Arranging any "super event" must be a terrific stress on the managers of the event.

In one "hugely important chess match" one of the opponents demanded that the chess pieces must be changed, apparently because he didn't like the way one of the knights "smiled."

After the pieces were changed, he objected that the squares on the board were not the "right size" for the new pieces and it would distract him.

After the chess board was changed (with squares a little less than 1/8" larger, as I recall) he complained the the "grain" of the marble on some of the squares was "turned the wrong way" and the board was replaced again.

Once that opponent ran out of objections, the other opponent decided that he "would not have sufficient time to become used to all the changes" and demanded that the match be postponed for three months.

When they reconvened, they started talking about what the "rules of play" would be.

The original schedule had allowed about a year for "resolution of differences" before play was to begin. The match actually began about two years after the original date.

Fortunately I'm not a particular fan of chess, so I was quite able to withstand the terror of wondering whether the match would ever happen. I was told that it was extremely traumatic for some others.

John