hardcore pawnography

In another pathetic attempt at being a semi-legitimate chess blog, I made an attempt at interviewing a Grand Master. since i wasn’t allowed to play in round three because i suck so much, i spent the time hanging out in my room and walking around watching real people play chess. GM Larry Evans was walking by so i snagged him and he agreed to do the interview with me. he didn’t patronize me, he wasn’t condescending, he was genuine and even remembered me from the night before. he talked with a shiny glint in his eye, but behind that friendly glint i could see a small fire still burning inside him. the guy may be old, but he is spry, charismatic, and still full of energy. i wouldn’t fuck with him. he only had a few minutes, i was so thrilled that he would give me a few minutes i didn’t want to keep him any longer than i had to, so we did the 3 minute blitz interview.

(note: these are the actual questions and answers of the interview. i didn’t make any of this up)

Chessloser: ok, first question. chicken or fish?
GM Evans: that’s the choice? fish.

CL: Do you lose the artistic expression and creativity at higher levels? When you get to the master and grand master level, is it all rote? “in this position, i play here, etc etc”?
GME: There is diminishing artistry, thanks to computers. There was more creativity back in the old days. Every position, after the standard openings, is still as unique as a fingerprint, but computers are taking away the creativity.

CL: Are there any new moves that haven’t been played?
GME: Only from computers. Computers are teaching us now.

CL: You are having a dinner party, not playing chess but just talking and eating. What three chess people, living or dead, would you invite?
GME: Emanuel Lasker for sure. Capablanca for charm. Morphy, because there are a lot of questions i have to ask him.

CL: If someone would only study one chess player, who would you recommend?
GME: That’s a tough question (thinks for a bit) probably Botvinnik. (note: i know i should of asked why botvinnik. i wanted to ask why. but i didn’t want to keep the guy any longer because he was busy, so i decided to forgo actual quality for quantity).

CL: How do you want to be remembered?
GME: As a chess writer who called the shots as he saw ‘em.

CL: How long can you hold your breath?
GME: (laughs) i don’t know, i never timed it.

CL: do you read any chess blogs? what do you think of them?
GME: I read Migs daily dirt. i read Chessville, i like the usenet bulletin boards rec.games.chess.politics and rec.games.chess I also read chessbase.com, but I don’t read the USCF board, it’s censcored.

CL: Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.
GME: If you play chess as badly as you interview, you need to take up another hobby. (ok, he didn’t say that, but i bet he was thinking it.)

i know this might not tell you too much about the guy, but let me say this: when i first asked him for his time, he was busy, he mentioned he doesn’t usually give interviews, and although he had places to be and things to do, he graciously agreed to sit down with me, *me*, some nobody who he has never heard of or met, with no credentials, for an interview. he treated me with dignity and respect from beginning to end. that right there tells you what kind of man Larry Evans is. anyone can treat a famous, powerful, well connected celebrity with respect, but your true colors show in how you treat an insignificant nobody. GM Evans has walked with Kings, but still hasn’t lost the common touch. He’s a king in my book.