Which GM's have you met in person?
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Gata Kamsky
Jacob Aagaard
Sep 14, 2017
0
#166
I played GM Jan Gustaffson when I gave a simul against 20 GM in Germany. I played 20 GMs (Najditsch, Rapport, Lagrave etc etc.). He was the only GM who won his game against me...
I'm kidding
it was Gustaffson who gave the simul. He crushed me...
Sep 15, 2017
0
#167
I met and played against Daniel King many years ago, he was the British GM at the time and a really nice guy too 
Sep 15, 2017
0
#168
I'm going to stretch the topic a little because my parents were friends with a British IM (not GM but he did beat Botvinnik and had been British Champion) in his 60s in our village who it turns out was once a codebreaker in WW2 (google Bletchley Park and GCHQ). He never mentioned it and they only found that out when they read his obituary. Apparently he was never allowed to play in tournaments in Eastern Europe in case the KGB got him. Dad always said never judge a book by its cover because of this.
Which has nothing to do with this discussion ... sorry!
Met Spassky.
Thanks for all of the great replies. I guess I need to get out more. I've only met 3.
I met Wesley So under very unusual circumstances. I used to be a freelance musician, and I was playing at a church service one Sunday morning. As I looked through the congregation I saw Wesley's face and recognized him immediately. Walked up to him after the service and chatted with him and his parents for a while. If I remember correctly it was like a week before Tata Steel like 2 or 3 years ago. He's an extremely kind and humble person, I was so glad I got to meet him.
stevenashs20mworkout wrote:
I met Wesley So under very unusual circumstances. I used to be a freelance musician, and I was playing at a church service one Sunday morning. As I looked through the congregation I saw Wesley's face and recognized him immediately. Walked up to him after the service and chatted with him and his parents for a while. If I remember correctly it was like a week before Tata Steel like 2 or 3 years ago. He's an extremely kind and humble person, I was so glad I got to meet him.
Nice.
Jan 9, 2020
0
#175
Got my picture taken with Yasser Seirwan at the US championships, last spring.
Jan 9, 2020
0
#176
Also had the misfortune of meeting Finegold, around '86 or so.
But that was long before he was a GM. Or even an FM.
varelse1 wrote:
Got my picture taken with Yasser Seirwan at the US championships, last spring.
Awesome. Yasser is one of my favorite GM's.
Jan 9, 2020
0
#178
When I played Tal in 1988, Karpov and Djindjashvili were standing right behind me, watching over my shoulder... I was bracketed by World Champions, front and rear!
Timur Gareev
Finegold, Erenburg, Oratovsky, Bryan Smith. A bunch of others like Kaufman, Ringoir, Kraai, and Paragua often play in the open tournaments around here but I've never had conversations with them.