischer Random Chess) against Bobby. Some of the games were blitz at home. Others were played while we were in restaurants. We also analyzed some positions. Everyone knew what Bobby used to think about women’s chess. After our many games, even though I was not able to change his mind about many other topics, I am sure that I changed his mind about women’s chess. I had very good results against Bobby. But the final score is something I would never reveal unless Bobby consents. Trust is something that is very important to him.
We even agreed to play an official “Battle of the Sexes Fischer Random Chess Match” on the world stage. Bobby believes that Fischer Random Chess is a true test of skills and talents, without just relying on home analysis. I agree with him. I wish this game would be more popular.
Unfortunately, the match did not happen. Maybe one day it will. Overall, it was a very good and, undoubtedly, a memorable moment in my chess career.
9. Scoring 10-0 at the 1973 Budapest Championship for girls under 11 at the age of 4!
When I first started to play chess at the age of 4, no one could ever predict what the future would hold for me. I of course did not know it myself. But when I competed and won the Budapest Championship for Girls under 11 with a perfect 10-0 score, my life was changed once and for all. Winning any tournament with a 10-0 result is incredible. To do so at the tender age of 4 against other girls who were as much as twice my age was something I can never forget.
I was so small I could not reach the chessboard. I had to sit on pillows just to be able to see the pieces. I was just a little munchkin. After this tournament, I realized that I could compete. My parents began to recognize my potential in the game. This one tournament changed my life. It set a direction for my future. Four world championships and six olympic medals later, I looked back and understood that this tournament was the turning point of my life.
8. Winning the 1981 World Junior Championship for girls under 16
Another milestone in my life was winning the 1981 World Junior Championship for girls under 16-years old. Some may wonder what is so special about a winning a World Junior Championship when I have won many other prestigious titles? Because it was another confirmation during my career that I could compete in chess at a world-class level.
Prior to this tournament, I had never been allowed to travel to the West to play chess. When one has not competed against a wide range of international players, it is difficult to validate one’s ability. In addition, to be able to win a big tournament the first time out under extreme pressure and incredible expectations from countless people was a test for me to see. Not only that, if I did not do well, I may not have been allowed to travel to compete and represent my country again.
I succeeded with flying colors. It confirmed once again that I could play chess. It proved that I could handle pressure. That is why this event was a memorable one. In a way, it helped shape my chess career and my future. It resulted in headlines in many newspapers in the West. The name Zsuzsa Polgar would now be a name to be reckoned with.
7. Winning the gold medal at the 1990 Olympiad
Prior to Hungary winning the gold medal in the 1988 Chess Olympiad, the Soviet women had ruled the chess world. Because the Polgar sisters usually only competed in men’s tournaments until then, many people felt that we would not do well in a women’s tournament. After the Polgar sisters stunned the chess world by taking the gold medal in the 1988 Olympiad, becoming the first non-Soviet team to do so, many people still did not believe that we were good. Many people believed that we were just lucky.
This is why returning two years later with the same unit to win the gold again was important to us. We wanted to prove to the world, not to mention ourselves, that we could do it. In a long and nerve-wracking event such as the Olympiad, anything can happen. Nothing can be taken for granted.
We did what we had to do. We took care of business. We came away with back-to-back gold medals, ahead of the Soviets once again. I think this victory shut down all talk about the Polgar sisters not being able to compete against other women. This myth has been put to rest for good. It certainly was a memorable moment of my career.
Next month, the count-down will continue with a lot of exciting information. Below is a sample of some of my victories:
Zsuzsa Polgar – Zurab Azmaiparashvili
Dortmund 1990
1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 e5 This is one of Azmaiparashvili’s pet lines. At the time, he was part of Kasparov’s analytical team.
5.e4 Nc6 Another possibility that my opponent had successfully played in many of his games: 5…ed4 6.Nd4 Nc6 7.Be3 Nge7.
6.Bg5 f6 7.Be3 The point of purposely losing a tempo was to force Black to blunt the Bishop’s power with 6…f6. Hence, in this case we can talk about a “useful loss of tempo”.
