Jul-01-18 ughaibu: And on the first of October 2009!!>

Is he among the players who have played with most number of world champions - past, present and future - combined?

Korchnoi played all world champions from Botvinnik to Carlsen:

https://theweekinchess.com/html/twi...

Youngster GM Sergei Karjakin, born 1990, top seeded (with an ELO 2672 from the classical rating list) won at 4 points, 'the Chessqueen', Alexandra Kosteniuk and Veteran Viktor Kortchnoi, born 1931, shared second-third spot, with 3 points each. Mexican GM Gilberto Hernandez (2551 ELO) from the hosting nation finished fourth with 2 points. The games were not available for TWIC.

As listed, Korchnoi has played in classical chess every World Champion since Alekhine's death in 1946!

Korchnoi has beaten nine undisputed World Chess Champions, a record shared with Keres and Beliavsky.

Editorial Comment Shakhmaty v SSSR December 1961:

"The leading Soviet players have won many fine victories. Their skill, the high quality of their play, their persistence, tactical abilities and will to win are all well known. Also well known are their modesty and openness.

Unfortunately this cannot be said of grandmaster Geller.

Having rendered considerable service to Soviet sport, he began to exaggerate this service and become conceited. This gave rise to a disdainful attitude toward his comrades and an unwillingness to consider their opinions.

Braggarts and boasters are not popular with us. As was to be expected, at the plenary session of the Ukrainian Chess Federation the comrades subjected E.Geller to justifiable criticism. It is to be hoped that the grandmaster will draw the correct conclusions."

Soviet Chess - D.J. Richards (page 168).

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Suitably chastised by his comrades (and with a black mark in his KGB folder) the next month Geller set off for the Stockholm Interzonal.

In round one he faced Cuellar who finished 2nd bottom in the that event, but in their individual game he checkmated Geller!

Geller vs M Cuellar Gacharna, 1962

At that moment in time Geller must have felt he had one foot in a Gulag. He recovered well and finished 2nd equal with Petrosian.

And why shouldn't a soviet chess magazine whose editor was Ragozin at the time report that the Ukrainian Chess Federation had openly criticized Geller? Rumors about that incident were probably already being spread.

"Braggarts and boasters" are now popular with us (think for instance of Kasparov). Instead we'll go into endless discussions whether today's players are "morally justified" to draw in less than thirty moves or draw at all. Leko and Giri are the new enemies that are denying us our holy right of entertainment.

Hi Buna,

There was one Gulag left, a secret one, the Soviets referred to it in hushed tones as 'Gulag 51'. (you might not of heard of it...few people have.)

It was for boasters, braggarts and anyone disagreeing with Ragozin.

D.J. Richards relates to a spate between Petrosian and Shakhmaty on page 170-171.

In the mid 50's Ragozin mentioned that the top players were 'point chasers' and agreeing quick draws.

Petrosian wrote in the Alekhine Memorial (1956) bulletin (which was held after the Amsterdam Candidates (see below) - Petrosian did not play in the Alekhine memorial. Looks like he was in Gulag 51 noting up the games.)

"It is naive to think that is is expedient (let alone possible) for a player striving for the top place in a tournament to play every game all out, putting all his creative energy into every encounter..."

Ragozin hit back in a Shakhmaty January 1957.

"We shall limit ourselves to reminding grandmaster Petrosian that the chess masses, whom Petrosian is summoned to serve with his art, think quite differently.

Petrosian's maxims have nothing in common with the Soviet school of chess."

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The date, January 1957 is important.

Clarke in his book on Petrosian (page 81) notes that Petrosian has come in for criticism for 'colourless draws.'

So, according to Clarke, Petrosian changed his style for the Amsterdam Candidates (1956) and 'he had come to play chess.'

Disaster! He played the worst move of career. Petrosian vs Bronstein, 1956 and from the first 4 games where had at one time he good positions, he scored just 1 point.

He pulled himself together with a couple of good wins including this mini masterpiece Filip vs Petrosian, 1956 but then Clarke tells us he slipped back into his old ways with a 'distressing run of eight draws.'

Could be Petrosian was saying in the bulletin; 'I'm trying but it's just not me. Give me a break.'

<In the FIDE era, I submit Bent Larsen.>