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1994-01-05
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Evans On Chess. October 8, 1993.
Copyright by GM Larry Evans.
CHESS FEVER IN LONDON
England was ablaze with chess fever for two months during a 24-game match for
the Times World Championship between Russia's Gary Kasparov, 30, and Nigel
Short, 28, the first British challenger ever. The outcome was nary in doubt --
given that Kasparov is the highest rated player in history -- but they gave us
oodles of fighting chess.
My job for the first six games was to provide earphone commentary for the
audience at the plush 1030-seat Savoy Theater in London. Spectators could
also compete via hand-held computers in an interactive contest offering
prizes for predicting the most moves chosen by the players.
Like boxers trading verbal jabs at pre-fight-weigh-ins, Short heaped insults
at his opponent: "Hairy ape, beast of Baku, Asiatic despot...." Kasparov vowed
to give his answer over the chessboard: "His name is Short and the match will
be short." Perhaps to hype ticket sales, Short also blasted Kasparov's past
links to Communism and the KGB.
This elicited a stinging rebuttal in a letter to the Times from famed Soviet
dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, a victim of KGB torture, who wrote:
"Short may dislike Kasparov, or even hate him, but he is ill-
advised to pass judgment on a matter which he is very fortunate
not to know at first hand. Kasparov was one of the first in his
field to rebel, at a time when it was far from painless, thus
leading the way for a host of his colleagues. For this human act
alone he deserves our respect, not scorn. Let us all do what we
are best qualified for: let us Russians sort out our past while,
in the case of Mr. Short, just playing good chess will do nicely."
The London Times put up a purse of $2.5 million to host the first title bout
of the fledgling Professional Chess Association (PCA), and they did a smashing
job of promotion and publicity. They distributed a six-part supplement on how
to play chess and gave away $1500 every day in a checkmate card contest. Ads
appeared atop double-decker buses and bookies took bets on every game.
Thanks to over 70 hours of TV coverage three times a week, Short and Kasparov
are now household words. "Even Samuel Beckett at his least forgiving never
thought to write a play for two non-speaking characters who sit staring at a
board for eight weeks," noted a critic about the surprising success of this
gripping drama.
Shy Di, the estranged wife of the Prince of Wales, attended the theater. We
even overheard two girls at a market discussing the next game. "I dunno," said
one. "Being white today, I reckon Short's got a fair chance, as long as he's
not such a pillock with the clock."
The Times editorialized: "There is a big idea behind this match: it is freedom
from cold war bureaucracy, freedom for people to compete for proper rewards
that come only from using modern communication to popularise the game. This
liberation of world chess will continue after this first world championship
under the aegis of the PCA."