tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131013065413928242.post6026401445627554273..comments2021-02-18T23:27:24.309+00:00Comments on Otiose Chess Notes: The talkativeness of Soviet playersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831553427707554017noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131013065413928242.post-7422609465772682622015-06-03T08:07:11.653+01:002015-06-03T08:07:11.653+01:00My apologies for the tardiness of my response.Your...My apologies for the tardiness of my response.Your comment was wrongly flagged as spam.<br /><br />I have been in touch with Leonard Barden. He confirms that "Kazimirovich" is correct. In Leonard's own words (save that I have standardised the spelling of the late world champion's name): "My memory says that Kazimirovich was indeed the word used, probably not only by Petrosyan, as the younger Soviet grandmasters liked to mock the serious Tolush." Thus there was a subtext.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02831553427707554017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131013065413928242.post-46827216797190945942014-10-24T07:22:45.803+01:002014-10-24T07:22:45.803+01:00Wasn't Tolush the one who used to say, "F...Wasn't Tolush the one who used to say, "Forward, Kazimirovich?" That was his patronymic, while Petrosian's was Vartanovich.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131013065413928242.post-68073508513648153452014-02-06T13:16:21.546+00:002014-02-06T13:16:21.546+00:00In the main article I mentioned how Spassky got in...In the main article I mentioned how Spassky got into trouble in 1955, when he won the world junior championship. On page 96 of his memoirs, Averbakh related: "... accompanied by a man I did not know, ... called Soloviev ... described as 'an employee of the Sports Committee', he actually worked for a quite different organisation..."<br /><br />Following Averbakh's reproach, Soloviev replied: "There's nothing I can do. I am obliged to report such facts. That is my job."<br /><br />Truly a Soviet chess player had to be guarded as to whom he spoke to and the choice of subject.Simon Spivacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131013065413928242.post-5625160198320732332014-02-06T12:26:48.198+00:002014-02-06T12:26:48.198+00:00One more contribution on the theme of the willingn...One more contribution on the theme of the willingness of Soviet players and accompanying personnel to speak to Westerners.<br /><br />When I went to Groningen, I think in 1973, to support Tony Miles in the European Junior where he finished behind Romanishin, I took the opportunity to speak in Russian to Bykhovsky, the Soviet second.<br /><br />In the course of getting to know him I mentioned that I had spoken to other Soviet players. He thawed to me, being a fairly sociable person. He told me that he was duly thankful to Botvinnik for his appointment as junior trainer. He also mentioned that, in theory, when Soviets came abroad, they were under orders to report to Moscow what conversations they had had with Westerners. in particular, he was sure that Moscow centre had a dossier on me.<br /><br />This, in itself, I suggest, would provide a disincentive for such conversations to take place. There is always the risk that a fellow member of the "delegation" (a favourite concept in Soviet times) would do the dirty on one.Bernard Caffertynoreply@blogger.com