Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
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Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
"In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes killing 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan as "chess pieces taken off the board"."
I think we can all call this into question and suggest that the number should be between 1 and 15 rather than 25 regardless of whether HRH was using the Black or White pieces.
Maybe a variant would allow 25 captures? Where is David Pritchard when one needs him?
I think we can all call this into question and suggest that the number should be between 1 and 15 rather than 25 regardless of whether HRH was using the Black or White pieces.
Maybe a variant would allow 25 captures? Where is David Pritchard when one needs him?
Last edited by John Upham on Fri Jan 06, 2023 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
Crazyhouse allows arbitrarily many captures.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
I am indebted to your knowledge Jack.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
You could increase the number of pieces taken off the board by considering pawn promotions as the removal of that pawn and then subsequent capture of the promoted piece counts twice but even so it wouldn't add up to 25
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
Obviously it was four-handed chess; even at the partnership version you can take up to 30 opposing men.
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
With my Woke / PC hat on I believe we are no longer permitted to say "men"John Clarke wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 4:57 amObviously it was four-handed chess; even at the partnership version you can take up to 30 opposing men.
Pieces (or pawns) it must be.
Last edited by John Upham on Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
I never knew that when a pawn is promoted it is considered to have been captured. When was this notion introduced?Joey Stewart wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 9:59 pmYou could increase the number of pieces taken off the board by considering pawn promotions as the removal of that pawn and then subsequent capture of the promoted piece counts twice but even so it wouldn't add up to 25
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
But piece has a technical meaning in chess that excludes pawnsJohn Upham wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:36 amWith my Woke / PC hat on I believe we are no longer permitted to say "men"John Clarke wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 4:57 amObviously it was four-handed chess; even at the partnership version you can take up to 30 opposing men.
Pieces it must be.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
I am indebted Tim and have amended a previous post accordingly.Tim Spanton wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:06 amBut piece has a technical meaning in chess that excludes pawnsJohn Upham wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:36 amWith my Woke / PC hat on I believe we are no longer permitted to say "men"John Clarke wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 4:57 amObviously it was four-handed chess; even at the partnership version you can take up to 30 opposing men.
Pieces it must be.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
Piece has three different technical meanings in chess, which usually have to be distinguished by context, and one of those includes pawns.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
There's more than one cryptic crossword compiler who'll be sorry to hear that.John Upham wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:36 amWith my Woke / PC hat on I believe we are no longer permitted to say "men"
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
I agreed with Angus. Whilst many of John's posts in this forum have interest, he not infrequently posts the sort of dross he would himself be quick to criticise if posted by others. Could do better
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
Maybe he played more than one game.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
Well the fact that it is removed from the board when it promotes - the prince harry quote didn't mention capturing Taliban fighters, just 'removing' them.John Upham wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:37 amI never knew that when a pawn is promoted it is considered to have been captured. When was this notion introduced?Joey Stewart wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 9:59 pmYou could increase the number of pieces taken off the board by considering pawn promotions as the removal of that pawn and then subsequent capture of the promoted piece counts twice but even so it wouldn't add up to 25
I also came up with an alternative solution to this numerical problem - he took the 25 pieces off over the course of multiple games
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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Re: Issues with Prince Harry's chess knowledge
The Spare, represented in diagrams by a bearded pawn, may choose any piece adjacent to a friendly piece and delete it from the board. The opposing player may at all times have one piece secretly designated immune; attempting to capture the immune piece results instead in the loss of the Spare. This causes the King to be sad and unable to move for one turn. The Spare may promote to any piece other than a Queen.
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