English Chess Forum

As white, I once had to let my opponent promote on move 9, capturing a Rook in the process, after botching the opening:

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 d5 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.f4 exf4 6.Bxg7 Qh4+ 7.g3 fxg3 8.Nf3 g2+ 9.Ke2 gxh1=Q

Somehow I still held on for a draw after 28 moves!

Could I live without it? Yes.

Would I want to? No.

Next month I will be starting a 9-game winless streak on the bottom boards of the Hastings Masters.

Sean, if this had been a few weeks ago, would you have considered using the FIDE Presidential election result as a fair and plausibly random way of deciding colours?

FIDE have announced that Alexander Grischuk will replace Carlsen in the upcoming candidates tournament. (I wasn't available, unfortunately. :wink: ) In the announcement it also said: "FIDE has always been sceptical about World Championship matches instead of tournaments." I find this statement hard ...

Noooooooooo!!!!! Say it ain't so!

Someone tell me it's April 1st, please...

I'd like to know where such merchandise is available. So I could avoid them, obviously. :wink: No, seriously, it's illegal and wrong and very, very naughty. Besides, you might think you're getting a DVD of Roman giving the latest GM-level theory and end up with a disc featuring me in a wig recommend...

I wonder if the ECF (or any other chess federation) has considered offering Life Membership? I don't know how the cost of this would be determined - perhaps tiered according to age? - but it might be a useful way of increasing revenue in the short term if enough people could be tempted to sign up.

This is a real shame, although I know the pier has been unused for some time, as well as being the subject of some local controversy over its ownership and future. Every year I stay at a B&B near the pier during the Hastings Congress, and have always thought it a pity it's not been used as a real at...

I'm totally confused. Am i correct that the "Busy person's" first 5 rounds are included in the Weekender, but without being able to win the prizes? I will probably enter the Weekender like last year - does this mean that i can put in my usual woeful performance, and still have the chance of winning...

What we 'busy persons' have got is effectively 5 rounds of the weekender (with no opportunity to win that tournament's prize money) plus - for an extra 75 quid - a maximum of four FIDE-rated rounds of chess. And for me it means taking 3 days' annual leave from work. The overall prize money for the O...

1.1 ... Where at least one of the players in the tournament has a rating 2200 or higher, each player must have a minimum of 120 minutes. I think that was the point Sean was making earlier, that for the first 5 rounds of the hybrid to be rated, there would need to be a 2200 restriction. You would al...

Well, here's the best I could come up with after 15 minutes on MS Paint.
And my design fees are very reasonable...

I'm also not keen on the two new logos, or indeed the old one.

The new Runcorn Congress will take place from Friday 24th May - Sunday 26th September 2010.

Crikey! A four-month tournament.

Will the FIDE president have to intervene when the players get too tired?

Next week I shall test the rules further by eating some yoghurt during the game.

Out of a bucket.

With a shovel.