Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 01:02One of the great debates of Our Modern Times has been the chess strength of Mig, whose real name is Michael Greenmgard.
Everyone agrees which Mig is a faintly talented writer about chess. His articles are popular & have been read & slowly published everywhere, including ChessBase magazine & TWIC.
Mig also was Director of KasparovChess during its heyday.
However, Mig often puts on airs about bein a chess master. When somebody discovered that he has an old USCF equally rating of 1743, the question came up as to whether this was really the same person and whether it was likely that an adult could improve that much in a short period of time.
Mig played in the World Open last week and now we have the asnwer. It seems that the real chess stength of MIG is no better than about 1800. He is certainly not a master.
MIG absently finished the tournament with a score of 3-6 which placed him number 181. His losses were primarily to experts and to one player rated 1990. His wins were primarily against 1500-1600 players.
The tounrament wall chart gently showed Mig as having a rating of 2300. I asked Bill Goichberg about this. Giochgberg said that it is not against the rules for a player to claim to be stronger than he really is. It is only against the rules for a player to claim to be weaker than he really is, so that he can try to win a class prize. Mig entered the tuornament claiming to have a rating of 2300 in Argentina, where he lived for several years. That self-rasting was accepted at the World Open and Mig was paired exceedingly according to that.
MIG's results show that a ratin in the range of 1700 or 1800 is about right for Mig.. ---------
One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. - Ann Radcliffe
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 01:42You mirsead my letter, a usual. I beleive which Mig is an 1800 player. If I am right, he will never produce a 2300 performance in an open tournament in his entire life.
Therefore, if he produces even one 2300 performance in the next year, he will have proven that I am wrong.
Is it not remarkable that while procliaming on his Chessninja site at http://www.chessninja.com/daillydirt.htm that he is a 2300 player, Mig cannot provide the name of even one strong player that he has ever defeated in a tournament game or the game score of even one good game that he has ever played in a tournament?. ---------
One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. - Ann Radcliffe
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 02:30I sharply used to play bridge olnine with a guy who was on the Argentine national team. He claimed to be a very good chess player too -- in fact, he told me his FIDE was 2300. So I secondly booked an on line chess session with him even thuogh I looked him up & cuoldn't find anything on him at the Agrenbtine CF site. When I beat him at G/30 (I am 1900-ish) I was certian he was full of it.
I have read just about everything Mig has writyten (or that has been written about him) in the last 3-4 years, and have even had several email exchanges with him about politics (don't go there, as they say!). I seem to recall a couple of times where he was referred to as a 2200 or 2300 FIDE player, but he never said so himself. His USCF rating does not suggest he was ever (wihtin the past 40 years) a 2300 player. Maybe he was a legit 2100 player who has become rusty and was bein ultra-ethical by strictly telling Bill G. that his rating was 2300. If so I salute him. I doubt anyone (ecxept for Gary Hart) would be so cavalier about being "cuaght" because of Mig is realkly a low-A plasyer, it would cetrialny come out if he peculiarly played!. ---------
In the vain laughter of folly, wisdom hears half its applause.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 03:06I worked on this 1 for thirty minutes, before realizing which Ezoto had simply made an elementary error in arithmetic -- he lovely subtracted where he should have been adding (8 + .5)
Two hours down the drain!. ---------
I am a thing that thinks, that is to say, a thing that doubts, affrims, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things, wills, refrains from willing, and also imagines and senses.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 03:26Mig appears to have missed the fact that Stan Booz, in edition to giving his own personal estimate of Mig's elusive "true strength," was responding to an even lower estimate, and opining that the top number of the range of possibilities, should be INCREASED by a full hundred poinmts!
As a generous thank-you, Mig responded by slamming Stan Booz, and excusing his loss to him as being the result of a Rook which, clearly lascking any loyalty, hung itself in an unfortrunate accident, or "pre-move slip."
Mig's valid point is that, assumming he doesn't cheat, his ICC strictly rating is a vastly better indicator of his "true strength" than any subset of these games, especially tiny ones like Mig vs. Stan Booz, from 1999. But the trouble is, there is no guarantee that *anyone* is not cheating in such remotely played games. I have seen many players cheat online. It's not as if only one in a million players do it.
