English Chess Forum

It would appear that one of Daniel's aims was to beat an Independent Master who was more than 70 years old.

It is good to have attainable targets.

Wednesday 8 August, there were several programmes on 'Sky Living' featuring chess.

'Criminal Minds' two back to back episodes where the villan claims to have got the FBI group in ZUGSWANG. The term was explained, but I didn't hear it, so I don't know whether the young intellectual got it right. It is unlikely the situation was actually zugswang. That is hard to envisage.

Immediately following two hours of that, was 'Bones'. This again featured an FBI team investigating the mureder of a GM, or at least, a very strong player. That was refreshing, the culprit is usually the GM. However, my hopes were dashed. The murderer was the second strongest player, apart from the FBI Officer, who was a retired player.
Several games were played, all to mate. They seemed to be some type of blitz, but the clock times never changed. I always advise use of mechanical clocks, as was done here. they are easier to reset.

Daniel Gallagher beat only one IM of mature years in the British Championship this year. It was Craig Pritchett who is a whipper-snapper at 68.

Re The Danial Gallagher piece.:

I take he was referring to Craig Pritchett as the 'Independent' Master.

Has Scotland got their Independence? They kept that quiet.

Or has Craig set up his own Independant Chess Federation. (Craig is 68 years old).

Whilst here and on the track of another secret.
Who won the Best Game' at the 2017 British Ch,
The B.C. site does not tell (if it does it is well hidden)

Stewart Reuben wrote: Even assuming it was a typo for International Master, I don't think there was anybody playing who fits that description.

It's been so many years since there were any titled players from Scotland in the Championships, that we forget their partial reappearance this year. He isn't actually 70 yet, but from the perspective of someone 16, Craig Pritchett that he played in round 8 would fit the bill.

Do we suspect he used the abbreviation IM, that the paper incorrectly expanded?

Geoff Chandler wrote: Whilst here and on the track of another secret.

The location of next year's Championship is another secret. Rumours and gossip were saying Hull.

More chess on TV came in "Chance" episode 8. "D" left hospital and played a hustler in the park in San Francisco and the game looked reasonably coherent. There have been earlier chess references with two of the characters being given a "black knight" by the mysterious Jaclyn/Jackie.

Hugh Laurie plays Chance (a psychiatrist), and Ethan Suplee (sorry to say I had never heard of him) is fantastic as "D".

For more, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chance_(TV_series)

It's on Universal on Tuesday nights and it is spine-tingling stuff. Last episode in the series is next Tuesday and at present it is rather unclear who are heroes (if anybody) and who are villains (seems to be everybody).

Sabrina is/was interviewed on Sky News about monitoring the heart rate of chess players.

LawrenceCooper wrote:Sabrina is/was interviewed on Sky News about monitoring the heart rate of chess players.

There was an article in today's Times with Ilya Merenzon from Agon saying how exciting this was going to make watching chess.

It, and Sabrina's interview, could well be the media picking up on this press release from Wednesday.

I recall someone doing this in a tournament about 30 years ago. He was rather shocked that his print-out showed a BP of 190/140. I wandered over to look at the game and returned to say that the player had to make 10 moves in a minute so 190/140 was quite reasonable!

However, I cannot recall where this was...

Ian Thompson wrote:It, and Sabrina's interview, could well be the media picking up on this press release from Wednesday.

Desperate, quite desperate, nonsense (the press release). How brainless some people are in our community. Not least because, if you didn't give a flying ph*k about chess before, you're not going to be won over by a few dull biometrics. A few 'live' heart attacks could change that, for sure. Doubtless that will be an arrangement in a future Agon press release.

And of course, there's the non-trivial ethics of the matter - disclosure of personal medical data. Will players consent if their life insurance companies take an interest?

Ian Thompson wrote:

LawrenceCooper wrote:Sabrina is/was interviewed on Sky News about monitoring the heart rate of chess players.

There was an article in today's Times with Ilya Merenzon from Agon saying how exciting this was going to make watching chess.

Nothing Ilya Merenzon says can be believed. If he tells you the date, check the calendar.

The Chess player ..a new play
Currently playing at the Edinburgh fringe. Details and my review here...

http://one4review.co.uk/2017/08/chess-player-4/
The performers chess terms and pronunciation were spot on ..well worth seeing

Bob - Was there a chess advisor?

I read the novella as a schoolboy. It is very famous.
Saw the feature film many years ago. Called 'Three Moves to Freedom'
Saw a US TV version. it had been recorded, presumably live, in the days before they pre-recorded TV drama.
It would be good to get this performed rather nearer home.

Angela and Maria Eagle are featured in 'Relative Values' in The Sunday Times 13 August.

It's a bit surprising they haven't been featured before.

No great revelations about them, but the importance of chess early on is emphasised.