Really Sore Losers

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bigdoug

I wondered if any one had some stories about people getting really violent or angry during chess.  Once I was at a tournament where one player punched another player.  There is also an event I watched many years ago at a small but renowned college in Pasadena, California:

Once I was watching two strong players (Mike and Derek) play bullet - one minute chess.  Mike shoved a pawn to attack Derek's Knight.  Derek picked up the Knight and realized that no matter where he moved it, it would be captured.  Seconds ticked away.  As he stared at the board and the clock ticked and the precious time dwindled away, Mike suddenly asked, "Where ya gonna put the knight, STUPID?"

Derek picked up the chess clock, hurled it against the wall where it shattered into a zillion pieces, and stormed away.

Anyone have any similar tales?  Funny now, maybe not so funny at the time?

waterrat
bigdoug wrote:

I wondered if any one had some stories about people getting really violent or angry during chess.  Once I was at a tournament where one player punched another player.  There is also an event I watched many years ago at a small but renowned college in Pasadena, California:

Once I was watching two strong players (Mike and Derek) play bullet - one minute chess.  Mike shoved a pawn to attack Derek's Knight.  Derek picked up the Knight and realized that no matter where he moved it, it would be captured.  Seconds ticked away.  As he stared at the board and the clock ticked and the precious time dwindled away, Mike su   asked, "Where ya gonna put theshattered into a zillion pieces, and stormed away.

Anyone have any similar tales?  Funny now, maybe not so funny at the time?


DeepGreene

I must admit if Mike tried that line on me, the next person to move that Knight would be a proctologist.

waterrat

My favorite has always been the well known story about Nimzovitch who was losing a tournament game to someone he evidently didn't respect. Suddenly he jumped up onto the table in the midlle of the great hall and yelled: "Why must I lose to this idiot?"

eddiewsox

A friend of mine was threatened with a knife by his opponent at a USCF tournament in downtown Chicago.

TheGrobe
eddiewsox wrote:

A friend of mine was threatened with a knife by his opponent at a USCF tournament in downtown Chicago.


 Sounds like a recipe for a sore winner.

joshgregory7

the only thing i have encountered is a "f*** you".  that fussing over a knight in a bullet game seems silly since that might be really hard to quickly capitalize on.  if anything i am more of a sore winner; it bothers me when people play clearly lost positions against me.  I don't get much worse than telling my opponent that the resign button is on the right side of the board though.  one time after a clearly won game went on so I had to queen, show i knew how to mate with queen+king, and actually mating my opponent said "gg" and I replied "thank you, I did play good."