When I was an up and coming player at the Orland Park Chess club, matches were commonplace. It was how we resolved disputes, put an end to smacktalk, and occasionally entertained ourselves. I know we were not alone in enjoying this, just turn on the food channel and there is a good chance you could run into Iron Chef, or Bobby Flay's Throwdown which are all about decisive resolution by showing who was better that day.
In the internet age, great numbers of paper tigers have been created throwing words at their screen with nothing to back them up. For instance, earlier today on the IL Chess forum two very strong players, who are both pretty nice guys too were bickering back and forth as they often seem to, and I thought wow it would be so much better to watch them decide this over the board. Sometimes these matches don't end up as you were hoping for as in the case of the classic grudge match between Bill Brock and Sam Sloan (though that is a pretty strange story in its own right).
Maybe players don't realize that they can still play rated matches, or it could just be the demise of the chess clubs, but these are also tremendous training tools. It is after all a good enough method to determine a world champion.
Perhaps it would be interesting to put together a match play tournament which would be a knockout style event. That would actually be a really interesting way to determine the Denker rep.
Glenn
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Id take on anyone you want. There isnt anyone in the il chess scene who scares me as a player. I beat the odds a few times. I beat GM shulman at the chicago open. I drew with GM Epishin also at the chicago open and I demolished IM John Watson in about 20 moves. I would take on anyone bring it on.
Just for the record, I would like to point out that shortly after the game with IM John Watson, IM John Watson had to be flown to a hospital because he was very sick.
Nevertheless Jon Burgess may you be blessed and praised. You are the coolest and best.
glennpan,
May you be blessed and praised!
You are the coolest and best!
Jon,
I remember seeing your game vs. Watson in a lecture that Albert Chow gave once, and it was a very pretty game.
Just saying that it would be really fun to a match between you and Kevin, I think it would be pretty balanced and exciting chess. Maybe you guys could be the undercard with my match against Steve, who accepted by the way.
Hub Diggs,
I appreciate the wishes, but you are starting to sound like you were brainwashed by a cult.
Glenn
jonburgess or glennpan,
I do appreciate the possibility that jonburgess's game against John Watson was "beautiful". However, there are some chess analysts who might estimate John Watson's strength at the time of the game as being significantly lower than when IM Watson was at his peak powers, especially since he was very sick at the time. However, if either jonburess or glennpan believe otherwise, then that's ok with me. In the big scheme of things it doesn't matter all that much. I merely point this out because I think it is important to disclose relevant facts.
Regarding my well wishes, I apologize.
May you be blessed and praised!
You are the coolest and best!
Glenn, your suggestion reminded me when I held my own match tournament. It was right after college and I was back in St. Louis. I was sort-of upset that no one thought I was a master so I invited 7 of them to a 6 game match tournament to be played over several weeks. The winner of the individual match moved on. The (non publicized) catch was that after I won the match, the player had to admit that I was a master. Needless to say, I walked through the tournament pretty easily as the other players were low expert strength.
I have also defeated Josh Bousum (IN master) 3.5 -2.5 and Pete Karagianis 3.5-1.5 in a training match a few years ago. The structure for these 2 matches was 6 games, 40/2 sd1 time control, one game a week. So overall, I am undefeated in match play.
If we can make it work, I would gladly serve as an undercard to Panner-Tennant grudge match. Who knows, maybe I can grab a couple of Iowans to come with me.
Tim
Tim,
That is an excellent story, and exactly what I am talking about. I think the test of time has proven that you are most certainly a master. I really like the preparation of a match, it forces you to fine tune your openings, be less predictable, analyze not only your opponents games but your own as well. In Kasparov's new book, he credits his first match against Karpov as one of the greatest learning experiences of his career.
HubDiggs, there is also the possibility that the spanking Burgess gave Watson was what made him feel ill. I have never seen an asterisk by my score for playing an opponent with a hangnail.
Glenn
"there is also the possibility that the spanking Burgess gave Watson was what made him feel ill. I have never seen an asterisk by my score for playing an opponent with a hangnail. - glennpan"
glennpan,
Try again.
If you have 30 seconds to spare at some point, please look at John Watson's playing history at the US Chess Federation website. You will observe that the game that John Watson played against jonburgess in 2005 was the last USCF game that John Watson has played. Also note that he did not play any rated games in 2000 and 2001 as well but other than that as far as I know he has played fairly regularly. This would suggest that something might be up with John Wastson and it might be a little more serious than you seem to know.
However, if the above is not enough for you, please look at
http://www.gtryfon.demon.co.uk/bcc/columnists/baburin/cbc-11/cbreak11.htm
which I found after a short query at www.google.com.
In the above 1999 internet posting GM Alexander Barburin (ever heard of him? He is the strongest player in all of Ireland.) points out that IM John Watson needs help because in 1999 John Watson suffered a stroke. Are you familiar with strokes and how difficult it can be to recover from a stroke?
Anyway at the 2005 Chicago Open Kurt Stein informed me that John Watson was very sick and had to leave the site. If you need further information, perhaps he could fill you in.
As always,
May you be blessed and praised!
You are the coolest and best!
Hub Diggs,
I was not aware of the stroke in '99 for Watson. It is truly remarkable that he came back from a stroke to play at roughly the equivalent level that he played at beforehand. It is also worth noting that Watson is well known to be a true gentleman as well. Obviously my intention was not to compare a stroke to a hangnail.
Any player that sits down and plays in an event is really waiving their right to make such excuses. If you don't feel well enough to play, withdraw from the event.
My own opinion was that having seen the game, Jon played a very beautiful attack, and suggesting excuses for his opponent diminishes Jon's accomplishment.
Glenn
"My own opinion was that having seen the game, Jon played a very beautiful attack, and suggesting excuses for his opponent diminishes Jon's accomplishment. - GlennPan"
I don't think John Watson made any excuses for his play. Also, I don't think it was my intent to make any excuses for John Watson's play. In fact I didn't bring up the game in the first place. However, jonburgess did bring it up as one of his accomplishments. I believe it is important when showing a game to disclose all relevant facts.
For example if I beat Bobby Fischer in 15 moves on his deathbed and he died immediately after the game, I would not even show the game to anybody but if somehow the result leaked out, I would point out that Mr. Fischer was on his deathbed. End of Story.
In the present case I want to be fair. Indeed, jonburgess did beat John Watson in a short rated game back in May 2005 which is John Watson's last rated game to date.
Very good.
As always glennpan,
May you be blessed and praised!
Please accept this as my last post here. IMO I don't think I can add much value at this site. Have a nice life!
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