Stephen Moss

[Leonard Barden]

From the Guardian letters page:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... nline-game

I think she, if it's she, expresses the views of most of us. There isn't anyone of that name on the ecfrating site, so either she's online only or it's Sue Dunham.

This seems to be the lady in question......
https://typetheclouds.wordpress.com/about/

There is a chess section in her blog...
https://typetheclouds.wordpress.com/category/chess/

[Geoff Chandler]

I saw the first few moves of the game 1.e4 Nf6 2.f3 which is what used to play hoping for 2...e5 3.f4!
The game is OTB and the article does say they do not play online but it is dated 2021 and it easy to see how anybody since then has jumped online and the odds are quite reasonable if you play often enough you will bump into an electrical opponent.
I too have a board like that, same pattern and what I consider folding the wrong away. the crease in between the d-file and the e-file instead of the between the 4th and 5th ranks. (personal opinion.)

The game. In the article the Rooks when on the 7th are called 'piggies' a reference to to blind swine(?)

1. e4 Nf6 2. f3 c6 3. d4 d5 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bxf6 gxf6 6. Nc3 Qa5 7. exd5 e5 8. dxc6 Nxc6 9. d5 Nd4 10. f4 Nf5 11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Qe2 Bxb5 13. Qxb5+ Qxb5 14. Nxb5 Bb4+ 15. c3 Ba5 16. O-O-O a6 17. g4 Rc8 18. Na7 Rc4 19. gxf5 Rxf4 20. d6 Kd7 21. Ne2 Rf2 22. Ng3 Rg8 23. Nh5 Bd8 24. b4 Rgg2 25. Rd2 Rxd2 26. Rd1 Rc2+ 27. Kb1 Rb2+ 28. Ka1 Rxa2+

[Roger de Coverly]

In the article the Rooks when on the 7th are called 'piggies' a reference to to blind swine(?)

I'm not sure who coined it, when and where; but I think I've seen the expression "blind pigs" used to described doubled rooks on the seventh. Would it have been Nimzovich?

[John Upham]

In the article the Rooks when on the 7th are called 'piggies' a reference to to blind swine(?)

I'm not sure who coined it, when and where; but I think I've seen the expression "blind pigs" used to described doubled rooks on the seventh. Would it have been Nimzovich?

Nimzowitsch called a pair of rooks on the opponent’s second rank “blind pigs” because they devour everything indiscriminately.
- Blind Pigs (Chess) © https://www.glossaria.net

[Roger de Coverly]

- Blind Pigs (Chess)

A more direct URL is https://www.glossaria.net/en/chess

I looked up "hoover" being a term used by GMs to describe rook and perhaps other activity taking pawns. It's not there, Harry as in h pawn is however.

[Paul Habershon]

- Blind Pigs (Chess)

A more direct URL is https://www.glossaria.net/en/chess

I looked up "hoover" being a term used by GMs to describe rook and perhaps other activity taking pawns. It's not there, Harry as in h pawn is however.

I see from this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate_pattern that there is a 'blind swine' mate.

I can imagine non-players being daunted by the list of mates, imagining that you need to know all the names to become a strong player.

[John Upham]

I am reviewing "The Checkmate Patterns Manual"

Page 156 discusses the Blind Swine mate

"This mate is attributed to Polish master David Janowski (1868 - 1927) who referred to double rooks on a player's 7th rank as swine".

[Geoff Chandler]

I thought of Janowski, sometime in my past I must have looked it up or seen it somewhere.
Of course Mr. Winter has it covered. https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/janowsky.html

[JustinHorton]

I can imagine non-players being daunted by the list of mates, imagining that you need to know all the names to become a strong player.

Aa I recall this is what put me off The Art Of The Checkmate forty-odd years ago and God, how I wish I had studied it now.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Justin,

One of 6 books I picked up recently at a charity shop £2-£3 each was 'The Art of Checkmate' but the 2015 algebraic version. I have the descriptive version but this is a good excuse to go though the games again. I have a few algebraic/descriptive doublers. I suppose I could donate the descriptive versions but I can't, they are old friends.

[Geoff Chandler]

And from the above book. I replayed this old record on my turntable last night. I'll just give the finale.

Vidmar - Euwe, Carlsbad (1929)

[FEN "6k1/5pb1/1p1N3p/p5p1/5q2/Q6P/PPr5/3RR2K w - - 0 34"] 34. Re8+ Bf8 35. Rxf8+ Kxf8 36. Nf5+ Kg8 37. Qf8+ 1-0