Chess and Sports

Nikos Galis – Europe’s Greatest-ever Scorer

By Yannis Psarakis

Since the birth of the European Championships in 1935 and the first European club competition in 1958, literally thousands of players have stepped up to play at the top level. Yet few have had the impact on the record books as that of former Greek superstar, Nick Galis.

Playing in the 1980‘s and early 1990‘s, Galis literally broke scoring records in almost every competition he entered, playing for Aris Thessaloniki and Panathinaikos Athens. He also masterminded the greatest ever achievement of any Greek national team, namely a gold medal at the 1987 European Championship.

“I’d love to play with Galis in the same team,” said the legendary Drazen Petrovic before his death in 1993.

“I would assist him the ball and he would put it in the basket.”

Nick Galis, a 183 cm guard, was born in New Jersey (USA) on July 23rd 1957. Although he was not born on Greek soil, his Greek nationality was unquestionable. His parents, Giorgos and Stella, hailed from the island of Rhodos and when Galis first came to Greece he was known as Nickos Georgalis-Galis.

Galis’ first sport was actually boxing, but his mother soon put the clamps on his burgeoning career. Her horror at seeing her son come home every day with a new facial injury led to Galis taking up basketball and in 1970 began to play at Union Hill High School.

His prep career was successful enough to earn him a scholarship to the University of Seton Hall and he did not disappoint. In his junior year (1977-78) he averaged 17.3 ppg and as a senior he led the nation in scoring (Indiana State forward Larry Bird was second) at 27.5 ppg, with a career high 48 points against the University of Santa Clara.

Galis was chosen at no. 68 by the Boston Celtics in the 1979 NBA draft, but elected instead to pursue a professional career in Greece.

It was a decision which would literally change the future of Greek basketball.

Panathinaikos and Olympiakos had showed some interest in the newcomer, but it was Aris Thessaloniki who were the most active club. Giorgos Tsiligaridis was sent by Aris to the USA to convince Galis to sign with his team and he managed to return with his signature on a contract.

Galis came to Thessaloniki at the start of the 1979-1980 and it took the young guard all of one game to show his potential. In his debut he lit up rival Thessaloniki club Iraklis for 30 points and an epic career was underway.

Galis’ career is perhaps best summed up by the record books. He played 13 seasons with Aris, winning eight Greek titles, five Greek Cups, one Korac Cup (1985) and also making three EuroLeague Final Four appearances. Of the eight Greek titles, six were consecutive during which Aris put together a remarkable 80 game winning streak.

Along with the team success came the individual accolades. Galis led the Greek League in scoring in every single one of his 15 seasons. He is the league’s all-time leading scorer with a total of 12,849 points in 384 games and a remarkable average of 33.4 ppg.

His career high output was 62 points which came against Nikeas-Aris in 1981. He also torched Panellinios for 57 points in the 1987 final of the Greek Cup and his career high in European competition was 57 against Venice during the 1981 Korac Cup.

Galis was also a loyal servant of the Greek national team. His first game came during the 1980 pre-Olympic tournament and he would go on to play 168 times for his country. He is second on the all-time scoring list to former Aris team-mate Panagiotis Yiannakis at 5,130 points (Yiannakis scored 5,282 points in 351 games for Greece).

Galis’ crowning glory came literally during the 1987 European Championship which was held in Greece. He led his side to the gold medal and also earned tournament MVP honours in the process. He naturally led all players in scoring, including 40 points in the final, a 103-101 victory over the Soviet Union.

That performance led former Soviet Union star Sergey Belov to comment:

“I admire him. When he plays one against one there is no way to stop him. I never thought that could be a player who could on his own beat the Soviet Union.”

The praise from the Soviet Union continued in the form of coach Alexander Gomelski, who called Galis the “player of the 21st century”.

Galis also won a sliver medal at the 1989 European Championship in Zagreb and participated in a total of five European Championships. He was the top scorer at all of them except for the 1989 Championship. Galis participated in one World Championship in 1986, where he again led all players in scoring, and had a 53-point outburst against Panama.

Galis’ ability to put the ball in the basket compounded opposing players and coaches alike.

