Happy 80th birthday, Viktor Korchnoi! :)

[JuLieN]

As I really like this guy and his impressive fighting spirit and stamina, I thought I could share this information here.



Here (on the right) in 1981, playing against Anatoly Karpov for the world championship. He started his career as a boxer and is currently the strongest chess player ever at his age. He is still worth 2557 Elo today. Impressive!!!

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Thanks Julien for sharing the info and the picture....
An impressive and iconic chess player indeed....
Dr.D

[Tom Barrister]

Thanks Julien for sharing the info and the picture....
An impressive and iconic chess player indeed....
Dr.D

Undoubtedly the strongest player in history to never win the (open) World Championship. Came within a whisker of winning in 1978. At the top of the game for over 50 years and still a force to be reckoned with today.

[Father]

Congratullations to the great human and super GM Victor Korchnoi from Pablo Ignacio Restrepo, a hobby player, with best respect!!
Sincerely,
Pablo Ignacio Restrepo

[Norm Pollock]

Thanks Julien for sharing the info and the picture....
An impressive and iconic chess player indeed....
Dr.D

Undoubtedly the strongest player in history to never win the (open) World Championship. Came within a whisker of winning in 1978. At the top of the game for over 50 years and still a force to be reckoned with today.

80 years old in human is only 50 years old in computer (hex). So since Mr K plays like a 50 year old, so he must be a computer!

Certainly among the all-time greats who never won the World Championship, and perhaps the greatest of them. Just wondering why no one considers Magnus Carlson to be in that category?

[tvrzsky]

Undoubtedly the strongest player in history to never win the (open) World Championship. Came within a whisker of winning in 1978. At the top of the game for over 50 years and still a force to be reckoned with today.

Don't forget about Paul Keres ...

[michiguel]

Undoubtedly the strongest player in history to never win the (open) World Championship. Came within a whisker of winning in 1978. At the top of the game for over 50 years and still a force to be reckoned with today.

Don't forget about Paul Keres ...

HN Pillsbury, D. Bronstein, and above all, Akiba Rubinstein.

and Topalov... might have a good chance to join the selected group.

Miguel
PS: Many have forgotten Leonid Stein. Too strong to be dismissed easily from this group. Like Pillsbury, he died too young.

[Dayffd]

Undoubtedly the strongest player in history to never win the (open) World Championship. Came within a whisker of winning in 1978. At the top of the game for over 50 years and still a force to be reckoned with today.

Don't forget about Paul Keres ...

HN Pillsbury, D. Bronstein, and above all, Akiba Rubinstein.

and Topalov... might have a good chance to join the selected group.

Miguel
PS: Many have forgotten Leonid Stein. Too strong to be dismissed easily from this group. Like Pillsbury, he died too young.

And Karl Schlecter...

But indeed, GM Korchnoi is more than worthy to be in this group.

[JuLieN]

Here's a wild game played by Korchnoi in 1980:

Code: Select all

[Event "London P&D"]
[Site "London P&D"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[Black "Ljubomir Ljubojevic"]
[ECO "D30"]
[WhiteElo "2695"]
[BlackElo "2590"]
[PlyCount "73"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 c6 5. Qc2 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Qa5
7. Bxf6 Nxf6 8. g3 Ne4 9. Bg2 Bb4 10. a3 e5 11. cxd5 Bf5
12. O-O Bxd2 13. Nh4 Nxg3 14. Nxf5 Nxf1 15. dxc6 O-O 16. cxb7
Rab8 17. Ne7+ Kh8 18. Rxf1 Bh6 19. Qc5 Qb6 20. Nc8 Qxc5
21. dxc5 Rfxc8 22. bxc8=Q+ Rxc8 23. Rd1 Bg5 24. b4 Rd8 25. Bd5
e4 26. e3 Bf6 27. Kf1 Be5 28. Ke2 f5 29. h3 g6 30. Bc4 Rxd1
31. Kxd1 Kg7 32. Kc2 Kf6 33. Kb3 h5 34. Ka4 Ke7 35. Kb5 Bb2
36. Ka6 Bxa3 37. c6 1-0

After 11. ..., Bf5:
[d]r3k2r/pp3ppp/2p5/q2Ppb2/1b1Pn3/P4NP1/1PQNPPBP/R3K2R w KQkq - 1 11
Korchnoi plays: 12. 0-0!

And what would you play after 19. ..., Qb6?
[d]1r3r1k/pP2Nppp/1q5b/2Q1p3/3P4/P7/1P2PPBP/5RK1 w - - 3 19

[Terry McCracken]

Here's a wild game played by Korchnoi in 1980:

Code: Select all

[Event "London P&D"]
[Site "London P&D"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[Black "Ljubomir Ljubojevic"]
[ECO "D30"]
[WhiteElo "2695"]
[BlackElo "2590"]
[PlyCount "73"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 c6 5. Qc2 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Qa5
7. Bxf6 Nxf6 8. g3 Ne4 9. Bg2 Bb4 10. a3 e5 11. cxd5 Bf5
12. O-O Bxd2 13. Nh4 Nxg3 14. Nxf5 Nxf1 15. dxc6 O-O 16. cxb7
Rab8 17. Ne7+ Kh8 18. Rxf1 Bh6 19. Qc5 Qb6 20. Nc8 Qxc5
21. dxc5 Rfxc8 22. bxc8=Q+ Rxc8 23. Rd1 Bg5 24. b4 Rd8 25. Bd5
e4 26. e3 Bf6 27. Kf1 Be5 28. Ke2 f5 29. h3 g6 30. Bc4 Rxd1
31. Kxd1 Kg7 32. Kc2 Kf6 33. Kb3 h5 34. Ka4 Ke7 35. Kb5 Bb2
36. Ka6 Bxa3 37. c6 1-0

After 11. ..., Bf5:
[d]r3k2r/pp3ppp/2p5/q2Ppb2/1b1Pn3/P4NP1/1PQNPPBP/R3K2R w KQkq - 1 11
Korchnoi plays: 12. 0-0!

And what would you play after 19. ..., Qb6?
[d]1r3r1k/pP2Nppp/1q5b/2Q1p3/3P4/P7/1P2PPBP/5RK1 w - - 3 19

I'd likely play Nc8 as in the game forcing Qxc5, but Qxb6 is also winning.