30 Seconds
With Wladimir Klitschko
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
Published: October 15, 2006
Wladimir Klitschko (46-3 with 41 knockouts), International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion, is not a typical boxer. At the University of Kiev in Ukraine, he earned doctorates in philosophy and sports science. He enjoys literature and speaks four languages. Klitschko, 30, is scheduled to defend his title against Calvin Brock (29-0, 22 knockouts), who is ranked third by the I.B.F., on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden. MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT BESIDES BOXING? Basketball for sure. Honestly, I don’t know much about baseball. I didn’t play when I was a child. I love chess and I love kite surfing.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT CHESS? It is what we had in our school program. It’s all about combination and thinking in advance.
The full article can be read here.
To Kramnik fans: Vladimir Klitschoko and his brother LOOVEEE “Big Vlad” (Kramnik is really tall). They absolutely adore him.
Just wanted to share this with you.
to all chess fans – here i have an annotated game – in PGN – played by the GREAT Klitschko chess lover brothers versus Elisabeth Paehtz (highest rated german femal player – as the game was played she was 14 or 15 years old) (she played blindfolded) a few years ago in Leipzig…
have fun – and whoever – after replaying this game – believes, that the Klitschko brothers do have at least a vague hunch of chess – for sure believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, too
[Event “Leipzig”]
[Site “”]
[Date “2006.09.12”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Paehtz, E.”]
[Black “Klitschko, A+V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[EventDate “2002.??.??”]
1. e4 b6 2. d4 Ba6 3. Bxa6 Nxa6 4. Nc3 Rb8 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. e5 Nh5 7. g4 Nf6 8. exf6 gxf6 9. Qe2 Bg7 10. Qxa6 Qc8 11. Qe2 c5 12. dxc5 (12. Bf4 Rb7 13. Nb5 (13. Bd6 O-O 14. Nd5 Kh8 15. Nxe7 Qe8 16. O-O-O Bh6+) 13… O-O) 12… Qxc5 13. Nh4 d6 14. Nf5 Bf8 15. Bh6 (15. Ne4 Qe5 16. f4 Qa5+ 17. Bd2 Qa4 18. Nfxd6+ Kd7 19.
Nb5) 15… Bxh6 (15… Qe5) (15… e6) 16. Qxe7# {White mates} 1-0
You should see them today, they have played against Fritz and are much much better. The brothers now play a mean game of chess!
Vohaul said…
whoever – after replaying this game – believes, that the Klitschko brothers do have at least a vague hunch of chess – for sure believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, too
It is immaterial how well the Klitschko brothers play chess. What is important that they like to play chess. I live in a small town in Kentucky. When I ask people here and there that “do you play chess”, the typical answer is “do I play WHAT?”.
The alternative is “sure, I play checkers every Sunday with Joe (or whoever else)”.
I am, for example, a horrible chess player, I still overlook pieces here and there. Yet, I love chess, I admire people who play well. I tell others to learn and try (playing better than I do). Chess is pure, intellectual, logical and these days and ages so many people don’t care about those things. Chess, via a game, can teach people how to think in a disciplined way, how to approach real life issues in a logical (and civilized) fashion.
Therefore, I find it highly admirable that a box champion likes to play chess, regardless how lousy of a chess player he may be.
Gabor
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dear Gabor, my posting was NEVER intended to violate chess enthusiasts without ranks and titles (indeed, I would violate myself, but I do so from time to time :), because I’m only an average player, too!).
But the Klitschko brothers walk on a different level – both like to show their “intellectual superiority” not at least on their opponents, by diploma certificates or even PH.D degrees…
(“Dr. Faustus” … “Faust”(Ger.) for “fist” and at the same time the very famous leading part of a very famous German drama, written by the very famous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe…)
Moreover, the Klitschkos do not go tired to tell each journalist who likes to hear it, that they are both chess lovers – and play chess regularly, for training purposes or simply for the love of the game.
The Klitschko brothers aren’t huge only by physical, but also by intellectual properties. This is the message, they try to put across the public – with admirable success – I admit!
So, a taste of the chess abilities of the chess loving heavy weight champions, the brothers Klitschko, who did not hesitate to share their intellectualism with us, the rank and file, at least provoked my sympathy – and of course – my …
^^ laughter!
(previous post removed by me, because of a typo, which changed meaning!)
All this discussion is old news now. The brothers are much better at chess now. One of them actually managed to hold on for a long time against Fritz.
Its in Chessdebase, look at all the articles they have on the brothers. You can find some of their games there (just be careful not to believe everything that site says).
No doubt, Wlad is a better boxer than chess player.