Meet Lázaro Bruzón Batista, Cubans best chess player of nowadays. Former Junior World Chess champion, he is now ranked 70th on the FIDE world ranking.
I had the luck to meet him in Holguín Cuba in 2001, when I entered in the open quarter final tournament of the Provincial qualifiers (which led to the national championship.) It was a bet between my friends that resulted me entering the tournament (well, actually a bet and a little bit too much of the local brewed rum - ;-) ) Anyway, I was not at all ambitious and said from the start I would be all too happy not ending last. As it happens I played really well, with a performance of around 2400-ish ELO, beating along the way the player who was said to win the tournament (I prevented that to happen) and even had a chance to win it. I eventually ended 6th/8th place (which qualified for the semi-final) out of 64.
Since Bruzón had won the Junior World Championship he didn't have to play the tournament, but he was present every day just the same. It was my win in round 5 (against all expectations, especially mine) that made Bruzón decide he wanted to meet me. Everyone knows everyone in Cuba, especially in chess and my friends quickly introduced me to Bruzón. Since I didn't know what to say to him and since I didn't want to get things going awkward I suggested we play a couple of rapid games. He hesitated at first but finally agreed when a crowd cheered us to play against each other.
Here is when things become a bit shady (that is what the local brewed rum and beer will do to you.) Suffice to say, he crushed me and I didn't wake up in my own bed (use your fantasy and you will figure out what happened..) Probably that had also something to do with me losing the final round... ;-)
Eventually we lost track of each other, but I did meet him again in de Chorus Wijk aan Zee tournament of 2005 (that is where this picture is taken.)