Chess Scotland Noticeboard

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

I recall those matches with West Germany as well. In the return match in Hamburg Tommy Gemell got sent of for kicking a German player up the backside in front of the ref!! Germany won 3-2 Alan Gilzean jumped over the Sepp Maer and hanging on the crossbar!! Austria were in the group as well I recall. The 70 world cup was the first big event I can recall as I was in hospital for eye surgery during the 66 one!!. The 70 world cup was the best one ever. As for scotland the 74 World Cup was our best by far.

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

Yes, I think the '74 team was a genuinely good team

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

There are clips of the Hampden Qualifier for the 70 World Cup with West Germany on you tube with West Germany

There is a Clip of Scotland Drawing with Brazil in 74 WC on YT

Angus McDonald · King Joined: 08 Apr 2009 Posts: 162

1970 World Cup was fantastic.

Was able to watch the final in colour from my hospital bed. (appendix)
Pele was sensational. Think that's when I got to love the samba style.
Maradona was a genius (a little flawed) but Pele had everything. Passing, Shooting, ball play, heading, style, stamina
So much talent a running/shooting testimony!

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Stuart said

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

I don't believe this I am actually agreeing with Angus for once!! Exclamation

Pele was the best player of all time

Just for you Stuart Very Happy

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Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

Steve
thanks for that - it was just as funny watching it this time as it was the first time I saw it.

sigrun · King Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 307 Location: Europa

We seem to have come a long way since the theme started! Gelfand may be 40 but he's played since he was a baby - presumably.
When I saw the title at first I thought about the many adults (mainly women) who learn the game. I sometimes also think about the German chessmaster of a big town who told his 12 year old son that he was too old to learn!
I actually feel sorry for people who have this attitude because they don't seem to know one thing:
Chess is a creative process! if you learn it the right way! Lasker once said that you could teach an idiot to play because she'd just need to learn everything necessary by heart! Many children learn chess in such a way which means they never get to know the creative aspect of it!
I believe that chess, like swimming & dancing & some other things ought to be practised by everybody! And since we don't need to be olympic swimmers ... Very Happy

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''All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.'' Voltaire

Paul Denham · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:40 pm Post subject:

Good post Sigrun.

I was reading some stuff in a Smyslov book earlier in the week and it was similar to the Lasker stuff and after Korchnoi he is one of the most longevitous players in the history of the game;

http://www.amazon.com/Smyslovs-Selected-Games-Vasily-Smylov/dp/1857440285/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307133508&sr=8-2

Bronstein was also a player who kept going well into old age and was big on chess as a creative process.
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It is said that life is too short for chess but that is the fault of life, not chess

Craig Pritchett · Queen Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 114

On longevity - it's not actually clear that Smyslov is "second" to Korchnoi. Depends on measurement. Smyslov was a world championship challenger / candidate from 1948 - 1985 (almost 40 years and he even deservedly reached the candidates final in 1984 v Kasparov). Korchnoi's candidates' stretch was "only" from 1962-1991 (though only with one missed series in 1965 ... Smyslov had many more gaps).

Both great spans, of course. Smyslov's performance in going right through to the candidates' final, in 1983/4, aged 62/63, was clearly better than Korchnoi's in 1991 (aged 61)- following a disappointingly variable quarters v Sax, knocked-out in 1991 candidates semis by Timman. Smyslov's quality of play v Ribli in 1983, eg in Games 5 + 7, really is virtually as good as it ever gets at this level.

Paul Denham · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 6:53 am Post subject:

Craig,

Good point. Korchnoi and Bronstein played till a later age but Smyslov stayed around the peak for longer. Had his eyesight not been so poor he may have stayed around there even longer.
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It is said that life is too short for chess but that is the fault of life, not chess

Pat McGovern · Bishop Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 24 Location: saltcoats

playing winning chess over 40? No problem in Ayrshire. Greenwood, winners of league 3 years in a row, have 4 players over 40 (several over 50 Very Happy

). Winner of the Ayrshire Individual Championship a couple of years ago was also over 50! Come to Ayrshire and enjoy the indian summer of chess Very Happy

admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

strangely, I have had my best results this year, after I turned 40.....

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

The age thing is interesting.
I've also reached my best grading ever, with the big 50 not too far away!
And it does seem a trend, as my grade's generally been going up over the last few years.
Even stranger, I don't really know to what it can be attributed. Compared to a while ago, when I used to work hard on my chess and read an awful lot, I've hardly done anything at all over the last three or four years. I also feel that I'm a luckier player than I used to be, winning a lot of games where I feel I 'deserved' to lose.

Explanation? I'm sure it can't be simple luck. Perhaps I'm a bit 'tougher' and stick in a bit more, which means I win games I might not have expected to a few years ago? Certainly, I don't feel I'm really a 'better' player than, say four or five years ago. Perhaps all the reading I used to do has now had time and space to sink in a bit without overloading my brain with too much new stuff? And maybe worrying less about theory allows me to concentrate on the game more? Finally, I did follow a very rigorous schedule of practising tactics about four or five years ago over a period of six months - so maybe that has stood me in good stead.

However, I don't really expect to be able to improve much beyond this - and we're only talking a couple of hundred points at any rate. What's more, I think play does generally deteriorate with age and I'd be surprised if I maintained even my current grade. I think it's also likely that, had I taken up adult chess at a younger age, my chances of becoming a better player would have been higher. I suspect that everyone will have a ceiling, and age will play a part in determining what that will be (and how difficult it might be to achieve it) Better time management might help me too!

I'd be interested to know what others who've experienced increased (or decreased) grades as they get older think. Working on tactics and a bit of mental toughness, I reckon.

sigrun · King Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 307 Location: Europa