Volume 40 , Number 1 Colorado Chess Informant January 2013
The Wall family - Dad and the band of brothers , circa 1985
As the years passed Brian played many world class players gaining draws against Soviet GM Anatoly Lein , ex-US Champion GM Arthur Bisguier , ex-US champion GM Shulman , GM Dashzeveg and has 3 wins against 2500 rated Igor Foigel . Brian also drew against current super GM Nakamura when he was a 2400 rated IM .
Brian shares a story about a simultaneous exhibition held in Denver in 1978 against former world chess champion Tigran Petrosian . After he teamed with Jeff McGuire to lose a long tough game , he got to visit with the GM . Brian asked Petrosian if he would continue to fight to regain the world chess title . Petrosian smiled at Brian and said “ I have no right not to continue trying .” Tragically , Petrosian died in 1984 , 6 short years later at the too early age of 55 . Some 25 years later , Brian played then U . S . Champion , Alexander Shabalov to a draw in another GM simul in Denver .
Brian also told me about watching world chess champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov play while he was in Massachusetts and hanging out with ex- US champion GM Patrick Wolff . During this time , he also got to watch a young Susan Polgar play blitz chess . Later Susan became the first female GM in history and 4 time women ' s world chess champion .
During the 1990s Brian became close friends with one of the world ' s top GMs , Roman Dzinzichashvili , during his time in Denver and was rewarded by adding a depth and understanding to his own game that he carries today and for the rest of his life .
Brian shared one of his concepts of play as coming from past World Champion , GM Mikhail Botvinnik , who developed the concept of looking at every possible move after an adjournment . Brian expands on this idea by looking at every move - during the course of the game . Even the most seemingly absurd move can become the deep hidden brilliancy that becomes an immortal achievement .
I asked Brian why over the past years he has moved away from mainstream theoretical openings and into the irregular and unsolved realm . It seems that with Brian ' s huge experience and knowledge that he could almost automatically win many games . Brian ' s explanation was a revelation about the creative artist he is , “ I want to play new ideas and keep the creativity of my chess thinking always moving forward .” www . colorado-chess . com
To his many students , Brian demonstrated the Fishing Pole , Full Metal Jacket and recently , the Frazer Defense to the Ponziani as his original and powerful opening ideas . Many strong chess players call Brian Wall their mentor - Tyler Hughes , Robert Ramirez and Chris Peterson to name only a few that are dear to Brian .
Like no other Colorado player of his generation , Brian has adapted to the computer age , playing over 250,000 online games in the past 12 years . An example of the international respect Brian has attained , he had a world level chess analysis assignment in 2006 working for ICC and being the only non-GM or IM member contracted to analyze during the world championship Topolov-Kramnik match .
Brian is known by many as a genius and to others as the world ' s oldest 14 year old . He probably makes people laugh and laughs more than anyone I ' ve ever known . Although he can hurl out some witty zingers , he always means well , he just lives for humor . He currently teaches chess in 2 Denver Public Schools . Watching him interact with his students , one is struck by his all-encompassing chess knowledge , his kindness and that special Brian Wall humor in everything he does .
He has competed in over 600 tournaments during his chess career . Brian has won both the North American Open Championship and the Kansas Open . He is a 6 times Colorado State or co-champ , 6 times Denver Champion , 2 times Wyoming State Champion and has won countless strong tournaments . He has a huge score against GMs and IMs on ICC , scoring particularly well at short time controls with his pet opening systems . Brian has shared his unique insights about every aspect of chess on his online site for the past 12 years . At one time he had over 250,000 hits and led the then # 7 ranked Yahoo site . Brian has composed over 15,000 email chess lessons and stories . Brian says he sees it as his job to record chess history so future generations can know what we did during our time . He is a chess historian but also a person that takes an interest and becomes a friend to any person that crosses his path .
Downtown Denver ’ s , 16th Street Mall , just off Arapahoe and the Clock Tower Building has an
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