Ken Kurkowski
07-01-2012, 05:50 PM
(Originally posted on the Cooperative Chess Coalition ( CCC ) Facebook discussion group, “ CCC – Chess Posts of Interest http://www.facebook.com/groups/cooperativechesscoalition/).
This being Canada Day, I thought I’d post my list (in no particular order) of the Top 10 moments in Canadian Chess history, just to show that while we may not be one of the big chess powers in the world, the Royal Game has had some illustrious moments in this country. My criteria for the above were roughly: significant world chess events that took place in Canada or significant achievements by Canadian players. Please feel free to comment!
• World Chess Festival, Saint John NB 1988 (one of the largest chess events in this country: candidates matches, world blitz won by Tal..., several Open tournaments)
• Man and His World Chess Challenge Cup, Montreal 1979 (RR tournament featuring most of the top GMs of that time – Karpov and Tal finished tied for first)
• Fischer – Taimanov World Championship Candidates Match, Vancouver 1971 (Bobby won 6-0!)
• Steinitz – Lasker World Championship Match (1st part), (concluding games held in Montreal, 1894)
• Centennial Tournament, Winnipeg 1967 ( then-world champ Spassky participated)
• Quebec Open 1972 (746 players, most ever in Canada)
• Abe Yanofsky defeats reigning World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik, Netherlands, 1946
• Kevin Spraggett defeats I. Sokolov in Candidates Match, Saint John 1988
• Pascal Charbonneau defeats V. Anand at the Chess Olympiad, 2006.
• Toronto hosts World Junior Championship, 1957 (William Lombardy wins with perfect 11-0 score!)
Ken Kurkowski, CCC member
This being Canada Day, I thought I’d post my list (in no particular order) of the Top 10 moments in Canadian Chess history, just to show that while we may not be one of the big chess powers in the world, the Royal Game has had some illustrious moments in this country. My criteria for the above were roughly: significant world chess events that took place in Canada or significant achievements by Canadian players. Please feel free to comment!
• World Chess Festival, Saint John NB 1988 (one of the largest chess events in this country: candidates matches, world blitz won by Tal..., several Open tournaments)
• Man and His World Chess Challenge Cup, Montreal 1979 (RR tournament featuring most of the top GMs of that time – Karpov and Tal finished tied for first)
• Fischer – Taimanov World Championship Candidates Match, Vancouver 1971 (Bobby won 6-0!)
• Steinitz – Lasker World Championship Match (1st part), (concluding games held in Montreal, 1894)
• Centennial Tournament, Winnipeg 1967 ( then-world champ Spassky participated)
• Quebec Open 1972 (746 players, most ever in Canada)
• Abe Yanofsky defeats reigning World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik, Netherlands, 1946
• Kevin Spraggett defeats I. Sokolov in Candidates Match, Saint John 1988
• Pascal Charbonneau defeats V. Anand at the Chess Olympiad, 2006.
• Toronto hosts World Junior Championship, 1957 (William Lombardy wins with perfect 11-0 score!)
Ken Kurkowski, CCC member