7/4/2005 - I think about chess like I do any other sport. I love debating the question of who is the best baseball player of all time. Is it Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willy Mays or Barry Bonds? You can debate similar questions about chess. Here is an interesting discussion I had with a guest on ICC on who was better. Now don't give Hangin a hard time about the spelling or grammar, because hangin spent the entire July 4th weekend watching Muhammad Ali fights on ESPN Classic. So I picked up a few pointers. So watch out. |
(told guest5213)guest5213(U) tells you: welcomeGuest5213 (U) tells you: Marcozy was better than Schleicher.Xtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Fine was better than MarshallXtell guest5213! Ok. Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Rubinstein was better than BogoljubowXtell guest5213! Yes(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Lasker was better than PillsburyXtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Pillsbury was better than ChigorinXtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Geller was better than NajdorfGuest5213 (U) tells you: I said Geller was greater than NajdorfXtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bernstein was better than TeichmannXtell guest5213! Ossip?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yesGuest5213 (U) tells you: not Jacob of courseXtell guest5213! Not sure.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Maybe(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Capablanca was greater than Alekhine, even though he lost to him in their matchXtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein was greater than LarsenXtell guest5213! U thinks so?(Told guest5213) Larsen was betterXtell guest5213! Maybe(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Bronstein did play Botvinnik for the world champ(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Steinitz was greater than MorphyXtell guest5213! Not sure about that(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: do you disagree with it?Guest5213 (U) tells you: or just not sure?Xtell guest5213! Well Morphy career was short(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Based on career length I say it's true(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes. Morphy's career was short tooXtell guest5213! That’s whom I am talking about(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Morphy career was short(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! What two years(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, but I mean Steinitz' play at his peak was greater than Morphy's play at his peakXtell guest5213! I disagree, U thinks so?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: I think soGuest5213 (U) tells you: anyway, let's move onXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Stein was greater than TimmanXtell guest5213! I disagree(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: aha!Guest5213 (U) tells you: you've disagreed!Xtell guest5213! I do \(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: you think Timman accomplished more in his chess career than Stein in his?Xtell guest5213! Well Stein died young(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! what he died at 40(told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Stein never qualified for a world championship(told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Karpov says he had limit opening(told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! I think Timman did more .. Than Stein(Told guest5213, who has been idle for 2 minutes)?Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmmGuest5213 (U) tells you: let me check into thatXtell guest5213! Stein won a few USSR championships(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: look at all the World Champs that Stein beatXtell guest5213! He didn’t beat Fischer or Karpov(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! He also never did well at the interzonals(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: no, but he did beat Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky...Guest5213 (U) tells you: and I would argue that the USSR championships he won were more difficult to win than any tournament Timman wonXtell guest5213! Timman did play Karpov for a fide world champ in 1993(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes but that wasn't exactly the world championship anymoreGuest5213 (U) tells you: and anyway he was beaten pretty badlyXtell guest5213! True. But at least he got into it. Made the final candidate match(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! But he has beaten Karpov. And Stein never did(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Not sure about Timman record against Spassky, Tal, Petrosian, Smyslov. But I bet he beat a few of them(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: well, he had a negative record vs. SpasskyGuest5213 (U) tells you: a negative record vs. TalXtell guest5213! Well did he beat them or not?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: never beat Petrosian, but lost twice to himGuest5213 (U) tells you: he beat Tal and Spassky but had negative records against both of themXtell guest5213! Well no crime there. What was Stein record against those players?