Larry Kaufman

[Ajedrecista]

[...]

Has anyone managed to achieve a major victory in any branch other than Larry Kaufman, even 54 years later? I don't know.

Sure. Some people come to my mind: Marion Tinsley and Asa Long in English draughts and Raymond_Ceulemans in three-cushion billiards. There must be more people like that. I think I recently read about a female squash player of the 60s and 70s who won every game she played for years... Heather McKay.

Congratulations to Larry. Well deserved!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[mehmet123]

[...]

Has anyone managed to achieve a major victory in any branch other than Larry Kaufman, even 54 years later? I don't know.

Sure. Some people come to my mind: Marion Tinsley and Asa Long in English draughts and Raymond_Ceulemans in three-cushion billiards. There must be more people like that. I think I recently read about a female squash player of the 60s and 70s who won every game she played for years... Heather McKay.

Congratulations to Larry. Well deserved!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

After doing some research on the internet, I had learned the following informations.

Heather McCay was retired at 38 age
The professional career of Raymond Ceulemans continued for 40 years.
The professional career of Marion Tinsley continued for 45 years.

That's why we cannot talk about the success of these people for 54 years.

But Asa Long won the state tournament at 16 age (1920) and at 18 age (1922) he became the youngest person to ever win the US national championship. And at 1984 he became the oldest person to win the US championship.

Winning the America Checkers Championship again after 62 years later is an incredible success.

[mvanthoor]

I suppose someone must have a sixty year span, but who?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi

Russian Junior Chess Champion in 1947.
Won the 2009 Swiss championship at age 78.

62 years

[kasinp]

Samuel Reshevsky was 10 years old when he competed in the Oct 1922 New York Masters tournament. In that tournament he defeated David Janowski, once a challenger for the world championship. After a long, illustrious career Sammy, still then rated over 2400, defeated his old rival Smyslov in a rapid tournament game in June 1991 (Moscow).

That gives a stretch of almost 69 years of notable chess accomplishments

Peter

[Ajedrecista]

Hello:

I was not focusing only in great success or important wins over a large span of years, which is remarkable indeed, but also on the insane level shown during years, like if the rest of the world were noobs when it was not true, of course. Both things are outstanding for me.

Focusing only in years at the top level achieving good wins on important championships, my first thought was in fact Asa Long. Then I added other people thinking on overwhelming level over a long period of time.

I stay tuned if somebody brings similar examples, which looks like.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[lkaufman]

I suppose someone must have a sixty year span, but who?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi

Russian Junior Chess Champion in 1947.
Won the 2009 Swiss championship at age 78.

62 years

He also won the Swiss ch two years later, so 64 year span! That must be the record.

[towforce]

1967

"On January 21-23, 1967, MacHack VI played in the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in Boston. It was the first time an electronic computer played chess against human beings under regular tournament conditions. Technical advice in the programming was given by Larry Kaufman (1966 American Open winner), "
https://www.chess.com/article/view/machack-attack

2021

Komodo Dragon beat Stockfish with a 25.5 - 24.5 score and won the S20 - FRC3 Final.

Program Elo + - Games Score Av.Op. Draws

1 KomodoDragon 2671.00 :7 27 21 50 51.0 % 2397 94.0 %
2 Stockfish 20210226 : 0 21 27 50 49.0 % 2403 94.0 %

Individual statistics:

1 KomodoDragon 2671.00 : 7 50 (+ 2,= 47,- 1), 51.0 %

Stockfish 20210226 : 50 (+ 2,= 47,- 1), 51.0 %

2 Stockfish 20210226 : 0 50 (+ 1,= 47,- 2), 49.0 %

KomodoDragon 2671.00 : 50 (+ 1,= 47,- 2), 49.0 %

https://tcec-chess.com/


Congrats to Komodo team.

Has anyone managed to achieve a major victory in any branch other than Larry Kaufman, even 54 years later? I don't know.

Excellent post.

Involvement in the development of top programs 54 years apart is very surprising: the world of computing 54 years ago was VERY different to how it is now in many ways - most obviously the SOC in a wristwatch running on milliamps is many orders of magnitude more powerful than the PDP-6 that MacHack ran on - and that weighed 770 Kg!



Also, Larry has been a top chess player all this time, and is available to speak to at this forum!

What's not to like?

