The remarkable Smyslov

A Gentle Hand
Monday, July 16, 2007; Page C10

Half a century ago, Vassily Smyslov became the chess champion of the world. His 12 1/2 – 9 1/2 victory over Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1957 world championship match in Moscow was the highest point of his career.

A quarter-century later, the 61-year-old Smyslov finished second behind Hungary‘s Zoltan Ribli at the 1982 Interzonal tournament in Las Palmas, Spain, and qualified for the Candidates matches. His 1983 match with Robert Huebner of Germany had an unusual ending. When it ended in a tie, both players agreed to let the outcome be decided at the roulette table rather than playing tiebreaking games. Huebner’s luck ran out and Smyslov advanced, defeating Ribli in the next match. Smyslov, one match away from playing for the world championship for the fourth time, lost to Gary Kasparov in the 1984 Candidates Final.

Smyslov had a remarkable chess career, spanning more than 60 years. At 86, he does not play anymore, but still visits major chess events in Moscow. Playing over his games, one has the impression that moves came to Smyslov easily. He credits his father for showing him simple positions demonstrating the power of individual pieces. “I just play by hand,” Smyslov once jokingly described his intuitive style, based not so much on calculations as on a great understanding of the interaction between the pieces. It earned him the nickname “the Hand.”

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