Junior squad/Kasparov simul in 1986

[John Saunders]

The source for the Carr game was Leonard's Guardian column of 26 May 1984...

THERE were some odd happenings, and also another display of world champion Karpov’s stamina, in the Russian simultaneous exhibitions which followed the Phillips & Drew GLC international at County Hall, Two years ago Karpov met an England junior team of 25 at Westergate, Sussex, and scored only 64 per cent, his worst ever simul result and the second best simul score against a reigning world champion.

This time he stipulated no IMs in the team and only 20 boards. Aware of his difficult task, Karpov still revealed ambassadorial generosity to Arun district council and Aaronson Bros who sponsored the event. He arrived in Sussex only at 3 am following the Phillips & Drew GLC prizegiving, but was up early to launch an open air giant size chess arena at Bognor. To the delight of his hosts, he made a ten-minute speech in English, posed with local children, and gave them playing hints.

The simul proved predictably tough. Karpov improved marginally on his 1982 result with 65 per cent (+9, =8, -3 to Carr, Conquest, and Wells) but he took seven hours and lost 4½-5½ to the top ten England juniors. There was no doubt who would win the Lloyds Bank trophy for the best game: Black’s opening copies Karpov-Azmaiparashvili from the 1982 USSR championship (a game Karpov also lost) and the middle game is a gigantic king hunt by the black rooks. [score of Karpov-Carr - see above]

Meanwhile Polugaevsky was taking on an England B team of 31 younger juniors mostly with BCF grades from 150-175. He found it hard — so much so that the games almost ground to a halt. Polu at one stage took 45 minutes for just two tours of the room (Capablanca could complete an entire simul in that time) and after 5¼ hours play had to stop so that the opponents could catch the last train back to London. The score then was 1-1 with 29 games for adjudication, Polu having only reached move 25 or so on the remaining boards.

The GM was understandably displeased at this turn of events and grumbled that the England team was “too strong — 31 boards of candidate master strength.” Despite his move crawl, Polu whizzed round the room as an adjudicator and disposed of all 29 positions in some ten minutes. A few appealed successfully against the verdicts, one junior getting a win after conducting his appeal in Russian. The final score was +19, =7, -5, to Polu.

On to Glasgow for the Scottish Amicable Challenge, where a team of 25 awaited Karpov. The world champion’s first move was to refuse to play unless three senior internationals, McKay (who once drew with Karpov in a tournament), Condie, and Morrison were excluded. After prolonged negotiations, the exhibition proceeded with 18-year-old Condie taking part but the numbers reduced to 23. This time Karpov conceded nine draws but won the other 14.

At one moment there were hopes that Karpov’s visit would be a prelude to something much bigger. Glasgow was ready to host the first part of the coming world title match, and British organisers found a company willing to put up £100,000 as major sponsor. But the required budget was £250,000, negotiations foundered, and now Karpov and Kasparov must settle for roubles when they start play on September 10.

[NickFaulks]

Meanwhile Polugaevsky was taking on an England B team of 31 younger juniors mostly with BCF grades from 150-175.

Despite his move crawl, Polu whizzed round the room as an adjudicator and disposed of all 29 positions in some ten minutes.

I have always been a great Polu fan, but this is not a good look.

[Matt Mackenzie]

If the above account is accurate, it likely stemmed from resentment at "too strong" opposition.

(and juniors were often under-graded in those days as well, its by no means just a modern thing)

[Mark Howitt]

I remember getting one of those books where you could note your games down in...

At the back it said you had to get to 175 to get to 2000 elo...

I was like... wow that's v hard I might not ever be able to do that...

I know it's different but with v little prep etc I've beaten someone nearly 2300 with black online recently...

They change and mess up the grades quite a bit but when I stopped playing before in like 2008 (or in 2007) I would have been about 1900 elo strength I think... 129 YCA grade got like changed upwards to like 150...

