HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: drchip@cup.portal.com (MYRON A LIEBERMAN)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: A difference of opinions
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 23:43:59 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

IMHO Chess Chow may be the best US chess magazine since "Overboard". If
you consider the product as a function of the resources available to produce
it this would be the case. Chess Life is a house organ for USCF and is
focused on chess. It succeeds in what it is trying to do, namely to provide
something, however little or however much, for a very diverse range of
chess enthusiasts. Still it has the resources of USCF behind it and must meet
editorial guidelines that sometimes seem self-contradictory (and can change
at any August Delegates' meeting). Chessplayers, however, are people and
chess tournaments are social occasions as much as they are chess events. 
Chess Chow appears to provide the "color" or personality of tournaments and
tournament players reasonably well. It shares one problem with CL, however,
and that is an apparent weakness in the coverage of the western chess scene.
This is understandable in view of the geographic location of the publisher,
but with time hopefully it can develop a more national representation. As
for a sense of humor, why would anyone criticize a publication for adding
humor for balance of what could otherwise be rather dry. Granted, the items
listed under chess trivia may be "in jokes" to a small group of people, but
they seem well presented and "Chess Life" could benefit from a chess trivia
column on a regular basis. I consider "Chess Chow" to be a welcome addition
to available chess publications, but TINAR.
From: Erik.E.Wachtenheim@dartmouth.edu (Erik E. Wachtenheim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: French, Tarrasch Var.
Date: 9 Apr 92 22:51:54 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

In my openings book by Horowitz the moves for the French Defense,
Tarrasch Variation I, are as follows:

1. P-K4, P-K3       1. e2-e4, e7-e6
2. P-Q4, P-Q4       2. d2-d4, d7-d5
3. N-Q2, P-QB4      3. b1-d2, c7-c5
4. PxQP, QxP        4. e4xd5, d8xd5
etc,

He footnotes 4...BPxP(c5xd4) as a mistake due to 5. B-KN5ch(f1-b5ch),
B-Q2(c8-d7) 6. PxP!(d5xe6) and if
6...BxB(d7xb5) then 7. PxPch(e6xf7ch),KxP(e8xf7) 8. Q-R5ch!(d1-h5ch!)

Is this move 4...BPxP always a mistake for black even if 6...PxP rather
than
6...BxB??  

I am unable to find a clear disadvantage for black after the response
6...PxP
Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Erik Wachtenheim
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: c9101030@wombat.newcastle.edu.au
Subject: FRENCH : McCUTCHEON VARIATION
Organization: University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 07:26:39 GMT

Subj: French McCutcheon Variation

After 1.e4 e6  2.d4 d5  3.Nc3 Nf6  4.Bg5 Bb4  5.e5 h6  6.Bd2 Bxc3  7.Bxc3 Ne4

	---------------------------------
	| r | n | b | q | k |   | n | r |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	| p | p | p |   |   | p | p |   |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	|   |   |   |   | p |   |   | p |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	|   |   |   | p | P |   |   |   |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	|   |   |   | P | n |   |   |   |  
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	|   |   | B |   |   |   |   |   |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	| P | P | P |   |   | P | P | P |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
	| R |   |   | Q | K | B | N | R |
	|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

why does the bishop on c3 go up and down along the a5-e1 diagonal only to end
up being eaten on c3 after all? This happened in Fischer-Petrosian which went
8,Ba5 0-0  9.Bd3 Nc6  10.Bc3 Nxc3. Fischer analyses 8.Bb4 c5  9.dc Nxf2 
10.Kxf2 Qh4+ and again the bishop gets eaten. So, why bother moving it at all?

	Once, someone played  8.Nc3 against me and this seems to me to be
better than moving the doomed bishop?

	Could somebody enlighten me on this matter and also has anyone played
8.Nc3 before? What's the evaluation for 8.Nc3?

	Please e-mail your answers to : c9101030@wombat.newcastle.edu.au : as
I don't often read news. Thanks.

