Igor Ivanov 1947 - 2005

There are thousands of chess-players around the world who knew Igor Ivanov. They opened their homes and their hearts to his brilliant mind, to his kind soul, to his hearty laugh, and to his friendship. He was always respectful of others, and I never heard him utter an unkind word to anyone. He was a Grandmaster while most the the rest of us were patzers, but he treated us as equals. His respect for us didn't dim when we played chess with him. We almost always lost, but we always left the board feeling good. He brought out the best in everyone. It wasn't that he didn't have strong opinions he did. I often disagreed with him about politics, but it was never personal, and we agreed on all the important things in life, a love of music, of literature, of chess, and the value of good friends. I remember that day in March when he called and told me he had cancer, and how it was inoperable. We both knew that he didn't have long, but his spirits were high. I asked him if he'd heard the Monty Python song, "Always Look on The Bright Side of Life." He hadn't but was anxious to hear it. I sent him a copy and a few days later he was back on the phone. . He didn't start with his usual hi Norm it's Igor instead he said "I love that part where they say You come into life with nothing and you leave with nothing, what have you lost nothing." and then that infectious laugh of his. That is how I�ll remember Igor laughing and embracing life while facing death. Igor is gone now, but our memories of him remain. Here are a few of mine, but first a few pictures of Igor, the background music is Chopin�s Fantaisie-impromptu in C sharp minor, a piece I heard Igor play many times. (this is from a recording by Vladimir Ashkenazy)

Click on the picture to play the video
Quicktime Video 16.8MB 4'46

I first met Igor in the 80's in Los Angeles, at a chess tournament of course. I was wandering about the tournament hall watching the final games of the round when I saw a familiar face. Elizabeth a duplicate bridge partner of mine in the seventies in Salt Lake. Igor stayed with Elizabeth when in California because she was bright and sweet, and because she had a Grand Piano at home, they later got married. Igor, had he not pursued chess, would I�m sure found a career in music, having studied both Cello and Piano as a young man.

Later when Igor and Elizabeth moved to Salt Lake Sundays became the day we studied Chess with Igor. We called it the Church of the 64 Squares. We studied chess and we listened to Igor play the piano. We always played a few skittles games after the lessons. The games always seemed close, for two reasons. Igor never went for cheap attacks, even though they probably would have succeeded, and he gave you an opportunity to stretch yourself. I remember after months of playing I finally won a game against him. I was thrilled and asked him to help me re-create the game which he graciously did. It was later that evening playing over the game that I realized he had allowed me to win. He was so good it was barely detectable. Later when I confronted him he wouldn't confirm my suspicions, but his smile gave him away. Sometime we skipped that skittles and played hearts instead. Igor was good at that too, but it wasn�t certain who would win like it was with the chess.

Once on the return trip from a tournament in Moab we stopped at Arches National Monument. The beauty is spectacular, but Igor wasn't impressed. "It's just rocks,"he said, "boring." It may have just been Igor having a little fun at our expense, something he relished, but it reminded of a conversation we had several years earlier. I remarked that it must have been great to travel to all the capitals of Europe and the world all the wonderful cities you would visit as a Grandmaster. His response surprised me. One's just like another from inside a hotel room, he said, but Paris has the most poop, and then laughed his wonderful laugh. I think it was true of Igor and of other Grandmasters who spend a lot of time in their own heads. The lyrics from One Night in Bangkok from the Musical Chess capture it well.

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me


THE AMERICAN:

One town's very like another
When your head's down over your pieces, brother


COMPANY:

It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city


THE AMERICAN:
Whaddya mean? Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town --

COMPANY:

Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite

THE AMERICAN:

Get Thai'd! You're talking to a tourist
Whose every move's among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

Another time at the American Open in Los Angeles a tournament that is always held on Thanksgiving weekend, Igor was late arriving at the at the tournament and there was a real chance he would forfeit on time if he didn't arrive soon. With only a few minutes left on his clock before forfeiture he came rushing through the door, a director pointed out his opponent and Igor took his seat and played his move assuring that he wouldn't forfeit the game on time. He had been playing only about five minutes when the director returned to his board and whispered something in Igor's ear. Igor immediately stood up and left the tournament hall to the amazement of all. In his rush to make the round on time Igor had left his car in the parking garage, door open, keys in the ignition, and the car still running.

