Media comments on chess

[Ian Thompson]

The number of chess players world wide has gone up to 800 million apparently - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001q0xn, at about 12:25.

At about 16:10 a games publisher says that if chess was being invented now, it wouldn't be successful - too slow.

[IM Jack Rudd]

You can play a reasonable game of chess in a shorter time than the setup time for some of the board games I play.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

You can play a reasonable game of chess in a shorter time than the setup time for some of the board games I play.

The 'slowness' dig is a red herring. It is the time taken to improve and the *potential* for improvement that sets chess apart from the generic board games with carefully crafted rules sets. And the amount of literature produced on it. Which mind games have had the most written about them? Chess, Go, Draughts. Which others?

[Tim Spanton]

You can play a reasonable game of chess in a shorter time than the setup time for some of the board games I play.

The 'slowness' dig is a red herring. It is the time taken to improve and the *potential* for improvement that sets chess apart from the generic board games with carefully crafted rules sets. And the amount of literature produced on it. Which mind games have had the most written about them? Chess, Go, Draughts. Which others?

Poker and especially bridge, but neither on the scale of chess.

[Paul Habershon]

You can play a reasonable game of chess in a shorter time than the setup time for some of the board games I play.

The 'slowness' dig is a red herring. It is the time taken to improve and the *potential* for improvement that sets chess apart from the generic board games with carefully crafted rules sets. And the amount of literature produced on it. Which mind games have had the most written about them? Chess, Go, Draughts. Which others?

Poker and especially bridge, but neither on the scale of chess.

I have been impressed by the backgammon column in The Times each week. Quite a bit of literature on it, but obviously no match for some other games. The relevant computer program has drastically revised previous conceptions of best move. I think Julian Hodgson once claimed he would be champion of four games if they were combined: chess, backgammon, poker, but I can't remember the other one.

[NickFaulks]

Poker and especially bridge, but neither on the scale of chess.

I don't know what proportion of the money spent on chess books, DVDs etc relates to opening theory, but assume it is a lot. I have always suspected that a major reason why 960 has gained so little traction is that it would wipe out a huge part of the commercial chess industry.

[Geoff Chandler]

At about 16:10 a games publisher says that if chess was being invented now, it wouldn't be successful - too slow.

I cannot remember who, possibly Luke McShane but don't take that as fact, said they first saw the game of Chess on one of those old floppy discs that you used to get free with computer magazines.
They thought this is a cool game and only later did they realise it had been around for centuries with a fantastic history. I know I'm not making this up, I read it years ago, I just cannot recall who said it.

Hi Jack,

"You can play a reasonable game of chess in a shorter time than the setup time for some of the board games I play."

I play a few myself, the worst I found was 'Merchant of Venus' and the book keeping in that game is also a
bit of a nightmare. The games are very expensive these days. If there is something I like the look of then I go to a 'try before you buy' type of gaming shop in Edinburgh.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Poker and especially bridge, but neither on the scale of chess.

I don't know what proportion of the money spent on chess books, DVDs etc relates to opening theory, but assume it is a lot. I have always suspected that a major reason why 960 has gained so little traction is that it would wipe out a huge part of the commercial chess industry.

It has gained "little traction" (despite all the hype in certain quarters) because the vast majority of chess players are not very interested in it.

(and also view the claims of 960 fanboyz that "classical chess is played out" with the scepticism that they deserve)

[Angus French]

Just heard at the Mercury Music Prize awards, Loyle Carner with HGU. Lyrics:

"Like pawn to E4, bishop C4
That's light work, Queen to F3, I can see more
My best days, still my heart banging out my chest plate
Queen to F7, that was checkmate...

Alright man, wanna play chess?"

Edit: I see Loyle Carner was for a time at Whitgift School in Croydon, where Nick Faulks, David Sedgwick and Leonard Barden went (I didn't get through the entrance exam).

[Tim Spanton]

From September's Literary Review magazine, reviewing a book on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn:

To use a chess analogy (something popular in the 16th century), she was merely a pawn 'queened', not a blood member of the European royal club.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

"Trying to have a serious argument with Russell Brand is like playing chess with a squirrel."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/arti ... ebate.html
Peter Hitchens' wife and son both played club chess for a while, many years ago. I think his daughter did as well.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jon,

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

That's amazing Geoff - how did you manage to get the photo shoot arranged so quickly, do you have a couple of pet squirrels hanging around just in case they're needed?

I remember Peter and Eve's chess playing daughter now - Rebecca Hitchens. I phoned up Eve once to see if Rebecca was available for a county under 18 match, only to be told that she was now 21 years old and had given up chess many years before!

[Phil Neatherway]

Daniel Hitchens was a decent player too.

[Geoff Chandler]

...do you have a couple of pet squirrels hanging around just in case they're needed?

HI Jon,

Looking at the picture...are they not Chipmunks?

Swiss Gambit (remember him, ( he has new nik these days) dropped this onto my lap today.

White to play and win. He does does not know who composed it. (anybody?)

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