- c9101030@wombat.newcastle.edu.au -
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: johnr@cged.co.uk (John Richards)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: World Championship Semi-Finals
Date: 13 Apr 92 13:04:04 GMT
Organization: Computer General Electronic Design Ltd

Results of the first two games in each match in Linares:

Karpov	1-0	Short	(Budapest, 43 moves. A strange choice by Short)
Short	0.5	Karpov	(Caro-Kann Advance, 32 moves. Short's favourite
			anti-Caro variation at the moment)

Yusupov beat Timman	(don't know the colours)
Yusupov and Timman drew in the second game.

Each match is of ten games.
-- 
                                      John Richards
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: "REYNOLDS, MARK ANTHONY" <helios!physics.ucla.edu!reynolds@tssi.com>
Subject: Re: Books on Morphy?
Organization: Chessnews list (chessnews-request@tssi.com)
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 19:15:00 GMT


> Could anyone recommend a good book or two on Paul Morphy?
>
> Primarily, I'm interested in getting as many of his games as possible,
> although biographical info is OK, too...


The one that has most of his games is the book by Seargent, it is now
put out by Dover, so it is fairly cheap, $5-$10.  I have it and I
like it.  It has quite a bit of biographical info as well.

If you can read German, there are books on Morphy by Lowenthal and
Maroczy from about 100 years ago, but you'd have to search your local
libraries.  The Seargent book is based alot on the Lowenthal book.


Anthony Reynolds
reynolds@physics.ucla.edu
From: breuker@cs.rulimburg.nl (Dennis Breuker)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: French Winawer
Date: 9 Apr 92 07:47:15 GMT
Reply-To: breuker@cs.rulimburg.nl (Dennis Breuker)
Organization: University of Limburg, Maastricht

Hi all,

I have a question concerning the French Winawer.

A few days ago I reached the following position (after the moves
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qc7 7.Qg4 f6 8.Nf3 Nc6
9.Qg3)

    +------------------------+
  8 | r ::: b ::: k ::: n :r:|
  7 |:o: o :q:   :::   :o: o |
  6 |   ::: n ::: o :o:   :::|
  5 |:::   :o: o :O:   :::   |
  4 |   :::   :O:   :::   :::|
  3 |:O:   :O:   ::: N :Q:   |
  2 |   ::: O :::   :O: O :O:|
  1 |:R:   :B:   :K: B ::: R |
    +------------------------+
      A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H

In the game Smyslov - Botvinnik (1957) there followed
9...Qf7 10.dxc5 Nge7 11.Bd3 and white was a bit better (BCO 2).

However, my opponent played 9...Kf7!?
Now I want to know what my plan is in this position. I'm more a tactical
player than a positional one, so I played
A) 10.Bd2 Bd7 11.Bd3 Nge7 12.h4, etc. but maybe
B) 10.exf6 Qxg3 11.hxg3 is better.

What do you think of A) and B)? Can you formulate a plan from the position
above?

Thanks,
-- Dennis Breuker (breuker@cs.rulimburg.nl) ~1850 ELO
From: ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: junk mail
Date: 9 Apr 92 14:47:49 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

> Someone has been collecting US mail addresses from rec.games.chess
> postings, and sending unsolicited sales literature. 
> 
> Please stop.  We are not amused.

I'm amused.  Why do people have US mail addresses in their postings (and
often home phone numbers!)?

							Tim Smith
Xref: sparky rec.games.chess:3206 rec.games.go:969 alt.suicide.holiday:999
From: martin@kawa.ssl.fujitsu.co.jp (Simon Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess,rec.games.go,alt.suicide.holiday
Subject: Re: Yes, my nightmare is coming true.
Date: 13 Apr 92 01:29:31 GMT
	<1992Apr10.095744.15927@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Followup-To: rec.games.chess
Organization: FUJITSU SOCIAL SCIENCE LABORATORY LIMITED, JAPAN.
In-reply-to: irelanda@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk's message of 10 Apr 92 09:57:44 GMT


>just think of the poor Scots who voted Labour and still get a Tory government.

> I'm in scotland and its depressed already.

Pre Ministerial Tension ? 

You could aleviate Scotland's sorrow by leaving. 

