Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Carlo Pedersoli (Bud Spencer, 31.x.1929 - 27.vi.2016)

I never was a fan of the Bud Spencer & Terence Hill movies, and I never will be. Yet, like Meat Loaf or Chuck Norris, Bud Spencer was an actor of the "larger than life" category, one of a kind. Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct could be replaced by any attractive woman. Kate Winslet in Titanic could be replaced by any young woman. But try replacing a Bud Spencer. The movie is just not the same. You don't find a strongly built, muscular Italian with such a humor and ease of acting again. And if you do, it will still not be the same. Spencer's face is easily recognizable, yet it has something - yes - buddy-like. Bud the buddy.

In Germany, Spencer & Hill are called "Weltkulturerbe" - world cultural heritage. Their movies surely are. As I said, I never was a fan of those movies, but I do appreciate them, I like Spencer's humor and the fighting scenes. I am just not a big movie fan at all. My taste is so bad, in fact, that I like movies such as Playing God.

And yet, the private man Pedersoli had one of those quotes that perfectly fit with my own beliefs of life after death.
Ich vermute oft, dass alles, was im täglichen Leben geschieht, ein Traum ist und dass das wirkliche Leben in einer anderen Dimension erwacht. Ich hoffe nur, dass es in dieser anderen Realität weniger Gewalt und Missbrauch gibt.
(Translation: I often suspect that everything that happens in everyday life is a dream and that the real life awakens in another dimension. I just hope that in this other reality there is less violence and abuse.)

In my belief, in that reality there is alos a huge cultural life, and people will love to see good actors in theaters. Here's looking at you, Bud!

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Viktor Kortschnoi (23.iii.1931 - 6.vi.2016)

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Viktor Kortschnoi, the former world championship contestant and player of the alleged "chess game with beyond" with Géza Maróczy, which is still under investigation, has died yesterday at 15:30h local time in Wohlen, Kanton Aargau, Switzerland.

Kortschnoi's wish he once expressed was to receive a chess set as burial object. We will hope this is taken care for.

Kortschnoi came into the international spotlight for abandoning the Soviet Union and playing several world championship matches against Anatoly Karpov in de facto 1975 (Fischer refused to defend his title so the qualification match between Kortschnoi and Karpov essentially decided the title) as well as officially 1978 and 1981, as is most likely known anyway to our readers. As a small reward for his persistence he won the senior world championship in 2006, being as of January 2007 on place 85 of the world Elo ranking list, and the oldest player in the top 100.

Yesterday the world has lost an exceptional personality. The Soviet Union has lost a great and fierce enemy, chess has lost a legend.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Franjo Vrabec, StrateGems 2013, 2nd prize

For those participating at the 2nd tt of chessproblem.net, the following study will be interesting. It is completely thematic.

Franjo Vrabec
StrateGems 2013, 2nd prize
Win
 
1.Kf2! b6! 2.Ke2! Kd7 3.Kd3 Ke7 4.Ke3 Ke8! 5.Kd4! Kd8! 6.Ke4 Ke8 7.Kf5! Ke7 8.Ke5 a4 9.Kf5! Ke8! 10.Ke4! Kd8 11.Kd4 Ke8 12.Kc3! Kd7 13.Kd3!! Ke7 14.Ke3 Ke8 15.Kd4! Kd8 16.Ke4! Ke8 17.Kf5 wins
 
Dear Franjo, I am sure Grigoriev himself would be proud of you!