Media comments on chess

[J T Melsom]

William McIlvanney: Chapter 8 Strange Loyalties

I had been like a man in a real war who finds relief in playing chess.

Ian McEwan's protagonist in Sweet Tooth plays chess and captains the school team. ''You must exercise some historical imagination to understand what it meant for a girl in those times to travel to a neighbouring school and knock from his perch some condescending smirking squirt of a boy."

[John Swain]

For those who can access ITV Central, chess featured on both the lunchtime news and, in more extended coverage, on the evening news. A news team visited the Nottinghamshire Centenary GM Invitational Tournament yesterday and interviewed Tournament Director Tim Wall, IM Jonah Willow, FM Ankush Khandelwal and two promising Nottinghamshire juniors. The item may be repeated after the main News at Ten this evening.

The four minute clip is about 14 minutes in and is only available for the next 24 hours:
https://www.itv.com/news/central/2023-0 ... 2j9OW3l4zI

There is now a permanent link to the report:
https://www.itv.com/news/central/2023-1 ... tournament

[Stewart Reuben]

CAPTAIN NEWMAN MD 1963, starring Gregory Peck who runs a psychiatric ward for people damaged in conflicts.
One wife comes to visit her husband. Peck expected her to be full of loving kindness.
'INSTEAD SHE BEHAVES LIKE A REFEREE AT A CHESS MATCH'.

Speaking as a chess arbiter, I think that is the funniest of these chess analogies that we collect on this forum.

[Paul Habershon]

CAPTAIN NEWMAN MD 1963, starring Gregory Peck who runs a psychiatric ward for people damaged in conflicts.
One wife comes to visit her husband. Peck expected her to be full of loving kindness.
'INSTEAD SHE BEHAVES LIKE A REFEREE AT A CHESS MATCH'.

Speaking as a chess arbiter, I think that is the funniest of these chess analogies that we collect on this forum.

Re Peck and chess: in 1965, in what would now be called my gap year, I had an English Speaking Union scholarship (no academic prowess required) as an exchange student (already in far too common use for 'pupil') on its scheme between British and American schools. I was assigned to Harvard School (nothing to do with the university) in Coldwater Canyon, Hollywood, Los Angeles. While there I organised a chess team to play against other schools. Carey Peck, son of Gregory, played for us. I never saw or met his famous father. The school has now gone co-ed as Harvard-Westlake on another campus.

I used to send in the solutions to Isaac Kashdan's weekly Los Angeles Times chess competitions in his column, usually two or three-move problems, and unexpectedly had a note from him thanking me for my interest.

[PeterFarr]

Cute interview with 79 year old Peter Lee and 8 year old Bodhana Sivanandan also showing clips of 3 10 minute games they played. Peter was overtired by the 3rd gsme.

At the Atheneum club.

https://youtu.be/BSzZwRBJVvY?si=yzFYcXHXKr-gpFac

Yesterday in the Sussex v Middlesex match, Bodhana Sivanandan (for Middlesex) played against 80-year old Geoffrey James; I think by ECF ratings, it was our 2nd strongest 80-year old versus our 2nd strongest 8 year old.

[Geoff Chandler]

'Gregory Peck'

HI Stewart,

I was reading recently that Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn played chess during the filming of the 'Guns of Navarone.'

I am enjoying reading your 'A Life in Chess' articles in the recent CHESS (October and November 2023). That is quite a shift you have put in on behalf of the game and there is more to come in the December issue.

The November issue has this charming 'Oldie' feel about it. As well a Stewart's memories there is a three page spread on Raymond Keene, then a Chess in the 1980's article by Milos Pavlovic, an article on Blackburne by Julian Way. A piece on Coincidences in Chess that begins; 'The story really begins in 1895.' The last article is by our own John Saunders including a game from 1959. Wonderful reading all round.

You can get a pdf sample here https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0478/ ... 1698840401
which includes in full the Julian Way article on Blackburne.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Three pages devoted to Penguin self-glorification? I will give that a miss thanks

[Geoff Chandler]

HI Matt,

Nowhere near as bad as some might imagine, quite good in fact. (RDK's favourite film is; 'Conan the Barbarian' Ray added the original version, not the remake.) Stewart's memories are well worth the admission fee. But check out the free pdf for a full list of contents good value.

[Ian Thompson]

Stewart's memories are well worth the admission fee.

Is the free article here pretty much the same thing?

[Geoff Chandler]

Yes pretty much. I wonder if Chessbase will feature the Ray interview with Carl Portman.

[Mick Norris]

F1 drivers Leclerc and Gasly

[Mick Norris]

'Chess saved my life': The Ukrainians and Russians now making moves for England

[Reg Clucas]

10pm tonight BBC 2 - repeat of the 'Red Dwarf' episode featuring the Holly v Queeg chess game.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I guess this story should come with a Not Suitable For Work (or minors) warning. Interesting that this technique was used to beat a seriously strong player (Daniel Fernandez):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... aster.html

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I guess this story should come with a Not Suitable For Work (or minors) warning. Interesting that this technique was used to beat a seriously strong player (Daniel Fernandez):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... aster.html

This deserves its own thread. That is some dedication to proving a theory...