The Yermo Diary

Diary of a madman? If you wish. A lot of people are spewing hatred left and right on the Internet. What makes Yermo special? I claim to have been one of the pioneers of the chess community in putting up a genuine Hate Website. Go back in time and watch me getting out of hand.
The previous entries, plus Player of the Quarter Award winners of 1997-98 are available through links:

In 1998 I was able to update this page on a monthly basis. Then came a big break in 1999, when I decided to take a sabbatical from YCA. I played a lot of tournaments that year trying to revive my chess career. The record was spotty, at best, and at the end of 1999 I felt pretty desperate about my future plans. Some strange twist of fate came to the rescue. While many chessplayers have recently been forced to defect to other fields, I was fortunate to land a job at the Mechanics' Chess Club in San Francisco. Here I am now, sitting in front of a computer with enough time in my hands to return to my diaries. And thanks to my friend Steve Brandwein for proof-reading my work whenever he's around.
The year 2000 started off well. I was able to deliver updates for eight consecutive months: And then... Well, I'm going to have to direct you to a new diary for explanation
September 2000 - April 2001, plus PQA - First Quarter 2001


Hopefully, from now on I can stick to a monthly schedule, as things have stabilized somewhat. Yet, with chessplayers you never know. Enjoy my diaries while they're there...
 

May entry, "Wipe the Slate Clean"
June entry, "Change of Guard..."
Started playing chess again in July and that threw off my plans. As you could see the June entry was stuck there for a whole summer. Below are the two issues that never saw the light of a day.
July entry, "Yasser Asked Me to Kiss..."
August entry, "What You Saw in NIC And What Was Left Off"
An E-mail interview with Chess Horizons, a recently revived Massachusetts magazine. I think it would be a good way to sum up the spirit of Yermo's diaries.

1. Can you give me some biographical information about yourself?

Born in 1958 in Leningrad, The USSR. (Of course, now it's St.Peterburg, Russia). Began to play chess at 8, progressed slowly, but established myself in the top ten in the country by my high school years. Quit college after a couple of years, took a factory job. Scored my USSR Master of Sports (roughly USCF Senior Master) norm at 19. Worked as a chess coach 1981-1988, worked with Levitina and Khalifman. Played reasonable well, but could never qualify for the USSR Premier League.
Emigrated to the US in 1989 and took a job with a New Jersey pharmaceutical company. Played chess on weekends, got my FIDE up to 2615, was awarded the GM title during the Manila Olympiad in 1992. Became a full-time chessplayer in 1993. Won a lot of money in various opens and spent it all!

2. In the Road to Chess Improvement you wrote, "once you analyze your games in detail, you may not like what you see." What was it in your own games that caused you to pen that sentence?

A critical approach to one's games in essentual. Once you become happy with your chess, you're finished. Some people think it's tough to analyse the games you lost. For me it felt even worse to have played what seemed like a great game only to discover some huge mistakes in the analysis! In my book, I think in the Benko Chapter, I quote my own notes to the game I won against Jeroen Piket in the last round of Wijk, 1997. "Here goes my beautiful victory down the garbage chute!"

3. Also in RCI you seemed to indicate that the Soviet School of Chess, as it is known, inhibited its players more than fostered their talents. Could you expand on this and perhaps give a specific example or two?

Inhibit? I never said so. I only meant to say that the players were responsible for their own improvement in the Soviet Union as much as anywhere else. You might even say that they were given more time and opportunity to explore their options in chess as a career. Here in the States, a promising kid has to deliver before the social pressure sends him to college.

4. What's the most recent chess book you've read and what was your impression of it?

Rowson's "The Seven Deadly Chess Sins" is a great read. A good example of a "smart" chess book, written by a well-educated man who's not afraid to venture into the areas so-called professional chess writers avoid like a plague. Here I'm talking about the psychology of chessplaying as opposed to ready-to-use "Improve your chess" advice. You don't have to tell people what the good moves are - they have Fritz to find them - you may try to explain why the bad moves are made.
On the downside, Jonathan Rowson is still a young player, who obviously has a lot to learn about the game, and his delving into "metaphysical" areas of chess leaves an impression of one accepting his fate, rather than trying to change it.

