iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Well, I went to Wijk aan Zee in January because I thought I had to be present at this tournament at least once in my life. But I had so much fun that I'm going back next year as well - for the final 3 rounds, like this year.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

I use semi-colons in text messages...

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Gold: from the BBC Archives - the 1972 documentary 'Bobby Fischer - This Little Thing with Me and Spassky'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzlO... Apart from Fischer interviews, the film features archive footage from the 1959 Candidates, plus footage of the Teesside International of spring 1972.

youtube.com

1972: BOBBY FISCHER - This Little Thing with Me and Spassky | Classic BBC Documentary | BBC Archive

YouTube video by BBC Archive

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Yes, Botvinnik was notoriously paranoid. I think he seriously hurt Flohr's feelings too on one occasion, by implying that he didn't consider him trustworthy.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Not only this. In his book 'Match Botvinnik-Smyslov na pervenstvo mira' Botvinnik mentions two other examples, in the openings of games 12 & 19, that he says gave him cause for suspicion.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Though Botvinnik parted company with him after the 1954 contest. In his book on the match he implies that Smyslov must had have advance knowledge of some of the World Champion's opening choices. It does seem that he suspected Kan (though this may have been paranoia...).

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Just wait till he becomes a fully-fledged Popescu.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Thanks for that link. It really does feel at times like it's the 1930s all over again...

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Petition for the clocks to go forward at 4pm on a Friday afternoon instead of in the middle of Saturday night...

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

"Some people have regarded the north as being impoverished compared to the iron age of the south of Britain. This shows that individuals there had the same quality of materials and wealth and status and networks as people in the south." I'm sorry, but this find is not in the north of Britain.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Three World Champions. Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky, pictured at the 41st USSR Championship final in Moscow, October 1973. With his back to the camera - Mikhail Tal. (📷: V. Savostianov, TASS.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

56 years old today - Ukrainian GM and former World #2, Vasyl Ivanchuk. Pictured here in 1991. (📷: V. Rodionov, Novosti Press.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Beinn Tulaichean (left; 946m), seen from near the summit of Cruach Àrdrain (1046m). Southern Highlands of Scotland. We climbed both mountains today. Some much-needed time away from the computer screen.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

'The Master Game'. Robert Byrne (USA) v. Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) Top-class grandmasters on the BBC, and a classic game by Korchnoi. This episode was broadcast on BBC2 on Wednesday, 27th February 1980. #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

The 41st USSR Championship in 1973 was very strong, maybe the strongest ever, but it wasn't a selection tournament for the World Championship qualifiers.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Pictured, according to the archive, in 1986 - grandmaster & Women's World Champion* Maia Chiburdanidze (b. Kutaisi, USSR, 1961). *She held the title from 1978-1991. (📷: B. Kaufman, Novosti Press.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A photo of Tal, after his make-over for the film!

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Iraida Spasskaya - sister of Boris - also passed away this year, on 23rd January. A 4-time Soviet champion at Russian draughts (shashki), she was born in wartime evacuation in Sverdlovsk (modern Yekaterinburg) on 6th November 1944. Pictured here (right) in 1965. (📷: M. Berger, Novosti Press.)

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

I saw him at the Lloyds’ Bank Masters in London in 1984. Was a thrill just to be playing in the same room as him.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Very sad news. Boris Spassky 1937-2025. RIP.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

"It is staggering what chess journalists were allowed to do in their newspaper columns then - treating a difficult endgame in great detail & quoting long sections from Chéron's handbook on the sports page of a big national newspaper" (re. coverage of Timman-Velimirović, Rio de Janeiro 1979).

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Hans Ree ('My Chess', 2013) again - on the level of chess content that at one time used to be printed by the national press (at least, in the Netherlands).

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

A journalist who once saw [Kasparov & Karpov] chatting together amiably enough asked one of the two - I forget which one - how he should square this with the reports about their supposed enmity. The answer he got was: "Who else can I talk about chess with?" - Hans Ree, ‘My Chess’ (2013).

