Decline and Fall?

[Mike Truran]

The Telegraph seems to have given up posting Malcolm's daily chess columns on line. My local Waterstone's seems to have given up stocking any chess books at all (although poker books seem to have proliferated). Straws in the wind?

[Ian Kingston]

The Telegraph seems to have given up posting Malcolm's daily chess columns on line. My local Waterstone's seems to have given up stocking any chess books at all (although poker books seem to have proliferated). Straws in the wind?

I emailed the Telegraph about their neglect of Malcolm's column. All I got was an automated response.

[Paul McKeown]

Not even a crummy T-shirt?

[JustinHorton]

Waterstone's changed from local ordering to centralised ordering some years ago and it's quite possiblde that somebody at the centre has decided "chess doesn't sell" and has acted accordingly.

Didn't know about Malcolm Pein's column - has anybody asked him?

[Ian Kingston]

Not even a crummy T-shirt?

Do we have to form a comedy double act now?

[Paul McKeown]

[quote="Ian Kingston"]Do we have to form a comedy double act now?[/quote]

It's either me or the emu!

[Jonathan Bryant]

Didn't know about Malcolm Pein's column - has anybody asked him?

Speedy Malc could just be running late of course. If not and it's actually been dropped that would be a shame.


On the stocking of chess books front ... is that really such a problem with the internet and Speedy's specialist shop at your disposal? I'm really not a "buying my chess books from Waterstones" kind of a guy.

Incidentally, the quality and range of magic books available in the High Street book shops has also reduced over the past year or two in my experience. I don't think this is just about chess.

[Angus French]

If you want to know why chess (and magic and other minority interest) books are no longer available on the High Street (but are available elsewhere) then the answer may be here.

[David Robertson]

Incidentally, the quality and range of magic books available in the High Street book shops has also reduced over the past year or two in my experience. I don't think this is just about chess

I think you'll find the disappearance of magic books from the High Street is nothing more than a cheesy marketing stunt.

That leaves the problem of chess books. I think it important to bear in mind that bookshops are not welfare projects, despite the appearance of some customers; they are rapacious commercial enterprises designed both to foster then exploit market opportunities. This means a book must be a uniquely focused product with limited front-end design overheads attracting a wide audience from which huge value can be extracted. Hence chess literature and related products must be designed and positioned accordingly. The key market segments are food, gardening, sex, fashion, celebrity, and tantric sex. With a little imagination, moving with the fashion de nos jours, the chess community can improve its position on the High Street by a well-judged engagement with these markets.

Some suggestions:

Sex, Celebrity and the Bishop by Rowan Williams & Sir Michael Jagger

Dress Like A Queen by Paul O'Grady & HRH Elizabeth II

My 60 Best Mating Positions by Almira Skripcenko

Cooking the Books by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

Cooking Lunch by Ann Arbiter

A Knight in my Dreams by Sir Gerald Walsh & Sir Peter Wilson

Just a few of the endless possibilities that must surely commend themselves to the ECF Board. After all, if steeplechasers can get into the act, so to speak, surely chessplayers can (see here)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 150183.ece

David
Atticus CC

[Simon Spivack]

I emailed the Telegraph about their neglect of Malcolm's column. All I got was an automated response.

Malcolm's column still appears in the print edition.

As I understand it, the reason that his daily column runs a day late is to give the Telegraph's in house lawyers a chance to check for potential libel and the like. This may seem like overkill. Presumably chess has a lower priority than sport, for instance.

I've no idea why it no longer appears on line. It would seem a not very fruitful means of encouraging purchasers of the print edition, and seems an odd approach if the intention is to attract more advertising. Maybe someone is on holiday?

[Ian Kingston]

I've no idea why it no longer appears on line. It would seem a not very fruitful means of encouraging purchasers of the print edition, and seems an odd approach if the intention is to attract more advertising. Maybe someone is on holiday?

It's been over a month. I'd like that kind of holiday. Does anyone know if Malcolm's aware?

[Kevin Thurlow]

Dress Like A Queen by Paul O'Grady & HRH Elizabeth II

HM Queen Elizabeth II shurely?

[Simon Spivack]

The Telegraph seems to have given up posting Malcolm's daily chess columns on line.

Apparently there have been many layoffs. The following article in today's FT mentions that 10% of Telegraph journalists are facing dismissal. Presumably those inputting into their website are no safer. A link is:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8fb2f4b4-bceb ... fd18c.html

It may be an idea to write in extolling Malcolm's column. I can remember when there was no chess coverage in the Sunday Telegraph.

[Simon Spivack]

The Telegraph seems to have given up posting Malcolm's daily chess columns on line. My local Waterstone's seems to have given up stocking any chess books at all (although poker books seem to have proliferated). Straws in the wind?

There appears to be a change of heart. Not sure when it happened.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/chess/