This thread may or may not gather a lot of posts, but I'm not going to put it into the "Low Content" thread, because it ain't low content.

Viktor Korchnoi died today, age 85. What a ****ing legend he was, and what an inspiration to those of us who are in their late 30s and think they are "old". He'd wipe the floor with all of us on a chess board, being 50 years our senior.

The chess community lost one of its greatest members today.

RIP
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:/

I actually played against Korchnoi in a simul at the Manhattan Chess Club in the months after his defection in 1976, when I was 13 years old. I played a Cambridge Springs Defense, and even though I was down a pawn in the late middle game, I offered a draw, not realizing it was bad form. Of course he declined, and although I didn't hear his response, I guess he chuckled and muttered something, at least according to my father and older brother who were standing behind me.

Despite his laughing at me, he became one of my heros, and I remember following the 1978 WC match closely, even though in 1978 "following closely" meant waiting for each day's NY Times to see the game scores.

RIP, Victor.

rip, was always impressed by how long he kept playing at a high level for

What a hero. I really should look at more of his infinite games.

RIP Victor. I played him a simul in Chicago in the 1970s as well. Wonderful memory.

+1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxeiGipoFSE

This is my favorite video. The funny thing is that he kept playing for many years while she retired. Not the other way around as one would have expected after such a statement.

I got really interested in chess because of the original K-K world championship match in 1978. Every game was printed in my local paper, and I was enthralled. My favourite player has always been Karpov, but there is a special place in my heart for Mr. Korchnoi.