A few days ago Garry Kasparov travelled to London to do a number of things:
(a) launch the
UK Chess Week at the Art of Chess museum; (b) give a simultaneous
exhibition for Belzberg Technologies, a Canadian financial software company
run by chess-mad chairman and CEO, Sid Belzberg; and (c) do a promotional
for his book "My Great Predecessors" at the London Chess Center,
causing gridlock in London in the process. Here are some visual impressions
of his visit, provided by John Henderson.
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Kasparov giving Sid Belzberg a hand. The software manufacturer
went on to give him a touch fight, holding his
own in a Grunfeld, only to lose the thread of the game at a crucial juncture. |
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The next morning there was the book signing at The London
Chess & Bridge Centre in Euston Road. At 9.30
am there was a large queue waiting patiently for the doors to open at
ten. A beaming Malcolm Pein, owner of the Chess Centre, did not know what
had hit him.
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"As the doors opened, his staff was rushed off their
feet just coping with the demand. In the shop, the scenes were almost like
the publication of the latest Harry Potter book – though not so much
J.K. Rawling, more like G.K. rolling in it – as the cash register
and credit card machine both came under enormous strain." (John Henderson)
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By the time Kasparov finally arrived at the shop at 10.30am,
he was also stunned to see the queue was still well outside the shop and
down to the bottom of the street! He fought his way through the cheering
crowds and for the next two hours patiently autographed each copy, happily
posing for photographs with each buyer. Even an hour into his two hour signing
session, the queue was still reaching outside the shop! |
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