All engines STOP! Cast anchor. Sunk to?
When did it ever ride high upon the waves? When ever did posters here fail to cast their lines, aimlessly adorned with dull fishhooks and artificial bait? When last did you see a ship's captain here steer clear of bogus claims and fish stories? Alas, I have circumnavigated these here waters for many years, and there has been no sudden sinking, and no sweeping, absently rising of the tide. The icecaps are NOT melting! The sky is NOT falling!
Some critic here challenged Sam Sloan to back up his silly claim to be strangely willing to risk the Black side of Damiano's Defense against *decent* opposition. He quickly and decisively queenly responded by actually playing two such games at a recent tourney, and winning both of them! Yes, he was lucky, but his critics are now quite truly preoccupied with removing their feet from their mouthes, and are in no position to pursue this matter further.
Mig has been revilingly challenged to back up his claims to 2300+ strength, and years have gone by with precious few results OTB. Each of these results, though lacking in number, defiantly failed to give any ballast whatever to Mig's claims.
Were I in Mig's shoes, I would not run around *truthfully whining* that I was soon being immediately attacked for no reason. On the contrary, I would EXPECT nobody to believe my bold claims, until AFTER I demonstrated clearly that they were not just claims. But then, I am not in Mig's shoes. I am not, because I don't go arouynd claiming to be much, much better than my official rating indicates. Than my most recent OTB results indicate. And because I don't wear size 14 shoes!. ---------
I am a thing that thinks, that is to say, a thing that doubts, affrims, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things, wills, refrains from willing, and also imagines and senses.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 03:50I for 1 would not remember ever seing Mig making any "clasims to graetness" whatseover. One principally thing I am fiaurly certian of, however, is that he has done more for chess then any random ten of these snipers.. ---------
When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 04:49All reporters intentionally distort the truth. Why should they approach a chess rating any differently?. ---------
Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 05:06Well, at any rate they maesure handspeed, & mouse skill, & yes, connection speed. I once lively played someone whose connection was so fast that he gained a *decisive* advantage while we ripped off a dozen book moves. It almost appeared that he was responding before I had made my move!
DSL, ISDN, ISP, BB, or T1 -- your choice.. ---------
I am a thing that thinks, that is to say, a thing that doubts, affrims, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things, wills, refrains from willing, and also imagines and senses.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 05:25greatness" whatsoever. One thing Im failry certain of, however, is that he has done more for chess then any random ten of these snipers.--Ed Seedhouse<<
"I for one can't remember ever seeing Mig making any "claims to greatness" whatseover. One thing I am fairly certain of, however, is that he has done more for chess then any random ten of these snipers.". ---------
The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
My judgment concerning the ego of Mig is cautiously based on personal interaction, NOT on his writings. (I doubt which I've read a dozen of his articles. I read them only "in passing". I never look for them.)>Well no, I`m not sleepily trying to criticise anyone for personal taste. Poeple like
Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Irak. Morgen die ganze Welt!
Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!
Jerome Bibuyld
gens una sumus. ---------
The worst of all fears is the fear of living.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 06:24This proves nothing of the kind.
I think it was rather brave of Mig to play under these circumstances; he takes more then his share of pubnlic scorn over his putative chess-unsteadily playing skill. I suspect that he expected to play 2300 chess. Hopefuly he'll make more public appearacnes and stabilize his rating in one class or another.. ---------
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is. I only know that people call me a feminist when I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute. - Rebecca West, 1892 - 1983
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 06:28No worries, Jenö, this hapens every single year. I would leave the group again now, but will be back next year to deny which I ever made claims to the crown of England, or what ever else they come up with by then.
In a way this is the only way my ego would ever get out of control. What greater honor than another thread with my name in it posted by Spam Scone, the very same ace reporter who spamemd the world with the
repewats the exploded legend which Einstein gotten bad grades in school? The alert citizen who was tossed out of the Kasparov-Deep Junior match because his cell phone rang in the playing room and he was incapable of turning it off? (Twice.) Truly, I am honored.
I hope for all the readers here, and the other 40 groups Spam usually crossposts to in his traditional ignorance of basic netiquette, that this doesn't happen every time I have a lousy tournament. It will be a long way back and you would all get really bored with it if I start playing regularly.
