Search found 928 matches

by Keith Arkell
Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:05 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Without thinking about it too much... are you a bishop or a knight person?
Replies: 30
Views: 4109

Re: Without thinking about it too much... are you a bishop or a knight person?

Larsen preferred Knights. I would guess that Jon Speelman does too.

For me Bishops.
by Keith Arkell
Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:06 am
Forum: International News
Topic: Carlsen resigns on move 2
Replies: 1113
Views: 82073

Re: Carlsen resigns on move 2

All hail King Hans - trashes a hotel room and gathers even more fans. What strange times we live in!

I'm forcibly reminded of the Al Capone story: They couldn't get him for his gangster stuff, so the got him on tax evasion instead.
by Keith Arkell
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:01 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: Carlsen resigns on move 2
Replies: 1113
Views: 82073

Re: Carlsen resigns on move 2

At least it's easier to prove someone trashed a hotel room than it is to prove that they are a cheat.
by Keith Arkell
Tue Jan 09, 2024 2:09 pm
Forum: Congress Diary
Topic: Caplin Hastings 2023-24
Replies: 107
Views: 12022

Re: Caplin Hastings 2023-24

(edit) I thought the name looked familiar. Here's a piece in the Guardian in which he is mentioned, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/13/chess-keith-arkell-captures-online-british-title-after-rival-is-disqualified (/edit) It's just as well I didn't get paired to play him in the last round ...
by Keith Arkell
Tue Dec 19, 2023 12:58 am
Forum: International News
Topic: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023
Replies: 37
Views: 4842

Re: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023

Bizarrely, Dominguez has been paired in round 7 (board 22). After tweeting the organisers though he has been removed and the pairings republished :oops: His withdrawal was requested too late though to avoid his opponent winning by default and, after the upfloat, being catapulted, for free, to 5.5/6...
by Keith Arkell
Mon Dec 18, 2023 3:07 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023
Replies: 37
Views: 4842

Re: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023

Dominguez has announced his withdrawal, no longer thinking it is realistic to catch So's rating. I'm disappointed. I was afraid that your post on the other Candidates thread ''I am doubtful Dominguez will fall ill as soon as he is ahead, since he has always seemed a decent guy...' might come back t...
by Keith Arkell
Mon Dec 18, 2023 3:00 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Is Chess shortening your life?
Replies: 18
Views: 1713

Re: Is Chess shortening your life?

I can't remember where now, but did once read something to the effect that IMs and GMs tended to die at younger ages on average ("in their forties and fifties") than the general population. It wasn't based on any kind of scientific study, though, and attributed the depressing statistic to mental he...
by Keith Arkell
Sat Dec 16, 2023 11:51 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023
Replies: 37
Views: 4842

Re: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023

I'm pleased to report that in my toughest pairing so far I was pressing for the win with Black v GM Boruchovsky, but he held on for the draw. As I said to Danny Gormally. Jon Hawkins and others, at the start of this tournament I was intrigued to see that GM Dominguez chose this event to try to gain ...
by Keith Arkell
Sat Dec 16, 2023 1:47 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023
Replies: 37
Views: 4842

Re: SUNWAY SITGES INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 12 to 22 December 2023

Hi guys. I'm 63 in a few weeks and, without wanting to parade any details on here, as you get older health issues play a bigger role in your life. Having said that, I'm still one of the most active titled players around, and have won 19 over the board tournaments this year. Here I'm the oldest playe...
by Keith Arkell
Thu Nov 30, 2023 11:46 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: Carlsen resigns on move 2
Replies: 1113
Views: 82073

Re: Carlsen resigns on move 2

After chess genius Hans Niemann wins Zagreb by 3 clear points and the best performance ( 2946!) of anyone on the planet all year, the organiser of the event said the following in an interview for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten: ''Niemann's performance is out of this world, but we have no defini...
by Keith Arkell
Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:53 pm
Forum: Live Games
Topic: Nottinghamshire Centenary GM Invitational
Replies: 9
Views: 1291

Re: Nottinghamshire Centenary GM International

I recall playing in the Centenary of the 1886 tournament - except that in the end it ( a 10 player round-robin) happened in 1987.
by Keith Arkell
Wed Oct 18, 2023 8:39 pm
Forum: International News
Topic: Carlsen targeting 2900 rating
Replies: 11
Views: 2301

Re: Carlsen targeting 2900 rating

With the ripple of deflation I have spoken of for more than a decade having at last worked its way up to the top, 2850 is the new 2900.
by Keith Arkell
Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:36 pm
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Geoff Gammon
Replies: 7
Views: 1259

Re: Geoff Gammon

Very sad to hear. Formerly a driving instructor, we in the chess world knew Geoff as a very correct and reliable arbiter. However, I knew him as much more than that. We often socialised and chatted during meals and/or drinks after events in the Bristol area. Geoff and my brother Nick also made frien...
by Keith Arkell
Thu Sep 28, 2023 12:24 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: How Do Pro Players Actually make money from CHESS??
Replies: 40
Views: 2734

Re: How Do Pro Players Actually make money from CHESS??

Snooker players can certainly play to quite an age at a still decent level, and there is a quite a thriving seniors scene in the game now. Good to hear about the snooker senior scene! And some of those seniors seem to still compete at the very top - eg Mark Williams and Ronnie must be closing in on...
by Keith Arkell
Thu Sep 28, 2023 12:18 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: How Do Pro Players Actually make money from CHESS??
Replies: 40
Views: 2734

Re: How Do Pro Players Actually make money from CHESS??

There’s £50,000 in the world seniors snooker, and they probably do a lot of appearances at clubs. TV commentary. There must be a lot less pro snooker players than chess players I’d guess?https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Seniors_Championship Cricketers? Coaching I suppose if they want it. With ...