(Louis Blair) wrote in
message . com...
Wlodzimierz Holsztynski wrote (2003-12-06 01:37:27 PST):
Karpov and the Soviet Federation did everything to avoid a match with
Fischer. So, he became the first "World Champion" who didn't bother to
play a championship match.

In 1948, Mikhail Botvinnik became the FIDE World Champion without playing
a championship *match*.

I wrote (2003-12-07 12:48:08 PST):
What did Karpov do to avoid a match with Fischer in 1974-5?

Wlodzimierz Holsztynski now writes (2003-12-07 18:31:03 PST):
Spasski could easily and more than once break his match against Fischer
and he would continue his champion tenure. Instead, Spasski chose to play.
Korchnoy could say I have already won against Kasparov, when Kasparov
failed to show up on time for their candidate match due to Karpov's and
Soviet Federation manipulations. Korchnoy had chosen to play.

Karpov could easily make a statement that 9:9 clause is no big deal
(indeed, it was not). He could say: I want to play. Instead he chose to
cooperate with the Soviet Federation in avoiding ther math. He chose not
to play.

Neither Spassky nor Korchnoi agreed to conditions that would have required
them to try to finish two or more points ahead of an an opponent.

If Wlodzimierz Holsztynski wants to blame Karpov for failing to agree to
such conditions, it seems to me that he should be explicit about this
instead of using vague language like, "... did everything to avoid ...".

I concur with Andreas Walkenhorst's impression (expressed earlier in this
thread) that Wlodzimierz Holsztysnki is just determined to insult Karpov.

Here are some of Wlodzimierz Holsztynski's related statements in this thread:

"Anatoly Karpov is the SHAME of world chess." (4 December 2003)

"I have never insulted anyone, and certainly it is hardly possible to
insult Karpov." (5 December 2003)

"Yes, Karpov is a very strong player, while he is a very low creature, a
poor excuse for a human being. That's how he will always be remembered by
the chess history." (6 December 2003)

The reader may decide for himself or herself whether or not Wlodzimierz
Holsztynski's comments about Anatoly Karpov should be considered insults
(which Holsztynski has denied).

--Nick