Signs you're a bad chess player

Thanks, nameno 1had, let's keep it friendly.  There is no reason to criticize people who are so far above or not even alive anymore..Karpov was kind of a jerk, but he was dead on in endgame analysis...Korchnoi was a compulsive smoker and neurotic, but what? he played some good chess...Kasparov, is a very, very, smart person...he should stay out of politics, but he has earned his place in history as one of the supreme artists of chess.

Wonder how Tal would stand today, after the year 2000, with today's top players? 

With flashes of brilliance as bright as his, it is hard to say in my opinion. I only wish his star would have shown longer. To me he was the most brilliant of any player to ever play this game, except maybe for Fischer( its funny they both abruptly came to an end at the top).

He just wasn't able to maintain his position long enough for others to really appreciate his genius, the way it probably should have been. I am sure if had dominated for 25 years( not starting arguments about who would have done what, considering the players who lived at the time, just speaking hypothetically otherwise) people would probably hold Kasparov in a lower regard, not that he necessarily should deserve it.

Mikhail Tal
Full name	Latvian: Mihails Tāls Russian: Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal
Country	Soviet Union (Latvia)
Born	November 9, 1936 Riga, Latvia
Died	June 28, 1992[1] (aged 55) Moscow, Russia
Title	Grandmaster (1957)
World Champion	1960–61
Peak rating	2705 (January 1980)

Mikhail Tal (Latvian: Mihails Tāls; Russian: Михаил Нехемьевич Таль, Michail Nechem'evič Tal, [mʲixʌˈiɫ nʲɪˈxɛmʲɪvʲit͡ɕ ˈtal]; sometimes transliterated Mihails Tals or Mihail Tal; November 9, 1936 – June 28, 1992)^[1] was a Soviet-Latvian chess Grandmaster and the eighth World Chess Champion.

Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played in a daring, combinational style.^[2] His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. Every game, he once said, was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem.^[3] He was often called "Misha", a diminutive for Mikhail, and "The magician from Riga". Both The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004) and Modern Chess Brilliancies (Evans 1970) include more games by Tal than any other player. Tal was also a highly-regarded chess writer.

He holds the records for both the first and second longest unbeaten streaks in competitive chess history.^[4] Many authorities consider him to have been the greatest attacking Grandmaster in the history of chess.^[5] On May 28, 1992, dying from kidney failure, he left hospital to play at the Moscow blitz tournament, where he defeated Garry Kasparov. He died one month later. The Mikhail Tal Memorial is held in Moscow each year since 2006 to honour his memory.

Here's what a few of his contemporary fellow Grandmasters had to say about him:

“I regard Bobby Fischer as a mythological combination of sorts, a centaur if you will, a synthesis between man and chess.” – Garry Kasparov

“You know you’re going to lose. Even when I was ahead I knew I was going to lose.” – Andrew Soltis

“When I played Bobby Fischer, my opponent fought against organizations – the television producers and the match organizers. But he never fought against me personally. I lost to Bobby before the match because he was already stronger than I. He won normally.” – Boris Spassky

After reading that, I feel more dignified by what I wrote in the post previous to yours.

"People have been playing against me below their strength for fifteen years."

What again? Take a look at #1580.

Funny, Fvasiey, I did drop by to see if I resemble any of the comments :P

that's pretty good stuff. i remember many years ago, two old guys in a chess club i was in stared at a board for 15-20 minutes when one looked at the other and said, it's your move, isn't iy?

the point behind morphy's claims is that he was the best naturally w/o a lot of theory and study. he would have been among the best today and he contributed a lot to chess. would ben hogan be great today with what is known about golf theory, the swing, psychology, and modern equipment?...of course..babe ruth is another example.

What we need more of is "gravitas"...the Roman virtue of seriousness or dignity.  George Washington had plenty of it. Some of the things that he said in this regard:

"Let your countenance be pleasant, but in serious matters, somewhat grave".

"Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another, though he were your enemy."

"In writing or speaking, give to every person his due title according to his degree and the custom of the place."

"When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it."

In the spirit of these concepts, I propose that the term "bad chess player" be henceforth construed as politically incorrect. And USCF, FIDE, British, Irish, et al, ratings should all be discarded, as well.

Here is a kinder, simpler, universal  rating system that should supplant all of them:

Under 800: Muy frio chess player

801 to 1200: Lukewarm chess player

1201 to 1500: Warm chess player

1501 to 1800: Medium warm chess player

1801 to 2000: Very warm chess player

2001 to 2200: Hot chess player

2201 to 2500: Very hot chess player

2501+: Taco-sauce caliente chess player

This should modernize and reduce a lot of tension, rancor and rid us, once and for all, from the hateful word "bad" chess player.

We should all be friends. Say nice things. Hug the loser, instead of gloating at him. And sing songs of fellowship and goodwill, such as: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSyAIy2mzpE

" Two old guys sat and stared at a board for 15 - 20 minutes then one guy says it's your move isn't it ? ' ". That is a classic Twidy  lol.

Signs you are a "cold" chess player...

Your game play is colder than a witch's tit.

As irritated as I would be waiting on them, reading that though, makes me laugh...it would have been even funny if the other one said "no, I thought it was your move", and then they got into an argument about who's move it actually was and how senility was or wasn't playing a part...you know like grumpy old me the movie...

We'll all be there too someday.  We hope. 

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/Chess#ixzz1wxIaJNYH

A chess master died - after a few days, the chess master's friend heard a voice; it was the chess master!
"What's it like, where you are now," he asked.
"What do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news."
"Tell me the good news first."
"Well, it's really heaven here. There are tournaments and blitz sessions going on all the time and Morphy, Alekhine, Lasker, Tal, Capablanca, Botvinnik, they're all here, and you can play them."
"Fantastic!" the friend said, "and what is the bad news?"
"You have Black against Morphy on Saturday."

pasar el chips y salsa por favor...... salud...

you forgot the rest of the joke.

"Oh but he couldn't beat a 2000 these days"

"He has already destroyed Fischer... I said it was bad news."

You are such a cold chess player that you win simply by your icy stare.

Some muy, muy frio chess players retreating from a lost chess tournament:

"I dreamed I had died, and found myself at the Pearly Gates.  St. Peter looked at me and said, 'Are you Alekhine, the World Chess Champion?' and of course I introduced myself.

"St. Peter shook his head sadly and said, 'I'm sorry, but we have a strict rule that no chessplayers are allowed into Heaven.'  I turned to walk away but just then, through the clouds, I spied my old friend Bogoljubov, and I rushed back to the gate.

"I cried to St. Peter, 'But there is Bogoljubov, he is a chessplayer!' but he only smiled at me and shook his head.  'Oh no,' advised St. Peter, 'Bogoljubov only thinks he is a chessplayer!'"