This article in the NYT describe a frustrating life of an aspiring grandmaster.  Life is really not easy for some people...

all chess players have to accept the fact that they are not going to win every single game

The article loses the point of Mr Bonin's life. Mr Bonin's life is not sad. Mr Bonin has experienced winning, and winning many times at that. Yes he's lost t times, but that's life, everyone has losses, but how many have the thrill of the ending of the game, when it builds because you know your going to win, and then you do. Wow. The thrill of winning, lifts you, elates you. It makes you happy. I bet Mr Bonin went home many a night with a spring in his step. The guy who see's Mr Bonin as a loser in life,  misses the point completely. How many times has that journalist had that thrill of winning, or sometimes, almost winning. The game of Chess is special, an unless you play the game, you will never experience the thrill of playing.

I agree in reading the article I saw the guy as someone very good in chess and that people should look up to. He cannot earn his life playing chess... wow what a failure he is... how many chess players, can say that they can earn their life with chess? Same for so many sports/games/etc? He's not a GM... oh what a failure he is! What the hell, the journalist gives the numbers, how can he sees someone not being a GM as someone who failed? Anyways it seems it's just an article about a respectable man who goes through a 40 years old crisis, just the same as so many do, except that his dream was to become GM and others was to become milionnaires but they just hold the same job as Bonin, but with no other abilities, and that is much more sad indeed. The guy doesn't earn 100 000$ a year, so what?

Smiled the minimum you laugh

"Smiled the minimum you laugh"

 

hey! I was going to say that!

 

I don't think the point of the article was to say that the guy's a failure (although I can understand why people are saying that). I don't think it had to do with winning and losing, either.

 

I think the writer's intent had more to do with the theme of chasing a lifelong dream, yet not being able to catch it. True, the article did have a sad tone, and I wish that it had focused a bit more on Mr. Bonin's achievements because he really did accomplish a lot.

 

This article reminds me of a piece I saw on ESPN a few years back about a minor league baseball player whose lifelong dream was to play in the majors. He was around 30 (which is old for an athlete). He sacrificed everything in his life in order to pursue his dream; his wife also made sacrifices; and he got paid peanuts in return. Again, all for a dream. With the clock ticking and the window of opportunity beginning to close, this guy and Mr. Bonin find themselves in the same boat.

 

Incidentally, I looked up Mr. Bonin's info on the USCF and FIDE websites. He's still not a Grandmaster, but he's a strong IM whom I have a great deal of respect for. He is far from being a loser in life. His 40 years (now 52 years) at least had a purpose.

 

Contrast this with the guy who spends 40 years working a job he constantly complains about, who has an unhappy marriage, who is a useless parent, and who never has dreams, but wants to judge others. IMO, those are the true losers in life...

hallo

tanhks again you are right

better

I think Fisher its 100% right.

WHY

" think twice befor you act " THANKS ALL PHILOSOPHOS OF THE WORLD'

its true i'm getting craise

but not about me I want spock

and its my achivement

i nothing to prove to any one

only one.

but

i got same ans.

only liked to see every body got the sames

and ...

I respect evrybody

not hapen the same to everybody?

you sei the common mn no voice

and he humblement try say something

the world tdont need more filosofos. need?

3000 Years

I doing rong becouse the letter supost go therer is in my pag

and i'm greatfull thanks for give me this oprtunity .

to me hapens act befor think but after i go over my misstake how i now if im right.

love...

ps Smile

Thank you for the clarification  ,ferlop.

 

I'm not sure what he said, but I think I saw "Fischer is 100% right," which is good enough for me.  

tactician wrote: all chess players have to accept the fact that they are not going to win every single game

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Theroetically if you get good enough, you could go the rest of your playing life without losing, although INCREDIBLY unlikely, its not impossible.