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: had a negative record against SmyslovGuest5213 (U) tells you: and of course a heavily negative record against Karpov and KasparovGuest5213 (U) tells you: ok, let me check SteinGuest5213 (U) tells you: Stein had an equal record with Smyslov ... +1 - 1 with a many draws...Xtell guest5213! Lets also recall. Timman was a young man when playing those stars(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, but Stein was always a young manXtell guest5213! Well he was 40 when he died. In what 1973(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: right, but I mean many of his games were also as a young manXtell guest5213! So. He was near age of Spassky, Tal, Petrosian(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Timman was close in age to Karpov(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: nothing wrong with being a young manGuest5213 (U) tells you: anyway, let's keep checking the recordGuest5213 (U) tells you: Timman has negative record against all the World ChampsXtell guest5213! Yes. But his chess abilities were stilled developing(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Stein has = score against SmyslovXtell guest5213! No crime there(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: +2 against Tal with no lossesXtell guest5213! Ok. Well(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: let me check PetrosianXtell guest5213! When did they play? When Tal was sick(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: they played many gamesGuest5213 (U) tells you: let me check all their gamesXtell guest5213! Stein never qualified for a world championship process(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: he beat Tal in 66 and in 71Xtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: they played 13 games overallGuest5213 (U) tells you: and he never lostGuest5213 (U) tells you: ok, now to PetrosianGuest5213 (U) tells you: Stein was +1 against Petrosian with no lossesGuest5213 (U) tells you: in eight gamesXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: SpasskyGuest5213 (U) tells you:Guest5213 (U) tells you: Stein was +3 against Spassky with no losses (!!) out of 11 gamesXtell guest5213! Interesting(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: against Karpov he was -2 with no wins out of 5Guest5213 (U) tells you: and of course against Fischer he lost once and drew onceXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: but against all the other world champs he had a + score, except Smyslov whom he had an equal score againstGuest5213 (U) tells you: pretty impressiveXtell guest5213! Yes. Hey he was an excellent player. But so was Timman(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, but it seems to me Tim man’s specialty was more in beating the weaker players, but not as strong against the very bestXtell guest5213! Who had a higher rating rank?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: I don't know ... I don't think there were really ratings for most of Stein's lifeGuest5213 (U) tells you: Timman and Stein only played one game against each other, with Timman as White, and it ended in a boring 16 move drawXtell guest5213! Oh ok.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! But Timman was young when they played(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: in terms of world rank they both reached #3 in the worldGuest5213 (U) tells you: no higher for either of themGuest5213 (U) tells you: according to Somas, anywayXtell guest5213! Oh stein was #3(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! When?(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! I thought Timman was up there(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, from 1966-67Xtell guest5213! Oh. What about Timman?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Timman was #3 a lot...Xtell guest5213! A lot longer?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: well, for 13 months overallGuest5213 (U) tells you: but over a span of 5 yearsGuest5213 (U) tells you: between 1984-1989Xtell guest5213! Who stayed in the top 10 longer(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: whereas Stein was #3 for half a year between 66 and 67, according to SonasGuest5213 (U) tells you: hmmGuest5213 (U) tells you: let me checkXtell guest5213! Who is Sonas?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: a statisticianGuest5213 (U) tells you: you don't ever read his articles on chessbase?Xtell guest5213! Where is u getting these stats? Is there a web site?(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! I do. Yes.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Oh ok.(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, there's a site: www.chessmetrics.comGuest5213 (U) tells you: well, it seems that Timman was in the top ten at various times from 1978-1992Xtell guest5213! I will have to check this sit out more(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Stein was in the top ten from 64 all the way through his death in 73Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, it's a cool siteXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! What about Timman(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Timman was in the top ten from 78-92, but with some breaksGuest5213 (U) tells you: a very long time span, no doubtXtell guest5213! I kind of give Timman the edge. because of the candidate experience(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Stein's peak rating, according to Sonas' system, was 2759Guest5213 (U) tells you: Timman's was slightly higherXtell guest5213! Oh it was(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: according to Sonas, Timman's peak rating was 2768Guest5213 (U) tells you: so Sonas gives Timman the edge on peaks...Xtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Timman's best individual performance rating was 2809 (!!) in the Rotterdam World Cup, 1989Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: which trumps Stein's best individual performance of 2767 in Moscow, 67Guest5213 (U) tells you: so