So yeah what I'm saying is all these old grades were like underestimated compared to international grades. A 150 player back then would be have been pretty good...

[Mark Howitt]

And as another quick note...

One of the few chances I was given to play at QEGS Wakefield when I was about 11 (so this would have been about 1994) was against RGS Newcastle and I lost. I think QEGS juniors won a lot of other games though...

[Nick Ivell]

I managed to swindle a draw in the 1982 event.

Not sure I have the score; I do recall it was an a4 anti-Marshall. I still have the prize given of Karpov's collected games.

[MJMcCready]

Is this phenomena of world champions giving simuls to promising youths still in operation? I don't recall seeing reports of Carlsen or Anand doing it but then I'm hardly the most informed chess fan out there. It would be a shame if it became a thing of the past.

[LawrenceCooper]

Is this phenomena of world champions giving simuls to promising youths still in operation? I don't recall seeing reports of Carlsen or Anand doing it but then I'm hardly the most informed chess fan out there. It would be a shame if it became a thing of the past.

Not simuls but both have been involved in training camps with younger players. Magnus with Norwegian and Indian players and Anand with Indians.

[Nick Ivell]

Karpov said he learned nothing from simuls.

A modest fee for several hours' tiring work, with the risk of humiliation? Not a great cost benefits analysis.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I suspect the modern leading GMs make a fair amount from the large number of events, or training courses, live/online, or even advertising.

When I played Botvinnik in a simul in 1967, he was doing a tour of the country after Hastings, earning valuable western currency. It was probably welcome cash, which he wouldn't otherwise get.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Indeed, was Kasparov the last leading player to go big on simuls in general?

[Jonathan Rogers]

perhaps. he must have been the strongest simul player of all time. He actually played and beat national teams of respectable countries! Certainly Argentina, but also - I think (usual warnings apply) - Czech Republic and Israel. Naturally he prepared hard, but still...!

[Mick Norris]

France twice, Germany, Brazil, Peru, Argentina twice, Israel, Faroe Islands, Czech Republic and Switzerland

Hamburg twice, Cannes, US Juniors, Harvard, UMBC, winning all but the first match v Hamburg

[Christopher Kreuzer]

perhaps. he must have been the strongest simul player of all time. He actually played and beat national teams of respectable countries! Certainly Argentina, but also - I think (usual warnings apply) - Czech Republic and Israel. Naturally he prepared hard, but still...!

Good article on one of those matches here:

Kasparov trounced the Czech national team 5.5-2.5 in two clock simul matches

Sadly, the promised 2-part article on the previous exploits of Kasparov as simul-giver is just two dead links.

Some other links:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/is-garry- ... -his-mind-

https://chesschest.com/kasparov-used-th ... onal-team/

Good account and history here:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/american- ... us-juniors

Garry started to do it on a regular basis – and take on stronger and stronger opposition: the Swiss national team, the French (twice), the US junior team, the German junior team, the German Olympiad squad and finally the Argentenians and the Israelis.

So it was a German team twice, then the above, and then these US juniors, though sadly the videos don't seem to be online anymore.

I hope the videos and the articles at the dead links can be found and made available at some point.

EDIT: Thanks for the list, Mick!

[Jonathan Rogers]

GK said that the loss to Hamburg made him realise the necessity to prepare for individual opponents. From then onwards ...

I saw some videos a few years ago of GK playing the US juniors; perhaps they are still available on youtube? He was ground by Wolff, but won 4-2 overall. The main drama came when an opponent forced an early draw by repetition as White in an open sicilian. GK had prepared the slightly risky line as Black, and simply assumed that, as white, his opponent would not be satisfied with an immediate draw. Wrongly so, and when his opponent tried to claim a draw, GK tried to stop him, saying that this was (for his opponent) an exceptional opportunity to play the world champion, and he simply had to play. As for the opponent, he later commented that obviously GK had prepared this line, risky or not, so what fool would play along?

Well, dear forumites, what do you think?