chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing

Janos Flesch
J Flesch 
 

Number of games in database: 597
Years covered: 1955 to 1983
Highest rating achieved in database: 2430
Overall record: +174 -132 =287 (53.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 4 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Indian Attack (42) 
    A07
 King's Indian (40) 
    E62 E67 E60 E63 E64
 Reti System (37) 
    A04 A05 A06
 Grunfeld (20) 
    D78 D80 D76 D94 D74
 English, 1 c4 c5 (18) 
    A36 A37 A38 A34 A39
 English (17) 
    A15 A13 A14 A12 A10
With the Black pieces:
 Caro-Kann (71) 
    B17 B10 B13 B18 B14
 Sicilian (56) 
    B42 B28 B43 B47 B23
 Nimzo Indian (33) 
    E54 E53 E21 E46 E59
 Sicilian Kan (15) 
    B42 B43
 English (14) 
    A15 A17 A10 A14 A19
 Sicilian Taimanov (14) 
    B47 B46 B45 B48 B49
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   L Ogaard vs J Flesch, 1974 0-1
   M Czerniak vs J Flesch, 1964 0-1
   J Flesch vs Korchnoi, 1964 1-0
   J Flesch vs A Planinc, 1970 1-0
   J Flesch vs Tal, 1963 1/2-1/2

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Oslo Chess International (1976)
   Hoogovens-B (1964)
   Varna (1968)
   Dortmund (1976)
   Asztalos Memorial (1966)
   Hungarian Championship (1964)
   Reggio Emilia 1963/64 (1963)
   Hoogovens-B (1965)
   Hungarian Championship (1963)
   Budapest Championship (1963)
   Malaga (1965)
   Hungarian Championship (1966)
   Hungarian Championship (1965)
   20th Hungarian Championship (1965)
   Hungarian Championship (1975)


Search Sacrifice Explorer for Janos Flesch
Search Google for Janos Flesch

JANOS FLESCH
(born Sep-30-1933, died Dec-09-1983, 50 years old) Hungary

[what is this?]

FIDE awarded Janos Laszlo Flesch the IM title in 1963 and an Emeritus GM title in 1980. He specialized in similtaneous blindfold exhibitions. He wrote the books The Morra (Smith) Gambit (1981), Planning in Chess (1983), Halboffene Spiele für jedermann (1984), and Sakkvilagbajnoksag 1976: Manila, Biel, Varese (1984) (with Egon Varnusz and Tibor Florian). He died in an automobile accident near Whitstable, England on December 9, 1983.

Wikipedia article: János Flesch

Last updated: 2023-12-07 17:10:25

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 24; games 1-25 of 597  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. G Szilagyi vs J Flesch 0-1261955BudapestD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
2. T Florian vs J Flesch  1-051195814th Hungarian ChampionshipE17 Queen's Indian
3. Szabo vs J Flesch  ½-½48195814th Hungarian ChampionshipD46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
4. J Flesch vs J Pogats  ½-½12195814th Hungarian ChampionshipE09 Catalan, Closed
5. J Flesch vs R Sallay  0-155195814th Hungarian ChampionshipE98 King's Indian, Orthodox, Taimanov, 9.Ne1
6. J Flesch vs L Barczay  1-021195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA36 English
7. J Flesch vs I Bilek  ½-½33195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
8. B Sandor vs J Flesch  0-162195814th Hungarian ChampionshipE95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1
9. E Varnusz vs J Flesch  1-029195814th Hungarian ChampionshipD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
10. E Haag vs J Flesch  1-038195814th Hungarian ChampionshipB10 Caro-Kann
11. J Flesch vs K Honfi  0-157195814th Hungarian ChampionshipD97 Grunfeld, Russian
12. T Filep vs J Flesch  0-159195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA89 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation with Nc6
13. J Flesch vs Forintos  ½-½70195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA92 Dutch
14. Portisch vs J Flesch  1-034195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA17 English
15. Lengyel vs J Flesch  ½-½62195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA12 English with b3
16. Barcza vs J Flesch  1-077195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA05 Reti Opening
17. J Flesch vs P Dely  0-148195814th Hungarian ChampionshipB16 Caro-Kann, Bronstein-Larsen Variation
18. J Flesch vs G Kluger  0-139195814th Hungarian ChampionshipA86 Dutch
19. J Flesch vs Hrumo 1-0141960Blindfold simul, 52bC37 King's Gambit Accepted
20. J Flesch vs Csizmarik 1-0181960Blindfold simul, 52bC56 Two Knights
21. J Flesch vs G Kluger  ½-½451961Hungarian ChampionshipA62 Benoni, Fianchetto Variation
22. Barcza vs J Flesch  ½-½451961Hungarian ChampionshipA54 Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3
23. J Flesch vs E Orendy  0-1541961Hungarian ChampionshipA53 Old Indian
24. Lengyel vs J Flesch  1-0451961Hungarian ChampionshipD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
25. J Flesch vs Szabo  ½-½411961Hungarian ChampionshipA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
 page 1 of 24; games 1-25 of 597  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Flesch wins | Flesch loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-11-04  Tigran Petrosian: This guy died in a car crash in 1983.
Oct-27-04  themindset: Flesch, Janos (1933-1983)
Hungarian International Master (1963) and honorary Grandmaster (1980). He claimed a world record simultaneous exhibition when he played 52 opponents blindfold exhibition in Budapest 1960.
Oct-27-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: I understand there is some controversy about the blindfold record -- is that true? Can anyone shed any light on this?
Oct-27-04  Knezh: DUring his simuls Flesch was allowed to have the gamescores read to him over and over, apparently, that depreciates the level of difficulty somewhat.
Dec-24-04  von schlepstein: After the simul Flesch lost his mind and had to go to a nuthouse where he was thrown into a mob of naked filthy drooling blabbering madmen.
Dec-24-04  aw1988: Really? A blind simul actually turned him mad immediately? Or is this some sick joke?
Dec-24-04  von schlepstein: Everything I say here is true, or my name isn't Von Schlepstein!
Dec-24-04  Pawsome: <aw1988>It's a sick joke. Flesch's blindfold record was reported to be over 60 games in a contemporaneous article I read. Kotanowski and Najdorf scoffed at it because Flesch used scores, as noted above. The former and latter used nothing other than a list of their opponents' names. Najdorf won most of 45 blindfold games played simultaneously this way, I believe. To my mind, playing a single credible game blindfolded is a feat. The fact that he had the scores to him doesn't diminish Flesch's achievement. According to this db Flesch' highest rating was 2365. Factoring for inflation that would be about 2400+, I guesstimate. You'd think a guy with such prodigious talents would have attained a higher standing.
Jan-08-06  MUG: Commenting sometime after his blindfold simultaneous exhibition, Janos said:

