Chess - The Scotsman 07/02/2012

CHESS can be a very stressful game at times – particularly during frantic time scrambles that can be a danger to your health … or worse, even sudden death at the board.

One of the most famous players to die “with his boots on” was the Soviet-Latvian former World Senior Champion GM Vladimir Bagirov (1936-2000). He died of a heart attack at the conclusion of a nerve-racking time scramble while leading a Finnish tournament. He only needed to make one more move – the winning move in the game – for a perfect score of 4/4 when he collapsed.

Another two-time Soviet Champion has died of a heart attack at the board: GM Vitaly Tseshkovsky (1944-2011). On Christmas Eve, the 67-year-old Russian Grandmaster was paired against fellow GM Mikhail Panarin in the first round of a Rapid tournament in his adopted home of Krasnodar. But, tragically, during the heat of their battle, Tseshkovsky’s blundering of a pawn at move 42 proved to be the last move he ever made, as he collapsed, lost consciousness and died of a heart attack.

Tseshkovsky (or Cseshkovsky, or however you want to spell it, there are 3 or 4 different anglicisations) highlight during his playing career was being the co-winner of the 1978 Soviet Championship (alongside Mikhail Tal) and winner of the 1986 Championship. He also beat some world champions in his day: Vasily Smyslov at the Moscow Spartakiad 1974, Tal at Sochi 1970, and a young Garry Kasparov en route to his 1978 Soviet Championship victory.

M Tal - V Tseshkovsky

Sochi, 1970

Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 7 d3 Be7 8 Re1 0–0 9 Nbd2 d6 10 c3 Na5 11 Bc2 c5 12 Nf1 Re8 13 Ng3 Bf8 14 d4 cxd4 15 cxd4 Nd7 16 Nf5 exd4 17 N3xd4 Ne5 18 b3 Rc8 19 Bb2 g6 20 f4 gxf5 21 fxe5 dxe5 22 Nxf5 Qxd1 23 Bxd1 Nc6 24 Bg4 Nb4 25 Rad1 Rc2 26 Re2 Bc5+ 27 Kf1 Bxe4! 28 Rxe4 Rf2+ 29 Ke1 Nc2 checkmate 0–1