yeah, I guess Timman has to get the edgeGuest5213 (U) tells you: despite Stein's impressive record vs. the world champsXtell guest5213! Ok. But stein. Seem to falter in the interzonals(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yeahXtell guest5213! Timman won an interzonal(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: it's a shame he died young though, as he was still at the top of his gameXtell guest5213! Had had a impressive match record(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Hey stein was a great player(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! They were in different eras. Even thought they overlapped(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yesGuest5213 (U) tells you: Sonas ranks Lasker as greater than Capablanca overall, even though Capa beat LaskerXtell guest5213! Well Lasker had a great 25 year period(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: but he even ranks Laser’s peak rating as higher than Casablanca’s peakXtell guest5213! Capa was a bit lazy(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: and his best individual performance was higher than Capa’s...Guest5213 (U) tells you: although I don't know.Xtell guest5213! Also capa beat old man Lasker(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yeahGuest5213 (U) tells you: in HavanaXtell guest5213! In fact. Lasker gave his title to Capablanca. Before the match and insisted that he Lasker be called the challenger(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: rightGuest5213 (U) tells you: well he tried to give his title before the match but Capa refusedXtell guest5213! Capa wanted an official transfer of power that only a match can bring(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: I'm going to say Keres was greater than ReshevskyGuest5213 (U) tells you: agree?Xtell guest5213! Agreed(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmm, between Bronstein and Keres...?Xtell guest5213! Keres(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: I'm going to go with BronsteinXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: let's take a lookXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Keres beat all the world champs from capa to Fischer.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! He might have taken Karpov too. But not sure(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: no, he never beat KarpovGuest5213 (U) tells you: ok, here's the thingXtell guest5213! Bronstein did challenge Botvinnik for the world champ(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: head to head Bronstein beats Keres 5-3, with 17 drawsXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: let's take a look at what Sonas has to sayGuest5213 (U) tells you: because head to head isn't everythingXtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: ok, Keres' highest rating is 2786, in March 1947Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein's is 2792 in June 1951Guest5213 (U) tells you: according to SonasGuest5213 (U) tells you: close call...Xtell guest5213! No doubt it's a close call(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein's best individual performance was in Gothenburg Interzonal, 1955, with a 2813 performance ratingXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Keres is slightly higher on this one...Guest5213 (U) tells you: with 2836 performance rating for Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade Candidates, 1959Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: but Bronstein had three 2800+ performances to Keres' twoGuest5213 (U) tells you: hmmGuest5213 (U) tells you: well, we can say it's too close to callXtell guest5213! I think so.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! It’s a tough call(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: ok, let's take a look at records vs. the world champs they both playedGuest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein was -1 against Botvinnik out of 30 gamesXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! They drew their world champ match(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: rightGuest5213 (U) tells you: Keres was -4 out of 19 games against BotvinnikXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein was -2 vs. Smyslov out of 30 games...Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Keres was equal with Smyslov out of 40Guest5213 (U) tells you: wow ... ok, so far score one for Bronstein one for Keres. On to TalXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Keres was +3 against Tal out of 22 gamesXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Bronstein was -4.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahXtell guest5213! Oh. Had a thought time against Tal(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: it was actually -6 but I was not counting their simultaneous match against each other where they played eight games simultaneouslyGuest5213 (U) tells you: otherwise it's +6 in favor of Tal!Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Petrosian was +4 against Bronstein and = with Keres at three wins a pieceXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Spassky was +2 over Keres and +4 over Bronstein...Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yeah, we can say that Keres' record vs. the world champs was better, especially if we consider that he also played (and beat) Capablanca, Alekhine, and EuweXtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: all right, Keres gets the edge, just barelyXtell guest5213! Ok.