English Chess Forum

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:08 pm

Beating players born 97 years apart, that's pretty impressive.

Though not as impressive as 103.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:03 pm

Caruana was born in 1992, Levenfish (who Korchnoi beat as a youth) in 1889

Don't you hate it when a maths expert pipes up to shatter your illusions

It's neither here nor there, I'm now more curious to find out if anyone has faced opponents born more than a century apart.

Very possibly, but VLK's feat of 1) their both being GMs and 2) beating each of them, may indeed be unique.

Unless anybody can show differently.......

Both national champions also

Just checked Smyslov who played Botvinnik in 1940 and Spassky in 1999!

Reshevsky also played Janowksi (and beat him), and in 1917 played Rubinstein. I can't image many players have competed against Rubinstein and Karpov.

Of course the Rubinstein game wasn't a "serious" one, so arguably shouldn't really count.

Reshevsky almost got to play Kasparov as well (narrowly failing to qualify for the 1982 Moscow interzonal aged 70)

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:08 pm

Beating players born 97 years apart, that's pretty impressive.

Averbakh must be up there also.

Not really for juniors: My son played someone born in the 1930's (I think there was an 78 year gap), and if he plays himself till he is 90, he'll possibly play a future junior born in 2090, giving a span of 160 years.

I meant titled players who were also national champions.