worst sportsmanship and ego players

+ 1 

For those that don't know the story ... Denker flagged Reshevsky but the referee made a mistake and reversed the clocks - forfeiting Denker instead of Reshevsky ... who simply walked away without a peep and took the win. Everything I've read on the guy (Reshevsky) would suggest he's a prick.

I apologize for re-posting, but I am very curious as to any other members' thoughts on my original post concerning Fischer and his behavior. Also, I must admit that while Fischer is one of my heroes, I do not feel as though I am being overly subjective.

As a student of Russian Language and Literarture, a field that I have approached from a Meta-Historical angle (See Hayden White, Metahistory: The Literary Imagination in 19th-Century Europe), I have read much of Lenin's approach to Chess as a means of raising the level of Soviet Culture (Lenin said of chess that it was the high expression of the Socialist mind), and I feel that the 1972 World Championship Match is a wonderful narrative - regardless, this has not altered my overall opinion of Fischer being a "gentleman over the chessboard." (That opinion, I'm sorry to say, is one that I have taken from Tal.)

Truly,

A.E. Klein

He actually did that jeezz what a douche.

I did not know Kasparov could be like that!

LOL i wasn't aware of all the kaspy outlandishness.  i know he'd been a grumpy bear over a few losses but i didn't know he went to those lengths...

I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.

George S. Patton

1. Scott, who beat my Marshall Attack last night.

2. Rudy, who makes clicking noises with his tongue while he plays.

3. Jeff, who beats me with a look of disdain on his face.

4. John, who won't talk to you for a month if you beat him.

5. Al, who asks you to let him take back moves and tells everyone if he wins.

6. Roger, who talks about politics throughout the game.

7. Bob, who only wants to play 5 minute chess.

8. Andrew, an extremely smart college student who has a great life ahead of him.

9. Carl, who chain smokes as he plays. (this was a few years ago.)

10. Harvey, who's 80 and nods of to sleep as he plays and still beats you.

 Are they all from your chess club ?

Places I've played over the years - just for fun!

 And how they they would describe you EP !

It's hard for the observer to observe himself. I'm sure I do annoying things, but I'm not aware of them. Generally, people seem to like me.

Only crazy jerks don't like you.

You're a good boy!

What's so bad about having a big ego, if you are actually great? The real turds in the punchbowl are the nitwits who have a huge (and often easily crushable) ego but with nothing to back it up.

And Blackburne? A boozy bon vivant if ever there were one! So he threw Steinitz out of a window. Someone had to.

Now, there was a world class jerk!  A master at his craft?  Undoubtably.  Shrewd?  Undeniably.  Full of himself?  Incredibly.  Always right?  Well, often anyway.

Say, that sounds just like these other fellows being mentioned in this thread . . . 

EVANS ON RESHEVSKY -- Interviewed by Jeremy Silman in PAL BENKO: MY
LIFE, GAMES AND COMPOSITIONS

"Reshevsky was usually aloof from the younger players and closer to
Horowitz and other members of his own generation. Essentially, he was
a loner who felt that God had ordained him to be the Messiah of chess.

"One problem in dealing with Sammy was his wife, who was a pest that
interfered in his games. At the U.S. Opern in 1955 I was analyzing
some game with Donald Byrne at the far end of the tournament hall
while one of Sammy's games was in progress. His wife came over and
swept the pieces from the board. 'Stop analyzing my husband's game!'
she shrieked.

"I recall that whenever he won a game on time forfeit and it looked
like a dispute was brewing, he would simply get up and walk away in
case the decision was reversed. This happened in his famous game with
Denker where the referee made a mistake and reversed the clocks,
forfeiting Denker instead of Reshevsky.

"When Sammy overstepped on time against me at  Buenos Aires 1960 in a
position which would have been very difficult for me to win, I took a
page out of his book and vanished while he was protesting. The forfeit
stood. It took place in the first round and I remember thinking this
decisive result sent a message to the Russians players there: the
Americans played as individuals, not as a team. Sammy later tied for
first with Korchnoi.

"Fine and Reshevsky were two icons when I was a kid. I drew three
tournament games [with Fine] when I was very young. Fine lost his
taste for chess after turning to psychology. Unlike Reshevsky, he was
interested in bettering the plight of chess pros and fought for things
on principle."

You're the best, dad!

Petrosian's wife Rona would have slapped them in addition!

With Fischer it depends a bit on if one includes all the things he said after 1972 or not if one could talk about really bad sportsmanship. It is definitely bad sportsmanship to call other players criminals, dogs and cheaters, accuse them of pre-arranging all of their games etc. But long before that he did and said things that were at least questionable. As when a rule against short draws was passed after his complaints about them and he took a short draw himself in the event and said that "the rules are for Russian cheaters and not for me" and stuff like that. He meant that Korchnoi threw games to other Soviets to stop Fischer from winning but few if none believe that is true, and even Korchnoi, who isn't exactly pro-Soviet, hasn't said anything about that "they forced me to throw games and I would have won otherwise". At the same time Fischer never behaved badly at the board, but that's not the only thing discussed. Mamedyarov has never behaved badly at the board either and still many have been very critical of him for his cheating accusations against Kurnosov.

lol

well i like botvinnik more thank kasparov and korchnoi... all the were they were due to soviet union... kasparov only got what he is because of dictatorship and a ruled economy... and now he talks bad about it and putin... not to mention that putin just gives the chance kasparov to others as well....