“I feel that if Galis wants to make a basket, he will do it no matter who his opponent is,” said Lithuanian star Arvydas Sabonis.

For those coaches who he came up against, most strategies to stop him proved futile. Former Nashua Den Bosh coach Rood Harrewain advocated locking Galis in the dressing room before the game, while Wojeck Krajowski of Lech Poznan looked to a higher power:

“Before the game we made our plans on how we will stop the four players of Aris,” he said following a European club competition game.

“For Galis, we made our prayers…”

In some ways, Galis’ scoring feats overshadow the fact that he was also a great playmaker. In 1990 he dished 23 assists in a European Cup game against Finish side Uusikaoupounk and in the 1992/93 season with Panathinaikos he was the Greek League’s best passer at 6.7 apg. During that season he also recorded a remarkable double-double, hitting a perfect 13/13 field goals and dishing 19 assists against former side Aris.

After he stopped playing basketball, Galis founded a Basketball Camp for kids at the village of Pefkochori in Halkidiki. This camp every year has more than 3, 000 kids who learn basketball from the great Nick.

Nick Galis - Scoring Machine

Competition Games Points Average
Greek League 384 12,849 33.4
Greek Cup 55 1,935 35.2

European Cups 146 4,807 32.9
National Team 168 5,130 30.5

Total 753 24,721 32.8

Titles Competition Titles Year
Greek Championship 8 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, all with Aris Thessaloniki
Greek Cup 6
1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 with Aris, 1993 with Panathinaikos

European Championship for Men 2
Gold 1987, Silver 1989

European Championship for Clubs Final-Four 4 1988 4th, 1989 4th, 1990 3rd, 1994 3rd

MATCH
RESULT

POINTS

FRANCE(84)
94-90

17

BULGARIA(84)
91-84

47

POLAND(85)
92-99

25

FRANCE(85)
130-126

43

BULGARIA(85)
111-81

33

POLAND(86)
97-100

41

MATCH
RESULT

POINTS

PANAMA
110-81

53

FRANCE
87-84

34

SPAIN
86-87

23

BRAZIL
95-115

25

KOREA
98-80

43

SOVIET UNION
93-105

32

CUBA
66-74

18

ISRAEL
79-82

20

ARGENTINA
102-88

40

CHINA
111-112

49

ALL TIME SCORER

GREEK CHAMPIONSHIP: 12846
GREEK CUP: 1485
EUROPEAN CUPS: 4807
NATIONAL TEAM: 5130

MOST POINTS IN A GAME

GREEK CHAMPIONSHIP: 62 (1981)
GREEK CUP: 52(1987)
EUROPEAN CUPS: 57
NATIONAL TEAM: 53
ASSISTS: 23
FELICITY: 13/13 SHOTS

WITH NATIONAL TEAM (1980-1991)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1987
2ND PLACE IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1989
9TH PLACE IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1983
10TH PLACE IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1983
10TH PLACE IN WORLD CHAMPINSHIPhttp://homepages.pathfinder.gr/nikosgalis/second.htm

