Media comments on chess

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I wonder if we can work anything out, by retrograde analysis, about which White pawn under-promoted?

Presumably the promotion pawn is the one partially visible by the model's right elbow (at far left).... There is also a white pawn at lower right where only the 'head' is visible. With the other visible White pieces, that makes seven pawns, so there is an eighth White pawn not visible anywhere! Probably cropped out of the picture at some point. This should really be a caption competition: what is the model thinking? ["Please don't take my rooks" is not eligible.]

[David Robertson]

I wonder if we can work anything out, by retrograde analysis, about which White pawn under-promoted?

Obviously 'Harry', the h-pawn.

I say 'obviously' but I really mean 'most plausible'. It could have been the a-pawn promoting via b8 - but unlikely. The BQ doesn't look to have vacated d8 yet. And while something has been going off on f8, a pawn promotion is hard to imagine. So I favour a brisk march by Harry, with some carelessness from Black, followed by a bishop regrouping from h8 via d4 to g1.

Other elements of the position are harder to explain - which is probably what the winsome Ms Muse is thinking

[Stewart Reuben]

I had not previously heard of this painting, called 'The Chess Players'.
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/la ... ers-n04544
The choice of players is interesting. Chris Fegan should be pleased.

[JustinHorton]

I had not previously heard of this painting, called 'The Chess Players'.

See here for instance, or here.

Chris Fegan should be pleased.

Why, did Lavery get the job in front of a couple of women artists?

[JustinHorton]

As it happens I was discussing this very work on social media a few weeks ago and I wondered if they might have been following (or playing out) a game or position from the book. I don't think they are though - it doesn't look like a chess book of the era (because of the illustrations).

[JustinHorton]

According to this review of Peter Cossins' Full Gas, the author

takes as his starting point the idea that bike racing is analogous to “chess at 150 heartbeats a minute”.

[Stewart Reuben]

>bike racing is analogous to “chess at 150 heartbeats a minute”.<

Does that take the prize as the least convincing analogy between chess and other activities?

[Stewart Reuben]

Richard McElvain is performing his one man play, 'The Chess Player', in London at The Actors Centre, I Covent Garden, this November 12-18.

It is taken from Stefan Zweig's famous novella (also known as 'The Royal Game'). It was received well at the Edinburgh Festival last year. I have pointed out to Richard the close proximity to the World Championship. When I get to see it, that will be the third dramatisation of the story that I have seen. One is a feature film, the other a very old US TV play.

Stefan sent off the completed work to his publisher and then committed suicide a few days later.

[Geoff Chandler]

I saw 'The Royal Game' last year. My comment

Very Good.

Richard plays all the parts so well you are expecting a curtain call for each character at the end of the play.
(maybe he could put that bit in!)

Very convincing scenes watching the prisoner going mad.

Have told all my chess buddies to nip along and catch it whilst they can.

[Geoff Chandler]

Google are celebrating the 114th birthday of Lyudmila Rudenko. This is their logo today.

[Andy Stoker]

Slight variation on a theme. BBC Radio 5 Live "Wake up to Money" 27 July 18 "It's a bit like a game of chess out there. Who's going to blink? Who's going to move first?"

[Bob Kane]

Geoff, The Chess players
Thats MY review from Edinburgh fringe last year and YOUR comments
Bob

[Simon Brown]

Today's Times Cryptic Quintagram (sigh)

"Ship's quarters here for English man on board (10)"

[JustinHorton]

Guardian piece on Shreyas Royal

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Bob,

"Thats MY review from Edinburgh fringe last year and YOUR comments."

Just noticed that...and I've corrected my post.