The history of Croatian sport is full of memorable events that make everyone happy and proud:
– Janica Kostelic winning four medals in Salt Lake City 2004
– Croatian Basketball team led by Drazen Petrovic holding its ground against Dream Team 1992
– Ivica Mornar retiring
However, for chess players, no event is as memorable and impressive as Vlado’s Kovacevic feat in the Rovinj tournament.
The year was 1970 and one of the participants was the American legend, Robert James Fischer himself. He quickly seized the lead, but in the eight round something amazed happened. Playing the Black side of his favorite French defense, Vlado managed to outplay his formidable opponent and win the game in just 30 moves. This was Fischer’s first loss since Interzonal in Sousse in 1967.
It has to be mentioned Vlado was not even an International Master at a time – he got the title only after the tournament.
Apart from this, the most famous feat, Vlado’s career was rather impressive. He became the grandmaster in 1976, he became Croatian champion in 1969 and 1971, he has won 15 international tournaments and in the Sarajevo tournament 1982, he played incredibly among 10 grandmasters, scoring 12/15, only half a point behind the winner Beliavsky.
Not bad for someone who only started playing chess when he was 15, who also has an electrical engineering degree and who never really became a chess professional since he had a full-time job as a journalist and broadcaster throughout his life.
For someone who has written a number of chess books (among his volume on endgames is incredibly valuable) and who maintains a +2400 rating even when he is well above 70.
I can’t believe I actually passed on the opportunity to meet him and playing some chess games. You see, he is the grandfather of my best friend from elementary school. Back then I had no idea he is a living legend, my mind was occupied by more important things than chess.
Such as Pokemon Cards and Age of Empires II.
God dammit.
Happy 76 birthday you Fischer slayer.
(If you like posts as these, check our complete list of Chess Birthdays )