[MMarco]

And another thing. He is one of the 10 strongest shogi players in the world and he is the strongest American shogi player. Incredible success for a 72-year-old person.
http://www.shogi.net/fesa/index.php?mid=5

It struck me that on the Rating list for 2020-07 (where Larry sits on the ninth rank), world's leader is a hefty 210 elo above the second place, who himself is another 150 elo on top of the third place. Afterwards, the race thightens.

Code: Select all

1	Takahashi Hideaki 	6 Dan	6 Dan	2700	38	Japan
2	Oya Shin	 	4 Dan		2490	18	Japan
3	Korchitsky Sergey 	4 Dan	5 Dan	2340	532	Belarus
4	Tanyan	Vincent		4 Dan		2338	973	Belarus
5	Leiter	Thomas		4 Dan		2299	182	Germany
6	Zakrzheuski Uladzislau	4 Dan		2287	944	Belarus
7	Shaporov Maxim		4 Dan		2280	854	Belarus
8	Starykevich Anton	4 Dan		2278	1193	Belarus
9	Kaufman	Larry		5 Dan		2258	478	United States

[lkaufman]

And another thing. He is one of the 10 strongest shogi players in the world and he is the strongest American shogi player. Incredible success for a 72-year-old person.
http://www.shogi.net/fesa/index.php?mid=5

It struck me that on the Rating list for 2020-07 (where Larry sits on the ninth rank), world's leader is a hefty 210 elo above the second place, who himself is another 150 elo on top of the third place. Afterwards, the race thightens.

Code: Select all

1	Takahashi Hideaki 	6 Dan	6 Dan	2700	38	Japan
2	Oya Shin	 	4 Dan		2490	18	Japan
3	Korchitsky Sergey 	4 Dan	5 Dan	2340	532	Belarus
4	Tanyan	Vincent		4 Dan		2338	973	Belarus
5	Leiter	Thomas		4 Dan		2299	182	Germany
6	Zakrzheuski Uladzislau	4 Dan		2287	944	Belarus
7	Shaporov Maxim		4 Dan		2280	854	Belarus
8	Starykevich Anton	4 Dan		2278	1193	Belarus
9	Kaufman	Larry		5 Dan		2258	478	United States

The Pan-Atlantic (FESA) rating list is for players who have participated in tournaments in Europe or U.S. in the past couple years, so Japanese players are only on the list if they happen to have been visiting (or living in) Europe or U.S. when an event was held. If all Japanese players were on the list there would be hundreds (at least) above 2350. Note that Belarus is a special case because (remarkably!) the government there subsidizes shogi, so the Belarus players near the top of the list are basically full-time shogi pros. So I'm technically still the second ranked non-Japanese amateur in the world, though I probably don't deserve that ranking now at age 73.

[MMarco]

And another thing. He is one of the 10 strongest shogi players in the world and he is the strongest American shogi player. Incredible success for a 72-year-old person.
http://www.shogi.net/fesa/index.php?mid=5

It struck me that on the Rating list for 2020-07 (where Larry sits on the ninth rank), world's leader is a hefty 210 elo above the second place, who himself is another 150 elo on top of the third place. Afterwards, the race thightens.

Code: Select all

1	Takahashi Hideaki 	6 Dan	6 Dan	2700	38	Japan
2	Oya Shin	 	4 Dan		2490	18	Japan
3	Korchitsky Sergey 	4 Dan	5 Dan	2340	532	Belarus
4	Tanyan	Vincent		4 Dan		2338	973	Belarus
5	Leiter	Thomas		4 Dan		2299	182	Germany
6	Zakrzheuski Uladzislau	4 Dan		2287	944	Belarus
7	Shaporov Maxim		4 Dan		2280	854	Belarus
8	Starykevich Anton	4 Dan		2278	1193	Belarus
9	Kaufman	Larry		5 Dan		2258	478	United States

The Pan-Atlantic (FESA) rating list is for players who have participated in tournaments in Europe or U.S. in the past couple years, so Japanese players are only on the list if they happen to have been visiting (or living in) Europe or U.S. when an event was held. If all Japanese players were on the list there would be hundreds (at least) above 2350. Note that Belarus is a special case because (remarkably!) the government there subsidizes shogi, so the Belarus players near the top of the list are basically full-time shogi pros. So I'm technically still the second ranked non-Japanese amateur in the world, though I probably don't deserve that ranking now at age 73.

Wow, very nice! Thanks for explaining.