If I were Garry I'd also want to get that photo out of circulation asap . Even I wouldn't try what he's on. I mean the guy is nodding-out! ;0

I thought it was a good photo. Then I read the comment and went back for a second look. I guess my first impression was that he was very concentrating. But I can see where one can interpret it as Gary falling asleep.

I like the picture.

I think it's a good photo. The fact that he appears to be concentrating so hard on the first move as white adds to its appeal. Staged of course, but well done.

Hmmm, I didn't take it. One of the major photographers I remember for that was Richard Brill at http://www.tcf.net/. Drawing a blank on anyone else. Might want to ask him.

Now we know the secret to Garry Kasparov's success: he's perfected Mikhail Tal's chin-on-thumb maneuver.

http://www.chessbase.com/columns/levpics/tal_1960.jpg

Looks to me like one of those "caught-in-the-moment" pics. Especially with digital photography, it's become more commonplace to catch people transitioning from one position to another, whether it's a shift in emotion, or simply changing posture to increase physical comfort. It seems to me they are catching at somepoint during a blink.

I've always loved that picture of Tal.

Imagine looking up from the board after you've just seen a knight sac'd on f5 and seeing that look...

"Bugger me, looks like I should resign now" would seem a justified reaction.

yeah! or a Bishop sac'd on f7!

Neither of us much like the photo, actually. The half-closed eyes (caught in mid-blink, not intentional) make him look conked and barely like himself. But it's on a publisher short-list so we need to track it down. It was a staged shot, not during a game.

The jacket and the tie look great. I only noticed the tie later.

The jacket and the tie look great. I only noticed the eyes later.

I'd rather see a photo of Kasparov in Corus today, playing against Topalov, Anand, or Kramnik! Wouldn't you?

It's time for Kasparov to un-retire, in my humble opinion.

This kinda looks like staged shots Kasparov has done for Game Over video. I mean, in the documentary there was footage which was staged and kinda looked like that. Maybe the folks that made the film know something.

What's going on in that Tal photo? His king is on d2!?! Is he playing Adolf Anderssen?

Yeah that is a dreadful photograph, why do you want the holder of the rights? You can print it as "Kasparov after his soul floats out of his eyes".

I find it hard to believe that you haven't accumulated hundreds of quality photos of Garry over the years. Hell, I have dozens of pictures of him and, while the quality is greatly variable, the law of averages means that I must have a few at least as good as that one.

I have tons of them. I don't even know where they got this one, but they seem to like it.

"What's going on in that Tal photo? His king is on d2!?!"

Chessbase 9 is wonderful. I found the game in five minutes. Here's the Chessgames.com page for the game, a wild Saemisch Nimzo-Indian between Tal and Nikola Padevsky in 1960.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1139509

Tal, of course, wins.

Thanks, Ernest! Padevsky learned what happens when you try to out-Tal Tal.

kasp i miss you.. from child i like to see your talent to deploy and destroy all others "talents", you are the truth chess. iam now 39 age and i feel very old man you have one reason to comeback: lots of people love the chess because of you..now the chess is a simple sport