In 1986 an event outside of Greece causes great anxiety within the country. The nuclear power plant at Chernobyl explodes sending a cloud of radioactivity around the globe and health threatening levels of radioactive materials are found in at least twenty nations causing much concern in Greece. (The night the nuclear Chernobyl cloud passes over the country it rains heavily.) The journal Nature reports that in Greece, 2,800 kilometers from Chernobyl, where radiation exposures were far lower than in areas close to the reactor, leukemia has been diagnosed at rates 2.6 times the norm in young people who were in the womb when the reactor exploded. The extent of Chernobyl's radioactive, biological and ecological damage, and psychological and economic devastation around the world are incalculable. In Greece they have gotten a taste of the terror of a nuclear world. Scientists expect 50 to100 deaths from cancer during the next 50 years in Greece because of Chernobyl. The radioactivity disappears after 50 to100 years, but after the first year, its level diminishes considerably. Nonetheless this is of little consolation if you are one of the 50 to100 who die. For the rest of us it is a warning and proof of what a small planet we live on. While Anti-nuclear sentiment increases all over world, Greece takes a big step when it decides against developing nuclear power.
In 1987 the Greek National Basketball Team defy the odds to become European Champions. Almost instantaneously basketball becomes the national sport of Greece. Basketball courts spring up everywhere in the country and football takes a back seat to all but the most fanatic fans. Business tycoons buy up teams and spend a fortune on impact players, many of them from the United States. The sudden success of Greek basketball can be attributed to a number of factors. In the late seventies and early eighties several Greek coaches begin to study their American counterparts like University of North Carolina's Dean Smith and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, attending seminars in the USA and inviting the coaches to Greece. The Greek National Team tours the USA playing the Tarheels, and the Tarheels with Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins visit Athens to win a tournament there. But the key to Greece's success is ex-Seton Hall Greek-American guard Nikos Galis, an unstoppable scorer in college who continues his amazing play in the Greek basketball league. Galis, considered Greece's Michael Jordan, burned the UNC Tarheels for 50 points in an exhibition game in Chapel Hill. Unfortunately the game was a blow-out with the Greek National Team not getting many points from anyone else. But in the 1987 Euro-basket championship semi-finals Nikos Galis outscores Yugoslavian Drazen Petrovic 36 to 31 to put Greece in the finals. In the championship game he scores 40 to lead the Greek team over Russia and set off a celebration that rivals any Athens has seen in its 3000 year history.

My Best Friend

former High School basketball buddy and

EUROPEAN ALL TIME GREATEST BASKETSBALL PLAYER

Nick Galis

Carries the touch in Greece!

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Former Pirate Basketball Great Nick Galis Carries Olympic Torch into Opening Ceremonies
8/18/2004

Torchbearer Nick Galis '79 approaches Athens Olympic Stadium for the Lighting Ceremony at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games (photo courtesy of Getty Images)
ATHENS, GREECE - Nikos Gallis, known to Seton Hall basketball aficionados as Nick Galis, was one of a select group of Greek athletic figures to carry the Olympic Torch to Athens Olympic Statdium as part of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies on August 13. Galis carried the flame into the stadium, and the Olympic cauldron was lit by sailing Olympic winner Nikos Kaklamanakis.

Galis, one of Greece's most popular athletes of all-time, starred at Seton Hall from 1975-79. He finished third in the NCAA in scoring with a 27.5 ppg average in 1979, and he currently ranks 10th all-time on SHU's scoring list with 1,651 points. He was the Haggerty Award winner in '79 and a fourth-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics.

Galis' professional basketball career in Greece became the stuff of legend, particularly after the watershed year of 1987 when he led Greece to an upset win at the European Championships. That year he had 40 points in a 103-101 surprise of the former Soviet Union. Although born in New Jersey in 1957, Galis' family was originally from Greece, and he returned to play there for the National Team and became a household name, often referred to as the "Michael Jordan of Greece." He still holds numerous scoring records.

Galis was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
Nikos Gallis, Greece
Name: Nikos Georgalis
Nickname: Nik the Greek
Born: 07/23/1957
Status: Retired
Origin: New Jersey, USA
Height: 6-0/1,83kg
Weight:
College: Seton Hall
Drafted: 1979, Fourth Round, 68th pick by Celtics
Languages: English, Greek
Website: www.omiros.de & InterBasket Forums
Teams (jersey): Hellas National Team
FACTS: Nikos Galis was born in New Jersey, USA, on the 23rd July 1957. The child of a poor immigrant family from Rhodes, Galis was the fourth and last child, but was destined to become the best! Boxing becomes basketball...Following in his father's footsteps, Galis took up boxing in his early years, his father George Georgalis having been a very good boxer in his youth. Fearful of seeing him come home with his face covered in blood, his mother, Stella Georgali intervened to persuade him to take up something else. He didn't find rugby attractive, so he took up the other most popular sport in the New Jersey neighborhoods: basketball. In an interview for the magazine "Triponto" some years ago he said "In our neighborhood I would always play the older boys and beat them. I would rarely lose whether I was playing boys my own age or older!"