<There was one other danger which Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf warned me of. After his display in South America he was laid up for about a month with a spasm of the brain vessels. I avoided that danger with some special exercises.

Generally speaking everything passed off happily, except that I lost six kilos of weight in one day.>

For the record, Janos played 52 games blindfold, winning 31, drawing 18, and conceding only 3 defeats. The exhibition lasted thirteen and a half hours, with three five-minute breaks.

Dec-10-06  Karpova: His book on material imbalances was quite interesting and written well.
Jan-01-08  Jim Bartle: "After the simul Flesch lost his mind and had to go to a nuthouse where he was thrown into a mob of naked filthy drooling blabbering madmen."

They sent him to chessgames?

Jan-05-08  Jim Bartle: Shortly after being granted the GM title he formed the legendary group "Grandmaster Flesch and the Furious Five."
Jan-05-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: He was beloved for his formidable stage presence, yet he was even more imposing in the flesch.
Jan-05-08  Jim Bartle: He once struck the Black Knight a mighty blow, but the Knight said, "Tis but a Flesch wound."
Mar-25-08  Tomlinsky: "Perhaps it is a good time to recall an amusing, and probably apocryphal, story about an attempt by Janos Flesch, the late Hungarian Grandmaster, to beat the World Blindfold simultaneous record. His opponents, who all belonged to the same club, played a really dirty trick on him! Half of them answered Flesch's 1.d4 or 1.e4 with 1...g6, while the other half played 1...d6; then on the second move half of those who had played 1...g6 played 2...g7, while the other half played 2...d6; meanwhile the 1...d6 players were choosing between 2...g6 and 2...c6 and 2...Nd7. By the third move Black was announcing moves like 3...g6, 3...c6, 3...Bg7, 3...d6, or 3...Nd7 and poor Flesch, who of course had no sight of the boards, couldn't remember which moves had been played in each individual game. One version of the story has him escaping through a toilet window."

Speelman & McDonald, Modern Defence.

Mar-25-08  brankat: J.Flesch's blindfold simul displays were a feat of special kind of a talent. The results well deserved.

The occasional use of the score-sheets was not controversial, but within the rules.

Jan-08-09  PhilFeeley: <keypusher: I understand there is some controversy about the blindfold record -- is that true? Can anyone shed any light on this?> Perhaps this book can:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

Jan-08-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <Karpova: His book on material imbalances was quite interesting and written well.>

Is the name of the book <Planning in Chess>?

Jan-08-09  Karpova: <chancho>
I don't know and I don't have the book anymore. Maybe I'll remember the name or find it out.
Jan-08-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <Karpova> I downloaded a book yesterday by Flesch called Planning in Chess. Thought you were referring to that book.

http://www.chesszone.org/lib/lib.html

Jan-08-09  KingG: <chancho> Great website! Thanks.
Jan-08-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <KingG> No problemo. :)
Jan-09-09  Karpova: <chancho>
Thanks for the link! Yes, that's the book I was referring to.
Sep-30-09  BIDMONFA: Janos Flesch

FLESCH, Janos L.
http://www.bidmonfa.com/flesch_jano...
_

Sep-30-09  DrCurmudgeon: Interesting picture. I think we know why he's not looking at the board.
search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific player only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes!
Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2025, Chessgames Services LLC