7…Nh6 To maintain the e7-square free for the other Knight in case of 8.d5.
8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 After 9…Nd8 10.Nd5 White would win a pawn since if Black tries to protect c7 with 10…Ne6, then 11.Bxh6 Bxh6 12.Nxf6.
10.h3 The idea of this move is, partly to avoid Nh6-g4 as well as to prepare the move g2-g4.
10…Be6 10…f5 would be a mistake as 11.Bg5 is very strong.
11.0–0–0+ Kc8 To go to the other side is worse: 11…Ke8 12.Nd5 with a clear advantage for White.
12.g4 The purpose of this and my next move is to prevent Black’s possibility of counterplay on the kingside.
12…Nf7 If Black played 12…f5, I would get the initiative after 13.gf5 gf5 14.Rg1.
13.Rg1 This move is aimed against Black’s h7-h5 plans.
13…b6 Strategically Black should try to get rid of his “bad” Bishop with 13…Bh6.Then I planned to play 14.Nd5 maintaining a small advantage.
14.c5! A strong move that opens up the diagonal for the Bishop on f1.
14…Kb7 15.Nd5 Rad8 Black cannot play (15…Ncd8 with the idea of c7-c6, kicking my proud Knight on d5, because then I play 16.Ba6+! Kxa6 17.Nxc7+ Kb7 18.Nxe6+- Nxe6 19.Rd7+ leading to a big advantage for White. If Black tries to protect the c7- pawn with 15…Rac8, then I would continue with 16.b4 and Black can’t win a pawn with 16…Bxd5? 17.exd5 Nxb4 as after 18.c6+ Kb8 19.a3 Na2+ 20.Kb2 the Black Knight is trapped.)
16.Ba6+! A spectacular move to increase my spatial advantage.
16…Kb8 17.a3 Bc8 18.Bxc8 Keeping the Bishops on 18.Bc4 was also good.
18…Kxc8 19.b4 b5 20.a4! a6 Black’s queenside would fall apart after 20…bxa4 21.b5 Na5 22.Nd2 guarding against the black Knight penetrating to c4 or b3.
21.axb5 axb5 22.Kb2 Kb7 23.Kb3 Nb8? The crucial mistake 23…Ra8 wasn’t good either, because after 24.Nc3 Black either loses a pawn or must allow the invasion of the Rook to d7. Objectively the best move was 23…Rhe8, but in any event there is no doubt that White is not taking any risks by trying to win this game.
24.Ra1 Nc6 What else Black can do? If 24…c6 for example, then 25.Nb6 Rd3+ (25…Nd7 26.Ra5 Nxb6 27.cxb6 Ra8 28.Rd1 Rxa5 [28…Rhd8 29.Rxa8+-] 29.Rd7+ Kc8 30.Rc7+ wins or after) 26.Kc2 Rhd8 27.Ne1+- and the Rook has no where to go.)
25.Nc3 Na7 26.Ra5 c6 27.Rga1 Nc8 If 27…Ra8 28.Ra6 with the strong threat of Rb6 and Black’s position deteriorates.
28.Nxb5! After increasing the positional advantage, the position is ripe for some “action”.
28…cxb5 29.Rxb5+ Kc7 30.Ra6 30.Rba5, opening the way for the b-pawn, would probably have been even stronger.
30…Rd1 31.Rba5 Nd8 32.Kc2 Rh1 33.b5 Rxh3 34.Nd2 h5 35.gxh5 gxh5 36.Nc4 Despite the fact that I am a piece down, I still have a huge territorial advantage. Practically all of my pieces are attacking the black King, and in addition, the dangerous passed b- and c-pawns make Black’s position lost.
36…Nb7 37.Ra1 Bf8 38.Rc6+ Kb8 39.Ra8+! I can afford to offer more “gifts”. (An elegant finish under time pressure!)
39…Kxa8 40.Rxc8+ Ka7 41.c6+ Rxe3 42.fxe3 One of my pawns will surely queen, or Black will be mated, and that was enough to cause Azmaiparashvili to resign. 1–0
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/polgar09.pdf
Wow, I am a big fan of Bobby Fischer. I agree he did wonders for the game. “Fischer sacrificed virtually everything most of us “weakies” (to use his term) value, respect, and cherish, for the sake of an artful, often beautiful board game, for the ambivalent privilege of being its greatest master” – (Paul Kollar)
I am so happy to see your game against Azmaiparahsvili. I can’t stand him.
