John ‘Indiana
Jones’ Goddard...
Via
Discovery Channel Magazine (Issue 1307), i was introduced to John ‘Indiana
Jones’ Goddard, adventurer and explorer who died at the fruitful age of 88 on
May 2013.
What
interesting about John Goddard is when he was 15 (!), he listed 127 things that
he wants to do (Bucket List) before he died and some 73 years later, he manage
to achieve 112 of it!
Among his
Bucket List that he manage to achieve are #40: Learn to fly a plane, #47:
Retrace travels of Marco Polo and Alexander the Great, #101: Run 1.6 KMs in 5
minutes, #117: Milk a poisonous snake and so on.
Me...
That
article makes me think...what actually i really want to do in chess...what
actually i want to achieve in chess...What is my chess ‘Bucket List’?
After few
months consideration... few months thinking of it...few days flirting with
it....and few nights sleeping with it... i finally come up with my 20 Chess
Bucket wishes.
1.
To
beat a GM
I have never beaten any GM...not even during simultaneous game. Well, i have beaten few IMs but GM...never. To beat a GM in a
single game i know i have to win 4 times, one in opening...one in
middlegame...one in endgame and the last one, the most crucial one, is to win
against my own self/ desire to offer GM a draw when i am winning.
2.
To
enter a chess tournament in Moscow.
Chess player’s life is not complete if he/she
never compete in a chess tournament in Moscow, the unofficial state capital of
the Chess Republic. Simple.
3.
To
visit London Chess Center, London.
Hairulov has done this few years ago...me?...no. I fully intent to do this before
i am 50. I can imagine that i will be like a kid in candy store ( or like a
lady in LV store...) when i visit
London Chess Centre....heaven!!
4.
To
visit Marshall Chess Club, New York.
Marshall Chess Club...a place where Fischer
played his Game of the Century...and almost
every who’s who of the chess world has at least once, visited this historic
club. Though i am not the known
‘who’s who’ but rather an unknown ‘who?’ in chess world, i really want to at least once visit this club.
5.
To
open my very own chess center.
I dream of one day to open up my very own chess
center that open 7 days a week for chess players and chess lovers to come and
play anytime they like...there will be a library...hall to organized a
tournament...a study room etc. It will be like Papa Midnite’s Night
Club...no!...it will be more like Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca. Everyone is
welcome at 1940s Rick’s Cafe ...from German’s Nazi to US Spies to ugly,
opportunist swindlers to pretty, young lady in distress (especially!) etc...a
sanctuary from the brutal, warring outside world. How nice if this could be a
reality one day!
6.
To
write a chess book.
I don’t know what will be the title of the book
or on what topic it will covered but i know there is at least one chess book
inside me waiting to be unleash! If one fine day this will become reality, it
will not be crammed with opening theory or endgames analysis etc (who wants to
read Ilham’s analysis of Albin Counter Gambits?...further more, i also want to
‘cari makan’ in tournament and why should i share my secret with you? :)
)....that is just not me. It will be something light and easy or perhaps a
reminiscent of good old days of chess in Malaysia/Terengganu...something like
that!
7.
To
play through all Fischer’s games.
This is (in theory) realistically
achievable.From 1955 until 1992, Fischer played about 800 chess games...Say i play about a game a day, it
will take me about 2 and a half
years to achieve this. Actually some 20 years ago, when i was still a
University student, i have tried to
achieve this from a photocopy book of Fischer’s games collection and manage to
go until Fischer’s early 1960’s games before
i just stop. I tried this again few years ago (started again from his 1955
games and this time from Karsten Muller’s book on Fischer) but this time only
manage to go until year 1957...Pathetic. Warm, warm chicken’s shit
(Hangat-hangat tahi ayam...)
8.
To
organized a FIDE Rated tournament ‘Bak Memorial’
Bak is one of the regular chess player at KedaiAziz,...short in height, he is tall with humors...his National chess rating
maybe zero (Strength wise, he played at earthly low 1600 level...stratosphere high of 2400 if
allowed to take back moves), he is rated out of this world 2800 when it comes
to cracking jokes and smiles...we all love him....we all really, really love
him. He died due to asthma in late 90’s, We, the Kedai Aziz’s citizen deeply
missed him and if i ever be a multi millionaire, i shall organized one tournament in
his memory...least i can do to remember a great friend he is and ofcourse,
during tournament there will be a free flow of ‘Kopi O’ to players (Bak’s
favourite drink!) and players are allowed to smoke (but only Gudang Garam
Surya’s cigarette. Bak passionately called Gudang Garam Surya as his
lover...his ‘Suraya’. Sorry, mainstream cigarettes are not allowed to be smoke
during games, no 'Peter', no 'John', no 'Kent'...only ‘Suraya’)
9.
To
be a National Champion
Most politician entered politic to hopefully
one day to become a Prime Minister. Most private sector staff worked in a company to
hopefully one day to become a CEO and i, as a chess player, naturally play
chess to hopefully one day to become a National Champion...and with it carry a
limited two alpha characters ‘NM’, for life, in front of my name and unlimited
bragging rights, also for life, that i am the best Malaysian player in year so and so. Closest i get to this nirvana is placing top 5 in 1991 National Closed at
Kota Bharu. (maybe i finished in top 3, i could not remember...all i remember
in 1991 National Closed is champion went to Kamal Ariffin...and before the
start of this tournament, we tried to call Ghalam who initially said he is
interested in entering this tournament, he didn't turn up...from a bulky car phone that belongs to
father of one of the contestant...at that time i was like...wah car phone!, so
rich, so canggih!)
10.
To
have the autograph of World Champions.
Next
Posting: MY ANOTHER 10 'BUCKET LIST' WISHES
