Media comments on chess

[Chris Rice]

When Jofra Archer of the Rajasthan Royals bowled Jonny Bairstow of the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL today, the scoreboard flashed:

Castled!

That's a known cricketing term Tim (not by me I hasten to add) "A batsman is said to be Castled when he is bowled by a full length ball or a Yorker."

[Kevin Thurlow]

"A batsman is said to be Castled when he is bowled by a full length ball or a Yorker."

Yes - his wicket is regarded as his castle, to be protected at all costs.

From a cricketing point of view, I would have thought you were castled whenever you were bowled, but there again, if the ball is pitched short it doesn't usually hit the stumps.

[Matt Bridgeman]

I saw tonight Hikaru had a cameo (and even a line) in episode 2, season 5 of the rather fine drama Billions.

[Stewart Reuben]

Justin >CEIP La Vega, which is on Tenerife, run by a guy called Ricardo Acosta. <
GM Bojan Kurajica, who lives in Tenerife, has told m he knows nothing of this project - but there are so many.
**********************************
DETTOL ad on TV Thursday showed two people playing chess. It seemed to me totally irrelevant.

[Geoff Chandler]

The Chess scene from Billions with Nakamura that Matt mentioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmdvqMAn56M

[JustinHorton]

Well that's all extremely realistic

[Matt Bridgeman]

Well that's all extremely realistic

There was a horrible clanger of a line a little later on, where one of the main characters says something to the effect of ‘you lost because of that rook sacrifice on move 37’ after basically just seeing the last few seconds of the game earlier. God knows how she knew it was move 37?! It was supposed to emphasise how highly intelligent the character is, but for such a great series was a real clunker!

[Simon Rogers]

The One Show
BBC1 7pm until 7.35pm Tuesday 20th October
Available on the BBC i player the next few weeks,
Presented by Alex Jones and Gethin Jones.

One of the guests was the actor Thomas-Brodie Sangster who talked about appearing in the new series on Netflix, The Queens' Gambit.
There were a few clips from the series and discussion about Chess.

[Roger de Coverly]

In the political drama ""Roadkill" currently showing on BBC and BBC iplayer, there's a brief shot of the principle character, played by Hugh Laurie, playing chess against one of his political contacts. In the context of the plot, it was depicted as a regular social meeting. The board isn't in enough focus to tell whether it's a meaningful position. (I was watching it on iplayer, so apologies for spoilers for those watching as broadcast)

There's a fairly well known picture of Hugh Laurie playing social chess against Stephen Fry at Cambridge back in 1980.

[Paul Cooksey]

In the political drama ""Roadkill" currently showing on BBC and BBC iplayer, there's a brief shot of the principle character, played by Hugh Laurie, playing chess against one of his political contacts. In the context of the plot, it was depicted as a regular social meeting. The board isn't in enough focus to tell whether it's a meaningful position. (I was watching it on iplayer, so apologies for spoilers for those watching as broadcast)

There's a fairly well known picture of Hugh Laurie playing social chess against Stephen Fry at Cambridge back in 1980.

I saw Hugh Lawrie in Malcolm Pein's shop looking at sets about 15 years ago. So I think he must be at least a casual player.

[Geoff Chandler]

Watch the film 'Salt' last night. (quite good )

You get a quick fleeting list of the skills and background Angelina Jolie's character has .

I'm sure I saw 'Chess' whooshing past (it's on the screen for a split-second).

Just surfed about and found someone has listed what you fleetingly see on some guys mobile.

Special Skills: Close Quarter Combat; Applied Explosive Technique; Rapid Assault; Counter Surveillance; Driving Technique; Covert Communications; Military Free Fall Parachuting; Edged Weapons; Precise Application of Lethal Force; Unarmed Combat; Threat Elimination Commendations: Received the Intelligence Medal for an Act or Achievement significantly Above Normal Duties, Resulting in an Important Contribution to the Mission of the Agency. Recipient of the Featherstone Grant for Outstanding Post Graduate Work in Russian History and Literature. Nationally rated chess player. Black belt in Taekwondo at age 16.

[Mick Norris]

Facebook photo of young Short

[Leonard Barden]

Facebook photo of young Short

That pic is from Nigel's February 1978 Lloyds Bank simul against opponents from the banks and the Ciry, eloquently reported by the Badmaster (GH Diggle) in the BCF Newsflash and repeated in Edward Winter's Chess Notes:

‘The Badmaster (just emerged from long chess hibernation) has actually been “going places” and in good company too. In February he was invited to join 20 or more denizens of the City of London and Fleet Street and take a board against Nigel Short (the world’s top chessplayer of his age) in the “Lloyds Bank City Trophy” simultaneous challenge match.

The event was brilliantly organized and took place in the sumptuous edifice of Salters Hall, Barbican. Gone, it seems, are the days when chess and penury walked hand in hand, and “simuls” were economically staged in disused warehouses. Salters Hall, with its lofty ceiling and antechambers filled with portraits of past “saline celebrities”, provided an awe-inspiring setting; moreover the Press were there in full force, and their massive photographic apparatus gave the arena the appearance of a large operating theatre.

But this environment did not seem to worry the chief performer in the least. When introduced into our midst by that genial “Ringmaster” Mr L.W. Barden and then left to fend for himself surrounded by four and twenty portly citizens of a great Metropolis, a less cool customer might have exclaimed in the words of the psalmist: “O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand – fat Bulls of Basan (or, more appropriately, of the Stock Exchange) close me in on every side.” Indeed, the unfeeling “L.W.B.” had in his introductory remarks actually briefed the ferocious oxen not to adopt a defensive stance, but to lower their horns and charge their slender and solitary foe from all directions. It soon became obvious, however, that the youthful matador could look after himself. He began by doling out an assortment of P-K4s, P-Q4s and P-QB4s in quiet “Maundy Thursday” style; and as battle proceeded he appeared (so thought the BM) after the first dozen moves to know, before he reached each board, the precise position that was on it last time he called. Gradually he obtained the upper hand all round; the end of the third hour witnessed the “collapse” of several “stout parties”; and the BM himself, with a bad game and a train to catch, actually fled from the field, only to be warned that his position would be “sat on” by that well-known coroner, the Chess Editor of The Times. (In fact, just as he was sneaking off, that functionary arrived. It was like meeting the undertaker coming up the stairs.) We heard later that the young hero (whose chess manners were as excellent as his chess) had held the ring for four hours and 20 minutes without a break, scoring 23 wins and one draw (against Mr Frank Leonard of the Stock Exchange, who emerged without loss from a complicated “Bull” operation lasting for 40 moves).’

[Wadih Khoury]

Nigel looked much younger than 13, I thought he was 9 in that picture.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Special Skills: Close Quarter Combat; Applied Explosive Technique; Rapid Assault; Counter Surveillance; Driving Technique; Covert Communications; Military Free Fall Parachuting; Edged Weapons; Precise Application of Lethal Force; Unarmed Combat; Threat Elimination Commendations: Received the Intelligence Medal for an Act or Achievement significantly Above Normal Duties, Resulting in an Important Contribution to the Mission of the Agency. Recipient of the Featherstone Grant for Outstanding Post Graduate Work in Russian History and Literature. Nationally rated chess player. Black belt in Taekwondo at age 16."

All recommended skills if you want to play tournament chess...