Chess in Newspapers

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Francis Fields
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Chess in Newspapers

Post by Francis Fields » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:52 am

There are currently only two daily newspapers with chess columns The Times (420,000 readers ABC figures) and The Daily Telegraph (360,000). The Guardian (140,000) stopped their chess column recently. Obviously, there was The Independent when it was in print written by Jon Speelman.

I was informed by a former member of staff at The Daily Mail (1.2 million) that they are considering starting a chess column. The paper is looking for a professional and asked me for some thoughts. I told them about the 7 chess journalists I have read and an indication of how much commentary and analysis there should be.

Does anyone have any other thoughts? Who has been the best chess journalist in recent years?

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JustinHorton
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:01 am

Francis Fields wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:52 am
The paper is looking for a professional and asked me for some thoughts
Did they indeed
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Leonard Barden
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Leonard Barden » Mon Apr 08, 2019 11:15 am

Francis Fields wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:52 am
There are currently only two daily newspapers with chess columns The Times (420,000 readers ABC figures) and The Daily Telegraph (360,000). The Guardian (140,000) stopped their chess column recently.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/chess
Last edited by Leonard Barden on Mon Apr 08, 2019 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Leonard Barden
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Leonard Barden » Mon Apr 08, 2019 12:18 pm

Francis Fields wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:52 am
There are currently only two daily newspapers with chess columns
https://www.ft.com/content/d1db9d10-555 ... 515a54c5b1

https://www.standard.co.uk/staticpage/c ... 39236.html

John McKenna

Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by John McKenna » Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:01 pm

To be fair (not sure exactly to whom) the Daily Mail did fairly factually cover the 2Cs (Mag and Fab) World Championship match, from time to time, last year.

They particularly relished the possibility that it could have ended in "Armageddon".

And, also in their sci & tech section (yes it's in there somewhere) they warned of the rise of the machines -

6 Dec. 2018 "Google's AI software is starting to think like a human after mastering chess simply by... "

Hoping to be able to report on some future "Gotterdamerung" after AI becomes flesh (with a titanium chassis) and calls itself ARNIE (Artificial Robotic Neurally-networked Indestructable Exterminator - and we all know which pest it will control) no doubt.

Since one good turn deserves another perhaps the paper was positively resounding in 2018 on the topic of chess due to having been mentioned in a populist chess mag -

http://www.kingpinchess.net/2013/08/all ... s-of-vice/
Last edited by John McKenna on Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:19 pm

IF it is genuine that the Daily Mail is considering started a chess column, we should all write in encouraging the initiative. Individually with different comments. But keep it short.
What is the email address for the Daily Mail?

Mike Truran
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Mike Truran » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:30 pm

Spoiler alert, Stewart. Of course it’s not f****** genuine. On the evidence so far, why would you believe anything Fields writes?

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:30 am

I suppose it is the gambler and scientist in me.
There is a percentage probability for any outcome.

Leon Watson
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Leon Watson » Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:47 am

I used to work for the Daily Mail, for my sins. I still have some friends there and will enquire about the truth of this. Sounds very unlikely though

Francis Fields
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Location: London

Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Francis Fields » Thu May 16, 2019 12:18 pm

When you are a journalist, work at a newspaper or are part of the media it is not normal to discuss everything you know. I hope the Daily Mail starts a chess column as they would be bringing chess to a larger share of chess players. There are various estimates of how many chess players there are in the country but without statistically precise figures they are probably only an estimate.

NickFaulks
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by NickFaulks » Thu May 16, 2019 12:21 pm

Francis Fields wrote:
Thu May 16, 2019 12:18 pm
There are various estimates of how many chess players there are in the country but without statistically precise figures they are probably only an estimate.
Difficult to disagree with that.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Neil Graham
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Neil Graham » Thu May 16, 2019 1:57 pm

I was informed by a former member of the Greenlandic Chess Federation that their newspaper was considering starting a daily newspaper column

https://sermitsiaq.ag/node/195900

Francis Fields
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Location: London

Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Francis Fields » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:36 pm

I had a look at the page but I only understood the picture!

John McKenna

Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by John McKenna » Sun Jun 23, 2019 3:05 pm

Francis, in amongst all those words mostly written in kalaallisut (Greenlandic - an Eskimo-Aleut language) you might have noticed the word "Hrokurrin" - the name of an Icelandic chess club, I believe.

The only language, other than English, that uses a direct transliteration of the Persian/Arabic word rukh is Icelandic, which has hrokur as the name for the chess piece we call 'rook'. (Other West European languages use a word for what we would call a 'tower' - Fr. tour, Sp. torre, etc.)

Not a lot of people know that.

Nick Grey
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Re: Chess in Newspapers

Post by Nick Grey » Sun Jun 23, 2019 4:40 pm

Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Today is the only local newspaper serving RBKC and Westminster.
A new monthly freebie. It has a chess column.