Archive for March 27th, 2010

He was “one of the great chess geniuses of the twentieth century” (Boris Spassky). Vasily Vasiliyevich Smyslov was born on March 24, 1921, auditioned as a baritone singer at the Bolshoi Theatre before he took up chess as a full-time career. In 1957 he beat Botvinnik in the world championship match and held the title for a year. Smyslov died in the night to Saturday March 27, 2010. In memoriam.

Last week GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation and Vice President of FIDE, turned fifty. Many dignitaries and old friends turned up for the occasion in the capital Tbilisi – amongst them FIDE President Ilyumzhinov and former World Champion and buddy Garry Kasparov. We bring you a big pictorial report of the birthday celebrations.

Last week GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation and Vice President of FIDE, turned fifty. Many dignitaries and old friends turned up for the occasion in the capital Tiblisi – amongst them FIDE President Ilyumzhinov and former World Champion and buddy Garry Kasparov. We bring you a big pictorial report of the birthday celebrations.

Last week GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation and Vice President of FIDE, turned fifty. Many dignitaries and old friends turned up for the occasion in the capital Tiblisi – amongst them FIDE President Ilyumzhinov and former World Champion and buddy Garry Kasparov. We bring you a big pictorial report of the birthday celebrations.