Chess is a sport that isn’t perhaps most people’s cup of tea. It is an acquired taste. You need to have a special affiliation to be thoroughly engaged in a game that can last for as long as 4 hours. Perhaps even more.
And yet, the sport remains a key sport in many nations across the world. Two of the world’s largest countries – Russia and India – count chess as among their top five sports. In fact, Russia has produced the most number of chess grandmasters. Europe, in general, is really where Chess resides.
Some of the greatest grandmasters have participated in the Euro Club Cups over the years. Legends such as Magnus Carlsen, Emanuel Lasker and the Russian great, Gary Kasparov, are simply a few amongst such luminaries who have graced us with their presence. Here we list some of the best participants.
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov is considered the second greatest Russian grandmaster of all time, after Gary Kasparov. He was the world champion for an incredible 10 consecutive years from 1975 onwards. Karpov was not a man to take many risks, with his playing style being conservative, but he took advantage of the tiniest of mistakes made by his opponent.
Sergei Tiviakov
Sergei Tiviakov is not perhaps a name that springs to mind when you think of the world’s all-time greats. The Russian-Dutch chess player first shot to prominence in 1990 when he won the U18 world championships, following which he was immediately awarded the title of a grandmaster at a young age of 18. His 2008 Club Cup game with Grachev Boris is one of the best games in recent times.