Folks,
I was just watching a JRobi video on Youtube, and my ears went dead when he pronounced Najdorf as Nahjdorf. It is not that!
It is correctly pronounced Nidorf, with a long i or eye sound. N eye dorf. A more pleasing sound, anyway.
While we're at it. Alekhine is pronounced by Russians as Al eck in. There is no long i in that.
Keres, I believe, is supposed to sound like Keresh. Those in the know say Petroseon, not Petrozhin.
Smyslov is best Smiz lov.
I once heard Bronstein pronounced as Bronshtain.
Paco Vallejo is, in Spain pronounced like Paco Vahyechho as if saying yechh

Of course the Frenchman Bacrot is like Bacrow' with the accent on the last syllable.
Vlad Kramnik's last name is properly pronounced like Krawmnick.
Jakovenko as Yaakovenko
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Dutchman Anish Giri is said as Awnish Geeree.
Dreev is Dree ev. There are more than a few of those double e names around.
Vassily Ivanchuk? like Va silly Evonshewk.
Again I believe Armenians like to pronounce Aronian as Aroneon.
Carlsen is, I think, Carlsen.
heh.

Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

-m.

When Aronian's play is flawed then it's pronounced Erronian.

Hah. Who writes your material, kl? 😉

Originally posted by mikelom
Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

-m.

Originally posted by Trev33
Double L in Spanish is an English e.

Originally posted by Trev33
Double L in Spanish is an English e.

Originally posted by mikelom
Vallejo is pronounced valyay co - phonetically 'vaˈleɪjəʊ'

double 'L' in Spanish is normally pronounced with an English 'ly' sound.

To get the 'jəʊ' sound you need phlegm in the back of your throat, because it isn't a hard 'c' as in 'duck', but is a soft j and o (as in hole) rolled together with the 'j' starting hard and slurring into the 'o' from the back of the palate. 😉

-m.

Originally posted by UnderPromote
ll in spanish = y in english.

llamas = yamas

An essential tip with Russian names is to roll the R's.

So, it's Karrrr-poff (Karpov); and Korrrr-chnoi (Korchnoi); and Kas-PARRRR-off

For Baltic state languages, 's' is often 'sh'. So Saranas Sulskis is pronounced 'Sharunash Shulshkish'. Best drink several pints of beer first, then you'll get it right 🙂

Topalov is 'To-PAH-loff'

Anand is 'an-AND'

And the President of FIDE, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is pronounced 'Kirrr-RYST Ima-FUKKIN-frootloop'

Originally posted by joesheppe
Folks,
I was just watching a JRobi video on Youtube, and my ears went dead when he pronounced Najdorf as Nahjdorf. It is not that!
It is correctly pronounced Nidorf, with a long i or eye sound. N eye dorf. A more pleasing sound, anyway.
While we're at it. Alekhine is pronounced by Russians as Al eck in. There is no long i in that.
Keres, I believe, i ...[text shortened]... elieve Armenians like to pronounce Aronian as Aroneon.
Carlsen is, I think, Carlsen.
heh.

Originally posted by joesheppe
Hah. Who writes your material, kl? 😉

The post that was quoted here has been removed