5. How would you describe your playing style?

Grab space and push your opponent to self-destruction - a typical GM-hack style. Seriously, style is the most overrated thing. One has to be a good all-around player to succeed in today's chess. Basically, you do what your opponent allows you to do. The only difference is the analytical vs. practical controversy, started by Botvinnik (see the beginning of Tactics vs. Strategy Chapter in RCI), and recently revived by an utterly frustrated Kasparov in his post-London interviews. It's a paradox: the older players are supposed to have better intuition, but they tend to trust it less (negative experience?). The youngsters have a better feel for the flow of the game.
In the past I have made conscious efforts to overcome my laziness and calculate more. Now it's time to downshift and rely more on intuition - a practical decision for today's time controls.

6. What was your impression of the Kasparov-Kramnik match?
It sucked. Go elsewhere on this site if you want to hear more.

7. Which world championship match do you consider the best?
I'm not a great student of chess history, so my opinion shouldn't count. They all were great for their times, I am sure. The thing is, now we don't need no stinkin' matches anymore!

8. As a coach do you try to avoid imposing your playing style on your students?
Oh, that style thing again... When I notice that my student fails to calculate, I point it out. Then, in response I hear that he has a "Kramnik style", so there's no need for him to calculate. This is wrong. First get to FIDE 2600, then come to me and we'll talk about your style. There's a lot of things all good players do the same way, regardless of their style, like checkmating the bare king with the queen. 90% of chess is knowledge, calculating and technique. Get the tools first! You might say I impose my toolbox on my students.

9. Do you look for students whose style is similar to yours?
I don't look for students, period. There are a few guys 2400+, good young men who love the game and have already accomplished something in it. I hope I can be of help, but first and foremost they have to help themselves.

10. Who are some of the more memorable personalities you've met in chess circles?
The best thing I have experienced in chess was the friendship of my US Olympic teammates throughout the 1990's. We had such a great run! Too bad it's over.
Generally speaking, most chessplayers are boring, self-centered, money-oriented, poorly-educated overgrown adolescents I couldn't care less about. With some exceptions that includes the Linares crowd and all of the world's top twenty.

I thought that was it, but a few days later I was given another set of questions. Some people never get enough of Yermo.

1. What advice would you give to, say, someone at IM level and wanting to make a go of a chess career?

It depends on who he/she is. It's not realistic to expect to make a living playing chess if you're 30 years old and still don't hold a GM title. There are other opportunities, such as teaching or writing, but I'm not sure they can sustain it. The biggest problem with developing new chess talents in this country seems that the critical years in chess development (16-21 years old) are also the years when the former chess prodigies are supposed to make some important decisions about their future. They go to college, get jobs and it takes them away from chess. A 20-year old IM would have to go through some lean years before he improves and begins to win tournaments. Are they ready for such sacrifices?

2. How would you describe the tone and content of your web-site?

In one word, offensive. I started that site when I was putting together a chess school, Yermo Chess Academy, in Cleveland back in 1996. Lately, it has evolved into a hate website where I attack everything and everybody. Look at it as an outlet for anger and frustration. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking of shutting it down. I just don't have anything left to say.

3. Why do you refer to Chess Life as Chess Lies? Do you have a favorite Chess magazine?

Bobby Fischer called this magazine Chess Lies and its former editor, Glenn Petersen, had registered his own domain name- chesslies.com - so don't blame me, I didn't invent it!
Chess Lies is a horrible chess magazine because:
a) their news coverage is late.
b) their analysis of GM games is non-existent.
c) their columnists (with the exception of Pal Benko) are hacks.
d) they feature GM Larry Evans, a repetitive moron and a racist.
e) their editorials are full of USCF politics that have nothing to do with chess.
As for your second question, the answer is "no". I used to write for New In Chess, but I was appalled by the political course they have taken lately. Their indifferent stance toward the butchering of Yugoslavia, a great chess country, together with their ridicule of FIDE - that has put me off.

