tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post8059355929708051777..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: Still Cagey After all These YearsTom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-67095192556434440732011-02-06T15:15:03.646+00:002011-02-06T15:15:03.646+00:00I said might...I said <i>might</i>...ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-59162530295437367972011-02-03T11:47:18.676+00:002011-02-03T11:47:18.676+00:00By (genuine) coincidence, we're doing bash-the...By (genuine) coincidence, we're doing bash-the-chess-press again on Friday. If I find time (and that may not be until the weekend, if at all) I might use the comments box to tease out the issues a little further, since it <i>is</i> fair to say that there are good reasons, whether or not we consider them adequate, why the chess press has the failings that it has.ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-22233946325267404462011-02-02T20:53:08.911+00:002011-02-02T20:53:08.911+00:00It just occurred to me that a correction is due:-
...It just occurred to me that a correction is due:-<br /><br />Korchnoi did have one Soviet on his team: Jacob (I think) Murei. Murei had been allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Union during the 76-78 Candidates' series and worked with Korchnoi alongside Keene and Stean. I guess you'd call him an ex-Soviet by then, though.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-30914075492164569722011-02-02T20:39:33.642+00:002011-02-02T20:39:33.642+00:00@ anonymous,
I do think that the 'small world...@ anonymous,<br /><br />I do think that the 'small world' aspect of chess life does potentially make things difficult for chess journalism for the reasons that you say.<br /><br />That said, I think at some point you have to grasp the nettle and say things if they need saying.<br /><br />As for the risk of a law suit ... I might have been inclined to go with this explanation had there not been so many examples that we could discuss in which a threat of legal action is not really an issue and yet the BCM don't report it anyway. <br /><br />E.g. Mestel's protest as our (presumably) other anonymous commenter tipped us off to yesterday.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-89721110774334098162011-02-02T20:28:57.100+00:002011-02-02T20:28:57.100+00:00@RdC:
Good point. My feeling is that, regardless ...@RdC:<br /><br />Good point. My feeling is that, regardless of what might or might not have happened <a href="http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2011/01/keenes-gambit.html" rel="nofollow">later</a>, at that stage Keene was a good choice as second. He was quite the theoretician as you say.<br /><br />Talking about Soviets working for Korchnoi, we might also say that even during the 1974 match he found it difficult to get Grandmaster assistants. That, anyway, was part of his stated reason for defecting.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-4775553947824164072011-02-02T20:20:30.281+00:002011-02-02T20:20:30.281+00:00Thanks for the explanation JB. Makes sense.
Re the...Thanks for the explanation JB. Makes sense.<br />Re the wider theme of chess journalism, could it just have been fear? For a small publication (in relative terms) a law suit could put them out of business.So they just stick to the chessboard.<br />Also the chess world is a bit cliquey, and one could be ostracised for speaking up in some circumstances.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-6679693309942785502011-02-02T18:40:58.701+00:002011-02-02T18:40:58.701+00:00Keene (and Hartston) had been in Moscow during the...Keene (and Hartston) had been in Moscow during the 1974 Korchnoi v Karpov match. They commented that they had unofficially assisted Victor as few of the Soviet GMs were allowed too. The Soviet Union wanted Karpov as Fischer's challenger.<br /><br />By 1976, Korchnoi had defected and was short of supporters. Also there were new ideas coming from the UK that working with Keene and Stean gave Korchnoi access. The defences to 1 d4 involving very early Bb7 are a case in point.<br /><br />RdCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-7978153854906479202011-02-02T11:43:41.889+00:002011-02-02T11:43:41.889+00:00Hello anonymous,
Korchnoi defected in 1976 before...Hello anonymous,<br /><br />Korchnoi defected in 1976 before the start of the Candidates' cycle. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been keen to work with Soviet GMs and vice versa!<br /><br />As for Keene, he and Korchnoi played in a tournament in Montreux just after Vik's first round Candidates' win over Petrosian. In his autobiography Korchnoi says Keene offered to work with him. In a report in the BCM Keene says that Korchnoi invited him to be his second. Kind of amusing discrepancy: I suppose both could be true.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-10416582060745501612011-02-02T10:09:22.655+00:002011-02-02T10:09:22.655+00:00Curious to know how Keene got the job of seconding...Curious to know how Keene got the job of seconding Korchnoi. And why were none of the Russians appointed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-35290754337959200852011-02-01T12:22:54.710+00:002011-02-01T12:22:54.710+00:00Thanks very much for your information. Hopefully ...Thanks very much for your information. Hopefully we will be able to return to this issue in a future post.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-57778059427833620892011-02-01T12:16:21.889+00:002011-02-01T12:16:21.889+00:00Mestel organised a chessplayers' petition abou...Mestel organised a chessplayers' petition about human rights and the disappeared which he then sent to the junta. He didn't get great support; only one GM (Jan Timman) wanted or dared to sign the petition.<br />I seem to recall hearing Jon had some problems after the Olympiad finished before he flew home, but 30 years on detail is hazy. (No doubt Jon would remember.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com