I would also like to thank all of the congratulations on here, it was certainly an enjoyable experience. Now, let's see if I can do better next time(!)...
Martin Lewis is playing do ICCD - and what a tournament he's having!!! :-) http://chess-results.com/tnr368908.aspx?lan=1&art=9&flag=30&snr=580 Unless I've read it wrong Lewis has got the FM title with his performance. Yes, this was mentioned earlier (it is easy to miss it in a massive thread like t...
There's a ban on watches and pens. Given their use or alleged use in cheating, are hearing aids, jewellery and even shoes next on the list? Hearing aids - I assume you refer to the ICCD team, though not everyone uses them - are already prohibited. You do get used to it after competing in deaf chess...
There's an underlying historic premise in rating systems that two players of the same rating should have a 50-50 chance. In that context I really don't see what the Rgap and Bgap are trying to achieve. Are they not, effectively, giving you Rapid and Blitz ratings. Take Adams and Short, for example....
And here we go again ... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/chess-grandmaster-nigel-short-shrill-feminists-have-made-me-a-misogynist-pantomime-villain-10335403.html The Indy story lifted from here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11690553/Nigel-Short-shrill-feminists-have-turned-me-into...
Indeed; we've had 30 nominations. I think what this highlights is the fact that there needs to be more than one category (IMO). Not just in this forum player of the year, but also the ECF Player of the Year. Think BBC Sports Personality Awards. Why don't we have: Young Player of the Year, Unsung He...
Phil was reelected democratically (I voted against him) and now people should be seeking to enable him to be effective. Since Parliament is supposed to be a model of politics, people see on Wednesday lunchtime that constant arguing/point-scoring between Cameron and Miliband. It doesn't matter who t...
.. but Boris is no Magnus Gelfand. Who? Going on comparisons, I think it is a bit pointless to do so. Every challenger/world champions are different and with different approaches to the game. You could bet that Vishy is better prepared this time compared to last year. His performance in Bilbao spri...
I seem to remember watching golf on TV and seeing some professionals carefully put their cigarette on the ground before playing their shot, and then picking up the cigarette and resume smoking it. I certainly remember Miguel Angel Jimenez smoking his cigars. Though he just leaves it in his mouth, a...