(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: between Keres and Kortchnoi?Xtell guest5213! I gonna say Kortchnoi(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmmGuest5213 (U) tells you: do you know their record head to head?Guest5213 (U) tells you: it's interesting...Xtell guest5213! Kortchnoi all those world champ matches. 3 against Karpov. Plus against kaspy in semifinal match(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! No i don’t(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! I think Keres gave Kortchnoi a hard time. I think(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: well, I'm not disputing your choice ... I would probably also choose Kortchnoi, but...Guest5213 (U) tells you: +4 for Keres, with no losses and nine drawsXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Kortchnoi owed Tal. 13 win 3 losses. And a bunch of draws(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: but according to Sonas, Kortchnoi reached #1 in the world ranking, whereas Keres' highest ranking was #2Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Kortchnoi was #1 in the world in 1965...Xtell guest5213! Really I didn’t any that(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: well, according to Sonas. Kortchnoi was #1 and you know who was #2 then? Hint: not Spassky or FischerXtell guest5213! Fischer(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Really whoa. Petrosian(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: nopeGuest5213 (U) tells you: not Petrosian eitherXtell guest5213! Keres(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: ok, Spassky was #3; Fischer was #4, Petrosian #5Guest5213 (U) tells you: Keres was as far down as #10 at that timeXtell guest5213! Oh. Tal?(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Larsen?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: you guessed it :)Guest5213 (U) tells you: the great Mishap TalXtell guest5213! Tal was great(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! He had a great run in Montréal in 1979. Tied for first with Karpov. I think that was the toughest tourney ever(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: vying with Kortchnoi for #1 in the world at that time, but Sonas gives it barely to Kortchnoi for five or six months in 1965Guest5213 (U) tells you: Montreal 1979 the toughest tourney ever?Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmm, let's see what Sonas has to sayXtell guest5213! Well ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: not that Sonas is god or anythingGuest5213 (U) tells you: he could be mistaken, of courseXtell guest5213! Hey it’s a good site.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Interesting. I need to check it out(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: he put tons of work into itGuest5213 (U) tells you: he's certainly the authority on chess statistics, regardless of whether or not we agree with himXtell guest5213! He did(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmmGuest5213 (U) tells you: Montreal 79.Guest5213 (U) tells you: according to Sonas, anywayXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: was just the 79th strongest tourney of all timeGuest5213 (U) tells you: still very strong, no doubtGuest5213 (U) tells you: but Sonas ranks it 79Xtell guest5213! Oh. Really(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: oh, my badGuest5213 (U) tells you: 74Guest5213 (U) tells you: not 79Guest5213 (U) tells you: but still down they’re among the greatest everGuest5213 (U) tells you: the main reason for that is it was missing the #2 and #3 players in the worldXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: strongest tournament of all time was a tie between Linares 93 and ... get this Vienna 1882!!Guest5213 (U) tells you: with 9 of the top ten players participatingXtell guest5213! Wow 1882(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! How does Corus 2005 stack up?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: hmm, unfortunately his tournament analysis only goes through 2004(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: guess who had the strongest tournament performance rating of all time?Xtell guest5213! Karpov?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: excellent. You know for which event?Xtell guest5213! `994 lineages(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: rightGuest5213 (U) tells you: second best tournament performance of all time?Xtell guest5213! Fischer(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: KasparovXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: for Tilburg, 89Xtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: third best for.... the great, the great Emanuel Lasker!Xtell guest5213! Ok. 1914?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: London 1899Xtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: no, Petersburg 1914 ranks as #18 of all timeXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: it goes Karpov, Kasparov, Lasker, Kasparov (again), and then Tal for the Candidates tournament of 1959, followed by Alekhine for San Reno '30, Kasparov again, and then Alekhine again for Bled 31, followed by more and more Kasparov'sXtell guest5213! Right. Kaspy has a great tourney record(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Fischer is only #23 when it comes to best all time tournament performanceXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: but he does have, of course, the best match performance of all timeXtell guest5213! Was that his blitz tourney?