A photo from open sources
In the summer of 1985, in the apartment of the famous Grandmaster Korchnoi the phone rang: “Viktor Lvovich, would you like to play a game with the spirit of some great dead chess player? ” Korchnoi paused for a second and said: “I want to.”
Original idea
The idea belonged to a Swiss doctor of economic sciences. Wolfgang Eisenbeis, a researcher of paranormal phenomena (and at the same time a great chess lover) and was lovely as good. Firstly, an excellent advertising move. Contact with the spirit of a deceased 50 years old aunts of journalists will not be interested back, but a chess duel Two world celebrities will be seen. Secondly, the party will stretched in time, with each new move interest in it will be warm up (at least among chess players). Third, experts in chess areas will confirm that it is the deceased celebrity who plays: the style of the great chess player, as well as the playing style of the great musician imitating is very difficult.
Wolfgang Eisenbeis did not pursue any selfish motives. Neither he himself, nor other participants in the experiment – no one made money on not a penny. The main goal was to confirm (or refute) the theory of the existence of intelligence and human consciousness after physical death. Viktor Korchnoi, four-time USSR champion in chess, five-time European champion was the first to whom Eisenbeis decided to make such a strange offer.
Other participants in the experiment
With the consent of Korchnoi, Eisenbeis set about searching other participants in the experiment. To communicate with the afterlife an intermediary was needed. Among several familiar mediums Eisenbeis chose Robert Rollans, mainly because he I had absolutely no clue about the game of chess – even when arranging he confused the pieces of the king and queen on the board. It remains to find in the world of the dead rival Korchnoi.
Korchnoi named the three great deceased grandmasters with whom he I would like to fight for a chessboard: Capablanca, Keres, Maroci. On June 15, 1985, he received a message that the call was accepted by Geza Maroci, the famous Hungarian grandmaster of the first third of the 20th century. Hungarian greeted Korchnoi and apologized for his future game, since since his death in 1951 he has not practiced, and made his first move d2-d4.
How was the match
To play with the deceased, naturally there was no need to sit down for a chessboard. Eisenbeis called Korchnoi, recognized his move, called Germany Rollans, he was immersed in a trance, went into contact with the spirit of Maroci and informed him of Korchnoi’s move. Return move Maroci walked along the same chain only in the opposite direction. Medium and Korchnoi throughout the game did not meet.
According to Korchnoi’s memoirs, he reacted to this whole undertaking with skepticism and at first not very strained. His afterlife adversary indeed, he began very weakly. But already on move 27, the spirit of Maroci found several original solutions and Korchnoi, in his words, “became doubt their unconditional victory. “The spirit of the late Hungarian turned out to be a serious opponent.
Researches of Dr. Eisenbeis
While Korchnoi and Maroci measured their strengths on a chessboard, Dr. Eisenbeis did not forget about his part of the program. In addition to moves Korchnoi through the medium, he asked the spirit of Maroci many questions about details of his biography. Answers amounted to 38 handwritten pages. To check them, I had to contact the Hungarian chess club.
Club President Laclo Sebisten spent a whole historic research: raised archives, met with children of Marotsi and his cousin. Of the 92 responses received from Maroci, 85 were documented.
The remaining 7 may have been true, but neither confirm nor it was not possible to refute them, there are no records about these events preserved. So, talking about the Carlsbad tournament of 1929, “Maroci” explained why in a game with Zemis Capablanca “yawned” piece on the 8th move: the great chess player had an affair with Georgian princess, and then my wife arrived, and both came to the hall. Capablanca got nervous and “yawned”.
The game is over (game over)
The party dragged on for several years. Victor Korchnoi has among others title of the world’s oldest playing grandmaster, continues successfully protrude. At 80, he won the Veteran Tournament in honor of The 100th anniversary of Botvinnik. It’s clear that with such an eventful life, the match with “Maroci” was not in his first place.
Rollans, already quite an elderly person, was often sick, and each contact with the afterlife requires tremendous physical strength. Spirit Maroci didn’t always respond, apparently in his other world too there were problems. Therefore, the return move had to wait a week, and sometimes months.
After 7 years and 8 months of struggle, the “Maroci” remained the king and two pawns, Korchnoi’s one pawn more. February 11, 1993 at The 47th move, “Maroci” surrendered.
Skeptics claimed that another experiment was involved. the face is an unknown master who advised Rollans, but chess players did not support this version. Korchnoi level players in the world not much, everyone’s manner of playing is well known. Hide in the process play your own style and play in the style of another beyond the possible. Therefore, to the question of annoying journalists “so who played against Korchnoi? “many chess players respond without Obinyakov: “Maroci, this is certain.”
