by Stewart Reuben, photo by Zeljka Malobabic of Monroi
People often say to me, “Grandmasters are very stand-offish.” My response is usually, Have you ever approached one?” “Oh, no I couldn’t do that.” “Well,” I respond, “Is it not you who is being hard to talk to?” One of the glories of the Gibraltar Chess Festival is that not only play takes place in the Caleta Hotel, but also that is where most of the players stay. Thus you can meet socially players from all over the world from many different backgrounds.
People often say to me, “Grandmasters are very stand-offish.” My response is usually, Have you ever approached one?” “Oh, no I couldn’t do that.” “Well,” I respond, “Is it not you who is being hard to talk to?” One of the glories of the Gibraltar Chess Festival is that not only play takes place in the Caleta Hotel, but also that is where most of the players stay. Thus you can meet socially players from all over the world from many different backgrounds.
(left) GM Boris Spassky with Stewart Reuben
This year Boris Spassky, World Champion 1969-72, was a guest of the hotel for three days. It was his defence of the title against the American, Bobby Fischer, which caught the interest of the general public more than any other in the 1500 year history of chess. It is true that Bobby won their epic clash, but that in no way detracts from the status of Boris as one of the great icons of the game ... (read more)
