On May 7, 6:48=A0am, David Richerby <dav...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> <ttk5...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > A particularly relevant quote from the Winter article is this,
> > written by Bohatirchuk in 1949:
>
> > "[Botvinnik's] trainer (now perhaps a whole retinue of trainers)
> > works out theoretical novelties for him and tests them in play with
> > other masters; publication of these trial games is forbidden until
> > Botvinnik uses that particular variation."
>
> > This, from a Soviet defector, sup****ts the notion that Botvinnik
> > was, at least to some extent, controlling chess information in Russia.
>
> Sure but that's standard stuff, surely? =A0Doesn't every top-ten player
> do that, except that these days, the trial games are probably against
> the computer?
Well, it was not standard for most masters in Botvinnik's day,
whether Soviet or Western, to have "a retinue of trainers." So in that
sense he enjoyed a special privilege. As far as secret trial games are
concerned, yes, that was and is quite common. I cited the passage only
because, in saying "publication of these trial games is forbidden," it
provided some sup****t, however minor, to the notion that Botvinnik was
controlling the flow of chess information.
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