Media comments on chess

[Kevin Thurlow]

On a sidebar to http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/37984547


"How to get into cricket - physical exertion with a chess-like element in matches which range from half an hour to five days."

[Chris Goddard]

Radio 4 will be doing a programme on Thursday 24th about "The bizarre and extraordinary story of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the eccentric Russian tycoon and president of FIDE, the international chess governing body". Here's a link with more info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0833sff

[JustinHorton]

For Crossing Continents Tim Whewell reports from Moscow and New York on the deeply politicised game of chess and asks if it's finally checkmate for the king of chess.

<grits teeth>
<makes note to listen anyway>

[Matt Mackenzie]

Is that closing query a QTWTAIN?

[JustinHorton]

Well it wasn't when they made much the same programme in 1999.

[Roger de Coverly]

Well it wasn't when they made much the same programme in 1999.

Last time round, they gave Anderton (I think it was) as BCF spokesman, a hard time for not boycotting the 1998 Elista Olympiad. Will they interview representatives of any of the numerous Chess Federation, who despite being offered former World Champions as alternatives, persist in re-electing Kirsan?

[JustinHorton]

We could maybe delete "despite" here

[Mick Norris]

More Boycott this morning - does he actually play?

It's like playing chess and you've got no pieces left - you're just delaying the inevitable

[Jonathan Bryant]

More Boycott this morning - does he actually play?

It's like playing chess and you've got no pieces left - you're just delaying the inevitable

I suspect most cricketeers 'play' or have 'played' at some point - long wet days to fill and all that. I rather doubt Boycott would’ve dedicated much mental energy to chess, though. Or anything else other than batting.

Another TMS commentator Simon Mann - https://twitter.com/Cricket_Mann?ref_sr ... r%5Eauthor - was a serious schoolboy player, though.

[LawrenceCooper]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/734182 ... oxing-ring

[Kevin Thurlow]

Private Eye 1432, (available from all good magazine shops) cartoon by Rob Murray on bottom of page 36, depicts a white queen (on the back rank) looking down on a worried looking black pawn and saying, "Have you come far?"


Edited for clarification

[Neil Graham]

Nigel "Lord" Farage was at a reception at the Ritz to celebrate his contribution to Brexit and said (amongst other things)

"In this country, the people have spoken, but the same players have just been shuffled around the chess board and we are still being run by the career professional political class."

Seehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38089702

[MartinCarpenter]

I suspect most cricketeers 'play' or have 'played' at some point - long wet days to fill and all that. I rather doubt Boycott would’ve dedicated much mental energy to chess, though. Or anything else other than batting.

Are you sure? He's incredibly naturally competitive, so I'm sure he'd have put the energy in if actually playing anything. Think cards is more traditional though. Plenty of people in a cricket dressing room!

[Gary Kenworthy]

Fidel Castro is dead.
Havana 1966, the 17th Olympiad was sponsored by the Fidel Castro Government.

The Soviet team :- got the gold.
Petrosian, Spassky, Tal, Stein, Korchnoi, Polugaevsky
Do believe with Laughing Eddie Gufeld (relatively senior KGB officer) riding shotgun (only 90 miles to the USA).
Piccies of Castro in the simul being advised (to take a move back, or go to a better square?).
Korchnoi, as first reserve was an individual gold, so was Petroshan, but it was M Tal who got the highest percentage board 3 board prize, in Final A.

Tito’s team got relegated to the bronze third – maybe somebody got upset. Maybe also there was politics around during the First Cold War.

There could easily be a chess event to follow.
(FM) Gary Kenworthy, Bletchley

[JustinHorton]

Where's the media comment on chess in that one?