Media comments on chess

[Chris Goddard]

In the Daily Mail today there is an interview with Franz Beckenbauer. He recalls one of his fondest memories as being when he once visited Bobby Moore's house in Chigwell on a sunny afternoon and played chess against him in his garden. The interviewer asked him who won but Beckenbauer said he can't remember (although he smiled when asked the question, so maybe Bobby turned him over?).

[Kevin Thurlow]

Celebrity Pointless tonight had a jackpot round on "Pub Sports", requiring contestants to name world champions in chess (since 1886), snooker and darts (the last-named had to be non-English).

Incredibly, the "pointless" answers for chess were, Capablanca, Anand, Kramnik and Steinitz. They then mentioned other world champions - the usual suspects, but not Khalifman, Ponomariov, Khasimdzhanov, Topalov, so have they been expunged from history? It does mean someone remembered Max Euwe etc, but forgot Capablanca.

I would of course point out that not many pubs are big enough to have snooker tables.

[Ian Thompson]

Celebrity Pointless tonight had a jackpot round on "Pub Sports", requiring contestants to name world champions in chess (since 1886), snooker and darts (the last-named had to be non-English).

Incredibly, the "pointless" answers for chess were, Capablanca, Anand, Kramnik and Steinitz. They then mentioned other world champions - the usual suspects, but not Khalifman, Ponomariov, Khasimdzhanov, Topalov, so have they been expunged from history? It does mean someone remembered Max Euwe etc, but forgot Capablanca.

I don't think that's right. Capablanca, Anand, Kramnik and Steinitz were all stated to be pointless. They then listed 9 World Champions who weren't pointless and said everyone else was pointless.

If I'd been on the programme I'd have gone for 3 women's world champions because the only restriction on choice was when the player was world champion.

[Jonathan Bryant]

They then mentioned other world champions - the usual suspects, but not Khalifman, Ponomariov, Khasimdzhanov, Topalov, so have they been expunged from history?

They probably just didn’t count them as being World Champions. I certainly wouldn’t.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I take Ian and Jonathan's points, but the implication was that the others weren't acceptable, and they are official FIDE world champions, whether we like it or not!

Pointless is developing a habit of having ambiguous (or just plain wrong) questions/answers.

[Mick Norris]

They then mentioned other world champions - the usual suspects, but not Khalifman, Ponomariov, Khasimdzhanov, Topalov, so have they been expunged from history?

They probably just didn’t count them as being World Champions. I certainly wouldn’t.

Agreed, whatever FIDE may say

[Ian Thompson]

I take Ian and Jonathan's points, but the implication was that the others weren't acceptable, and they are official FIDE world champions, whether we like it or not!

Pointless is developing a habit of having ambiguous (or just plain wrong) questions/answers.

The players explicitly stated to be pointless were Capablanca, Anand, Kramnik and Steinitz.
The players explicitly stated to be point scoring were Kasparov, Karpov, Smyslov, Carlsen, Fischer, Spassky, Tal, Lasker and Botvinnik.
Even if you don't count the World Champions between 1993 and 2006, these lists still omit Alekhine, Euwe and Petrosian.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"The players explicitly stated to be pointless were Capablanca, Anand, Kramnik and Steinitz.
The players explicitly stated to be point scoring were Kasparov, Karpov, Smyslov, Carlsen, Fischer, Spassky, Tal, Lasker and Botvinnik.
Even if you don't count the World Champions between 1993 and 2006, these lists still omit Alekhine, Euwe and Petrosian."

Yes - fair enough. They probably used the FIDE list and thought nobody would have heard of the others I mentioned! (or Stan Vaughan)

[Gary Kenworthy]

Would that make the 1st FIDE (Amateur) World Champion of 1924 invalid as well - H K Mattison.
The issue was in Paris 1924 that Alekhine was a professional chessplayer, playing for France, in a strict, no professional rules of Olympiads. (see Chariots of Fire- Paris 1924).
The matter split chess from other sports, and secondly, it made chess recognised as professional in one camp and the amateur believers in another - So FIDE held their own title tournament. Official FIDE. H K Mattison won the title.
Is this why Alekhine is missing, Euwe etc? On this pointless question? Only with Alekhine's death did FIDE own the title, post WWII new rules.
Regards (FM) Gary Kenworthy

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Two examples from reporting of the Tour de France:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycl ... 08080.html

"...Froome had just made a checkmate move."

https://edition.metro.news/content/2016 ... 36225.html

"This year saw the definitive coming of age of Chris Froome, the knock-kneed outsider who defines this era. Added to his bewildering power on summit finishes and time trials, we now understand that he is inventive, tactically astute and has the rest of the race in psychological checkmate."

I think this was mentioned before, but worth linking to again:

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016/07 ... untain-top

[Gary Kenworthy]

Inaccuracies in the media about chess. Look no further than last night’s premier screening of the film - Imitation game - on Channel 4.
Hugh Alexander and Alan Turing got on at GCCS (Government Code and Cipher School) a.k.a “Golf Club and Chess Society”.
Hugh Alexander, only had one title before the war Brighton (1938), then Blackpool (1956). Not two.
If Turing had lived, it would have been interesting how much could have happened in artificial intelligence and chess playing computers? Turing was a chess player, but nowhere near the strength of his colleagues.

However, it did hint that John Cairncross (who was not a code breaker, he was a translator in Hut 3 and who did not join Bletchley till 1942) was part of the hounding to death of Alan Turing.
Cairncross was of course, part of the Soviet Cambridge Spy ring, with McLean, Burgess, Blunt and Phil by {+ 4 others, not as dedicated] which was also based on gay relationships.
They made sure that Alan Turing was the escape-goat, the “real” Soviet spy, especially to the CIA. Philiby’s role with the CIA was to find the British spy, because there clearly was one. Hence, preparing the public for, Turing was one of ours who got bumped off.
Rgds (FM) Gary Kenworthy

[Christopher Kreuzer]

How strong a player was Hermanis Karlovich Mattison?

[Stewart Reuben]

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
They then mentioned other world champions - the usual suspects, but not Khalifman, Ponomariov, Khasimdzhanov, Topalov, so have they been expunged from history?

I noted with relish that Kirsan did not mention those world chmpions in a speech in, I think, London at the Candidates.

In the period when there were two World Champions, a University Challenge question compiler phoned me to ask what was the anser to the question 'Who is the World Chess Champion? I told him not to ask that questiong. There was no correct answer.

There are many World Chess Champions where the name is mofied, e.g, Women, Girls, Junior, Senior, Amateur, U-8. None of those should be referred to as The World Chess Champion.

[Ian Kingston]

How strong a player was Hermanis Karlovich Mattison?

Here's his Chessmetrics page. According to that page, his world ranking peaked at No. 12. Brief biography in Wikipedia, which is backed up by The Oxford Companion to Chess.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Good to hear from Gary again. As Cairncross was in Hut 3, he might well have been unaware of the occupants of Hut 8. I think there wasn't much contact between Huts, certainly that was said by John Gilbert, ex-Secretary of Redhill Chess Club, and also ex-BP. Cairncross might have engineered contact for his own (or employer's) purposes of course.

I really liked the film, although it was full of historical inaccuracies. (That does apply to a lot of films that are based on fact.)