Media comments on chess

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Brian Towers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Brian Towers » Wed Jan 27, 2016 12:27 am

Mick Norris wrote:
Roger de Coverly wrote:The Saudi chess federation is on record as saying that its activities including international tournaments will continue, despite religious disapproval.
Are Chess and Islam Incompatible? article here
This is a load of nonsense!

The Muslim sect involved, Wahabism, is fundamentalist, on a par with the Wee Frees. The fatwa is on a par with the Wee Frees excommunicating (or whatever the technical term is for denying the communion) Lord Mackay of Clashfern (Lord Chancellor under the Thatcher and Major governments) for attending funeral services for Catholic colleagues. Pathetic!

I've played in competitions, league and individual, against and with Arab Muslims and I've arbited competitions with Muslims in them, adult and junior, and they are indistinguishable from normal chess players, because that's what they are!

The article makes the point that from the "normal" Islamic point of view chess is like pretty much like everything else non-religious, as long as it doesn't become an obsession it is fine.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Alistair Campbell
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Alistair Campbell » Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:46 pm

Brian Towers wrote:The Muslim sect involved, Wahabism, is fundamentalist, on a par with the Wee Frees. The fatwa is on a par with the Wee Frees excommunicating (or whatever the technical term is for denying the communion) Lord Mackay of Clashfern (Lord Chancellor under the Thatcher and Major governments) for attending funeral services for Catholic colleagues. Pathetic!
Lord Mackay was actually a Free Presbyterian, not a Wee Free. I'm not sure how this effects your comparison.

Brian Towers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Brian Towers » Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:14 pm

Alistair Campbell wrote:Lord Mackay was actually a Free Presbyterian, not a Wee Free. I'm not sure how this effects your comparison.
You're right, my mistake. I see from Wikipedia that the correct nickname is "Wee Wee Frees"!

Their treatment of Lord Mackay is still shocking. At a synod in 1989 they "invited" him to promise never to darken the doors of a Catholic establishment again. He told them to sod off, although in the end he was the one to leave their church.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:31 pm

There's an ad currently running on TV in Spain that features Garry Kasparov. I think it's for some kind of multi-speaker motivational event, but it's not yet clear to me. One of the other figures featured is Pierluigi Collina.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:35 pm

American football
is a curious mix of rugby, chess and military strategy
says Martin Kettle, not appearing obviously knowledgeable about any of these things.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Phil Neatherway
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Phil Neatherway » Thu Feb 04, 2016 11:20 am

from the BBC cricket home page, towards the bottom on the right hand side:-

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

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:03 pm

The Cricinfo website has discussion of the "mankading" by West Indies vs Zimbabwe in the Under 19 World Cup. (Mankading is the act of running out the non-striker without the bowler delivering the ball - named after a player called Mankad.) In general, people consider mankading unsporting.

Wiggy769 says

"When I was 10 years old I was playing chess in a school tournament against a younger but clearly more talented opponent. As I realised I was destined to lose, I managed to cunningly persuade him to knock his king over, as he didnt know what that meant. Once he had done it I claimed victory. He started crying. I felt bad (probably). What Keemo Paul did was similar to what I did. Theres no rule in chess stating you cant persuade a gullible opponent to concede the game. Therefore clearly what I did was not wrong."

I wonder if he still plays...

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:24 pm

Wiggy769 really doesn't know the Laws of Chess even now.
11.1 The players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute.
11.5 It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:07 am

Interview with the Eagle sisters in which Angela says quite a lot about chess.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Ian Kingston
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Ian Kingston » Wed Feb 10, 2016 8:10 am

Judit Polgar on her victory over Gary Kasparov: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35483650

(Part of the World Service's Witness series.)

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Feb 15, 2016 2:53 pm

Talking of good results against Kasparov, this isn't a new piece but I missed it at the time (I happened across it just this afternoon) and I couldn't find any reference to it on here using the Search function. So who is Lyndon Harrison and is there any record of his simul draw against Keres?
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Feb 15, 2016 3:29 pm

He is a former Labour MEP (Cheshire West 1989-99, back in the days when they still had FPTP constituencies)

I have seen him cited as a strong player in his youth previously.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Feb 15, 2016 3:31 pm

Yeah, I saw the Wikipedia entry but is there anything from chess literature to suggest he was a strong player?

[EDIT: searching under Lyndon (duh) rather than Harrison I find this, though not the original post.]
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:35 pm

JustinHorton wrote:Yeah, I saw the Wikipedia entry but is there anything from chess literature to suggest he was a strong player?
Apart from someone who knew him at University as mentioned in the earlier thread, the 1981-82 BCF Yearbook has LHA Harrison from the NCCU at 191, up from 186.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Feb 15, 2016 6:42 pm

No chance you've got anything on the Keres simul in your archive?

(I'm quite intrigued by this. You'd have thought, since the questions of politicians who play chess does come up now and again, that a player of that standard in the European Parliament and the House of Lords might have been better known.)
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

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