Why do you think you are depressing Scotland?

What a strange Newsgroups listing!

> Charlie Brown.
> -- 
> I Have just one thing to say - "Een pinche voor alles!"

--
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Simon C. T. Martin  
                                                 martin@kawa.ssl.fujitsu.co.jp
Korman's Conclusion: 
The trouble with resisting temptation is that it may never come you way again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: helios!intercal.com!hwr@tssi.com (Hanon W. Russell)
Subject: This Week In Chess History
Organization: Chessnews list (chessnews-request@tssi.com)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 15:38:40 GMT


                         THIS WEEK IN CHESS HISTORY
                             April 16-23, 1992

April 16
1945 - Goran Antunac

April 17
Good Friday
1910 - Vladas Mikenas born
1924 - Lasker wins New York International

April 18
Passover
1900 - Rudolph Charousek died
1929 - Walter Shipman born
1962 - William Watson born

April 19
Easter
1909 - C.H. O'D. Alexander born
1942 - Michael Valvo born
1969 - Zsuzsa Polgar born

April 20
1928 - Robert Byrne born
1932 - Edgar Colle died

April 21
1923 - Yakov Estrin born

April 22
1867 - Alexander Petrov died

Copyright 1992 Hanon W. Russell
All Rights Reserved

Xref: sparky rec.games.chess:3147 rec.games.go:957 alt.suicide.holiday:992
From: irelanda@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Charlie Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess,rec.games.go,alt.suicide.holiday
Subject: Re: Yes, my nightmare is coming true.
Date: 10 Apr 92 09:57:44 GMT
Organization: Glasgow University Computing Science Dept.

annan@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:

>Well, it seems like we're landed with another Conservative govt. for five more
>years. Over 600 seats (out of 651) and a majority of about 17 predicted.

>Joke: The only good Tory is a lavatory. In fact, jI think I'll put that in my
>signature, it's so funny.


>Yours, disillusioned with the British electoral system (and the intelligence of
>the British electorate)
>-- 
>James, who's going to get a witty signature as soon as he can think of one.

just think of the poor Scots who voted Labour and still get a Tory government.

I'm in scotland and its depressed already.

Charlie Brown.
-- 
I Have just one thing to say - "Een pinche voor alles!"
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: mwj@beta.lanl.gov (William Johnson)
Subject: Re: More Reshevsky
Summary: Draw offers are headaches anyway ... 
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 16:19:22 GMT

In article <01GIU7I57V808X45M0@canal.crc.uno.edu> helios!canal.crc.uno.edu!DCBCS@tssi.com (Dennis Baker) writes:
>
>Here's some of what I've been getting about Reshevsky via private
>e-mail:
>
[stuff omitted]
>  o Offered a draw at Lone Pine, but when his opponent thinks and let's
>    his clock run down to 5 minutes left, and then reaches out to shake
>    hands with Reshevsky, Reshevsky denies ever having made the draw
>    offer.

At the risk of re-opening a r.g.c frequent (and frequently flame-filled)
topic, let me point out that draw offers are among the more contentious of
chess rituals.  I don't know the details of this particular story, but
Reshevsky has been pointed out (by Robert Byrne among others) for his "artful
use of draw offers," to use Byrne's words.  Let me see if I correctly recall
Bronstein's notes to his game with Reshevsky from the 1953 Candidates':
	"While making this active move Reshevsky offered a draw, although he
	appeared to be in a fighting mood and would probably have been quite
	upset if I had accepted it.  His inquiry 'Are you playing for a win?'
	seems to be more in the nature of a probe designed to needle the
	opponent into a precipitate step."

Lots of other stories exist involving draw offers.  Kavalek describes a game
with Ljubojevic in which the latter offered a draw *before* making his move
(rules of the day called for the draw offer to be made *with* the move).  He
replied, "I think you should make the move first."  Ljubojevic: "But if I make
a move the draw offer does not stand!"  Acrimonious discussion ensued, at the
end of which Kavalek declined the offer (and went on to win a brilliancy).    
Occurrences like this are frequent in tournaments, and they may or may not 
suggest unethical behavior on the part of the person making the offer.