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

I learned today that the main character was named after Sir Jeremy Morse (1928-2016), banker, chess problemist, crossword devotee & friend of Colin Dexter. Morse was chairman of Lloyds' Bank, who were an extremely important sponsor of chess here in the '80s & 90s. (See Alt tab for details.)

Pictured at the Lloyds Bank Masters, London, August 1982 (L to R): Vlastimil Hort, Tony Miles, Jeremy Morse (chairman of Lloyds Bank), János Flesch, Viktor Korchnoi, Ljubomir Ftáčnik.
(Photo via http://britishchessnews.com.)

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

I don't know if the fictional detective 'Morse' is well known outside the U.K. but the novels by Colin Dexter & especially the TV series, with John Thaw starring in the title role, were extremely popular here. Morse was a lover of crosswords.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I was in Dushanbe in August 1988. I was 21 years old at the time. At the airport I saw troops on their way back from Afghanistan. I still remember their distinctive blue-and-white hooped T shirts under their shirts, & also the deep sun-tans that they all seemed to have.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Half a century ago today: the 1st round of the biennial international tournament in Tallinn. Among the pairings: Keres v. Marović. Spassky can be seen passing in the background. (📷: D. Prants, O. Vihandi, via muis.ee, meediateek.ee.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

65 years old today - German (formerly Soviet) GM Artur Jussupow. World Junior (U-20) Champion in 1977, he was three times a Candidates' semi-finalist. Seen here in play during his Candidates' Quarter-final match v. Jan Timman in Tilburg, January 1986. (📷: J. Klok / ANP.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Two portraits of the great Aron Nimzowitsch, the first (by John Graudenz) from 1927, the second (Atelier Jacobi) from 1930. #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Born 75 years ago today in Cheliabinsk, USSR - Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950-2021), without doubt one of the most significant opening theoreticians of the 20th century. Pictured here at Wijk aan Zee, January 1981. (📷R. Bogaerts / ANEFO, via nationaalarchief.nl.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Here he is in 1947, facing László Szabó in the FIDE Zonal tournament in Hilversum. (📷: B. Wisman / ANEFO, via www.nationaalarchief.nl.)

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Bobby Fischer, pictured in play v. Yair Kraidman in the 2nd round of the international tournament in Netanya, Israel, 18th June 1968. The Israeli player pushed Fischer all the way but the game ended in a draw in 80 moves. (📷via jfc.org.il.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

I’m sure I was going to send you some other stuff as well. Forgotten already. So much for my memory…

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

What a final round! Having to miss the playoffs, as I need to catch the plane back to Scotland. My time in Wijk aan Zee was a total joy. Fantastic atmosphere, new friends made, & it was lovely to meet online acquaintances in person for the first time as well. #TataSteelChess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Another glorious morning in Wijk aan Zee!

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Ivan has been on the stage for hour hours without a break. 🫡

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

A packed Café De Zon, with Ivan Sokolov on stage.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

I’m in De Zon at the moment, that would be great - I look forward to it!

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Nope! Some scary geese at one point, however…

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Finally made it to Wijk aan Zee. Plane from Aberdeen to Amsterdam early yesterday, visited Rijksmuseum & Max Euwe Centre, then train to Beverwijk, then walked the few remaining kms to the coast. I really like the place! Already made some friends here. And the weather could hardly be better.

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Landau is seen here in play v. Paul Keres in the 16th round of the great tournament at Kemeri (Latvia), 7th July 1937. (Photo via e-varamu.ee.) #chess

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Douglas Griffin @dgriffinchess.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Further information can be found here: www.findagrave.com/memorial/187... As can also be seen from the above link, his wife Susanna (b. 1912) and their daughter Henriette Renee Landau (b. 1938) were murdered at Auschwitz on 14th October 1944.

findagrave.com

Salo Landau (1903-1944) - Find a Grave Memorial

Dutch Chess Master. Born Samuel Landau to a Dutch family living in what was then Galicia, Austria-Hungary, but is now considered to be in Poland. Although his birth record (www.wiewaswie.nl,) as we...

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