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Subject: Re: Kasparov vs Boris Becker

Author: Pete R.

Date: 08:54:24 03/16/00

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On March 16, 2000 at 05:23:36, Mogens Larsen wrote:

>On March 15, 2000 at 16:36:17, Frederic Friedel wrote:
>
>>I saw a report on CNN in which Kasparov was playing an Internet game against
>>Boris Becker. It was part of an hour-long program on CNN and CNNfn's "In the
>>Money" and could be followed in the KasparovChess.com playing zone. Kasparov was
>>in the CNNfn offices in New York, Becker in a CNN TV studio in Munich.
>
>I would like to believe that I would have played a better game or lasted longer
>than Becker given the opportunity.

You would have. ;)

>But I must say that I find the ridicule aimed
>at Becker unwarranted and slightly pathetic. Being a fan of chess doesn't mean
>keeping up with the newest opening theory. It could be beating your neighbour
>every friday after work. I have a sneaking suspicion that most of the comments
>reflect envy.

Not at all, though I can only speak for myself.  I am not making fun of Becker
(and I admire him greatly for the effort he puts into tennis), the comedy in the
situation is that he was overbilled as a serious chess player, and then plays in
the most classically amateurish style possible by bringing out his queen on move
two.  There is no more classic absolute beginner's style, and yes it's also
funny to think of the psychology of threatening your opponent with an early
queen sortie when your opponent is Kasparov! :)  But the funniest part is to
imagine Kasparov's face after Becker had been billed as "serious".  For his sake
I hope he laughed, but I don't know that he has a sense of humor. :)



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