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Vasily Smyslov
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What he had been denied in his World Championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik in 1954, Vasily Smyslov achieved three years later. He overcame the same opponent, the "patriarch", and joined the list of World Chess Champions going back to Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886. Smyslov’s regency lasted only for one year, however, as Botvinnik beat him in the revenge match 1958. Soon, 1960/1961, Mikhail Tal suffered the same fate. Tal’s chess, of course, was completely different: he was constantly attacking, his play was uncompromising and full of sacrifices. Smyslov’s playing style appears to be simple, effortless and flowing, always positionally sound and highly precise. If you want to study endgames, take a close look at Smyslov’s classics in this part of the game.
Unfortunately Vasily Smyslov, who is turning 89 next year, can not attend our jubilee in person. Yet he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to send a greeting from Moscow: "I support the Schachgesellschaft Zurich with its big, beautiful programme devoted to the 200 years jubilee. Zurich is the city with which I have the most beautiful and bright memories, and I wish to all the participants to show the best creative achievements."
Smyslov still remembers Switzerland and Zurich, where he won the legendary Candidates’ tournament in 1953, very fondly: "Switzerland is one of my favourite foreign countries where I participated in chess tournaments. I visited it with Keres and Flohr. I was invited many times to Switzerland and played there simul many times. I stayed with my friends like Robert Meyer who was the patron. But the main thing about Zurich, it was the Candidates’ tournament, where I won and got the right to play a match for the World Championship with Botvinnik in Moscow. This championship was the most glorious in my life."
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Moscow, July 2009
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Smyslov is still occupied with chess, especially with compositions. Already at the age 16, he began to working them out. And even now, as the computer invades more and more areas of chess, compositions have not lost their appeal to Smyslov, quite the contrary: "Chess compositions exist for centuries. In chess there are exceptional positions which lead to victory. (…) Computer by himself does not create anything. It's a man who gives the idea, and the computer checks."
The Schachgesellschaft Zürich thanks Vasily Smyslov for his kind greeting and wishes him all the best!
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