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Article: Checkered careers. (chess champions Nigel Short and Gary Kasparov)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 12, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE ballyhoo of P.T. Barnum has invaded the once staid world of international chess, and the press loves it. England's Nigel Short and Russia's Gary Kasparov are cheerfully trading insults to boost public interest in their match. Such is the circus atmosphere, with Mr Short calling his opponent everything from an "Asiatic despot" to a "hairy ape", that the big questions are hardly being raised, let alone answered. Who is this challenger to Gary Kasparov? How did he earn the right to challenge? Does he have any hope of beating Mr Kasparov? And will he be recognized as world champion if he does?
Mr Short, who is now 28, has been hailed as a chess genius since he was ...