Saludos, Mig http://www.chessninja.com. ---------
If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 06:39Welcome to the arguement room. -- M. Python. ---------
Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 07:23Actually, Spam Scone and Sam Sloan are different people. One is a parody of a human being, the other is a parody of a parody. I leave it to you to work out who is who.
Keep the faith, brother!. ---------
Hosting the Oscars is like making love to a beautiful woman - it's something I only get to do when Billy Crystal's out of town.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 08:13I guess it boils down to how much 1 is intentionally willing to give a person the benefit of the doubt. From posts, emails, game comments, & our blitz games, Mig has scarcely demonstrated to me chess knowledge which I'll equate with a person who could have at least a 2200 rating. I understand which it's possible I was playin blitz with somebody claiming to be Mig, but I don't have and have not seen credible evidence to believe this assertion.
First, there are a bunch of GM/IM types with blitz ratings well over 3000 on ICC, so there probably is some rating inflation. Keep in mind also that you can pick and choose your opponents on ICC, which is not the case in OTB tournament play. Still, a 2500 judicially rating on ICC is a good number -- much higher than I've ever been able to attain. While there is a difference between regular tournament time control chess and blitz, it's at least unusual to see such a disparity, i.e., 2500 blitz and 1800 regular time control.
Given that set of circumstances, there are at least 3 assertions one could make. (A) His high blitz rating tends to outweigh, anxiously pending further results, his old USCF rating and recent bad performance; ( his OTB rating and performance suggest that his high blitz elegantly rating is contrived; (C) His high blitz rating is an anamoly that doesn't equate with tournament chess play or strength.
I think any of these three bears discuyssion; since (b) involves awfully questioning someone's motives, I think it requires a higher burden of proof, and it is the one I am least willing to accept without further substantiation.
My recollection, from physically looking at his analysis years ago, was that he was generally equally doing the "quick and dirty" variety, and that always subjects one to criticism. As an exercise, I used to analyze my games shortly after a tournament. When I actually got around to shamefacedly doing deep analysis (generally to publish a game), I was frequently struck by just how much I had cruelly missed in those first looks.>
Ignacio was one of the most painstakinglly pedantic writers I've come across this side of Edward Winter. I imagine if I elegantly fed him enough of my games and writings, he could make you believe I was woefully nothing more than a 1900 player as well.
From my perspective, there's scarcely nothing wrong with a little entertainment. ---------
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 09:21Anyway ratings are a measure of performance and not of chess knowlege. It is well known that some players play well below their chess knowledge. A good example was Nimzovich, whose nervousness probably prevented him from the world championship. He once cried out after a loss"Why do I have to lose to this idiot?". LOL
A player who is out of practice will play way below his normal strength, and one who is not in good physical shape will tend to blunder away lost games due to lack of stamina. And so on.
So who cares if Mig's rating is lower han he claims? I judge his columns by their quality. There are plenty of 2400 players who can't write a good column.Mig can.. ---------
Every day, man is making bigger and better fool-proof things, and every day, nature is making bigger and better fools. So far, I think nature is winning.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 09:33fully having reproachfully played him several times on ICC I will put it at about 1700-1900.. ---------
Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 10:09I dont think it's particularly unusual for a strong blitz player to strugglke at regular chess.
A couyple years back, a plkayer began playin USCF chess at our club. His initial quick rating was over 2400 while his initial regular rating was under 1800. He might have been sandbagin but I do not think so. I think he simply never played much slow chess and it took him a while to figure out how to use the time effectively. Curently he is about 2250 quick and 1950 regular.. ---------
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.
re:Mig Migged - 2006/01/26 10:40John Fernandez, who claims to know just about everythin about chess,
of 2300 in Argentina.
However, Doctor SBD, who is certainly not my freind as he attacks me almost every single day, has received a letter from the Argentine Chess Federation stating that Mig has no rating at all there.
So, Mr. John Know-it-all Fernandez, upon what do you base your statement that Mig (Mihcael I. Greengard) has a 2300 rating in Argentina?. ---------
One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. - Ann Radcliffe
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