The Great Mysteries of Cajón

Chess-News.ru (@Chess__News)

“The great mysteries of cajón” | A photo-reportage by Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov from Şəmkir, Azerbaijan: http://chess-news.ru/node/24570.

• Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov, Великие тайны кахона | The great mysteries of cajón, Chess-News.ru, April 19, 2018

Black Magic Woman

Evgeny Surov (@surovlive)

Riga Black Balsam. The new European Women’s Champion’s gonna be who will drink it after every game.

I’m Only Sleeping

Chess-News.ru (‏@Chess__News)

Not at his ease. Don’t miss for nothing in the world Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov’s final photographic review of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament: http://chess-news.ru/node/22694.

De Kuip (The Tub)

Chess-News.ru (‏@Chess__News)

PICTURE OF THE DAY. Today in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Chess Gramdmasters play at the famous Stadion Feijenoord. See http://chess-news.ru/node/22636.

Snow Soccer

Chess-News.ru (‏@Chess__News)

“Pulled out!”. Photo report by Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov from Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. See http://www.chess-news.ru/node/22635.

The Lion King

Chess-News.ru (@Chess_News)

• Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov, Levon Aronian: “I’m Friendly in Everyday Life and a Fighter Over the Board”, Chess-News.ru, November 7, 2015

Levon Grigori Aronian waiting for his Mona Lisa. Photo: Chess-News.ru (@Chess_News).

Галактика (Galaxy)

Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi, Russia). Gazprom Galaktika Community Center is the playing venue for the Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament. The all-year-round centre features water park, ice arena, bowling, 3 cinema halls, restaurants, night club, conference hall and shopping gallery. Photo: Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov/Chess-News.ru.

Photos: Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov/Chess-News-ru.

When I was eleven, I just got good

Zürich, February 18, 2015. Ljubomir Ljubojević answered questions from Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov (Chess-News.ru). Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov: You knew Fischer, didn’t you? Ljubomir Ljubojević: Yes, I did. Surov: Could you please tell us more about it? How close was your friendship? Ljubojević: It wasn’t too close – we’ve met only a few times, but he left a fantastic impression on me. He lived a very modest life, and he loved those who were sincere to him. Throughout his life, he was playing chess, he fought his opponents to the end, but he would be friendly to them after the games. He was in sympathy with other chess players and the whole chess world; he would never say: “I’m the only one!”. That’s why he agreed to play the return match vs Spassky. Well, he was in dire straits that time and he needed money badly – that’s also true. At the same time, he had a psychological issue: he was afraid of himself, didn’t trust himself, didn’t believe in his own creativity. He always demanded privileges for himself exactly for this reason. That’s why so many people think he was whimsical, but this is not true... Of course, he enjoyed good meals and good wine, he was fond of women and had many female friends, but his biggest love was chess. Surov: You say that he was in sympathy with the other players, but he was lonely, wasn’t he? He was nearly a hermit. Maybe I’m wrong? Ljubojević: There is an Argentinian grandmaster, Miguel Quinteros. When Fischer was playing the return match vs. Spassky in Belgrade, Quinteros was also present in Belgrade as a friend of Fischer. He stayed in Belgrade with his girlfriend for more than 2 months, and Fischer paid all his expenses – the hotel, food, and so on. The overall sum was $327000! Quinteros wasn’t his second or like that, but Fischer just paid for his stay. I don’t know of any other world chess champion who would do anything like this. In fact, I don’t know anyone who would say: “He’s my good friend, I will pay $327000 for his hotel”, and the friend would stay in a hotel for three months, drinking wine and having a lot of fun. This says something about Fischer, doesn’t it? Surov: It’s a very interesting story. It does say something, of course. Ljubojević: And that’s what I’m talking about. I know this story for sure. Let me tell what has happened in Reykjavík. Fischer lost the second game of the match by default, he broke the TV cameras in the playing hall and demanded that the TV crew had to leave, or he would stop playing. The broadcast rights belonged to producer Chester Fox; when Fischer won the match after all, Fox claimed the damage and won the case. That meant Fischer had to pay $2000000. It was a big trial, Fischer had his own lawyers, but Chester Fox had better lawyers, and he won it. So, Fischer had to pay those two millions, while his prize was $128000 only, which meant he just went bankrupt. After that, he entered that sect. It provided him the room and food, and he began to live in Los Angeles as a sect member. The sect was pro-nationalistic, while Fischer himself was a Jew. Fox was also a Jew, but he won the case. After Fischer lost the trial, he started to think everyone was against him. Surov: Did his mania develop exactly after this story? Ljubojević: Yes, it did. It was nearly paranoia. “How come?!”, he repeated. He was just getting $5 a week from some sect, he had nothing else. The great Fischer became a beggar! Nevertheless, he remained very hospitable to any chess player who would visit him in Los Angeles. I remember Gligorić came to him, and Fischer went to a shop, bought some musical record for $4 and gave it to his guest as a present. That’s what Fischer was like! Surov: Generous. Ljubojević: Yes. Five dollars a week! – and the would spend all the money for the others anyway. He lived a very modest life, he didn’t smoke... Then, in 1992, he got invited to Yugoslavia by the banker Jezdimir Vasiljević to play the match against Spassky. It’s clear that he was short of money and needed it badly. But Yugoslavia was under sanctions because of the civil war, and the USA officials sent him a letter, forbidding him to go there and play. And then, he just spit on the document and went to Yugoslavia, and that made him persona non grata in the United States. He couldn’t return home, since he got huge prize money, over $3000000, and they wanted to exact enormous taxes from him. He became the enemy of his country. It’s very sad... Of course, he developed paranoia as a result. This is understandable. Surov: Can we call Bobby Fischer a tragic figure? Ljubojević: I think so – a very tragic figure. And he did so many great things for the chess world! Fischer has done a great service for the prosperity of chess in the West. Had he not defeated Spassky, the title would have stayed in the USSR, and maybe chess would have never be fine in the West at all.

• Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov, Ljubomir Ljubojević: “Carlsen Couldn’t Have Appeared Without Fischer”, Chess-News.ru, February 18, 2015

Ljubomir Ljubojević in 1972.

Про это (About That)

Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov: Does it ever happen to you that you would sit over the board and think: ”What is this all for? Why I’m playing chess?” Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik: No, it never happens. Surov: But I mean now, when you’re already not so young? Kramnik: No, of course such thoughts never come to my mind. If they start to come, if I start feeling like this every second game, I will just stop playing, but now I play because I like the process. Chess is still interesting to me. Of course, it’s more interesting when you play well – but it’s interesting enough anyway. To me, chess is not a way of making money or supporting my family – I can earn more if I switch to some other area. Of course, it won’t be easy but I think I will be able to, if I really wish that. So I don’t keep playing just for money, I play because I like the game. [Read more].

• Moscow, Thursday, November 6, 2014. Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik answered questions from Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov (Chess-News.ru)

14th World Chess Champion Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik.

Фуршет (Buffet)

Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov (@surovlive)

Translation: Buffet of the Duma. I am not rich enough to eat so cheaply.