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: 6-0 vs. LarsenGuest5213 (U) tells you: no, I don't think Sonas counts the blitz tourneysXtell guest5213! Right. Even hydra. Didn’t do that(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Fischer did it twice(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Fischer's #23 all-time tournament performance was for Palma de Mallorca, 1970Xtell guest5213! Right interzonal(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yepGuest5213 (U) tells you: strongest match of all time?Xtell guest5213! Kasyanov vs. Karpov(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: yes, Kasparov-Karpov VGuest5213 (U) tells you: second strongest of all time?Guest5213 (U) tells you: Kasparov-Karpov IIIXtell guest5213! More kaspy vs. Karpov(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: third strongest?Xtell guest5213! kk(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: KK IVGuest5213 (U) tells you: fourth strongest?Guest5213 (U) tells you: KK1Xtell guest5213! Another kaspy Karpov(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: and fifth strongest?Guest5213 (U) tells you: KKIIXtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: followed by, finally...Guest5213 (U) tells you: sixth strongest...Guest5213 (U) tells you: another KK!Guest5213 (U) tells you: Karpov-KortchnoiXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Where does Alekhine capa fall?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: and seventh strongest, also Karpov KortchnoiGuest5213 (U) tells you: and eighth strongest also Karpov Kortchnoi!Guest5213 (U) tells you: ok, Alekhine Capa...Guest5213 (U) tells you: that's #9Guest5213 (U) tells you: so right after the eight consecutive KK matchesXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: so we can say Karpov participated in the eight strongest matches of all timeGuest5213 (U) tells you: amazingXtell guest5213! It is(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Where is kaspy vs. Anand?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: #16Xtell guest5213! What about kaspy vs. kramnik(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: #15Guest5213 (U) tells you: those primarily because Kramnik was ranked #3 in the world at the time he beat Kasparov, strangelyXtell guest5213! Where is Fischer Spassky?(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: and Anand was #3 in the world when he played KasparovXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: so it wasn't #1 vs. #2, hence the lower rankingsXtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: ouchGuest5213 (U) tells you: Fischer-Spassky...Guest5213 (U) tells you: you won't believe thisXtell guest5213! Spassky was in decline(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: Spassky, according to Sonas, was only #7 in the world at that timeGuest5213 (U) tells you: in 72Xtell guest5213! Right(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: so it was 79 of all timeXtell guest5213! Oh ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: just behind matches I've never even heard have ... in 78th place it's ... got this...Guest5213 (U) tells you: Hirschfeld vs. Suhle, Berlin 1865Guest5213 (U) tells you: lollXtell guest5213! Not up on that one(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: heGuest5213 (U) tells you: interesting though...Guest5213 (U) tells you: Suhle won the match so convincingly...Xtell guest5213! I got to check out this metrics site more often.(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Sonas got some really good stuff on it(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: it's one of my favorite chess sitesXtell guest5213! Sounds like a great site(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: get this, though. Suhle won the match so convincingly with 8.0/9, no losses, that he was given a 2772 rating for that match and the 91st best all time match performanceGuest5213 (U) tells you: and this from a player I've never even heard haveGuest5213 (U) tells you: apparently in 1865 Suhle was #5 and Hirschfeld #6 in the worldXtell guest5213! Whoa(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: you know who was #1 in 1865? Hint: not SteinitzGuest5213 (U) tells you: and not Zukertort, who was too youngGuest5213 (U) tells you: and not Anderssen....Xtell guest5213! Staunton(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: no, Staunton was no longer activeXtell guest5213! Blackburn(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: the young Blackburn was #14Guest5213 (U) tells you: I'll give you a clue -- it was one of Morphy's rivalsXtell guest5213! Harrwitz(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: and Morphy's most famous win, probably, was against this personGuest5213 (U) tells you: Harrwitz also wasn't active at that timeXtell guest5213! Let me think(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: well, arguably his most famous win -- Morphy of course had many great wins, but I think this would rank as his best knownXtell guest5213! Loewenthal(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: nope, he too was inactive it seemsXtell guest5213! Paulsen(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: you guessed itGuest5213 (U) tells you: Paulsen has an extremely impressive profile ... looks like he got much stronger after Morphy retiredXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: he reached #1 in the world at various times between 1862 and 1878, nearly 15 yearsXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: #2 in the world was not Steinitz either ... it was the all-but-forgotten Ignatz Kolisch!Xtell guest5213! Never heard of him(Told guest5213)Guest5213 (U) tells you: oh he was a great player, but also died young and didn't play a lot because of professional obligations as a bankerXtell guest5213! Ok(Told guest5213)Xtell guest5213! Hew let’s chat again soon(Told guest5213, who has been idle for 5 minutes)?Guest5213(U) tells you: okguest5213 is not logged in. |