Notable Aussies that got away

[Rincewind]

(b) Also in rugby union, Wales upset Australia.

In my humble opinion, the NZ propensity for vicarious sporting victories is also a flaw in their national psyche.

[antichrist]

Arianne Caoili was certainly a big fish that got away when she was refused sponcership.

[Denis_Jessop]

Was anyone in the past stronger then Smerdon today?

Igor, I am not going to get involved in this kind of debate as it is quite unproductive. It is simply impossible to make such comparisons with these players. For example in 1964 there was no Australian rating system, the rules for FIDE titles were different and junior coaching was not anything like it is today. There were two young players in that event who, had they been playing today at the same age, may well (I think would) have proved to be very strong indeed - Doug Hamilton, who beat Purdy in the play-off for the title, and Richard Brent. Hamilton did achieve good results later but, had he been growing up today, I feel they would have been even better. There is no point in trying to argue about their merits compared with those of David Smerdon or any other present-day young player. Incidentally, though it is quite irrelevant, I was a member of the VCA committee when the Purdy-Hamilton play-off was held at the Victoria Hotel in Melbourne and I saw some of the games.

DJ

[GrahamClayton]

Stefan Lazare is an excellent example. Lazare (original name Lazare Suchowolski) emigrated to Australia in June 1939, and won the Victorian Championship in 1942, 1944 and 1948. He was second to John Purdy in the 1954-55 Australian Championship at Perth, and was equal first with Karlis Ozols in the 1956-57 Australian Championship at Melbourne (Ortvin Sarapu finished 1st, but was ineligible for the title). The play-off between Ozols and Lazare was abandoned after six games due to Lazare emigrating to Israel. He never returned to Australia.

[MichaelBaron]

Stefan Lazare is an excellent example. Lazare (original name Lazare Suchowolski) emigrated to Australia in June 1939, and won the Victorian Championship in 1942, 1944 and 1948. He was second to John Purdy in the 1954-55 Australian Championship at Perth, and was equal first with Karlis Ozols in the 1956-57 Australian Championship at Melbourne (Ortvin Sarapu finished 1st, but was ineligible for the title). The play-off between Ozols and Lazare was abandoned after six games due to Lazare emigrating to Israel. He never returned to Australia.

It is sad to think that Lazare and other Jewish players were playing against Ozols as they did not even suspect he was a Nazi before.