4. What attracts you to chess?

When I was young I was fascinated with the competitive side. Chess provided me with a chance to do something on my own, rather than follow established patterns of education and career. For a while it seemed to be a fairy land there I could be on more or less equal terms with more priviliged children. In my junior years I had my chances and I blew them all. When I returned to the game in my 30's I had loads of energy and ambition, and I tried to accomplish something, making up for the lost years. I came to the US, and what could I become? Cabdriver or computer programmer? Not to degrade these occupations, but I wanted to be accepted as an individual. Chess was my ticket to a new society.
It's much harder now, as I have reached my ceiling as a chessplayer, have written a popular book, and have landed the best chess job in the country. I guess, I still need chess to ward off complacency. When I have a bad tournament, it shakes me up and keeps me going.

5. What would you put in place of World Championship matches? Or do you feel that the World Championship itself is irrelevant?

In case you missed it, there's a World Championship. It has been played every year since 1998. And it doesn't produce petty chess kings, like the K's, who just won't go away after they lose. We don't need a shepherd, we can play our championship every year, honor the winner and get on with our lives. What political initiative has Vishy Anand suggested since he won in New Delhi? None, and I'm grateful for that.

6. In many walks of life (sports, professions) it not uncommon for a son to follow in his father’s footsteps. Yet, I can’t think of a single such case in top-level chess. Would you care to speculate on this?

The late Yefim Geller had a son who attained Master Level - indeed a big exception. I guess, the top level chess is so stressful and unrewarding that the parents don't wish it on their children. On a personal note, I am not planning to teach my son chess.

7. Can you explain you description of top-level chess as a “puppet world of corporate entertainment”?

What is there to explain? Anyone who abandons an internationally elected organ, a federation, is throwing himself to the mercy of Big Business. Garry did it, had a short affair with Intel, then a one-night-stand with IBM - what did he say afterwards? Something like "I don't want to be a slave to Intel", and more about "IBM cheaters" after the Deep Blue fiasco. He also created and subsequently destroyed a few alphabetical organizations, lost a big match in the process, and where's he now? Negotiating with the Seattle Group...
Today's chess events have no integrity: different time controls (most of which are too short and chancy), intrusion of computers (take the Leon man+machine competition), half-serious exhibition events (unrated). Who's watching over us? Nobody. Chessplayers swallow their pride, sign the contract and perform in empty rooms decorated by corporate banners. Chess at high ELO level has never been so detached from its rank-and-file supporters.

8. What do you think needs to be fixed in the world of chess and do you have an opinion on how to fix it?

Chessplayers need to take a long hard look at themselves. They must learns to put aside personal squabbles and view themselves as part of one big family. Gens Una Sumus - anyone remembers that? FIDE is the only all-inclusive organization in our sport, an international body with 140 countries-members, how could we disregard that? I'm sick of the voices of protest against Kirsan, his alleged crimes and proposed drug-testing - there's always a personal-gain short-sighted agenda behind these attacks. The record speaks for itself: three World Championship and two Olympiads organized, the new Continental Championships introduced, youth events running uninterrupted - what more do you want?
The USCF, on the other hand, has been hijacked by the people who hate chess. What can you say about the federation that has abandoned its pledged support of the National Championship and the National Olympic Team? They are crusading against the surviving American Grandmasters, undercutting any kind of funding that's left for top-level chess in this country. What kind of message does that send to the 20-year-old IM we talked about? What he must work hard to become a bum?

9. “You might say I impose my toolbox on my students.” What are the components of this toolbox?

Opening theory, calculating ability and knowledge of endings. With all that talk about styles and preferences, the majority of things done at the chessboard are a matter of technique. Having learned the technique one would be in a position to show off his individuality - but not the other way around!

10. “Most chessplayers are boring, self-centered, money-oriented, poorly-educated overgrown adolescents…” Are these then the traits necessary to compete at top-level chess?

If something else can come out of studying ChessBase for 12 hours a day, I haven't seen it.


Last updated 09/19/01

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