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Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? (Read 6080 times)

cynima Junior Member Offline Posts: 62 Location: Germany Joined: 12/06/10 Gender:	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #9 - 04/28/11 at 13:34:15	Post Tools	Print Post
	WSS wrote on 04/23/11 at 23:27:24: My own votes are: Gold: Wolfgang Uhlmann (for sheer devotion!) Silver: Mikhail Botvinnik (as a world champ brought credibility and attention) Bronze: John Watson (his books on the French have had such widespread influence on contemporary players) Of course, there are many other possible choices... what do you think? Well, that is my opinion too


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Bowen Full Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 147 Joined: 07/01/09	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #8 - 04/24/11 at 14:08:05	Post Tools	Print Post
	Gorath wrote on 04/24/11 at 04:56:43: Bowen wrote on 04/24/11 at 03:29:19: What! No one mentioned Viktor "the Terrible" (Korchnoi)? Probably because Korchnoi plays everything. But, as stated on the above mentioned thread, Korchnoi was the strongest +2600 player to play it regularly!


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Stigma God Member Offline There is a crack in everything. Posts: 3277 Joined: 11/07/06 Gender:	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #7 - 04/24/11 at 12:49:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1270868581/all This thread is the one I remember and also very relevant. The poll got a lot of votes and a clear top three emerged.

	Improvement begins at the edge of your comfort zone. -Jonathan Rowson
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Smyslov_Fan YaBB Moderator Correspondence fan Offline Progress depends on the unreasonable man. ~GBS Posts: 6902 Joined: 06/15/05	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #6 - 04/24/11 at 05:18:22	Post Tools	Print Post
	Please see the thread on the top ten French players of all time. (there are plenty of other threads available too)


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Gorath Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 259 Joined: 07/09/09	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #5 - 04/24/11 at 04:56:43	Post Tools	Print Post
	Bowen wrote on 04/24/11 at 03:29:19: What! No one mentioned Viktor "the Terrible" (Korchnoi)? Probably because Korchnoi plays everything.


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Gorath Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 259 Joined: 07/09/09	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #4 - 04/24/11 at 04:54:41	Post Tools	Print Post
	WSS wrote on 04/23/11 at 23:27:24: Just for fun I was wondering who you think were the top three (gold, silver, bronze) most "influential" players of the French Defense of all time? By influential I mean: a) were/are devoted to the opening; b) contributed ideas; c) influenced others to adopt the defense? My own votes are: Gold: Wolfgang Uhlmann (for sheer devotion!) Silver: Mikhail Botvinnik (as a world champ brought credibility and attention) Bronze: John Watson (his books on the French have had such widespread influence on contemporary players) Of course, there are many other possible choices... what do you think? 1. Uhlmann - Who else?! 2. Botvinnik - For the very reasons given above. Talking about contributions he would hardly qualify for the top 10 though. 3. Vaganian - A former world class player who used the French as his primary weapon for decades.


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Bowen Full Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 147 Joined: 07/01/09	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #3 - 04/24/11 at 03:29:19	Post Tools	Print Post
	What! No one mentioned Viktor "the Terrible" (Korchnoi)?


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WSS Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 273 Joined: 04/22/11	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #2 - 04/24/11 at 01:48:40	Post Tools	Print Post
	Lajos Portish was also very influential for me. In fact, it was after reading his suggestions (6... Qa5, 7... Qa4) in the 1974 classic "How To Open a Chess Game" that I tried the French for the first time in a tournament game (and won!)


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Markovich God Member Offline Posts: 6099 Location: Columbus, Ohio Joined: 09/17/04	Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? Reply #1 - 04/24/11 at 00:08:01	Post Tools	Print Post
	Probably Portisch before Watson. Nothing against Watson, a great popularizer, but not in the league of St. Lajos of Hungary. Also not Uhlmann for "sheer devotion," but for creativity.

	The Great Oz has spoken!
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WSS Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 273 Joined: 04/22/11	Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? 04/23/11 at 23:27:24	Post Tools	Print Post
	Just for fun I was wondering who you think were the top three (gold, silver, bronze) most "influential" players of the French Defense of all time? By influential I mean: a) were/are devoted to the opening; b) contributed ideas; c) influenced others to adopt the defense? My own votes are: Gold: Wolfgang Uhlmann (for sheer devotion!) Silver: Mikhail Botvinnik (as a world champ brought credibility and attention) Bronze: John Watson (his books on the French have had such widespread influence on contemporary players) Of course, there are many other possible choices... what do you think?


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