English Chess Forum

Apologies in advance for what is a slightly obscure question but I am reading Levenfish -Soviet Outcast at present (good book) and something cropped up which has caught me off guard (see attachment).

The German master Teichmann, it is claimed, played with a patch on his eye. After googling it, it would appear there are many photos of him wearing it. Is he the only top player who played wearing a patch (used only one eye to put it differently)? I would imagine it's a bit of a handicap isn't it?

Regarding afflictions, I remember Tony Miles had to lie down in a tournament once. That aside are there any other top players who had an affliction or perhaps I should say physical disability of some sorts?

Sorry for asking, there's no schadenfreude in play here, it's just I've never thought of such things before and certainly never seen it in play in the modern game.

Headaches and neck aches must surely be a strong contender for the most common affliction to affect players - I never play any chess without a pack of painkillers handy, just to be on the safe side.

David Pritchard once suggested that constipation might be an "occupational hazard" for chess players. I'd disagree: I often found there was no better laxative than a good chess tournament. This tendency, coupled with another temporary problem in the lower area, on one occasion caused me to disappear to the lavatory during a club match game with what must have looked like suspicious frequency. (The game, unfinished at "time", was agreed drawn.)

I was surprised by the amount of people breaking wind at the chess tournaments at Scarborough and Blackpool, particularly on the Sunday.
It would certainly give the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band a run for their money.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:48 pm

The German master Teichmann, it is claimed, played with a patch on his eye. After googling it...

I'd imagine after googling your eye you might require an eye patch.
(The Nashville Teens had a minor hit in the 60's with 'Google Eye.')

The Picture of Richard Teichmann on his wiki page.



Petrosian wore a hearing aid and Ernst Grünfeld lost a leg in a childhood accident and wore a prostheses.

Today a player afflicted with all three would have their hearing aid dismantled, the prosthetic leg removed and examined
and asked to take off their eye patch to make sure they have not replaced an eyeball with an electrical device.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:48 pm

... are there any other top players who had an affliction ....

I have a vague memory of Nigel Short struggling badly at a chess tournament due to severe dental problems. Perhaps a tournament in Canada, I@m not sure. Maybe somebody remembers the details?

Maybe they couldn't fit his mouth inside his teeth

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 10:25 am

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:48 pm

The German master Teichmann, it is claimed, played with a patch on his eye. After googling it...

I'd imagine after googling your eye you might require an eye patch.
(The Nashville Teens had a minor hit in the 60's with 'Google Eye.')

The Picture of Richard Teichmann on his wiki page.



Petrosian wore a hearing aid and Ernst Grünfeld lost a leg in a childhood accident and wore a prostheses.

Today a player afflicted with all three would have their hearing aid dismantled, the prosthetic leg removed and examined
and asked to take off their eye patch to make sure they have not replaced an eyeball with an electrical device.

Oh for sure, he would fall under suspicion there.

Jonathan Bryant wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:15 am

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:48 pm

... are there any other top players who had an affliction ....

I have a vague memory of Nigel Short struggling badly at a chess tournament due to severe dental problems. Perhaps a tournament in Canada, I@m not sure. Maybe somebody remembers the details?

I seem to remember he was once reprimanded (possibly Swansea) for wearing a frilling shirt which was a sort of bright red colour.

Ohhhh you don't want to mention wearing unsuitable shirts to chess events around here... That will open up a real can of worms

Oh really? Do we have a guilty culprit amongst us then?

Look up the events of the 2011 British Championships prizegiving. That should keep you occupied for quite a while.

Oh yes, I forgot all about that. Seems like ages ago now. There is a difference though between collecting prizes and playing OTB. FIDE does have a dress code now but exactly when that came into effect I can't remember and what triggered, if anything, triggered it is another matter. I've seen videos of Timman wearing flairs at the board. I for one would protest if I had an opponent wearing them these days as that could only be construed as gamesmanship to me.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:49 am

FIDE does have a dress code now but exactly when that came into effect I can't remember and what triggered, if anything, triggered it is another matter.

Nigel Short once got into trouble with a dress code and it led to the headline "Short's shorts too short"

I wonder if we will ever see a dress code for the trans people?