From: Michael Kramer WORLDNET ATT NET> Date: 22 dec 1996 Subject: Re: The "bishop" The issue of strength in participation in western chess was not my point. The popularity and widespread knowlege of Indian chess IN INDIA was what I referred to. Japan for instance has magnificently powerful Shogi players and a widespread chess culture but limited participation in Western chess. Western chess should not be the benchmark of this issue which was, I think, Sams point (among other things) in the first place. This little business says nothing about the wonderful analysis of the origin of Chess in The article Sam wrote of course. At 12:32 AM 12/22/97 +0000, you wrote: >Please note the date of my article. It was published in December, 1985. At >that time, there were few Indian players better than the 2300 level. The >representative of India at most international competitions was Manual Aaron, >who was only a 2250 player at his peak. The average small city in America >could have defeated the Indian national team back them. > >You do not need to tell me anything about Viswanathan Anand, as he is a >friend of mine. I have known him for more than 10 years. In 1986, I wrote a >newspaper article which said that he was one of the most promising and >talented players in the world. This was before almost anybody had heard of him. > >It is noteworthy that Anand spent a year in the Philippines in his early >teens and that this was instrumental in his development as a chess player. > >Sam Sloan > >At 04:17 PM 12/21/96 -0500, you wrote: >>In a message dated 96-12-21 03:46:21 EST, you write: >> >><< in contradiction to >> Sams suggestion that chess is relatively dead in India. >> >> >>Viswanathan Anand, currently considered in the top three or four chessplayers >>in the world, is Indian. He is a regular competitor in chess' highest >>tournaments (including the most competitve ever, currently going on in the >>Canary Islands). This is the highest that an Indian has ever risen in the >>Chess ranks. >> >> >