The National Open in Las Vegas was a popular tournament and one we played often. In one of the later rounds Igor was paired with Walter Browne. The game, a Nimzo-Indian, was notable, because Igor used an idea from a game Botvinnik played in a training match for one of his world championship matches. Igor won, but it was Walter's reaction that was noteworthy. His frustration at losing was only part of story, you see Walter considers himself something of an expert on Botvinnik's games having played through the three volumes of his games multiple times, but somehow he missed the training game Igor knew so well. The unfairness of it all was etched on Walter�s face, and he complained to anyone who would listen. You would see him spot someone across the tournament hall, and head in their direction. Walter had a gait you would recognize anywhere, it appeared to me he was always leaning forward when he walked, like he was stretching for the winners tape before it was even in sight. But the best part was the smile on Igor's face when he saw Walter explaining his loss to yet another player, and how unfair it all was.

Igor has played many wonderful games, one that was special to me was a game he played against Seirawan in the 1991 U.S. Championship not only was it a wonderful game but I was there when he played it. Igor and Yasser were tied after their regular games and were about to begin a series of playoff games at ever faster time controls. It was I believe between the regular games and the beginning of the playoff that I was on the same elevator as Seirawan and a couple of his friends. Yasser was talking tough, psyching himself up for the remaining games. I can beat this Russian he repeated more than once, but there was doubt evident in his voice. He eventually won but the battle was a mighty one and out of it came this game as reported by David Sands in the Washington Times

One of his most famous wins was his brilliancy-prize victory over Seattle GM and multiple U.S. champion Yasser Seirawan at the 1991 U.S. championship. The final tactic, involving two consecutive queen offers, was deemed the best combination of the year by the editors of Informant magazine. On the Black side of a Queen's Indian, Ivanov signals his aggressive intentions early with 14. Bb2 f4!?, and gives up the exchange for the initiative with the speculative 21. Bf3 Rxf3!? (a good practical decision, as White was about to take charge positionally) 22. Nxf3 Rf8. Seirawan, a superb defender, sidesteps an early snakepit with 23. Ra3, as the natural 23. Bb2? allows a second, winning exchange sac: 23...Rxf3! 24. gxf4 Qg5+ 25. Kh1 Nd2!, with an unanwerable attack on f3. After 23...e5 24. Re1 Nf6 25. Nh4 Ne5 26. Nf5 Qd7 27. Rh3 g6, it's not clear whose attack will break through first. But Black's risk-taking is justified when White can't work his way out of a tricky bind, allowing a spectacular finale: 34. Qe3 h5! 35. Nf2 (the rook can't be taken because of 36...Ne2+) exf3 36. g3? (see diagram). This move leads to disaster, as does 36. Qxf4 Ne2+ 37. Kh1 fxg2 mate. The real test comes on 36. gxf3! 37. Rxf3 (Kh1Ng5+ 38. Kg1 Nxh3+ 39. Nxh3 Rg4+ 40. Kf2 Qf5+ 41. Ke1 Qb1+ 42. Ke2 Qb2+ 43. Ke1 Qb4+ 44. Ke2 Qxc4+, and White's game collapses) Rxf3 38. Qg5 Qe6, and Black wins a pawn but there's still play in the position. Ivanov finds a strikingly original mating idea, one that Seirawan sportingly plays out to the end: 36...Ne2+ 37. Kh1 Qxh3! 38. Rg1 (Nxh3 f2+ 39. Qf3 Bxf3 mate) Qg2+!!, and the Black pawn, knight and bishop are enough to run down the White king on 39. Rxg2 fxg2 mate. White resigned.

There is a memorial site where you can read others memories of Igor and leave your own. Posted by Norm at December 31, 2005 10:37 PM