Career Highlights & History:

Galis in the NCAA: So Galis enrolled in Union Hill High School and became a crucial and irreplaceable player. Important New York colleges began to show an interest in him, but Galis finally ended up with the Seton Hall Pirates. There he got the number 11 vest and became a crucial player fairly quickly. But the lack of other good players prevented Galis' team from reaching any NCCA finals in the 4 years that he was playing there. In his fourth and final year, Galis, by now a shooting guard, saw his points average reach 27.5 and his name ranked third among the leading NCCA scorers, behind the great Larry Bird and Balder. When he left Seton Hall, his name was on nearly every record scoring list in the college. Thanks,

Mr Manon: In the spring of 1979 Galis realised that the time had come for him to try and play in the NBA. But this big plan was ruined by the whims of his manager, Bill Manon, who may have ruined Galis' career but surely all Greeks are now grateful to him. Bill Manon was the agent of a few basketball players but mostly actors and artists, etc. Among those was the famous Diana Ross who had just launched her solo career away from her band "The Supremes". 'Upside Down' became a big hit and the agent started making money hand over fist, neglecting his then 22 year old Greek basketball player. So, from the first round of drafts, Galis found himself in the fourth with the number 68 and was picked by the Boston Celtics who had already chosen Larry Bird and wanted Galis just to make up the numbers. Galis tried to stay in the NBA but at the worst possible moment an injury left him out for 2 weeks and on his return, he found his place had been taken by Henderson.

NBA 0, Greece 1: So he was forced to say goodbye to the NBA, but he would not have believed it if he had been told that soon after he would become famous in the land of his forefathers, where, as he admits now, he didn't even know they played basketball.

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Lodge/5880/nick.html My Best friend, Union Hill High school basketball buddy Nicky Galis carries the touch in Greece. Europe's all time greatest basketball, Nikos Galis was honered at the Olympics. By the way in 1972 the most famous olympic basketball game ever, We watched it at my home in Union City Image Gallery of the Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games

On 13 August, the biggest celebration of the world began at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Exactly at 20:45, the Opening Ceremony signalled the start of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games.
72.000 people inside the Olympic Stadium and four billion more across the globe watched the moment the Games returned to the country where they were born and the city where they revived. The spectators inside the Olympic Stadium watched a live pre-show, hosted by the well known journalist and broadcaster Nikos Aliagas and “High-Priestess” Thalia Prokopiou, who lit the Olympic Torch during the Lighting Ceremony in Ancient Olympia. The two hosts warmed up the audience for the show and introduced them to the various ways of their participation in the Ceremony, since spectators will play an active part in it. Connecting symbolically the Ancient Olympia Stadium with the Athens Olympic Stadium, the beginning of the Opening Ceremony bridged 3,000 years of Olympic Games history. 400 percussionists played to the rhythm of the Greek dance “zeimbeiko” and then to the heartbeat, as the Olympic circles appeared flaming through the water that covered the Olympic Stadium’s field of play. Then the Stadium entered the ATHENS 2004 President, Ms Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the IOC President, Dr. Jaques Rogge, and the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Konstantinos Stefanopoulos, and the Greek flag was raised. Next, a giant Cycladic head (2,700 b.C.) slowly emerged from the centre of the Stadium. Following the course of Greek art, it then broke apart to reveal to the astonished audience the figure of a “Kouros” statue and then to a classical statue. At the perimeter of the field of play the history of Greek civilisation was depicted, starting from the Minoan age to the present day, through works of art. The 202 National Delegations paraded in the Olympic Stadium in alphabetical order (according to the Greek alphabet), accompanied by music played by the famous DJ Tiesto. Flagbearer of the Greek Olympic Team was Pyrros Dimas, three time Olympic gold medallist in Weightlifting. Later on, 19 year old Zoi Dimoschaki, took the Olympic oath on behalf of all competing athletes: “In the name of all the competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams”. Lazaros Voreadis, Greek referee for the Basketball events, took the oath on behalf of all Technical Officials. Bjork, the singer and performer from Iceland, then sang “Oceania”, a song she composed especially for the Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. After the speeches of the ATHENS 2004 and the IOC Presidents, the President of the Hellenic Democracy proclaimed the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games open.