Sometimes I wonder why high-level chess hasn't adopted a signaling system for
reducing draw-offer shenanigans -- something like the bidding cards used in
tournament bridge or backgammon's doubling cube.  One hears enough bizarre
stories involving draw offers that it might be worth some prophylaxis.

-- 
Bill Johnson				| "This is a bit complicated, so let
Los Alamos National Laboratory		| me explain it backwards."  (first
Los Alamos, New Mexico USA		| line of a memo from a fellow Los
!cmcl2!lanl!mwj (mwj@lanl.gov)		| Alamos physicist who will go unnamed)
From: nayak@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Krishna Nayak)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Goldman analysis
Date: 7 Apr 92 22:06:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: sun13.8084
Reply-To: nayak@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Krishna Nayak)
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University

Louis Blair wrote:

>How should black play after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 de 4 Nxe4 Nd7
>5 Bc4 Ngf6 6 Qf3 ?

>My reason for being worried about this position

>r - b q k b - r
>p p - n p p p p
>- - p - - n - -
>- - - - - - - -
>- - B P N - - -
>- - - - - Q - -
>P P P - - P P P
>R - B - K - N R

This reminds me of the record of the shortest GM game of all time.
I just thought I'd share it...

 1  e4     c6
 2  d4     d5
 3  Nc3    de
 4  Nxe4   Nd7
 5  Qe2    Ngf6?
 6  Nd6++
 
it's good to know that GMs blunder big-time too...


--
Krishna Nayak  --  nayak@scri.fsu.edu
Supercomputer Computations Research Institute
Florida State University
From: DCBCS@CANAL.CRC.UNO.EDU (Dennis Baker)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Corrected game score to Browne-Wolff
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:54:00 GMT

Here is the official (corrected) score to the Browne-Wolff game I
presented earlier on rec.games.chess.  The earlier game score was
recreated from the memory of a friend of mine, NM Mark Schulingkamp.
The only differences between this score is we had Wolff castling
before playing ...c5 and ...Nc6.


Gulf Coast Open
Metairie (3-29-92)
Rd.4, Bd.1
TC: 35/90 (2nd TC: ??)
Grunfeld Defense
GM Walter Browne (2600) - GM Patrick Wolff (2646)

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7
7 Bc4 c5 8 Ne2 Nc6 9 Be3 O-O 10 Rc1 Qa5 11 Kf1 b5 12 Bd5
Bb7 13 h4 e6 14 Bb3 Rfd8 15 h5 cxd4 16 cxd4 Qb4 17 hxg6
hxg6 18 Bd2 Qe7 19 d5 exd5 20 exd5 Ne5 21 Bh6 Bxh6 22 Rxh6
Qg5 23 Rh3 Rac8 24 Rxc8 Bxc8 25 Rg3 Qh4 26 Qd4 Qh1+ 27 Ng1
b4 28 f4 Ng4 29 Bc4 Qh4 30 Ne2 Re8 31 Rh3 Nh2+ 32 Rxh2 Qxh2
33 d6 Bb7 34 Qf6 Qxg2+ 35 Ke1 Qg1+ 36 Kd2 Rxe2+ 37 Bxe2
Qc5 38 f5 Be4 39 fxg6 Bxg6 40 Bg4 Qd5+ 41 Ke1 Qh1+ 1/2:1/2

23 Rh1 - Browne in post mortem

Note: Metairie is contiguous with New Orleans

Dennis Baker
<DCBCS@uno.edu>
From: lb2e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Louis Blair)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Goldman analysis
Date: 12 Apr 92 21:30:14 GMT
	<4138@ucsbcsl.ucsb.edu>
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I wrote:
>How should black play after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 de 4 Nxe4 Nd7
>5 Bc4 Ngf6 6 Qf3 ?
>
>My reason for being worried about this position
>
>r - b q k b - r
>p p - n p p p p
>- - p - - n - -
>- - - - - - - -
>- - B P N - - -
>- - - - - Q - -
>P P P - - P P P
>R - B - K - N R
>
>
>is that Warren Goldman wrote a book that devoted four and
>a half pages to a discussion of this position, coming to the
>conclusion that it was good for white.

