(Nick) wrote in
message . com...
(Wlodzimierz Holsztynski) wrote in
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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.

To this (Nick) replies in message
. com...
In 1948, Mikhail Botvinnik became the FIDE World Champion
without playing a championship *match*.

That phony Nick Bourbaki is sooo stupid!

In 1948, Mikhail Botvinnik became the FIDE World Champion after winning the
championship *tournament* ahead of Smyslov, Keres, Reshevsky, and Euwe.

Someone (evidently inexperienced at chess) has asked me about whether
there's a significant distinction between a 'match' and a 'tournament'
and for my explanation of that difference.

Yes, a 'match' and a 'tournament' are two fundamentally different
forms of chess competition. A 'match' may be defined as a series of
games between only two players. A 'tournament' may be defined as a
series of games among more than two players. It's well-accepted
among strong players that there's a significant difference between
'match strategy' and 'tournament strategy'.

Wlodzimierz Holsztynski wrote (above) that Anatoly Karpov became
(in 1975) "the first 'World Champion' who didn't bother to play a
championship match".

In response, I pointed out (politely enough) that Mr Holsztynski's
assertion was untrue because, as I wrote: "In 1948, Mikhail
Botvinnik became the FIDE world champion without playing a
championship *match*." (Yes, the term *match* was emphasised in
my original statement.)

Then Mr Holsztynski wrote:
"That phony Nick Bourbaki is sooo stupid!"

Of course, I don't know exactly why Mr Holsztynski wrote that.
My hypothesis is that Mr Holsztynski overlooked the distinction
between a 'match' (his specific term) and a 'tournament', which
was the actual form of the 1948 FIDE world championship event.
Then Mr Holsztynski apparently presumed that I must be "sooo stupid"
as to believe that, say, Mikhail Botvinnik had become the FIDE world
champion without having to play at all in 1948.

As in the cases of Wlodzimierz Holsztynski's other personal
presumptions about me, Wlodzimierz Holsztynski was wrong again.

That phony Nick Bourbaki is sooo stupid!
This is not an insult. It is an evident fact by now.
--Wlodzimierz Holsztynski

"I have never insulted anybody."
--Wlodzimierz Holsztynski

"Of course, you are following the even more-established Usenet
tradition of harshly attacking another member, with little or
no provocation, using language that you would never use in a
face-to-face discussion with somone you had merely overheard
and never met."
--Bob Musicant (writing to Harold Buck)

Whatever nonsense that Wlodzimierz Holsztynski writes about me
reveals much more about his own character and judgment (or the
lack of each) than it ever could about mine.

--Nick