The Torchbearers who carried the Olympic flame in the Olympic Stadium were:

Gallis Nikos

Domazos Dimitrios (Mimis)

Patoulidou Paraskevi

Kakiasvili Akakios

Melissanidis Ioannis

Kaklamanakis Nikolaos

A gigantic ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch is the Cauldron from where the Olympic flame will light throughout the Games.
When the last Torchbearer, Sailing Olympic winner Nikos Kaklamanakis, reached the Cauldron, the Torch pivoted downwards, bringing symbolically together earth and sky. Nikos Kaklamanakis lit the Cauldron and the Torch slowly lifted the Flame above the Athens Olympic Stadium. This magical night, Athens welcomed the best athletes from around the globe for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. Ten Greatest Chess Players in History!

This is a subjective article like discussing who was the greatest heavyweight-boxing champion in history, or who were the most beautiful women of the 20th century, many different candidates have their supporters.
One thing some people don't pay close attention to in these 'greatest player ever' lists is that chess technique continues to improve, and chess players continue to improve. Morphy made gross positional blunders in some of his games, but he was far ahead of his contemporaries. In making my list I put emphasis on tournament records, estimated peak ratings, quality of opposition, longevity, and overall accomplishments. I am not considering records in blitz (5 minute games) or blindfold play. Technique is far superior today than it was in Lasker’s day, but yet he was a very strong “modern” grandmaster in many ways. Theory has evolved considerably since even the 60’s. In making my list I have considered both historical dominance and the strength of modern players. Both are in my list. One can only wonder how great Alekhine or Capablanca would be if they played today (I think they would be!)

Here is my top ten and the reasons why.

1. Garry Kasparov
Style: Brilliant Tactician and Attacker. An aggressively dynamic player. Noted chess teacher Bruce Pandolfini described Kasparov in this fashion, "Kasparov strives to gain deep positional sacrifices: Even when he can't calculate the end result conclusively, he can make sophisticated generalizations. He does anything to get the initiative and to force the play. Inevitably, he emerges from a forest of complications -- in which his intentions aren't all that clear -- with the advantage. He's not as artful or as clear as Fischer, but his play coincides with the realities of the day, which are all about defense."

In 1980, he won the World Junior Championship.
From December 1981 to February 1991, Kasparov made chess history by not losing a single event for nearly ten years. This was the period in which he created his reputation of invincibility.
Reigned as world champion in the modern chess age for 15 years from 1985 to 2000.
Was the youngest chess champion in history at age 22
Number one rated player since 1985 to present day, which is 18 years at the top.
Kasparov and Karpov began their marathon match in Moscow. The match was for the first to win 6 games. After 3 wins, 40 draws, and 5 losses, FIDE President Campomanes stopped the match after 5 months of play. The match was halted after Kasparov had just won 2 games in a row.
On September 3, 1985 Kasparov and Karpov resumed their match in Moscow. This time, Kasparov won with 5 wins, 3 losses and 16 draws. The match had been limited to 24 games.
1986 Kasparov defended his title against Karpov in London, then in Leningrad. Kasparov won with 5 wins, 4 losses and 15 draws.
1st place Brussels (OHRA) 1986.
1st place shared with Ljuobjevic at Brussels (SWIFT) 1987.
Kasparov defended his title in Seville, Spain 1987 against Karpov. He retained his title by drawing the match with 4 wins, 4 losses, and 16 draws.
Won 1990 World Championship match with Karpov won 4 lost 3 with 17 draws.
1st place at Linares Super GM Tournament. This was a Category 18 event, with 11 of the top 14 players in the world participating
Won PCA World Championship match in London against Nigel Short. Kasparov won the match with a score of 12.5 - 7.5.
Won Intel-PCA World Chess Championship over Vishy Anand in 1995 4-1-13.
Won total of 8 Linares Super GM tournaments outright, including his 2000 victory 3 points ahead of all players.
Won 10 Super GM Tournaments in a row.
Peak ELO Rating 2850. Chessmetric Rating 2895

2. Bobby Fischer
Style: A uniquely superb master strategist who was not afraid of complications. Fischer was a specialist in certain openings that he knew better than anyone else. A fighting spirit second to none, refused draws and played to win every game. Pandolfini called Fischer "a king of artful positioning. His opponents would see where he was going but were powerless to stop him."

