Memories, Old Photos & Stuff
The Good ‘Ol Days!
I am in the process of re-organizing my blog material and all of the resources behind it (images, videos, etc) and came across a few items that I thought my readers might be interested in.
A Typical Day in the Life of a Young Thug
Calvia Olympiad, 2004. Closing ceremony. A youthful Zurab Azmaiparashvili brazenly tried to climb onto the stage at one point – uninvited – and soon found himself playing a game of rugby with the Spanish secret police. He was immediately over powered and arrested. For his efforts, he won an all expenses paid night in the local jail. (And a black eye!)
Post Script
Today, some 15 years after the Calvia incident, Azmaiparashvili has matured and is no longer the young thug he once was. Azmai today uses his considerable CHARM and powers of persuasion as the President of the European Chess Union. He was first elected in 2014. In 2018 he was acclaimed president. Could it be that everyone was afraid to run against him?
The more things change, the more they remain the same…
Famous Cuban American Chess Players?
Lazaro Bruzon (left) and Leinier Dominguez are the two strongest Cuban-born chess players since Capablanca. I am not sure who took this photo, but here they are pictured still as young boys. Today both have ‘defected’ to the US. Bruzon is 36 and Dominguez is 35. Infact, all of the top three Cuban players have moved to the states, leaving the Cuban Chess Federation high and dry.
The last game Paul Keres played before he died
Vancouver. Sunday May 25,1975. The last round (Rd.10) game between Grandmaster Browne and Grandmaster Keres. Keres won a Berlin Spanish. He died 11 days later of a heart attack on his way back to Europe.
While in Canada, as a guest of John Prentice, Keres stopped by in Toronto and Montreal to promote chess, teach and he even played a couple of simuls.
You might be interested in:
Unfortunately, I am not sure who took the above photo, but I found it on a now deactivated site of a Vancouver area chess player.
But this game with Browne is Kere’s last tournament game, and it is an excellent example of an experienced player defending against an impetuous attack by a younger player.