The
90-year-old, who died on Monday, was Mark Taimanov — "a virtuoso pianist and former Soviet chess champion whose lopsided loss to Bobby Fischer in 1971 in the quarterfinals of a major chess tournament cost him his government salary."
The match, in 10 games, was to be decided by whoever got to 5.5 points first, with wins counting as one point and draws as a half point. Mr. Fischer beat Mr. Taimanov 6-0, without even yielding a draw.
It was an unheard-of result, and to the Soviet authorities, the only explanation had to be a nefarious one, so they blamed Mr. Taimanov. They barred him from traveling abroad, censured him and cut off his government salary, which all elite chess players received.
“This dramatic match changed my life into hell,” Mr. Taimanov said in an interview... in 2002.
The 20-year-old was another Russian, Yuri Yeliseyev. He loved not only chess but parkour, and he died of a 12-story fall after attempting to transit from a window to a balcony.
A neighbour told the Life channel that Yeliseyev had been seen performing the stunt over the summer. A social media account photo showed him hanging by his hands from a ledge high above the ground....
The national chess team coach, Sergei Yanovsky, told state news agency R-Sport that Yeliseyev was one of the most talented young grandmasters in Russia and praised his “colourful individuality." "His uniqueness and search for his own path was very evident in all his decisions; he rejected any existing blueprints... Even as a boy he always wanted to show off his fearlessness and climb up on something, but not to this extreme level”....
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22 comments:
There are old grandmasters and there are bold grandmasters, but there are no old bold grandmasters.
Even as a boy he always wanted to show off his fearlessness...
Fear has a purpose.
Being smart doesn't negate being stupid.
Sir Isaac Newton: "Checkmate"
Pwned by gravity.
I am Laslo.
Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
I am Laslo.
"Grandmaster"? Does that get you in the fast lane at the grocery store?
Gravity cares not. It isn't just a good idea, it's the law.
Are there any converse Darwin Awards?......I suppose you could say that it is only because of brave men such as this that we know the human limits of roof to balcony jumping.
ChessGames.com has made Taimanov its player of the day with a short profile and full collection of games. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=14920
Back before it was hip and called parkour, I got 7 stitches in my forehead after a stairwell leap in a college dorm. The stairs were of slightly different design on their undersides, compared with the ones in my own dorm, with rather messy consequences. I got my roomies Krispie Kreme donuts for taking me to the ER so late on a Saturday night.
I've watched some amazing parkour videos. Like anything of this nature with risks there will be some casualties and when there is the soft, weak, and cowardly will crow smugly about the stupidity of these brave and robust people. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing stupider than living life as a coward and weakling no matter how safe, or long, a life.
Cherchez la Femme. He was probably showing off for a girl.
If you want the ultimate, you have to be willing to pay the ultimate price
"Paul said...
I've watched some amazing parkour videos. Like anything of this nature with risks there will be some casualties and when there is the soft, weak, and cowardly will crow smugly about the stupidity of these brave and robust people. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing stupider than living life as a coward and weakling no matter how safe, or long, a life."
Post up your awesome death defying acts of courage so us cowards can see 'em.
tightly enforced performance based pay
His final gambit.
To an athlete dying young ... but this way? Unlike the fellow lauded in the poem, the accolades were never for his feats of daring-do.
"Post up your awesome death defying acts of courage so us cowards can see 'em."
I've done some scary shit on a mountain bike...ledge drops, high speed runs down rock strewn courses. I've been hurt too. Open surgery to repair a torn up shoulder was the worst but I've got scars all over my legs and arms.
But that's not the point. The point is you assholes jumping up to criticize people with more balls than you'll ever have and being smug about it to boot. I have great respect for people with guts like this kid, even when they roll the dice and lose. I only have contempt for weak reeds like you.
"Paul said...
"Post up your awesome death defying acts of courage so us cowards can see 'em."
I've done some scary shit on a mountain bike...ledge drops, high speed runs down rock strewn courses. I've been hurt too. Open surgery to repair a torn up shoulder was the worst but I've got scars all over my legs and arms.
But that's not the point. The point is you assholes jumping up to criticize people with more balls than you'll ever have and being smug about it to boot. I have great respect for people with guts like this kid, even when they roll the dice and lose. I only have contempt for weak reeds like you."
You're a regular Evil Kneivel, aren't you Paul.
praised his “colourful individuality." "His uniqueness and search for his own path was very evident in all his decisions; he rejected any existing blueprints...
In other words, he was an obnoxious little shit.
"You're a regular Evil Kneivel, aren't you Paul."
Hardly. Just not a pantywaist weeping vagina like you.
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