Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[jasonlulu_2000]

After 20 years of self-imposed exile, Mr. Bobby Fischer has returned to chess and is playing his old adversary Boris. Mr. Fischer's victory in the first game is a masterpiece, simple but profound. But, as subsequent games have shown, this balding, bearded chess player is not the man of 1972. He is 49 years old, out of practice and out of shape. Boris is even older.

Chess has also changed a lot over the past twenty years. A new era of professionalism was born out of Mr. Fischer's own popularisation of the game. The rise of the professional chess circuit has seen the competitve aspect of the game overtake the scientific and artistic. The sole aim of the modern master is to win.

In international chess, a player's nerves and stamina are as crucial as his intellect and wisdom. The pressure of the game has always been intense. Now the playing sessions themselves are becoming longer and many games are played without a break. the increased pressure has swung the pendulum in youth's favour. Over the past 30 years. each new world champion has been younger than his predecessor. It's significant that, of the world's ten highest-ranked players, eight are under 30.

The chess world today boasts more first-rate players than at any stage in its history. Hundreds of grandmasters chase modest prize money the world world. Success demands physical as well as mental exertion A single game may last up to eight hours. For the chess master this period represents a ceaseless struggle. A lapse in concentration can mean disaster. So the adversaries are always in a state of nervous tension.

The presence of the chess clock adds to the tension. The climax of the game is often a furious time scramble. When this occurs, each player has only seconds to make several moves or face instant forfeiture. With minds racing and hands twitching, the masters blitz out their moves and press their clocks with a co-ordination that any athlete would admire. Such moments are not for reflective intellectuals. The game descends into a primeval struggle in which nerves, tenacity and an overwhelming will to win separate victor from vanquished.

At the top level of chess, the pain of losing is unbearable. Winning brings immense satisfaction and a chance to recover from the nerves and exhausion. But one victory is not enough to win a tournament. The chess master must be ready for the struggle the next day. Most chess competition last for 9-11 days, with play on every day, and there is an all-year-around tournament circuit. World championship matches are even more exacting. The 1984 encounter between Anatoli Karpov and Gary Kasparov in Moscow had to be aborted after several months on the grounds of mutual exhaustion. Mr. Karpov had shed around two stone in weight.



The difficulties of older players can be attributed to their opponents'____.
A. physical superiority.
B. mental attitude

The answer given is B. But I think A is right.

Am I right? I badly need your advice.

Jason

[Suzanne]

Hello, Jason,

Wow, what an exciting story! I can clearly see why you think A is the correct choice. It looks like physical stamina is as important as being able to think quickly.

I agree with you. Mental attitude and concentration are directly impacted by how we feel physically. If an older player can't keep up, fatigue will cause him or her to make mistakes. And while an older player may be more experienced, it's the physical aspect that will determine how long he or she will last. This is true in all sports!

I'll be interested to see if others agree. Thanks for posing this interesting question.