Grandmaster Max Sorokin died yesterday from injuries suffered in a car crash that occurred on his way from seconding Sergey Rublevsky at the Elista candidates matches. I heard about this a few days ago but it sounded like he was okay -- and now he is gone. (The bus the players were on into Elista also had an accident, we recall.) Maxim was a good friend during our time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where we were both newcomers of around the same age at almost the same time in 1993. He arrived there to train the Argentine team for a while and ended up staying on and marrying an Argentine woman. (The mother of GM Hugo Spangenberg, Max's principal student.) We used to swap chess lessons for Spanish lessons and either he was a much better student or I was a much better teacher!
Sadly, we didn't really keep in touch when we both left Argentina at the end of the 90's. He went back to Russia and the training program he had been a part of. He later coached in India and was training kids in Kalmykia when the accident occurred. We had a happy reunion in Moscow in 2001 when he was there to second Rublevsky at the FIDE KO WCh. He'd added a beard to his flowing mustache and was still the same happy and smiling Maxi. Chess has lost a great friend.
Hug your loved ones today, my friends. Write an old friend you've let slip away. Life is short and unpredictable.
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.
May you find Comfort for your loss.
Nice note, Mig.
May God bless GM Sorokin's soul.
Very nice note.
Mig,
Deepest condolences...
Very nice tribute, and very sorry for the loss that you and chess have suffered.
Nicely worded, Mig.
Bad writing from Mig, pleaseantries, such events seem to hit Mig's psychological limitations.
They shows how absurd, nonsensical, life is.
Didn't Max have a lot of plans when it happened ? What sense does it make ? None.
'A story, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'
Life is but a chessboard of nights and days
Where destiny, with men for pieces, plays.
Each in turn they mate and slay
And one by one in the box they lay.
Mig, if you feel like it, you should delete Ovidiu's post of 08:21. Not that he doesn't have a right to free speech, but it offends my basic sense of decency that your friend died and he is talking about your psychological/writing ability.
Yuriy,
Mig should not censor Ovidiu.
The Daily Dirt entitles everyone to display (within reason) their bad writing, bad spelling, and psychological limitations.
Mig, sorry you have lost a good friend- it is often the random people you meet when you are thrown together in a new situation who leave a big impression on you.
Everyone else, the best way to deal with trolls is not to feed them with responses.
"Bad writing from Mig, pleaseantries, such events seem to hit Mig's psychological limitations."
At least they elicit yours.
Indeed, but should Mig limit this thread to words of kindness and tribute to Mr. Sorokin, he has my full support and I hope yours as well.
I just read ovidiu's post. Tops my list for insensitivity and stupidity.
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow."
Mig.
Were you trying to learn spanish and were you trying to "teach" Max chess?
Ma Sorokin God bless you.
Rafael Llanos.
Texas 2007
Mig, it's good that you posted this! Chess is competition and it has it's space here, but we should not forget what are the real values in our lives: This is friendship and love.
Thank you for your words.
Excuse the limitations in language.
Gerhard
The article about Maxim Sorokin by GM Sergei Shipov just appeared at CrestBook site:
http://www.crestbook.com/?q=node/501
In Russian but can be of interest to those who do not understand Russian as it includes an annotated game Sorokin - Shipov (1992). It is amusing (and funny!) game with a truly incredible move by Sorokin.
Valchess
Yes, 54.Qe5 is superlative! Also, 68.Re6 and 72. a6 with the possible 73.Bb5 are nice in themselves. The man had vision.
I know GM Sorokin taught in India. Any comments/thoughts from Indian players who met him here?
I didn't know Maxim Sorokin (or any other GM, for that matter), but he clearly was an example of how this solitary, seemingly pointless game can unite people from all over the world, regardless of their backgrounds.
Condolences to Mig, and to everyone who knew GM Sorokin.
So sorry for your loss, Mig; condolences to you and his family. Thanks for posting: it helps to share, not only you but for all of us. United in the love of the game, sometimes we can forget there are greater bonds; and when something like this happens, it reawakens us.
R.I.P., Max. You will be missed.
I've heard the medicines said there is no danger for his life - and hours later he died. A tragical ending. There was a way to draw the game and they didn't find it.
I'm very sorry about this. He was in the same age I am.
RIP Max, The Chess world will truly miss a great trainer and very helpful person.
My Condolences to Max's family and friends
RIP Max, The Chess world will truly miss a great trainer and very helpful person.
My Condolences to Max's family and friends
I am etremely sad to know about the sudden deie of Maxim Sorokin. I had thepreveilage of asiting him in three coaching camps n India. he was such a gentleman ,loved by all both players and organisers. Always smiling,coaced the Kids with such enthusiasm. I met him recently in Aeroflot open 2007.I invited him to India but he wanted me to come over to to Kalmykia alongwith trainees form India.Planswere discussed to teach alongwth GM.Sherbakov .India as lost good chess friend and trainer. Most of our young talent had atleast a smll part of training with him. deepest condolences to friends and family. Ebenezer Joseph
Some photos of Maxim Sorokin Teaching in Coching camps held in India are available at www.emmanuelchesscentre.com gallery.
The Chess Centre deeply mourns and will conduct a memorial tournament at Russian Cultural Centre,Chennai.