Susan Boyle Again

Duet with Elaine Paige, "I Know Him So Well", from the musical "Chess".

The Gentle Genius

I was just on the phone with Norm, and he asked me what kind of blog I was creating.  I answered, "Varied".

This segued into a reminiscence about Igor Ivanov.  (Varied.  I told you.)  And now I'd like to share with you.

Igor Ivanov (1947-2005) was a great chess player, who I had the great fortune to know.  I even played against him on several occasions.  None of these contests were at all close, so great was the disparity of skill.

One year, we were both playing in the Utah Open Chess Championship.  Prior to the event, Igor and I were talking.  We may even have been playing Hearts; this was a common pastime.  I mentioned to him that I hated playing chess against him.  Not because I always lost, but because I never learned anything in the process.  Seventeen moves or so into a game with him, I would simply have a hopeless position, and resign.

When I told him this, he chuckled.

In round two, we were paired against each other.  We met at the table and set up the pieces, and waited for play to begin.  Just before the round began, he leaned across the board, and in an almost conspiratorial whisper (and his thick Russian accent) said, "Today I teach you good lesson."

He proceeded to crush me.  Again.  I'm certain he had a winning attack after about 15 moves.  Instead of pursuing it, however, he retreated, consolidated his position, and remained a pawn ahead.  One pawn.  He was actually willing to spend the next few hours slowly torturing me, and finally defeating me, with that small advantage.

So I resigned.  That'll teach him!

I have many other recollections of the man.  It occurs to me that I took for granted my association with him.  Somehow, it just always seemed so natural that this amazing, gentle genius was playing hearts with me, or joking with me, or playing the piano spectacularly, or cooking the worst liver I have ever had.

I didn't recognize my great fortune at the time.

(Norm has an even better tribute here.)

Chess vs Poker

I see that Norm has put the word out, and it has generated traffic.  Many thanks, and keep up the good work at onegoodmove!

Norm and I have known each other for longer than we would care to admit.  We used to see each other 2-3 times a year at chess tournaments.  I have, over the past few years, grown fond of poker tournaments, mainly online.  Norm and I were discussing this recently, and I lamented the fact that we didn't latch onto poker earlier.  Poker tournaments and chess tournaments have a lot in common.  Both are populated by what might kindly be referred to as a diverse group of people.  ("Full of maladjusted jerks" would be unkind, see.)  In both events, the prize pool is put up by the participants.  There is a great opportunity to socialize with friends who share at least one common interest with you.  The main difference I see is that, in chess tournaments, every once in awhile one of your buddies wins $100 or so, and buys breakfast.  At poker tournaments, every once in awhile one of your buddies wins $250,000 or so, and buys a weeklong orgy in a Bellagio suite.

Oh well.  I'm sure even Phil Hellmuth would be amazed at my mastery of the Najdorf Sicilian, and possibly even Norm's stupid Gruenfeld Defense.

Anyway, I've given up chess.  (Don't kid yourself, friend, I still know how.)  My current goal is to experience the terrifying exhilaration of sitting down to play in the championship event at the World Series of Poker.

Followed by a week at the Bellagio.