1. Henrique Mecking was a chess prodigy, drawing comparisons to Bobby Fischer, although he did not achieve the International Grandmaster title until 1972.
12 Facts About Henrique Mecking
1. 2.
Henrique Mecking won the Interzonals of Petropolis 1973 and Manila 1976.
3.
Henrique Mecking became the third-best player in the world in 1977, behind only World Champion Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi.
4.
Henrique Mecking is the first Brazilian to become a grandmaster.
5.
Henrique Mecking was considered a contender for the World Championship in the mid-1970s; however, his chess career was interrupted by a serious illness.
6.
Henrique Mecking was a regular participant in Candidates Tournaments, the FIDE events used to choose a challenger for the World Chess Championship.
7.
Henrique Mecking was eliminated from the Candidates Tournament in the quarterfinals, after losing his match against Korchnoi.
8.
Still, from this time until 1979, Henrique Mecking was the strongest player born in the West.
9.
Henrique Mecking's illness was so severe that it was widely believed he would soon die.
10.
Henrique Mecking survived but did not play chess during the 1980s.
11.
Henrique Mecking is a convert to Catholicism, to which he credits the improvement of his medical condition.
12.
Henrique Mecking is a member of the Catholic charismatic renewal.