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Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Any recent examples ??

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

Phil
just have a look at many of my games over the last few years.

Paul Denham · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:52 am Post subject:

Benko stepping aside to let fischer play candidates when he went on to win the cycle (1970/1)?

Korchnoi agreeing to replay WCC quarterfinal with Kasparov after young K was tricked into not going to Pasadena (1983)?

Neither is that recent admittely.

Surely over the board there is no place for altruism whatsoever regardless of whether you see the opponent as your collaborator (Bronstein, Spassky etc) or your enemy (Korchnoi, Botvinnik etc).

The game demands you try to find the best move in the position unless you are going for a cheapo/flashy win & that isn't exactly altruistic more "rubbing ones opponent's nose in it"

There is certainly many an example of generosity of spirit and gentlemanly conduct as I can attest on a recent club match to stronger rivals who treated us with courtesy, gave us a warm welcome to their hall, praised our team's play and level of resistance and analysed openly and honestly with us despite major grading gulfs.

As a player of below average adult grade, I find it a very rewarding aspect of chess to play against stronger opposition when that level of conduct & sportsmanship is shown by the stronger player to his weaker rival.

PD

Paul Denham · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:

Correction;

Korchnoi match was Candidates Semi-Final in 1983 not the Quarter Final.
Reading Kasparov's Child of Change again at present and recalled I had my facts wrong here.

PD

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

happened in the British minor: The player on the bd next to me offered his opponent a draw when he was 1 move from # ! He said she'd played so well & deserved a draw. She was touched & very happy.
_________________
''All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.'' Voltaire

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

I once put this story up on the Glenrothes website, but I can't find a link, so I'll try to reproduce it here.

About five years ago we had a new member called Bisko Simeonov. He was a decent, average club playing standard, though ungraded at the time. One of his first, if not first, competitive games was on board 4 for the Glenrothes D team in a TAFCA League match. Bisko was playing against a young junior (I can't remember her name) and quickly got the better of her, leaving himself mate on his next move. However, rather than deliver checkmate, the gallant Bisko offered his opponent a draw, thinking it the fairest thing to do. D-team captain at the time was Bruce Geddes, who didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

Gavin · Bishop Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 33 Location: Dunfermline

I guess you have to agree it qualifies as altruism, but I'm not sure the examples in those last two posts are good things to do, if I'd been the other player I think and hope I'd have declined the draw offer in those circumstances.

Don't know whether altruism is the right word, but pretty much every game I've played has been played in good spirit (as far as I've been aware anyway), and you see small examples of it at every tournament just in little things like players reminding an opponent when they've forgotten to press a clock, helping each other when someone has messed up a scoresheet. And people are nearly always reasonable about agreeing to draws, not making frivolous claims, general things like that. That sort of day-to-day stuff is more important to making chess enjoyable than the occasional grand gesture.