TalJechin wrote on 01/15/10 at 16:31:05:
Smyslov_Fan wrote on 01/15/10 at 14:37:31:
Kasparov doesn't really belong in the same company as the previous two. Yes, he let his hand go of a piece against Polgar, and yes, he complained mightily about Deep Blue. His role in the break up of FIDE is more problematic, but not really unethical. I find his chess behavior much more acceptable than the other two.
Kaspy is absolutely no better than the rest, if anything, then worse. Just because we tend to forget with time doesn't make him innocent.
Some other things I remember about his behaviour are: 1) going up to his hotelroom unsupervised during a round while stil playing, during Wijk or Corus. 2) watching behind the back of other competitors and giggling when he though they played inexactly. 3) in Seville vs Karpov, I've read reports that he put up a kind of pantomime show of exaggerated facial expressions when Karpov blundered.
I completely agree and would like to add the way he broke his word given to Shirov. That's not something I am going to forgive until he compensates the latter financially (remember? Shirov won, got no price money and no match).
I already found Kasparov's behaviour towards Karpov in the 80's bordering to disgusting, especially after the infamous Campomanes intervention.
On the Seville incident - I have seen photo's and a video of Kasparov's facial expressions. In my opinion it was close to an attempt to distract the opponent. Kasparov might have been lucky that there was not much left to be distracted from.
Regarding Korchnoi I have mixed feelings. He
had a rough time around 1980, having left his wife and son in the URS, being boycotted by that same URS. This boycot was taken over by most big tournaments. Notable exceptions were Leeuwarden 1977, Linares 1979 and .... Hoogovens, the predecessor of Corus.
Add the influence of a certain Petra Leeuwerik and Kortchnoi's paranoia becomes not justifiable but understandable.