English Chess Forum

From "In fact" in "Prospect" p8
"A chess player can burn up to 6,000 calories a day playing in a tournament, three times what an average person consumes in a day" - source given as ESPN 13th September, 2019.

Letter to November "Prospect" p9 "3D Chess. As a Europhile frustrated by Labour's equivocation on Brexit, Len McCluskey always seemed part of the problem. I'm grateful your profile ... highlighted his complexity and pragmatism, making internecine struggles more relatable. I'm particularly heartened ...

One would like to think he had been rumbled ... after such sterling service - but probably not. Surprised that he didn't claim the longevity record.

Variation on a theme #94

Radio 4, PM, just now: Repatriating stranded Thomas Cook customers is like our old friend, three-dimensional chess or "Mornington Crescent for Aircraft".

A notorious jailbird (sic) was arguably the British champion seat-of-the-pants organiser

Interesting - so if you aren't there, what would the children do? Is this the same for secondary and primary?

"You're a peripatetic going into schools specifically to do chess, and in these cases, you're treated as a de facto member of staff who is trusted to get on with it by themselves. I think that's by far the most common model in primary schools. The "sit in the room" model also exists in primary schoo...

A speaker on "Woman's Hour" today likened the current political farago to a game of twelve-dimensional chess - thus taking the lead numerically. The PM was said to have painted himself into a corner of chess pieces.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008436

Probably not a recognised format now - but in 1970s, Birmingham University ran tournaments with 7 x 1 hour per person games on Sat / Sun - which were good. Reasonable standard of play.

"In many ways Boons is a far more typical cheat than Rausis, a teenage, overconfident, but weak player who wants to prove that they are cleverer than everyone else. (Australia has seen two.)"

Old news, obviously - but I discovered these by accident - Bobby Fischer in 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1FcljFSjY

and 1972 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIE3CFNpZ5Y

Fascinating

Keith Arkell reported by commentators to be unwell.

Another win by default for Palliser.

"Death ray Palliser"

Fair point - don't think that was the case here, though - I think equipment was from the local county and similar associations

Played in a tournament at the weekend - 12 months after my first since returning after a 35 year lay-off. Arrived early on the first day, so helped the bookstall guy unload. He had a large stock. He predicted he would take £200 - £300 over the weekend - not profit, just takings. I suggest that's why...