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Gorbachev Comes to Kansas, Promotes Chess for Peace
By Stan Friedman
LINDSBORG, KS (November 3, 2005) - Kindergarten student Alexander Shultz only
wanted to see the Saturday morning parade passing by on the main street
in this town of 3,300. He couldn't have known - or cared - that the man
he pushed aside for a view was once leader of the Soviet Union.
Mikhail Gorbachev (shown standing next to Alexander with Anatoly Karpov
and Susan Polgar on his right) patted the young Shultz on the head
several times and even asked for and got a "high five," says his father,
Clark, who attends the local Evangelical Covenant Church. "It was funny."
Gorbachev came to this small Swedish community in Kansas at the
invitation of his friend, seven-time world chess champion Anatoly
Karpov, who operates a chess school in the town. Karpov asked him to
participate in the "Chess for Peace" initiative Karpov has begun. A
Chess Parade in downtown Lindsborg was part of the ceremonies. Following
the parade, which included Swedish dancers and chess players, Gorbachev
was presented with a key to the city.
If his son had no idea who he was giving high fives to, his father does.
Shultz says the experience brought back memories. "I couldn't help but
think about all the photos I had seen of him and President Reagan in
front of the Statue of Liberty, signing documents, and finally the photo
of Gorbachev touching the flag-draped coffin at Reagan's funeral."
"It's interesting seeing someone in person that is such a part of
history and someone who has been on TV and in newspapers for the past
couple decades," says Shultz, a Republican state legislator. "Then all
of a sudden they're standing right in front and you have to realize that
they are a living breathing person just like everyone else."
"I saw a nearly 75-year-old man who seemed to be secure in his place in
history," Shultz added.
Gorbachev reflected on that history and the present while speaking
Saturday evening at Bethany College's Presser Hall. He captivated the
audience while he chatted and played chess with Alan Murray, assistant
managing editor of the Wall Street Journal.
"He said Reagan was like a 'dinosaur,'" says Ben Friedman, a high school
junior who attended the event as part of a class requirement. Friedman
says Gorbachev explained that although he didn't like Reagan at first,
he came to see the late president as a caring person, and the two became
friends.
Like Karpov, who routinely returns to the community, Gorbachev appeared
to have enjoyed his stay. "You could tell he wanted to roam around and
experience the town, which he said reminded him of the area where he
grew up," Shultz says.
"He seemed very fond of children, stopping and smiling a lot," Shultz
says. "He almost appeared to enjoy talking to them more than anything."
During the weekend, Karpov also held a rematch with Susan Polgar, the
four-time women's chess champion.
Karpov says he hopes the Chess for Peace program will foster mutual
understanding as students from around the world get to know each other
while playing chess - first on the Internet and then in person. Earlier
in October, as part of Lindsborg's Hyllingsfest, several Russian
students from Karpov's school in Siberia traveled to the town for a
weekend of matches as part of the program.
Like Gorbachev, Karpov initially came to Lindsborg several years ago at
the invitation of a friend. The friend taught at Bethany College and
encouraged the champion to come to the town while he prepared for an
international match.
The chess master was so impressed by the community and the reception he
received, that he chose the town for his only school in the United States.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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