What chessplayer, living or dead, would you like to have as your chess teacher?

Tal for attack, Petrosian for defense.

Philidor

The living one.

I'd find his constantly runny nose too disconcerting.

Hmm, who is the best world class coach I can think of?

Does it matter? Wouldn't that talent be wasted on me, wouldn't a regular coach work just as well? 

That's what I'm thinking... about me, not you.  I have no pretentions of potential greatness, and, even if I did, no desire to commit to that much work and stress. 

On the other hand, I wouldn't mind spending some quality time with Josh Waitzkin.

That's why I would pick Furman. I'm sure we would get along well.

Well i do not want a dead player. Waking them up and seeing the bums playing now (which may be the way see it) would make them a little bitter and spiteful to see how much money they are making that i might not get to ask more than one question and they be off to try to win another championship. Like they would spend that time helping me.

Now who are our options that are alive. That is where i like to focus. Then i can tell you who i want as a chess teacher. But i some how think the majority would pick Carlsen.

Batgirl: Please cite your source for this statement about Sultan Khan.

Thank you. DrM

Jeremy silman

Nah just kidding, capablanca :) 

I think batgirl is referring to Mir Sultan Khan not liking the climate in England. He continued getting the flu becasue of the damp and cold climate in England. He wanted to go back to India. It's what I heard Andrew Martin say about him.

Thank you very much  for your comment. I saw that about the English climate affecting Sultan Khan in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Sultan_Khan); I presume you did as well, but I'd like to examine an excerpt from the original source. To say, "I'd find his constantly runny nose too disconcerting", is perjorative I think without a citation, and the Wikipedia paragraph, that you may be referring to, did not explicitly state that.

I didn't take BG's comment like that at all. I believe she was being humorous.

Not sure of the source(s) and have no plans to go digging for it/them, but as 5iegbert_7arrasch mentioned, the climate in England wasn't particularly pleasant for Sultan Khan and it's been mentioned that he seemed to have a perpetual running nose.

It's not a perjorative, it's a statement based on an observation.

morphy or yasser serawien

Batgirl: Thank you for your reply. Where has " it's been mentioned that he seemed to have a perpetual running nose" , been mentioned? If you don't have plans to go digging for the source(s), then to post such a fact about Sultan Khan, a much admired chessplayer, seems to me to be at the very least unkind. You also state, "It's not a perjorative, it's a statement based on an observation." I assume that you know whose observation it is and I would hope that you would share it here. 

You yourself call it "a fact". And why are you so down on batgirl?

Yeah, Yasser would be fun. He seems like such a nice guy. I'd have him tell me chess stories hah.

Thank you Tarrasch for your comment. 

I'm not down on Batgirl. I enjoy her articles very much. I would like a citation for her statement that Mir Sultan Khan had a "perpetual running nose." After all, Sultan Khan is a legendary chessplayer, and to say that about him requires a citation, or else it should not be stated as though it is a fact. I found it to be interesting that this statement came from Batgirl, who has a good reputation here as a writer of articles related to chess history. Historians cite their sources.

Incidentally, I wrote, "...such a fact". I'm not ready to accept this as a fact until I am directed to a source that is credible. If she is not willing to do that, then why make such a statement?

In some way, I suppose, I'm defending Sultan Khan.