Author: Tapio Huuhka
Date: 07:51:20 05/25/01
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On May 24, 2001 at 07:27:41, Robert Raese wrote: >i found this chess anecdote in a little essay, "street fighting men" by richard >fireman, about chess hustlers... > >hope you get a smile... > >"A now infamous, possibly apocryphal, story tells of how one day a couple of >years ago a South American master, in town a few days before the start of an >international tournament, was wandering down the street when he spotted a crowd >at the corner. Curious, he approached, and discovered to his delight the >spectacle of sidewalk chess, coffee-house chess without the coffeehouse. His >meat-&-potatoes. Why not make a couple of extra bucks before the tournament? > >"These gringos didn't know him from Adam, though in his own country...ah, but >that was far away. He smiled. This was going to be like shooting ducks in a >barrel. His attention was especially drawn to one board, whose occupant was >taking on all comers at 5-to-1 minute odds, and cleaning up. This was their head >honcho, then. Fine. He sat down to play. Several games later and X number of >dollars poorer, he got up, walked away, and was never seen in these here parts >agin'. He had been so demoralized getting crushed by some "patzer" on the street >that he went back home without even playing in the big tournament; he figured if >this was what a woodpusher did to him, what would a REAL pro do?! God, these >Americans were strong! Unbeknownst to him, he had chanced to fall prey to one of >the rare appearances of Roman Dzindishashvilli, strong grandmaster and >exceptionally strong speed chess player. Did he ever find this out? Is he still >licking his wounds? Did he renounce chess forevermore? If not, perhaps he is out >there, now, reading this article; if so, senor, now you know. May the truth set >you free... " > >LOL > >the full essay is here: http://www.clark.net/pribut/richsfm.html I think I've read a similar story somewhere, but the victim was Lev Polugaevsky and the place Washington Sq, NYC (IIRC). It's great that Dzindzi gets around :).
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