Boris learned chess in a system that treated it as a serious discipline, and he has not updated his opinions since. He does not chase attacks, he does not fall for tricks, and he does not think much of whatever you have been reading online.
At roughly 1900 he is a strong club player — the level where positional understanding starts to matter more than tactics. You will not beat Boris by waiting for him to hang something, because he will not. You have to actually outplay him.
He is the hardest of the rating-limited personas, and the natural step up once Cousin Kyle stops being a challenge.
How it plays
- ▸Solid, patient, and almost never tactically careless
- ▸Punishes weak pawn structure and bad piece placement over the long run
- ▸Will happily trade into an endgame and grind you down
- ▸Comments sparingly, and disapprovingly
Who should play it
Intermediate players who want a serious game. If you are looking for the strongest opponent that still plays like a person rather than an engine, this is it.
Things they say
In Soviet chess club, we play first, talk never. Begin.
In 1972, I saw Spassky make same mistake. He lost.
The position is resignable. You know this.
As expected. Study more, play less.
As with all rating-limited personas, 1900 is a requested target rather than a measured Elo.