John Tomas wrote:
>After 6 ... e6 7 Bg5 Be7 8 O-O-O Nxe4 9 Bxe7 Qxe7 10 Qxe4
>Nf6, Black should have a rather easy game, I would think.

I wrote:
>Goldman devotes a page of analysis to the position and comes
>to a somewhat different conclusion.  At this point Goldman
>suggests that white play 11 Qf3, claiming, "for Black the
>position is, despite its surface placidity, not easy."

John Tomas wrote:
>I just don't see that after Qf3 (making certain that his Knight
>is misplaced) Black has any significant problems.  In fact I
>would say that in these variations Black's game is *significantly*
>easier than in main lines.  After 0-0 Ne2 Black might simply be
>able to play b6, ... c5 or perhaps ... e5.  In all these lines the absence
>of minor pieces and the misplaced Knight means that Black is
>much closer to equality than in main lines.  Probably I would
>favor ... c5 myself.

I wrote:
>Goldman's suggested move after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 de 4 Nxe4 Nd7
>5 Bc4 Ngf6 6 Qf3 e6 7 Bg5 Be7 8 O-O-O Nxe4 9 Bxe7 Qxe7 10 Qxe4
>Nf6 11 Qf3 0-0 is 12 Nh3, not 12 Ne2.  (He does comment that 12 Ne2
>is "equally promising", but he does not go into detail on this possibility.)
>There is a page of discussion of what happens after 12 Nh3.

John Tomas writes:
>If White plays 12 Nh3 it seems that Black has a promising pawn sac
>later with b6 since if White takes the c pawn Black's Bb7 and subsequent
>Bxg2 is very strong.

Goldman's suggested response to 12 ... b6 is 13 g4.
From: hau4@quads.uchicago.edu (sven  hauptfeld)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: More Reshevsky
Date: 14 Apr 92 20:58:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: midway.1992Apr14.205845.19831
Reply-To: hau4@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <01GIU7I57V808X45M0@canal.crc.uno.edu> Dennis Baker <helios!canal.crc.uno.edu!DCBCS@tssi.com> writes:
>Here's some of what I've been getting about Reshevsky via private
>e-mail:
>
>  o The biggest cheater in the 20th century.
>
>  o Has done everything illegal and nasty under the sun.
>
>  [...]

Would you guys STOP this vulgar discussion. Has anybody ever taught you 
the principle of decency: DE MORTUO NIHIL NISI BENE (about the dead (say)
nothing unless it is good)?

				Sven Hauptfeld
				sven@uchep.uchicago.edu

If you want to punch me, don't waste the space on Internet.
From: cracraft@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu (Stuart Cracraft)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: rec.games.chess.etiquette
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:50:29 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

In article <1992Apr16.224829.10510@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> albert@sevenlayer.cs.wisc.edu (Joseph Albert) writes:
>
>In the last several days, we have seen this tradition of treating people
>with mutual respect, a tradition that has existed on this forum for over
>a decade, be broken. Let's not let rec.games.chess go the way of other
>newsgroups. Rather than pointing fingers at who may or may not be to blame,
>maybe we all could take a minute to think about how much we enjoy this forum,
>and make a personal committment to keep it the pleasant newsgroup that it
>has been for so many years.
>
As the originator of net.chess, I feel a need to comment. Mr. Albert is
absolutely right. People who use a public forum for other than its 
original intended purpose must have either a very good reason or 
some ulterior motive. It saddened me to see some of the posts that
prompted Mr. Albert to then have to use his valuable time from probably
a very busy and hectic schedule in order to make this good and deserving
point.

To those of you who Mr. Albert is talking about: you know who you are.
Further, you are aware that at least two people will be observing you.
There are basic rules of decorum and procedure which should be 
informally adhered to so that a good atmosphere for intellectual
exchange can be maintained.