Played Brilliancy Prize Fischer Immortal at age 13
US Chess Champion at age 14 with 8 wins 0 losses and 5 draws.
Grandmaster title at 15 the youngest GM in history a figure that would not be passed for over 30 years
8 time US Champion
In 1963 US Championship scored 11-0 not allowing a single draw
In 1962 Interzonal Fischer went undefeated in 22 games in taking first place.
In 1967 he participated in the Sousse Interzonal, but withdrew after leading the event with 7 wins and 3 draws.
In 1970, he played Board 2 in the USSR vs. REST OF THE WORLD match in Belgrade, beating Petrosian with 2 wins and 2 draws.
Played Board one in 1970 Seigen Olympiad winning the event 15 wins, 1 loss and 7 draws.
In 1971 Scored unprecedented 6-0 in Candidates match versus Taimanov
In 1971 Scored unbelievable 6-0 score again in Candidates match versus Larsen. His performance rating was 3060.
In 1972 Beat Petrosian in Candidates Final 5 wins, 1 loss, and 3 draws.
Won World Championship over Boris Spassky 7 wins, 3 losses (one wasn’t played and forfeited) and 11 draws.
In 1975 Fischer abdicated his title over FIDE match conditions, surrendering the title to Anatoly Karpov.
In 1992 he came out of a 20 year self imposed exile and played a match in Sveti Stefan, Yugoslavia against old foe Boris Spassky. He won the match 10 wins 5 losses and 15 draws.
His Peak FIDE rating was 2785 and his peak USCF rating was 2810. Chessmetric Rating 2914

I don’t rate Fischer in the top spot because he went into exile for 20 years rather than defend his title.

3. Jose Capablanca
Style: Nicknamed the "Chess Machine" because of the systematic and seemingly simple method by which he bested his opponents. Capablanca was a natural player who is considered the epitome of the “Pure Positional” player. He preferred clarity of position, as well as logical and direct development, he tended to avoid complications and was satisfied to obtain small advantages and convert them to a superior endgame where he had no equal.

At age 12 won match against Cuban National Champion Juan Corzo 4 wins-3 losses-6 draws.
1st place San Sebastian 1911 ahead of ahead of Rubinstein and Schlechter it was his first major tournament.
In 10 years of tournament and match play from 1914 to 1924, including his World Championship match with Emanuel Lasker he lost ONLY ONE game!!
1st place New York 1913 Capa went 13-0.
1st place New York 1914 went 11-0.
Hastings 1919 his score was 10 wins and one draw
In 1921 in Havana. Capablanca won the World Chess Championship against Lasker with 4 wins and 10 draws, 0 losses.
London in 1922 Capablanca took first ahead of Alekhine, Vidmar, Rubinstein, and Bogolyubov, without losing a single game.
In New York 1924 Capablanca took second (won by Lasker) with 10 wins, 9 draws, and 1 loss. The loss was to Richard Reti. It was his first loss of a game in 8 years.
At New York in 1927 Capa took first a clear 2.5 points ahead of runner up Alekhine.
Capablanca lost the title to Alekhine in 1927, winning 3 games, drawing 25 games, and losing 6 games. The entire match took place behind closed doors. There were no spectators or photographs. The opening of 32 of the 34 games was the Queen's Gambit Declined.
In 1931 Capablanca played Euwe in a match and won with 2 wins and 8 draws.
Nottingham 1936 which included 5 past, present and future World Champions Capa tied for first with Botvinnik.
Buenos Aires Olympiad in 1939, where he played first board for the Cuban team. He had the best score for board one, with 6 wins and 4 draws.
Capablanca took 1st or 2nd in 30 of the 35 international tournaments in which he played.
Capablanca has the distinction of having the lowest total losses of any GM in history.
Peak ELO Rating 2725. Chessmetrics Rating 2921 (#1)

4. Alexander Alekhine
Style: Imaginative tactician and attacker, a true chess genius in his originality of thought. His ideas were rich with complexity. “His attacks came suddenly, like destructive thunderstorms that erupted from a clear blue sky” (Kasparov).