“I was so small I could not reach the chessboard. I had to sit on pillows just to be able to see the pieces. I was just a little munchkin.”
lol lol lol. congratulations to little munckin 😀
Its a very respectable curriculum.
I don’t think I could muster a top 5. And certainly nothing to compete with any of those.
Well done!
… i’ve also met and played – in normal chess – the legendary Robert J. Fischer – some years ago in germany – he stayed three months…
to be honest, i didn’t learn much about chess from him, most probably because i’m dumb, but even more probably because he was not interested in teaching patzers.
greetings
do u think anyone can learn chess at 4?? win a 10-0 i dont think so.
anyway its hard to believe, why dont you put it for RIPLEY, it certainly isone.
>>1. Becoming the first woman ever to break the gender barrier, earning the Grandmaster title
>>
I hate to risk opening a can of worms here, but wasn’t Nona Gaprindashvili the first female Grandmaster?
>>
no one can ever dispute what he has done for chess.
>>
I don’t dispute what he did for chess, but I would consider that, however much he despised them, what he did was a group effort between himself and the Soviets.
Ask yourself, if Fischer had been born in 1972, and were challenging for the World Title today, would it be anywhere near as big a media event as Fischer-Spassky was? Not likely. Maybe worth a couple of column inches here and there in the regular press, if that. First American world champion since Steinitz? Okay, that’s sort of interesting, but not likely to catch mainestream interest. It was really only the Cold War angle, a way to stick it to the Russians in a way that wouldn’t blow up the world, that got people who didn’t care about chess interested in that match.
Fischer was a product not only of himself, but of the world he lived in. In today’s world, Fischer could never have become Fischer. Holmes could have been Holmes without Moriarty (who only appears in two stories, after all), but Fischer couldn’t have been Fischer without the Soviets.
I am surprised to see so many winning events, but no individual games.
Are there particular games from those events that made them stand out for you, or was it only the overall achievement?
“Fischer was a product not only of himself, but of the world he lived in. In today’s world, Fischer could never have become Fischer. Holmes could have been Holmes without Moriarty (who only appears in two stories, after all), but Fischer couldn’t have been Fischer without the Soviets.”
———
That could be said of almost anyone.
So? What’s the grouse?
I thought the point was clear enough. Fischer’s “worst enemies” were actually essential to his success in a way that, despite your claim, could not be said of most other people. The ’27 Yankees would be immortal no matter who they beat in the World Series (I bet most people don’t even know, off the top of their heads), Ali would have been da Greatest no matter who his opponents had been, but Fischer’s breaking out into the mainstream was only achieved by who his opponents were, and the era in which he played. In a way, his opponents were more important than he was. Such as the 1980 US team at Lake Placid. I can’t name a single player off that team, but I sure know that they beat the Soviets at their own game.
This seems clear and uncontroversial enough. What’s the grouse?
Susan amazing top ten and your game is brilliant! I would love to see the Battle of the Sexes in Fischer Random Chess Susan Polgar vs Bobby Fischer! This would be HUGE, BIG, Front News Item World wide as only you two chess legends could achieve. I hope it happens one day in my lifetime!
Yes, Nona Gaprindashvili was the first woman awarded the Grandmaster title, she was awarded it under a rule similar to winning the World Junior chess championship, for winning the Womens world Chess Championship. Susan was the first woman to be awarded the Grandmaster Title through the norm system. Chess is so confusing everyone was the first to do something.
Everyone knew what Bobby used to think about women’s chess. After our many games, even though I was not able to change his mind about many other topics, I am sure that I changed his mind about women’s chess. I had very good results against Bobby. But the final score is something I would never reveal unless Bobby consents.
So in other words, you’re saying that you didn’t have a non-negative score against the Champ?!
Did he also secretly place the W. Ch. title on the line, as well?