From: corleyj@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Jason D Corley )
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: TO THE GM'S AT CHESS CHOW/LIFE, round II
Date: 14 Dec 92 01:39:35 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson

In article <1992Dec13.154655.465@uoft02.utoledo.edu> dcrosgr@uoft02.utoledo.edu writes:
>In article <1992Dec13.180811.15558@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu>, corleyj@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Jason D Corley ) writes:
>> In article <1992Dec12.193455.462@uoft02.utoledo.edu> dcrosgr@uoft02.utoledo.edu writes:
>>>In article <1992Dec12.055515.4606@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu>, corleyj@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Jason D Corley ) writes:
>>>> In article <1992Dec11.165710.448@uoft02.utoledo.edu> dcrosgr@uoft02.utoledo.edu writes:
>>>>>>>[attribution line stupidly deleted :(]
>> 
>> I thought you meant the current World Champion title.  That he has
>> proven his right to the 1972 title is, in my mind, unquestionable.
>> The fact remains that the current World Champion title is
>> surrounded by certain rules to protect its integrity.  Whether
>> those rules are justified, I do not know, but I _do_ know they
>> are necessary to come up with the needed generalization:
>> "Joe Chessplayer is World Champion."  And, whether the "second-
>> rate players-association" that awards the title is indeed
>> second-rate, I do not know.  I am a fourth-rate player myself.
>> On the other hand, the system in place has produced some terrific
>> chess, so I don't see anything wrong with it.  If Fischer is really
>> as great as you say (he may be, I guess everyone else could be wrong),
>> then he has the right to play within the rules and stomp everyone
>> else into the ground.  And that, I am sure, would produce some
>> GREAT chess, so I am all for him trying his hardest.
>
>And if he plays outside of the rules, an still stomps them into the ground, as
>he has been doing? Does the fact he did not abide by the laws of civilized
>English gentleman make him less talented? Or more?
>

Sure, that's great if he can do that.  But the only person he's played
in 20 years is Boris Spassky, and (from what I've heard) not at his
best.  To repeat myself, I don't know whether the "laws" you mention
are justified, but they are _necessary_ in order to hand out a
World Champ title.
And let me clarify: I don't care whether Fischer plays within the rules
or not.  Couldn't care less, really.  But I can see no reason why he
shouldn't play within the rules and pick up a neat title to go along
with his huge prize checks and then he could _really_ snub his nose
at the rest of the world.  Assuming, of course, that he can.  Which
might be possible.  As I said in a deleted section below, there is
no way to predict the outcome of a certain match or even a certain
game, with absolute accuracy, ever.

>
>Then the title best college basketball team has no meaning as well?
>
>

Yep.  You got it.  We have a College Basketball Champion _title_,
but even if they are undefeated, they still have not played every
College Basketball team in the world.  Trust me.  They haven't.
This is why there are rules set up for tournaments, regions,
conferences and such.  Very similar to chess.

>
>Who was the last person to beat Fischer?
>

Boris Spassky.  Only a few games, admittedly, but they were there.
And Fischer has only played 30 games in the last 20 years, ALL of them
with Spassky.  No wonder no other GM has beaten him!  This is why
I hope Fischer DOES start playing against other GMs in tournament
settings so he can work his way up to take a shot at the "real"
(I use the term loosely, see above) title.  Like I said before,
good chess.
>
>Now, let me state it clearly, as Mr. Wedding has been repeatedly calling for
>others to do:
>
>"What basis are the GMs using for saying that Fischer is not as good as he
>was?"

Can't really say, myself.  I think I'll go up and change the subject
line here so I won't get accused of changing the subject anymore.

I don't think its possible to judge anyone's playing ability on the
basis of only 30 games.  But of course, that cuts both ways-- we
can't say he's awful, but we can't say he's great either.

	Jason
	Worst Chessplayer in Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha