Women not cut out for chess

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Andrew Martin
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Andrew Martin » Sat Apr 25, 2015 8:23 am

Attached the basic press release from the ECF National Schools Girls Championships
Press Release - ECF National Girls Chess Championship - Final (1).pdf
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Press Release - ECF National Girls Chess Championship - Final (1).pdf
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Brian Towers
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Brian Towers » Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:31 am

Seeing Andrew Martin join the discussion prompts me to highlight and comment on another quote from Short's original article:
Nigel Short wrote:Given Susan Polgar’s undoubted genuine achievements – such as being the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title conventionally by making three norms – it is tragic that her brand is tarnished by extravagant and literally incredible claims like her supposed world record in 2005 of playing 1,131 games consecutively (winning 1,112!) in just 990 minutes. This works out at just 52.5 seconds per game – although it would be somewhat less when one takes into account bathroom breaks. Given that she was walking around the whole time, which causes a second or seconds to be lost on very move, for this record not to be fictitious would require an extraordinary high number of Scholar’s Mates. It is hard to understand why an emotionally stable individual would even imagine anyone else might believe this record to be genuine.
A bit harsh, I think, particularly that last sentence.
Nigel gives a link to this Chessbase article (http://en.chessbase.com/post/the-making ... rld-record) expressing Andrew's doubts and giving Susan's response:
Andrew Martin wrote:Somehow Polgar fits in an extra 805 games, winning 803 (!!) and drawing only two, finding an extra 228 opponents out of nowhere and fits it in seamlessly with the other record. Amazing!
Polgar's response is very illuminating and makes it clear how such a feat was possible.
First:
Susan Polgar wrote:In addition, my team came up with an ingenious system in placing all the strongest players in one section knowing that their games would most likely last the longest.
Now, that's a fine wheeze! One of the most difficult things for the simul giver is to identify the stronger players and take the necessary precautions. This was handled automatically for Plogar.
Susan Polgar wrote:We did not allow any pass
So, this was a dedicated record attempt and the players were just drones, a means to an end. What happened if a player needed to go to the toilet? Were they defaulted?
Susan Polgar wrote:After a player lost, he/she had the option to start another game or give up the seat for another player to start a new game. The official record certifiers marked down each new game played and added it to the second total.
Nice! So, the weakest players, the ones who blunder the game away in a dozen moves or less, get to play again and again and again. Or, more to the point, Polgar gets to inflate the number of games against very weak players.

So, yes, I believe Polgar's account of the record. I just think that apart from the very real physical accomplishment of keeping on your feet for that length of time it is a cheap, meaningless trick.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Paul Habershon
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Paul Habershon » Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:50 am

Prominent letter from Stewart Reuben on this topic in today's 'Times'. Headline: 'Grandmaster's view of girls and chess'. I'm not sure whether this refers to Nigel Short's initial comments or implies that Stewart is a grandmaster.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:52 pm

Oh dear. My letter in The Daily Telegraph yesterday was on the same subject. What happened was that I sent it to the DT first. When it wasn't published for three days, I sent it along to The Times in response to Tom Whipple's column in the Times. One isn't supposed to send a letter for publication to two different newspapers.
It was he first time I have ever had a letter published in the DT.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:20 pm

I later noticed that the heading by the sub-editor for the letter in The Times is 'Grandmaster's view of girls and chess'. In my letter, I used the word 'female' 3 times, never girl or woman.
A 16 year old girl, on learning that she was now a woman master, exclaimed, 'Does that mean that now I am a woman?'
Both Eagle twins were affronted in 2008 by the title 'British Ladies' Championship'. So I changed it to 'British Women's Championship. I rarely get the opportunity to make two ministers happier with one word change!

John McKenna

Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by John McKenna » Fri May 01, 2015 1:43 pm

This may have been missed but surely it cannot be dismissed?

...one thing is sure: outraged female chess-players will be queuing up to challenge Short once he has completed his series of games against Kasparov... (Count Ray K. in the Spectator)

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/culturehou ... eir-brain/

Edit - read the insightful comments below the article to get the even-wider view!

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John Upham
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by John Upham » Fri May 01, 2015 3:50 pm

It is a great relief (to me, at least) that world renowned expert Tony "Mind-Map" Buzan has been consulted by Ray.

I am confident we can all rest easy in our beds knowing the opinion of this legendary leader in his field.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

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JustinHorton
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by JustinHorton » Fri May 01, 2015 6:23 pm

John McKenna wrote:This may have been missed
No
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Women not cut out for chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed May 06, 2015 6:36 pm

I have just viewed 'The Polgar's Variant' a 70 minutes documentary.
It was like a knife to my heart, every time interviewees referred to men's grandmaster title or men's World Championship. I got rid of men's Olympiad.
Of course the issue frequently come up during the film.
I will write more about it in the section on ches in the media.

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