MARK RUBERY CHESS

During the early morning hours of April 2006, the listeners of Utvarp Saga, a private talk radio station in Iceland, suddenly heard the voice of Bobby Fischer (1943-2008). The controversial former champion was not quite as vitriolic as he has been known to be during his previous interviews on Philippine radio stations, although the general theme of anger and indignation persisted. For once Fischer had more than usual to say when the subject of chess emerged, and his admiration for the third world champion, J R Capablanca, is palpable. “In chess so much depends on opening theory, so the champions before the last century did not know as much as I do and other players do about opening theory.

So if you just brought them back from the dead they wouldn’t do well. They’d get bad openings. You cannot compare the playing strength, you can only talk about natural ability. Memorisation is enormously powerful. Some kid of fourteen today, or even younger, could get an opening advantage against Capablanca, and especially against the players of the previous century, like Morphy and Steinitz. Maybe they would still be able to outplay the young kid of today. Or maybe not, because nowadays when you get the opening advantage not only do you get the opening advantage, you know how to play, they have so many examples of what to do from this position. It is really deadly, and that is why I don’t like chess any more. Morphy and Capablanca had enormous talent, Steinitz was very great too. Alekhine was great, but I am not a big fan of his. Maybe it’s just my taste. I’ve studied his games a lot, but I much prefer Capablanca and Morphy. Alekhine had a rather heavy style, Capablanca was much more brilliant and talented, he had a real light touch. Everyone I’ve spoken to who saw Capablanca play still speaks of him with awe. If you showed him any position he would instantly tell you the right move. When I used to go to the Manhattan Chess Club back in the fifties, I met a lot of old-timers there who knew Capablanca, because he used to come around to the Manhattan club in the forties – before he died in the early forties. They spoke about Capablanca with awe. I have never seen people speak about any chess player like that, before or since.”

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN

We are amongst those who would be glad to see the ancient game burst through the barriers of social rank and gladden every walk of life, so that the handicraftsman and the labourer, after the day’s toil, might find pleasure in a recreation which would give them no headache next day, and would leave their pockets in a satisfactory condition. – William Norwood Potter