Chess as a field is rife with petty politics and we have been fairly
fortunate to avoid much of it here on the network. Please give us
all a break, you posters to whom we are speaking, and "Get a life."
If you don't know how, then use its correllary and "Improve our lives"
by keeping your comments sedate, reasonable, and accurate.

	Stuart Cracraft
From: sloan@cis.uab.edu (Kenneth Sloan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Draw offers (was Re: More Reshevsky)
Date: 16 Apr 92 20:13:03 GMT
Organization: CIS, University of Alabama at Birmingham

In article <1992Apr16.184012.1373@newshost.lanl.gov> mwj@beta.lanl.gov (William Johnson) writes:
>...
>Castling indeed can get as weird as draw offers.  At a tournament in 1974 (I
>think Manila), ...
>... Ribli castled by moving his rook first.  Hort
>jumped up, ran to an arbiter, said "He wants to play by the rules, so so will
>I.  I demand a rook move."  After some head-scratching it was ascertained that
>the proper response was not to force a rook move, but to give the offender a
>warning.  Hort said, "Well, give him a warning," and Ribli was duly warned.
>This bit of silliness likely had something to do with removal of that fatuous
>rule from the book.

Do you mean the rule that only a warning should be issued?  I agree that
giving a warning is fatuous.

In my copy of the USCF rule book, which appear to represent the rules as
of 1987, the FIDE rule is given as: (p. 79)

    "5.1 
         ...
         c. If a player touches a rook and then his king, he may
            not castle with that rook and the situation will
            be governed by Articles 7.2 and 7.3"

Articles 7.2 and 7.3 cover the usual touch-move situation.

Can someone familiar with current FIDE rules comment, please?



-- 
Kenneth Sloan                   Computer and Information Sciences
sloan@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham
(205) 934-2213                  115A Campbell Hall, UAB Station 
(205) 934-5473 FAX              Birmingham, AL 35294-1170
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (perlman eric)
Subject: Re: Looking for improvement suggestions
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 22:44:35 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.214208.10227@cis.uab.edu> sloan@cis.uab.edu (Kenneth Sloan) writes:
>In article <1992Apr10.181945.26728@cs.brown.edu> jhc@iris.UUCP (James H. Coombs) writes:
>>..
>>As an extreme example, Jorge Zamora went from 1900 to 2400 last year.
>>He probably did not improve that much in one year but was seriously
>>underrated to start with. 
>
>I see no reason to believe that he was "seriously underrated to start
>with".  You are assuming your conclusion.

Yes and no.  I can use myself as another example; five years ago, my
rating went from 1740 to >2100 inside a year.  One might say that the
improvement was linear; however, looking at my performance ratings
during that stretch, I had four consecutive 2100+ performances during
that stretch, including two while my rating was still in the 1800 range.
Also, I was one of the last to benefit from bonus and feedback points,
which no longer exist.  So, if anything, Jorge Zamora probably had a
string of master and sr. master performances (probably 8 or 10 at least,
especially since the constant changes at 2100), many of which while his
official rating was much lower.  That, however, is at some level only
speculation.
-- 
"How sad to see/A model of decorum and tranquillity/become like any other sport
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee." -Tim Rice,"Chess"
     Eric S. Perlman  <perlman@qso.colorado.edu> or <eric@lyra.Colorado.EDU> 
  Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: Z1A@csci1.csci.unt.edu (Mike Sluyter)
Subject: 1. a4 ...
Organization: University of North Texas
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 05:35:41 GMT

just kidding....
From: linb@UCS.ORST.EDU (Benjamin Lin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Pitch for TV chess
Date: 8 Apr 92 15:22:56 GMT
Organization: University Computing Services - OSU

Basically, there is no point in a TV chess program unless there are enough
people willing to watch it.  The idea of getting people interested in chess
through TV isn't too realistic.  The first goal should be to start as many
school chess programs as possible.  Except for very populated areas like
NY, Boston, and California, this doesn't seem to be happening very much.
Only with a large base of prospective chess players can the US expect to
dominate the chess scene.

PS On the other hand, a movie like the Fischer story could be quite
promotional.