Dimitrije Bjelica's Stories

A couple of stories by Dimitrije Bjelica:

Zurich, 1959. I was driving with Tal and Fischer and we nearly had an accident.

"What would happen if we turned over?" asked Bobby.

"All the world's press on the front pages would say - 'Dimitrije Bjelica got killed in a car accident with two passengers,'"

I answered seriously. Bobby replied,

"How can you say a thing like that, I am more poular in the USA than you."

Leipzig, 1960. The closing ceremony of the Olympiads. Fischer took Tal's hand and started to read his future. Bobby was saying,

"I see here that this is the hand of a famous grandmaster, world champion, but I see also that his title of champion will be taken away by a young American grandmaster."

Of course Bobby had himself in mind, but Tal said to William Lombardy, who was also present,

"Congratulations, William, it means you will become a champion."

...and another more recent, that I witnessed. Anatoly Karpov, Ron Henley and I are loading a car with Karpov's bags as he is about to leave New York by plane, when a stranger walks up and says to Karpov,

"Hey, you are either Kasparov or Karpov, aren't you?"

To which Anatoly replied,

"Yes, I am."

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