Normal Topic Top Three Most Influential Players of the French? (Read 6080 times)
cynima
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #9 - 04/28/11 at 13:34:15
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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? Exclaim


Well, that is my opinion too
  
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Bowen
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #8 - 04/24/11 at 14:08:05
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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
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #7 - 04/24/11 at 12:49:56
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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.
  

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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #6 - 04/24/11 at 05:18:22
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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
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #5 - 04/24/11 at 04:56:43
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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
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #4 - 04/24/11 at 04:54:41
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WSS wrote on 04/23/11 at 23:27:24:
Just for fun  Wink 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? Exclaim



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
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #3 - 04/24/11 at 03:29:19
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What! No one mentioned Viktor "the Terrible" (Korchnoi)?
  
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WSS
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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #2 - 04/24/11 at 01:48:40
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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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Re: Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
Reply #1 - 04/24/11 at 00:08:01
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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.
  

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WSS
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Top Three Most Influential Players of the French?
04/23/11 at 23:27:24
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Just for fun  Wink 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? Exclaim
  
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