Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Venues, fixtures, teams and related matters.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:05 pm

You are going to have to do one of Jon Speelman's after today's Indie column, Keith :lol:
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Keith Arkell
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:29 pm

Lol they're coming at me from all sides!

Was it the same hung over junk against Chapman again? Spec's column used to be ok until he wrote that I agreed a draw ''rather quickly'' against Peter Heine Nielsen,and then suggested that beating Gawain at the end of last years British was a ''surprise''.To the readers of all these papers I should think that any win by me is a surprise! As I said elsewhere,these columnists ''dwell on my losses,act surprised by my wins and criticize my draws''.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:31 pm

Nope; you were white against Charlie Storey - remember? :wink:
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Keith Arkell
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:06 am

You've got to laugh.I had 6 nice wins last year,all ignored,and one loss(plus a play-off loss) published everywhere.Now they are starting up again this year.

To be honest,this petty behaviour really doesn't bother me,but my mates like to tease me about it.

One day I'll bring my book out,and try to give a balanced(a word these columnists don't understand!)appraisal of my play,and try to explain my style in a way that makes it understandable.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:16 am

Good for you Keith - do you think the chess columnists have agreed amongst themselves to gang up on you in some way?

I wonder what you did to upset them :lol:
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Keith Arkell
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:05 am

Possibly Matt.

I can't see how I could have upset any of them personally,but perhaps more likely they range between not understanding my style,and simply not liking it.Probably if I was playing my chess in eg Russia it would be better understood and better appreciated.

I think that here they prefer exciting chess even if it is unsound,to accurate positional chess,and technical endgame play.

For example someone just drew my attention to this dig in Saturday's Telegraph by Pein:

''The quality and creativity of the games at Torquay has been far superior to last year's tournament''.

Possibly it is true that the creativity(whatever that means) was superior this year,but the quality clearly wasn't. There were many games which fluctuated wildly because of mistakes this year- far more than last year. So Pein is wrong,and one wonders what his motivation is in making this statement.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:46 am

Keith Arkell wrote: I think that here they prefer exciting chess even if it is unsound,to accurate positional chess,and technical endgame play.
Most people do that in all sports, Keith. You don't, and I don't, but we'd be in a very small minority in any sporting discipline.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Keith Arkell
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:16 pm

I kind of know what you mean Justin,but even though it's entertaining to watch Tiger's 300 foot drive go into the trees,followed by his brilliant short game getting him out of trouble,still we can admire when he plays a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway.And Federer's high level technical game is admired as much as Monfils' drama laden matches.

Anyway to be honest,I think chess players are more discerning and intelligent to buy some of the **** they're fed in the media.

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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:50 pm

Well, in my case it's not so much that I enjoy the flawless, it's that I like to see intelligent defence and the outwitting of one's opponent. Of course everybody enjoys brilliance, but why not enjoy guile (and tenacity) as well?
"Do you play chess?"
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Alex Holowczak
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Alex Holowczak » Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:57 pm

Keith Arkell wrote:Tiger's 300 foot drive go into the trees
I think Tiger would retire if that's as far as he could hit it! :)

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:42 pm

Keith Arkell wrote:Possibly Matt.

I can't see how I could have upset any of them personally,but perhaps more likely they range between not understanding my style,and simply not liking it.Probably if I was playing my chess in eg Russia it would be better understood and better appreciated. I think that here they prefer exciting chess even if it is unsound,to accurate positional chess,and technical endgame play.
Actually you can count me in the minority who appreciates this sort of stuff - it is no coincidence that a certain player is quoted in my signature, you know :lol:

But these generalisations are silly anyway - Alekhine and Tal were *superb* positional players, Petrosian had mind-blowing tactical prowess and insight (as does the one and only VBK)

(BTW of course, a certain newspaper columnist frequents these parts as you know. How about it, Leonard?? :D )
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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:53 pm

Hehe,well spotted Alex! [for ''feet'' read ''yards''].

I tried to impersonate Tiger's 6 inch putting technique the other day - the trick he does when he is browned off,having just missed a makeable putt.He grazes the top of the ball,following through as if he is going to give it a whack,and somehow it trickles into the hole.
I caught it a bit full and it glided into a greenside bunker :(

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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:04 am

Someone Quoted:

"''The quality and creativity of the games at Torquay has been far superior to last year's tournament''.

Blunder Hunting I'd say this year's British far out did last years in terms
of daft errors.

I'm not too sure about the creativity stament either.

Some of the players certainly found imaginative ways to trip themselves up.

Re: Tiger Woods.
He's OK in perfect conditions on snooker table greens. On a windy rainy day
on a Scottish course he's just a mug. Witness his last effort up here.
He did not even make the cut. Pah!

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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Keith Arkell » Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:16 am

The beauty of sabotaging the 4NCL thread to sneakily talk about these matters is that it stays neatly at the top of the pile,and doesn't get buried by 100 new topics starting every few moments,but for how long.......?

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Re: Reporting of 4NCL in the media

Post by Alex Holowczak » Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:51 am

Geoff Chandler wrote: Re: Tiger Woods.
He's OK in perfect conditions on snooker table greens. On a windy rainy day
on a Scottish course he's just a mug. Witness his last effort up here.
He did not even make the cut. Pah!
Well, he's won The Open twice at St. Andrews, in 2000 and 2005. Admittedly, Turnberry and St. Andrews are very different courses, but he does have some links pedigree. It would take a brave man to bet against him at St. Andrews in 2010.