GM Lubomir Kaválek, 1943-2021

[Garvinator]

1/19/2021 – Lubomir Kavalek was born in Prague in 1943. He left his country in 1968 and found a new home in the USA. In the 1970s he was one of the world's best players and also successful as a second and coach, including helping Bobby Fischer in Reykjavík. He was also a prolific writer, with dozens of well-read chess columns, including one he shared on ChessBase over the years. Kavalek passed away on January 18 at the age of 77. He will be sorely missed.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/lubomir-kavalek-1943-2021

[Capablanca-Fan]

https://en.chessbase.com/post/lubomir-kavalek-1943-2021

That's a shame. He was a dangerous sharp player and fine coach. Kavalek helped Short up to qualifying to play Kasparov, but then they had a bitter falling out before that match.

[Kevin Bonham]

Somehow the Chessbase obit has not included his most famous game, perhaps because they figured everyone knew it anyway:

Gufeld - Kavalek

PGN Viewer

 

[Desmond]

Did Kavalek ever come to Australia? I remember playing in a simul in mid-90s in Brisbane/Gold Coast against a foreign GM. Maybe 1995.

[ER]

Somehow the Chessbase obit has not included his most famous game, perhaps because they figured everyone knew it anyway:
Gufeld - Kavalek ...

Τhat's an amazing game very much to the tune of the classical masterpieces of attacking chess!

However, I thought that the draw vs Bobby Fischer in Sousse TUN Interzonal (1967), Rd 6, Oct-22 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Poisoned Pawn Accepted (B97) (*) was Kavalek's most well known effort, albeit for the wrong reasons and it definitely deserves a mention!

According to an article in the South African Chessplayer (SAC) chess magazine and reported by GM Alexander Matanovic, Fischer during the said game stopped the clock and demanded that a photographer who btw was the official photographer for the Soviet embassy in Tunis should leave the playing room before he (Fischer) would resume his game.

The director of the event refused and restarted Fischer's clock. Fischer argued for 30 minutes before agreeing to continue his game.

Fischer soon got into time trouble and fell into a move repetition line. The editor of the SAC added a note at the end of the article, writing "One cannot help feeling that Fischer missed the best continuation as a result of the disturbance caused by the photographer."

Here's the game

PGN Viewer

  Draw

(*) Marriage is like capturing the Poisoned Pawn in the Najdorf. Vassily Ivanchuk

[MichaelBaron]

Τhat's an amazing game very much to the tune of the classical masterpieces of attacking chess!

However, I thought that the draw vs Bobby Fischer in Sousse TUN Interzonal (1967), Rd 6, Oct-22 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Poisoned Pawn Accepted (B97) (*) was Kavalek's most well known effort, albeit for the wrong reasons and it definitely deserves a mention!

According to an article in the South African Chessplayer (SAC) chess magazine and reported by GM Alexander Matanovic, Fischer during the said game stopped the clock and demanded that a photographer who btw was the official photographer for the Soviet embassy in Tunis should leave the playing room before he (Fischer) would resume his game.

The director of the event refused and restarted Fischer's clock. Fischer argued for 30 minutes before agreeing to continue his game.

Fischer soon got into time trouble and fell into a move repetition line. The editor of the SAC added a note at the end of the article, writing "One cannot help feeling that Fischer missed the best continuation as a result of the disturbance caused by the photographer."

Here's the game

PGN Viewer

  Draw

(*) Marriage is like capturing the Poisoned Pawn in the Najdorf. Vassily Ivanchuk

Love the Ivanchuk's quote in your signature.
Anyway, this is a highly complex struggle so its really hard to find the best continuations for both sides even without ''the photographer'' interfering.

[MichaelBaron]

And here is Kavalek's demolition of the young Karpov:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067536

[antichrist]

Love the Ivanchuk's quote in your signature.
Anyway, this is a highly complex struggle so its really hard to find the best continuations for both sides even without ''the photographer'' interfering.

What do you mean highly complex - Black just had to castle by move eight or ten and remember that move your queen out early and often enough get into strife.

[ER]

Love the Ivanchuk's quote in your signature.
Anyway, this is a highly complex struggle so its really hard to find the best continuations for both sides even without ''the photographer'' interfering.

Yes, Vassily is a very popular eccentric character amongst the super GM circles for his mannerisms as well as his witty quips!

[ER]

And here is Kavalek's demolition of the young Karpov:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067536

There was quite a bit of arguments about this game but this is not the place to talk about stuff like that.
btw Kaválek was criticised for missing 23. Nxg7 instead of 23. Red1 played. Would that tactical capture just gain a pawn, or was there something deeper?

[Kevin Bonham]

There was quite a bit of arguments about this game but this is not the place to talk about stuff like that.
btw Kaválek was criticised for missing 23. Nxg7 instead of 23. Red1 played. Would that tactical capture just gain a pawn, or was there something deeper?

It's basically just that it diverts the queen and wins a pawn (unless black wants to take with the king and lose totally to Bh6+! winning queen or mating)

[ER]

It's basically just that it diverts the queen and wins a pawn (unless black wants to take with the king and lose totally to Bh6+! winning queen or mating)

excellent thanks!

[ggardiner]

Did Kavalek ever come to Australia? I remember playing in a simul in mid-90s in Brisbane/Gold Coast against a foreign GM. Maybe 1995.

Yes, with the help of Ian Rogers we brought Lubo out to the Gold Coast around then. Wendy and I also got to stay with him and his wife in Washington in 2000.

[ggardiner]

It was 1996. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...-6cc981d0bdfb/

[antichrist]

Thanks for excellent historical Oz game to go through. I may have played a Dutch GM with garden set at Byron Bay beach about 3 years ago.