[Marxism] Cuban Chess Grand master Lazaro Bruzon profiles

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(Bruzon will compete at the international chess championships
which begins today at Beer Sheeba, Israel. He's a very popular
young man and chess is reported on the national news in Cuba.
=============================================================

See a nice photo of Cuba's 22-year old chess grand master:
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2005/11/01/deportes/artic01.html

And a short verbal profileo him as well:
Lazaro Bruzon
Age: 22
Country: Cuba
Rating: 2637

For the young Cuban, winning Corus B last year, a result that
propelled him to the 'big leagues' this time around, was hardly the
only success in 2004. Playing serious chess in literally every month
in 2004, his fine successes include winning the Cuban championships
quite comfortably, a huge 8.5/11 at the Capablanca memorial a month
later, and most noticeably an identical score at the Calvia Olympiad
(2771 TPR), playing second board for Cuba. Traditionally, the big
guns in the top group try to hammer at the 'new kid on the block'
GM-B-graduate who invaded their home turf. No one, including probably
Lazaro himself expects his life there to be all wine and roses but I
think he is ready for them! Stay tuned; it is only a month away.
http://www.coruschess.com/?r=article.php!a!s=a35
=========================================================

Article - The Cuban (English)
http://www.coruschess.com/article.php?s=a30

October 13 2004 - Aviv Friedman

Go to Aviv Friedman's article archive

Of the 14 'Grand Maestros' of the A group for 2005, it would be fair
to call Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon the most enigmatic. Obviously no
player who obtains the GM title and wins the World Junior title can
be considered an unknown, but besides his impressive chess results
resume, not much is known about the 22 year old debutant.

Who is this quiet and unassuming youngster who tore through the B
group in 2004 to win the right to participate with the biggest guns
this time around? I have used a Cuban chess site, which profiled him
a few years ago and other sources to try and shed some light on our
fellow:

Born in Tunas in Cuba in 1982, he learned the rules of chess at the
'modernly late' age of 9 (nowadays a kid 'that old' must have an ELO
of 2300 and an IM norm to be considered a hopeful!) At age 14, he
made big local headlines when he scored a Fischer-like 13 out of 13
in the Cuban national scholastic tournament.

That fantastic result got him a ticket into the semi finals of the
Cuban championship where he went on to share first place with a fine
result of 7.5/11. All of a sudden, this 14-year-old provincial kid
with no FIDE rating was following the footsteps of the great
Capablanca (and his friend and the other great Cuban young talent
Lenier Dominguez) to his country's championships finals! His modest 4
points in 13 encounters included a first ever win against a GM,
Walter Arencibia, himself a former young hopeful.

After that, his rise to the realms of national and international
success was quite meteoric. In 1998, after a series of domestic
achievements that included winning the Cuban Junior championship and
again the semi finals of the National championship it was time to
travel abroad. A first success at the Youth festival in La Paz,
Bolivia was culminated by winning a bronze medal at the World
championships under 16 in Oropesa, Spain.

By 1999 the lad has fulfilled all his norms for the IM title and has
climbed to an ELO of 2488. As a matter of fact the only reason he
didn't get his IM title is that he managed to fulfill his norms (and
rating) for the Grandmaster title before his IM title was approved by
FIDE! Young "Lazarito" made this amazing feat of making it to GM in
32 days - incredible indeed.

In 2000 the Cuban GM reaches a new pinnacle when he participates in
the prestigious World Junior championship and returns home with the
coveted gold medal. The win leads to some invitations and the name
Lazaro Bruzon is getting more known.

A frequent visitor to many open events Bruzon gradually increased his
rating and crossed the 2600 mark. His latest successes can include
qualifying to the world championships from the American Continental
competition and of course his win in Corus B 2004. He will clearly be
the underdog in his debut in 2005, but it will be an invaluable
experience for him and I am sure he will show his bite too. Lets
bring back a little reminder to his aggressive style from last year's
event. This game was well received by chess fans on site and on the
Internet alike:



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