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Sorry more is the pity but I don't appear to be hosting that oneJohn Moore wrote:Anyone know whether we get live games at the Staunto Memorial after the British has finished.
Last year they managed to beam the games as far as the bar the other side of the tournament hall, by videoing the usually-inaccurate demonstration boards and feeding that through to a projector. Eric Schiller I think explained that the electronic boards required to send the moves to the internet were ugly, so they didn't want to use them. I think maybe even the same applied to electronic clocks, so the old-fashioned kind were used. I wouldn't expect many technological developments (?) this year.John Moore wrote:Anyone know whether we get live games at the Staunto Memorial after the British has finished.
Is this decision inorder to play homage to way chess was played in the good old days?John Saunders wrote:No. They are not using electronic boards.
"Incredible", it isn't; alas it's all too credible in the smug, inward-facing world of the aging British chess Establishment. But "ridiculous" it is. Selecting an 87-year old Bob Wade to take on this field probably caused a chortle of tuck-shop glee amongst the cosy coterie setting up this event. Think of the PR coup; think of the 'world record' set. Yeah, rightjaffacake wrote:
I find it incredible that Bob Wade is playing in this tournament and not any number of young English players who might have benefitted
Out here in the real world where people might be interested in, but not obsessed by chess, the decision looks simply sad. I'd go further and say that, as a promoter of events, I'd not have allowed it. Selecting Bob Wade is, in my opinion, unacceptable exploitation, regardless of whether Wade is a willing party. No good can come of it for Wade; no good for chess either. Wade should score 0, maybe 0.5, maybe 1. In short, it will be a public humiliation in very poor taste. After all the joshing is over, the back-slapping and "for-he's-a-jolly-good-fellow", what will be left is a defeated old man. Bob Wade deserves better in his final years than to have the record show this embarrassment.
I'd have thought the Staunton Memorial sponsors would want something better too than to have their tournament's historic record disfigured by a manifest 'no contest'. It simply isn't sporting - as I'm sure the players will privately concede
But I doubt any of the "oh-so-pleased-with-themselves" idiots who thought this up will have taken the idea of 'good sport' to heart - except as an exercise in cruelty towards the weak and vulnerable masquerading as a publicity stunt.
And on that latter point, exactly which section of the Public needs its attention attracted by the stunning news: "Old Bloke Plays Chess"? Just how does this challenge the public image we currently struggle against?
At least in the British Championships here in Liverpool these past two weeks, I saw something of the future. And it's reasonably encouraging. Gawain Jones was invited to play in the Staunton, but declined in favour of winning the Brits. Good for him. It was the right decision in this case, no matter the final outcome.
We need to look forward into the 21st century, not backwards to Howard Staunton's 19th century glory days
David
ps. actually, from his first two games, Bob Wade's play is everything you might expect from an 87-year old - not merely poor, but pitiful. His Rd 1 loss to Timman was the sort of nonsense I might play, dropping a N to a miscalculation (1-0, 23) But his Rd 2 loss to Peter Wells was pitiful: Wade shipped a pawn for nothing, patzer-style, on move 8 but played on to the embarrassing end (1-0, 35). Maybe he'll perk up with White.
Actually Short had made his move and pressed the clock. Timman was thinking for a few seconds and had clearly not noticed Short's flag had fallen before he moved. Several seconds after Short pressed his clock Schiller stepped in and said something to the players.Alasdair MacLeod wrote:When the game was over, it was apparent that Short had lost on time making his 40th move ...
I'm pretty sure the reason they went for Bob Wade was for publicity - pushing the world record for oldest competitor angle. I've no idea what the general public thinks of this.David Robertson wrote:I agree with Alasdair MacLeod. Bob Wade's selection is embarrassing.
I'm not really sure of my opinion on all this. Both sides have plausible things to say.
A Note from the Organisers
There have been some rumblings on various web and blog sites about the speed with which we are putting up information on our website www.howardstaunton.com
Those who are disgruntled should remember that we are celebrating a master from the 19th century, a champion who played by candlelight and who lived in an age before communication became instant. In accordance with tradition we are playng the 6th staunton memorial at simpsons in the strand , where the immortal game itself was created in 1851. We opened the event with champagne and a candlelit roastbeef dinner at simpsons, and our philosophy is not to be intimidated by the cries for instant gratification which are so rife?
I have seen so many modern websites where the organisers feel their duty is done simply by having a live feed to the games-no notes-no explanations no atmosphere or background. we, on the other hand, take the view that we can gain more by going for a complete experience -not just speed. Our team which includes one gm, myself, and the fritz analysis engine , as well as Dr Schiller, Julian Simpole and Steve Giddins, sits down each day after being fortified by a traditional english breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs toast and marmalade, and then we write a careful report and analyse what we consider to be the best game of each round.
Later that afternoon the games , commentary and analysis all go up on the website,hopefully generating a much richer read for the website visitors. By this careful method we found Nigel Short's brilliant missed tactical win with Nd6 which wd not even have been mentioned by the live games system operated by most other tournament websites-we like to believe we are a thinking website-not just a reproductive one!!
Ray Keene OBE
Ageist remarks
For the UKs strongest tournament - which has succeeded for three years now in enlisting a major sponsor - the Staunton Memorial is attracting its predictable share of envious sniping , again from various minor websites. One other - frankly ageist - gripe I have noticed is that we should have left out Bob Wade OBE and preferred a uk junior. Well, in the past the Staunton Memorial has invited Howell, Jones and Jovanka Houska to mention a few talented youngsters. This year we could not get acceptances from the young players we hoped to invite so we turned to the opposite end of the spectrum and invited Bob Wade - who was delighted to accept!! I asked him to think about his participation carefully but he was very enthusiastic .
it has always seemed a shame to me to relegate veterans - who would like to play in mainstream events - to sections restricted to the over 60's or whatever - throwing golden oldies like Bent Larsen on the scrapheap is all too common. My belief is that our invite to Bob - far from being a negative move - was a blow against ageism in chess. Bob may do badly - indeed he may do very badly - but he wanted to play and I think his involvement is an interesting departure.
Just to let readers evaluate the intellectual level of the criticisms levelled against the Staunton organisation - one website I noticed lambasted us for not having juniors in the line up - and then - with impeccable lack of logic - proceeded to congratulate one junior for turning down his invitation and deciding to play in the british instead!! I love it!
All I can say to that - with Alexander Pope is -
Who would not laugh if such a one there be
Who would not weep if ATTICUS were he!