brett - I am old - this is 2018 - on around 1980 or 1982 - I was a regular at a pool hall - well the owner was hap kee doo instructor - well we were to only two in the hall - I heard a commotion outside - well outside to look saw one person with his back against the wall with lots and lots and lots of people facing him - I knew lots of them but I knew that with crowd mentality there would be no reasoning with them - so I ran up to the single guy and said what is wrong - well he said no one would give him a light for his cigarette - then I said come with me and I light your cigarette - I quickly got him into the pool hall - with the hap kee doe master there NOONE was going to follow me - well I said sorry I don't smoke and don't have any matches - we playing some pool - then snuck out the back door - and went to mac donalds and he had a small chess set - we played chess - he told me he was on a russian ship and when they went to shore they had to go in pairs and they never knew if the other guy was a commissar - and that the commissar had diplomatic immunity and may or may not have a gun - but he said he was told canadians were murders and thugs and he wanted to see this for himself so he ditched his buddy - - - so he said he would meet me next day and play more chess - - - I waited the next day but he never showed up - - on talking to my buddies later who had been in the crowd they said a riot broke out and later about two or three R C M P cars showed up with police dogs and the police released the hounds and he said he had a great time - - people running all over getting chased by the dogs - - his name - I don't know - where did he go to school I do not know ? - was he a soviet sailor stupid enough to ditch what might have been a Commissar ? I don't know - all I know for sure is that HE SURE HAD THE TELEVISION RUSSIAN ACCENT - and I think me saving his butt was the bravest thing I ever did SOBER
why are Russians so good at chess
Anyway, I imagine youngsters who choose to go to sports schools in the Soviet Union or Russia could choose to specialize in chess. Some phys. ed. teachers might teach chess along with hockey, gymnastics, skating, what have you during the school year. Players who later became famous don't usually talk about these classes. More important to their development would be classes in the Pioneer Palaces, or competitions associated with the trade unions like the Spartakiads, or one on one trainers.
Not only Russians and other countries are also play well.
"...because "at the chess board" is the only place Russians are allowed to think."
Sometimes people don't think even here
"...because "at the chess board" is the only place Russians are allowed to think."
Sometimes people don't think even here
This web page says that the Russian Ministry of Physical Fitness and Sport has 6 schools in Moscow which offer chess classes:
https://www.mos.ru/en/news/item/17246073/
One of the schools is Anatoly Karpov's. Its classes seem to be mostly after 3:30 i.e. after school. It also talks about a contract, so probably the parents have to pay for these classes.
http://karpov-school.org/school/schedule
The Russian Ministry of Education also offers classes for example through the Mikhail Botvinnik school at the Moscow Pioneer Palace.
I think this is also true of any career, but if children come into contact with successful adults in particular careers, they are more likely to follow those careers themselves.
Two of the three top US players are imports. Not sure that is a strength of chess in US at the grassroots level atleast.
Russians are smart people, yes?
Some schools in Russia have got chess lessons, others no. My 8 years old nephew asked me to gift him "real wood chess" because he has chess lessons at usual school. In Kalmyk republic all children learn chess of course. Their khan and president FIDE Kirsan Ilyumzhinov made chess mandatory for education.
I attended school in Soviet Union. There was no chess lessons. But all cities had got good chess clubs with children sections.
https://www.chess.com/live#g=2696848123
- I saw move his bishop and he has a simultaneous concealed attack - I knew that - boy am I stupid - I knew I had to move my queen - but I stupidly thought I had time - so I ask and wonder - are russians good or am I just stupid - this game really bugs me - because I saw that but thought I had a few moves to move my queen - is russian bear suzzy - da - I think this is discrimatory but I think when you play a russian you have to keep one eye open
https://www.chess.com/live#g=2696848123
- I saw move his bishop and he has a simultaneous concealed attack - I knew that - boy am I stupid - I knew I had to move my queen - but I stupidly thought I had time - so I ask and wonder - are russians good or am I just stupid - this game really bugs me - because I saw that but thought I had a few moves to move my queen - is russian bear suzzy - da - I think this is discrimatory but I think when you play a russian you have to keep one eye open
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wayne thomas said - I think this is also true of any career, but if children come into contact with successful adults in particular careers, Wayne Thomas said - they are more likely to follow those careers themselves. - I was in 23rd medical company - I joined the canadian army reserve - I was called into an interview - the head nurse of edmns royal alex hospital basically told me the recruitments tests said I was a genius and she invited me to join 23rd med coy - now 15 edmn med coy - well - I met the smartest person in the world there - sergeant major linda wheeler - she told me her father was a chartered accountant - and since she was a little girl - she would only do things which would make her a chartered accountant - I worked heavy industrial that summer - when to h and r block - taxes - they could get me 300 tax back - sgt mjr linda wheeler said she could not do my taxes because in two months she was graduating and had to study for her exams - SHE TOLD ME TO GO TO A CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT pay him to do my taxes - I did as she said and an east indian chartered accountant working in his basement got me about 3 three thousand dollars back======= to the best of my knowledge she had to '' apprentice 8 years '' on finishing that she would did become the youngest chartered accountant in canada in the day - hmmm kid can study accounting for 15 years or study chess for 15 years hmmm?
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Sometimes people don't think even here
LOLLLL
maybe or not
A large part of it is culture, to be sure. I mean, Americans almost always win basketball at the Olympic level for a reason. But, I would venture to guess their long history of authoritarian leaders contributes as well, in that promoting chess as an “intellectual sport” gives off the facade that they are a smart people.
I mean, why does Putin ride motorcycles with Steven Seagall? To look tough. Why did USSR give such support to its chess players to the point we still call it “the Soviet machine?” To look smarter than Americans.
Not that any group of people are innately smarter than another, but authoritarian leaders are just really weird
brettregan1 wrote: " I was told by a russian in canada that they HAD to study it in school."
Who was it? Where did they go to school?