My Dinner With Andre: Part 19

Brazil (Continues): "Another noteworthy guy is an Armenian  GM Rafael Vaganian. A  first class guy,   very cool people,  a Christian, not a Jew, like Boris Gulko & like I said Boris is also a wonderful man. Vaganian won the Soviet Chess Championship in 1989 at age 38 which happened to be his birthday. Twice he qualified for the Candidates but twice he was beat. First he lost to Sokolov in 1986 then he lost to Portisch in 1988. In 2005 Vaganian's ELO rating topped out at 2670 putting him in the top 50 players of the world at that time.   He became IM at 19 in 1971 & GM in 1972 at 20. I was there working & personally saw how Vaganian beat Kupreichik at a big tournament in 1974.  I was only 14 but I analyzed those games in a very detailed manner as I was getting paid to do so at the time in addition to my duties as "demonstarator" or "organizer' for the Soviet Chess Federation. I tell you Solo , Vaganian really took apart Kupreichik in 1974. Vaganian is super cool guy & is still playing today. You want exemplary?  Vaganian is exemplary & I knew him personally. So those 3 guys Belyavsky, Gulko & Vaganian. 3  Grand Masters I knew well back in Russia & who are also exemplary gentlemen."   said Brazil at a ricochet rabbit road runner clip. His words like sparkling clean cut diamondettes  slicing through the air & hurtling  into my absorbent  ears.   "Thank you Brazil." I replied & marvelled at the effects on the velocity of Brazil's intellect under the benign influence of Pablo Escobar. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wouldn't leave home without it & neither would his alter ego Sherlock Holmes.