Search found 642 matches

by Michael Jones
Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:34 pm
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Stan Cranmer
Replies: 9
Views: 3851

Re: Stan Cranmer

My acquaintance with Stan didn't exactly run deep, but I recall having a friendly chat after I lost a 4NCL game to him in 2009. RIP.
by Michael Jones
Sat Mar 29, 2014 3:49 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: Candidates 2014
Replies: 439
Views: 31631

Re: Candidates 2014

Somewhat hypothetical, since there's every chance of at least one win tomorrow, but I've been trying to work out what the final standings would be if there remain five players on an even score. First TB, as far as I can make out from the tournament site, is head to head score (or in this case, head ...
by Michael Jones
Sat Dec 14, 2013 10:03 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

I'll go with Adams and Nakamura.
by Michael Jones
Sat Dec 14, 2013 9:53 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Chess Player Pictures
Replies: 6
Views: 2212

Re: Chess Player Pictures

That's what opening ceremonies are for. Get the photoshoots out of the way at the start, then concentrate on the actual chess.
by Michael Jones
Sat Dec 14, 2013 6:37 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

Svidler won the return game, so they're into a tiebreak. Kramnik-Anand had a fairly quiet draw in their first game, Kramnik took him apart with black in the second to qualify. Gelfand-Caruana first game drawn, Naka beat Short with black.
by Michael Jones
Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:26 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

First blood to Adams! The endgame was probably winning anyway, but I assume allowing the rooks to be exchanged was a time trouble blunder.
by Michael Jones
Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:49 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

The rest of the field should probably thank Svidler for topping the group, thus ensuring one of Anand or Kramnik will be eliminated in the QFs. Although it's still not exactly an easy pairing, Adams would probably have preferred to play Svidler rather than Kramnik! I'll stick my neck out and say Kra...
by Michael Jones
Thu Dec 12, 2013 3:19 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

Today's live feed only kicked in about ten moves into most of the games. Interesting though it may be to play through two juniors competing to see who can leave most pieces en prise, I prefer to watch the GM games... And it's now given up the ghost completely. Caruana and Howell have gone past 100 m...
by Michael Jones
Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:45 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

Thus he gets in the Anand group, and Sutovsky in the other. Istratescu's chances of getting past the group stage look slim, but Sutovsky is higher rated than Howell and not far off short, so it's quite plausible he might make the QFs.
by Michael Jones
Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:27 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: London Chess Classic 2013
Replies: 271
Views: 39747

Re: London Chess Classic 2013

Istratescu's result will still matter for the grouping of the main tournament, though - if he wins he goes in the group with Anand, Adams and McShane; if he draws then he gets Caruana, Short and Howell. Although either set of opponents would be pretty tough for the qualifier, the latter looks margin...
by Michael Jones
Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:37 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: New ratings out now....
Replies: 34
Views: 5774

Re: new ratings out now....

Alex Holowczak wrote:Better still, I'll instruct the grading team to delay the publishing of the grades for 24 hours, just as punishment for Joey's trolling. :twisted:
You can publish everyone else's... just delay Joey's.
by Michael Jones
Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:32 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Media comments on chess
Replies: 5968
Views: 737466

Re: Midsomer Murders

Richard James wrote:
Michael Jones wrote: Wasn't there some (non-fictional) murderer who claimed his aim was to kill one victim for every square on the board?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pichushkin
Thanks, didn't think I was imagining it.
by Michael Jones
Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:06 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The second most famous Armenian?
Replies: 16
Views: 3077

The second most famous Armenian?

Aronian being suggested as a role model for any Armenians not so keen on Kardashian...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20932705
by Michael Jones
Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:01 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Records in chess and press coverage
Replies: 49
Views: 4965

Re: Records in chess and press coverage

Differences between contemporary ratings mean something intrinsic to the system in a way that the actual values of ratings don't, certainly. Trying to figure out how Carlsen's rating of 2861 now compares to Kasparov's peak rating of 2851 is non-trivial. Short claimed while doing commentary with Car...
by Michael Jones
Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:04 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Media comments on chess
Replies: 5968
Views: 737466

Re: Midsomer Murders

According to Radio Times, next Wednesday at 8pm on ITV, an episode called "The Sicilian Defence". A girl is attacked and left for dead by someone wearing a mask like a chess piece. Her fiance is missing... When the girl comes out of a coma, a killer targets members of a chess club. The father of th...