János Flesch (30 September 1933 – 9 December 1983) was a

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

Grandmaster, chess writer and coach, born in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

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. He is best known for claiming a world record

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exhibition when he played 52 opponents in

in 1960. However, he was apparently allowed to consult scoresheets as well as verbally recount moves of the games in progress and therefore, his claim was disallowed. Flesch was awarded the

International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

(IM) title in 1963 and the Honorary Grandmaster (GM) title in 1980. He died in an automobile accident"Szachy", nr 2/1984, p. 57 with his wife Ildiko Tenyei in

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, in 1983. Represented Hungary on the

Tel-Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

Chess Olympiad The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in FIDE Onli ...

(1964) (fourth place), also participated in the

European Team Chess Championship The European Team Championship (often abbreviated in texts and games databases as ''ETC'') is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9. This more ...

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(1965) (third place). From 1967 he was working as chess trainer:
(1967–1970) Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC) Chess Club
(1971–1983) PMSC Chess Club

Playing style

János Flesch was an attacking player, taking risk in his games, developing an imaginative style of play. He often sacrificed

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in search for the

initiative Popular initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...

in chess. In many of his sharp games he won with a creative attack against the opponent's

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Notable chess games

Janos Flesch vs Mikhail Tal, Miskolc 1963, Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations,(B50), ½–½
The opponent is none other than the "Magician from Riga" the great World Champion -

Mikhail Tal Mikhail Tal (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a Soviet and Latvian chess player and the eighth World Chess Champion. He is considered a creative genius and is widely regarded as Comparison of top chess players throughout history, one ...

and Janos Flesch secures a draw in a fighting game.
Janos Flesch vs Hrumo, BFX Budapest 1960, King's Gambit: Accepted.Rosentreter-Testa Gambit,(C37), 1-0
A creative short attacking game, representing the playing style of J.Flesch.
Janos Flesch vs Viktor Korchnoi, Belgrade 1964, Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian. General,(B30), 1-0Janos Flesch vs Svetozar Gligoric, Belgrade 1964, King's Indian Attack(A07), ½–½Boris Spassky vs Janos Flesch, Tel-Aviv 1964, Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense. Main Line.(D57), ½–½

Writings

* * * *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flesch, Janos 1933 births 1983 deaths Chess Grandmasters Chess coaches Hungarian chess writers Chess players from Budapest 20th-century Hungarian chess players 20th-century Hungarian sportsmen Hungarian chess players