The Greatest Attacker in Chess: The Enigmatic Rashid Nezhmetdinov

[John Upham]

Richard James has reviewed

The Greatest Attacker in Chess: The Enigmatic Rashid Nezhmetdinov

from New in Chess
by Cyrus Lakdawala

http://britishchessnews.com/2022/09/30/ ... hmetdinov/

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[NickFaulks]

But do we learn in what way he was enigmatic?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"But do we learn in what way he was enigmatic?"

I was going to save this for my memoirs, but I will be too lazy to write them. Talking to Anatoly Lein at Hastings, many years ago, he said he had shared a hotel room with Nezhmetdinov at a tournament (USSR saving money), went out to take a phone call and on his return, a few minutes later, discovered that his after shave was missing, having been drunk by Nezhmetdinov.

Will this do?

[NickFaulks]

Will this do?

A splendid story, well worth the telling. However, isn't this eccentric rather than enigmatic?

[JustinHorton]

Also, do we believe it?

[NickFaulks]

Also, do we believe it?

Why do you have to spoil everything?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Also, do we believe it?

Who knows, especially since the protagonists are dead now. However, it is attested by several reliable sources that Nezh had a serious alcohol problem (of course, he was far from the only prominent Soviet player to be thus afflicted) and it was one reason he didn't achieve still more.

[JustinHorton]

This I knew, but I am not sure whether I believe the particular detail.

[NickFaulks]

This I knew, but I am not sure whether I believe the particular detail.

Nobody here does, of course. If the story causes distress to the Nezhmetdinov clan, then the record should be set straight. However, based on almost no knowledge, my guess is that they would be more likely to say yep, that sounds like Uncle Rashid.

edit : I meant to write "nobody else is sure"

[MJMcCready]

The title of the book is more focused on selling copies than presenting the subject accurately. It's far too off-putting for me to go anywhere near it...I wonder who next will also be proclaimed the world's greatest attacker. Who was it previously?

[Geoff Chandler]

The title of the book is more focused on selling copies than presenting the subject accurately. It's far too off-putting for me to go anywhere near it...I wonder who next will also be proclaimed the world's greatest attacker. Who was it previously?

Hi MJM,
They approach that question in the book, (a good glimpse inside the book is given on the NIC site- see the link)

"If you asked the question ‘Who do you believe was the most tactically creative player of the 20th century?’ then I’m guessing that most chess players would pick either Alekhine, Bronstein, Tal or Kasparov. Now we have a new potential entry for the top spot: Rashid Nezhmetdinov. Why are so many people irresistibly drawn to Mikhail Tal’s chess games? The spirit of Nezhmetdinov the pirate lived on in his friend’s games."

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwy ... f/9141.pdf

Of course I had to go to the NIC site to get the price of the thing because for some reason and despite asking, Richard and John never give the price when reviewing a book. (€24.99)
You are right about the title. Dropping the 'attacking and enigmatic ' bit 'The Life Games of Rashid Nezhmetdinov' would have been OK.
(I'm captain again for for the coming season of the Edinburgh junior team, The Tiger Cubs. Pre-game I'm going to give them all a spoonful of aftershave; 'This will make you play like Rashid.')