My games against a GM

I would like to take the opportunity to present three games I played against the English GM Tony Miles at a simul during the summer of 1975/76 (I have forgotten which), at about the time when he achieved his GM title.

They are not good games, but that is not why I am posting them. I simply want to get them down in a more permanent form before I lose the little scraps of paper that the moves had been written on, and which have been lingering at the bottom of my chess set box all these years. Anyway, it’s my only claim to chess fame.

The simul had been set up as part of an open-air fete, in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, which had been organised by the large electronics firm my mother used to work for, the name of which I have long since forgotten. About 20 tables, arranged into a square, were assembled under a large tent, each one decorated with a board already set up with the pieces, ready to go. I think the cost of a game was 50 pence, may have been a quid, but I can’t be sure of that now. I only bought three tickets, which was all I could afford with my meagre financial resources at the time, otherwise I would have been happy to play all day!

The place was almost empty as I sat down at one of the un-occupied tables, and placed my first ticket on it. Tony accepted it as he came round to my table, put it in his pocket and made the first move. I had the distinct impression he was a big guy, but that may have been due to the fact that he was standing and I was sitting. Notice he always played the white pieces. Is this normal in simultaneous exhibitions? He wished me “Good luck” before moving to the next board. I don’t remember seeing more than about ten games being played at any one time while I was there. This meant that Tony appeared before me again surprisingly quickly and I felt obliged to make my move by the time he had made his round. I think this is the usual rule, but I don’t really know. I had only played in one simul before and that was about six years previously. The setting was all very relaxed and I wasn’t aware of any stringent regulations, so I was probably putting myself under some sort of self-imposed time pressure. OK, Tony was making his moves almost instantly, but he was the GM after all!

It was a lovely sunny day, not too hot, and the tent was quite airy, as the sides had been rolled up. The playing conditions were quite pleasant. Tony Miles probably spent a pleasurable afternoon playing a few games of chess at a very leisurely pace. He was walking on grass, so I imagine it wasn’t too hard on the feet, but still quite tiring when walking round in circles all day. I guess he was earning a bit of pocket-money in-between tournaments. GMs have to make a living too, I suppose.

Playing over the games again today, I can see that I was very naïve, almost nervous in my play, although there was little reason for me to be. I didn’t even know who Tony Miles was at that time. I never once put him under any pressure. I hardly even managed to cross the half-way line. It seemed as if I felt I had to constantly defend my position. I thought I was a reasonably competent player in those days, although I hadn’t played any chess for about six years, Tony made me feel a bit like a beginner. As you can see, he played solidly, taking no chances and allowed his opponent to make all the mistakes, which he punished instantly.

Although the games are nothing to write home about, and my play is very mediocre, I feel proud and lucky to have had the opportunity of playing such a strong Grandmaster. Sadly, he is no longer with us. Tony Miles died in 2001, at the age of 46. For any of you who may be interested, here is the link to the Wiki about GM Tony Miles:

I have had to rely totally on my memory for this short article. I made no notes at all, apart from recording the moves. I am very glad that I did. Please don't bother asking me why I didn't play this or that move. It was nearly 40 years ago, so I have no idea what my thoughts were at the time.

I hope you have enjoyed my little story about this memorable day in my chess life, and I leave you with the question:

Is there anyone else amongst us mere mortals who has played a GM over the board?

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

I considered the third game a great achievement for me. I managed to survive for 30 moves and was only a minor piece and a pawn down!

Hmm, the link seems to have disappeared. Odd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Miles