Who is the Greatest FAT chess player of all time ?

TY Horsey Babee !

I bring this up 'cuz I read a bizarro book called Secrets of a Grandpatzer by Dr. Kenneth Colby. Dr. Colby talks highly this & highly that about his friend Ken Smith in the book....which I always wondered who is that person ?

BTW, I've read (3) books...ever.

No Regrets by Yasser which I laffed all the way thru his comments ! (Duncan Suttles's comments were too serious 4me) 

Endgame "something or other" by Bruce Pandolfini

And the book I said above which was hilariously entertaining !

Somebody write a book about Ken Smith. Dr. Colby I just found is dead too. He may have been the best one to do so........

hey Lola -- how about a book on the late Robert  1 N-QR3   Durkin ???   That would be 1 Na3  by today's notation.     He used to sign his name that way, and I believe legally changed his name to that !

He was quite the character -- coming to tournaments with a suitcase that he'd always put down on his seat and then sit perched over it  with hands on both sides of his head, propping his head up.    To me, he looked a bit like a walrus.  

He always tried setting up his Board  ahead of time with his very worn out pieces.    At one tournament I was at, his opponent complained they were not regulation and the director upheld that claim, making them use another set / board.

Durkin told me he wrote his biography of 600+ pages, but never got it published.    His claim to fame is a New York tournament where he beat several masters including Sr Master Michael Valvo.   However Durkin lost in last round to GM Pal Benko.

Like Ken Smith, Durkin never had an international title and is credited with an opening, the Durkin Attack,  1 Na3 !    Durkin claimed that Anatoly Karpov, by transposition as White in a Sicilian Defense got into an opening position from the Durkin Attack.

That's absolutely fascinating ! I'll look him up now. Thx Horsey !

my pleasure Lola.........we should reconnect :>)

I just did a search and found stuff I never knew, ie; Durkin was taught chess by Arpad Elo, who is responsible for our current Elo Ratings !   

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=32017

"Robert T. Durkin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sometime between 1922 and 1924, where he was taught chess by Arpad Elo and soon became one of Milwaukee's strongest players.<(1)> He was invited to play in the 1941 Ventnor City Tournament, and eventually settled in New Jersey.<(2)>

Durkin is best known for advocating the opening move <1.Na3>, now known as the "Durkin Attack", about which he wrote a small self-published pamphlet in 1959.<(3)> He also wrote the books "The Greater New York Open Chess Championship, 1959" and "New Jersey Open Chess Championship 1959."<(4)>"

I thank you as I recollect some more chess personalities.......all nice memories.

Another chess eccentric I bumped shoulders with was Hugh Meyers.    He played in the Chess Olympics for the Dominican Republic !  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Myers

In the late 1970s, living in Illinois, I drove to an Iowa chess tournament with an expert player, Raymond Ditrichs -- who loved smoking cigars during contests.    Meyers was there and seeded # 1, Ditrichs # 2 and I was either # 4 or # 5  out of only 30+ competitors.    When I was paired in an early round with Meyers, I was thinking I just did not want to lose and he would publish my game.   I did not want to be embarassed.   He was known for playing weird stuff.    Against me, as white he played a very early a4 against my Sicilian Defense, perhaps even as early as move 2.      The top 2 boards were in a side room.   At the time I was smoking cigarettes and so was Meyers.   Ditrichs was in that room too, smoking a cigar.    I distinctly remember a spectator opening the door to get in.   He immediately left saying there's too much smoke in there !   As my game progressed with Meyers, I was feeling more confident, as the game had chances for both sides.   I was very happy to defeat Meyers as did Ditrichs in the last round.   Ditrichs took clear first.

Hey Lola,   in your last post, is that lady you ????   :>)

Allow me to rephrase:

Hey Lola, are you Mariah Carey ???? :>)

Doggy !!....where in the he!! have you been ?

Horsey, noone can say the playing 1. Na3 gives up the initiative, right ?....I mean you do stop 1...b5 

Yochanan Afek

I've been everywhere, (wo)man!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4epAJRPMw

Bogolyubov.

I was there too !....only 'cuz I'm not all here.

them pooches are always sniffin everywhere.

As I recall, he had a construction company, and also played poker.  I met him first through Chess Digest - a side business of his.

No Ben Finegold?

This is GM Igor Naumkin

photo is from this article:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/candidates-r08-caruana-is-back

BTW, unless you're one of the few people in the world who are allergic to gluten, there is no reason to avoid it.