An improvement on The Queen's Gambit?

[MJMcCready]

Forgive me for sounding facetious and/or using words where the vowels of the alphabet retain the order they are placed in but hullabaloo aside, am I not right in thinking 'Closing Gambit' is much more of a watch than The Queen's Gambit or would it be better to say, the principle difference between them both is that one be for chess players and the other be not quite that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62CvFou0LUg

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi MjM,

What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show ( I've still not see it, the review in December
Chess by John Henderson gives it a smashing write up with loads of background stuff that I had not read before.)

where was I... Oh yes...What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show will now go out and
buy the book 'The Queens Gambit' and end up purchasing an opening book called 'The Queens Gambit.'

I'm currently writing the sequel to the film. She wins the world title, refuses to defend it, becomes a recluse,
does not play for 20 years, comes back and plays the who she beat in the final 20 years ago for mega-money.

Pretty original eh! I know what you are thinking. 'Where does Chandler get his ideas from.''

[JustinHorton]

Closing Gambit is tenth-rate for all kinds of reasons

[jholyhead]

I'm currently writing the sequel to the film. She wins the world title, refuses to defend it, becomes a recluse,
does not play for 20 years, comes back and plays the who she beat in the final 20 years ago for mega-money.

Have you considered a subplot where it turns out Beth is incredibly racist? No one will see it coming.

[Catherine Glynn]

Hi MjM,

What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show ( I've still not see it, the review in December
Chess by John Henderson gives it a smashing write up with loads of background stuff that I had not read before.)

where was I... Oh yes...What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show will now go out and
buy the book 'The Queens Gambit' and end up purchasing an opening book called 'The Queens Gambit.'

I'm currently writing the sequel to the film. She wins the world title, refuses to defend it, becomes a recluse,
does not play for 20 years, comes back and plays the who she beat in the final 20 years ago for mega-money.

Pretty original eh! I know what you are thinking. 'Where does Chandler get his ideas from.''

Geoff:

People who watch the show then buy " Modern Chess Openings" since it's mentioned /seen in several episodes.

Although I have sold quite a number of opening books involving the Queen's gambit, it's the MCOs that have been flying out of the door. 8th edition best but otherwise any edition, Descriptive or Algebraic doesn't seem to make much difference.

I am curious as to whether it is chess players or non-chess players buying them.

[Roger de Coverly]

I am curious as to whether it is chess players or non-chess players buying them.

If they bought one at all instead of using computer databases, serious players would want most recent editions of opening compendiums. MCO I think is up to edition 15, but now published by Batsord who have put their name in the title.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Chess_Openings

Recalling fifty years ago, MCO 10 was usually the openings "bible" of choice. The reliability of the recommendations may have left something to be desired over time, it probably explained a few "mystery" losses even then.

[John Moore]

Hi MjM,

What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show ( I've still not see it, the review in December
Chess by John Henderson gives it a smashing write up with loads of background stuff that I had not read before.)

where was I... Oh yes...What I am thinking about is all the people who enjoyed the TV show will now go out and
buy the book 'The Queens Gambit' and end up purchasing an opening book called 'The Queens Gambit.'

I'm currently writing the sequel to the film. She wins the world title, refuses to defend it, becomes a recluse,
does not play for 20 years, comes back and plays the who she beat in the final 20 years ago for mega-money.

Pretty original eh! I know what you are thinking. 'Where does Chandler get his ideas from.''

Geoff:

People who watch the show then buy " Modern Chess Openings" since it's mentioned /seen in several episodes.

Although I have sold quite a number of opening books involving the Queen's gambit, it's the MCOs that have been flying out of the door. 8th edition best but otherwise any edition, Descriptive or Algebraic doesn't seem to make much difference.

I am curious as to whether it is chess players or non-chess players buying them.

I have been wondering why copies of MCO have been selling for silly money on EBay. They were pretty much waste paper before but I have been very pleased to have sold a couple of old copies which had been gathering dust.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hopefully they will find and buy the Tevis book and get as far as page 146.
Then we can all look forward to picking up a Knight every time we play the Caro Kann.

See: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/fiction.html

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nf3

[Jon Mahony]

Whoes this Trevis Geoff??

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi All,

I was in Blackwells today getting my usual gift book tokens for Christmas presents.
It is the perfect gift for anyone, saves time and effort and they (family and my one friend)
can get what they actually want instead of getting fobbed off with naff crap.

(I ask for and usually get Blackwells book tokens - I get my aftershave from Boots.)

It's just a pity the charity shops I hawk about in don't do any gift cards.
I think Oxfam do but I rarely go in there - their 2nd hand junk is far too expensive.

I saw the 'Queens Gambit' (£8.95) and wondered if the wee mistake was still in. It is, though you have
to be a grade one Winter nit-picker to spot it. The game moves are a mixture of the written word and notation.:

rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/8/3PN3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 4

"He played black's king's knight to king's bishop three and white brought out the other knight."
(from memory - but you get the idea.)

I asked where the chess books were, They are always moving things about in that shop.
The masked girl behind the counter sighed and led me to them.

Not too bad a selection, but I already the few good ones.

She told me the chess books and chess sets have been flying off the shelves.
In fact she said they were sold out of chess sets!

Good! Hopefully loads of kids will be getting chess sets for Christmas,
It was how I started. A chess set and board (actually still use it) for a Christmas present.
I thought 'great' I've been fobbed off with some posh kids unwanted present from last year.

...and so it began.