https://www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/r ... s-25494636
If you can struggle through the first 40 % of the article, you will find that the Jordanian king plays chess...
Media comments on chess
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StewartReuben
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:04 pm
Re: Media comments on chess
This aricle appeared in the New York Times. Publicity oher than bout cheating at chess!
Why Correspondence Chess Is Still Popular Among Elite Players
Players can take days or even weeks to take a turn, and they have embraced the use of software to find the best moves.
A hand reaches for a black chess piece on a black and white chess board filled with other pieces.
Today, Correspondence chess games are typically played online. In the past they were played by teletype or postal mail. Credit...Albert Gea/Reuters
A hand reaches for a black chess piece on a black and white chess board filled with other pieces.
By Greg Keener
Published Nov. 9, 2022Updated Nov. 10, 2022
After more than two years of play, Jon Edwards, a retired administrator at Princeton University, won the 32nd World Correspondence Chess Championship on tie-breaks last month, beating correspondence chess grandmasters from around the world. Mr. Edwards, who earned his own correspondence chess grandmaster title in the process of winning the championship, is the first American to triumph in the event in nearly 40 years, and only the third American ever to do so.
While many chess professionals worry that their opponents — in person or online — will cheat by using chess engines, or software that determines the best move, correspondence players have embraced their use. The International Correspondence Chess Federation allows players to consult engines during their games, making the matches a hybrid competition that involves the strategy and planning of humans guided by the accuracy of machines. In correspondence chess, players may spend days or even weeks on a single move. A typical game can last for more than a year.
What does it mean to be the best in the world at a game in which a player’s strength is enhanced — or neutralized — by computers? When asked about his own approach, Mr. Edwards said that his style was similar to that of Tigran Petrosian, the Armenian grandmaster known for his fortresslike defensive play. In most of Mr. Edwards’s games, he tries to create and press a small advantage with the goal of gently nudging his opponents over the edge where, even with the help of the strongest engine, they are unable to escape an inevitable defeat.
Image
A bald man sporting a mostly white beard and glasses is sitting at a desk in front of two computer screens displaying chess games. On the walls behind him are comic book covers.
Jon Edwards at home. He is the first American in almost 40 years to win the World Correspondence Chess Championship.Credit...Courtesy of Jon Edwards
A bald man sporting a mostly white beard and glasses is sitting at a desk in front of two computer screens displaying chess games. On the walls behind him are comic book covers.
Even with such a plan, a majority of correspondence games end in a draw because it is nearly impossible to beat an opponent who has access to the defensive resources of a chess engine. Out of the 136 games played in the 32nd World Correspondence Chess Championship, 119 were draws. What’s more, when games are decisive, this is sometimes because of human error.
Given the high number of draws and the difficulty of winning even a single game, could Mr. Edwards be the last world champion correspondence player? He didn’t seem to think so. “Most outsiders and many players believe that correspondence chess is dying,” he said, “but the best correspondence players don’t believe that.”
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Alex King, a FIDE master who recently played in his first I.C.C.F. event, said that, despite the more level playing field of correspondence chess compared to typical games, he still enjoyed himself. “Just the purely aesthetic aspect of playing chess — I still get a kick out of that even when other elements are removed,” Mr. King said.
Correspondence chess helps shape chess at the highest level. Because of the mechanized nature of the process, many correspondence players find themselves treading into previously unexplored territory. Mr. Edwards said that he would sometimes share his new discoveries with the coaching team of elite players to help them find new tools to spring on unsuspecting opponents.
Historically, correspondence chess has been a contemplative diversion for intellectuals, aristocrats and soldiers. The earliest correspondence games for which a surviving record exists took place in 1804, between Friedrich Wilhelm von Mauvillon, a Dutch army officer stationed in The Hague, and a compatriot of his who was stationed in Breda, the Netherlands. Mauvillon published three of these games in a chess book in 1827, forever immortalizing his draw and two victories over his friend.
Looking back even further, it is believed that King Henry I of England, whose reign lasted from 1100 to 1135 A.D., played correspondence chess with his counterpart in France, King Louis VI, who reigned from 1108 until 1137. The French enlightenment writer and luminary Voltaire is noted to have played correspondence chess with his pupil Frederick the Great of Prussia. Their moves were securely escorted by royal courier between Berlin and Paris. It’s also thought that Venetian merchants played correspondence chess with one another, contemplating their next moves on voyages between ports.
Even in the past, correspondence chess was a vehicle for innovation. Take, for example, the French Defense, an opening that is played at all levels of chess in the modern era. In the 1830s, a London chess club played a correspondence match against a Parisian club. The English players, playing with the white pieces, began with a standard move — 1 e4, moving their pawn forward two squares. The Parisian players countered with e6, which was unusual at the time, moving their pawn forward only one square. Thereafter, the opening was called the French Defense.
The advent of telegraphic cables and morse code facilitated near instantaneous communication of chess moves across long distances, allowing for matches between the best players in the world to be played without the burdensome and expensive task of long distance travel. One famous example was the Capablanca Memorial tournament that took place in Havana in 1965. Unable to travel to the event because of the American embargo of Cuba, Bobby Fischer played via teletype.
Today, computers play a central role in elite correspondence events not only by instantly relaying a move, but also by helping players determine the move they should play. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, correspondence chess still holds an interest for amateurs and professionals alike and will probably continue to for years to come.
Now that the World Correspondence Chess Championship is finally over, I asked Mr. Edwards if he intended to defend his title. “I received word that I had won on Saturday, Oct. 8,” he said. “Two days later they invited me to accept the final spot in the 33rd world final. I declined because I truly need a break.”
Greg Keener is a FIDE arbiter and assistant manager at the Marshall Chess Club in New York.
A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 11, 2022, Section B, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: An American Is the Correspondence Champ, a Title Two Years in the Making. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
A Guide to Mastering the Art of Chess
During the pandemic, many turned to chess to occupy their minds. And the game has only grown more popular since.
If you are a chess novice, this guide will help you get started.
Trying to impress your adversaries? Make sure you know all the right terms.
The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. Dive into the history of the game to find out why.
Chess can be a great activity for children to pick up too — it can teach them social skills and how to express their emotions.
Want to refine your technique? Play Chess Replay, our interactive puzzle based on a historic chess game.
Why Correspondence Chess Is Still Popular Among Elite Players
Players can take days or even weeks to take a turn, and they have embraced the use of software to find the best moves.
A hand reaches for a black chess piece on a black and white chess board filled with other pieces.
Today, Correspondence chess games are typically played online. In the past they were played by teletype or postal mail. Credit...Albert Gea/Reuters
A hand reaches for a black chess piece on a black and white chess board filled with other pieces.
By Greg Keener
Published Nov. 9, 2022Updated Nov. 10, 2022
After more than two years of play, Jon Edwards, a retired administrator at Princeton University, won the 32nd World Correspondence Chess Championship on tie-breaks last month, beating correspondence chess grandmasters from around the world. Mr. Edwards, who earned his own correspondence chess grandmaster title in the process of winning the championship, is the first American to triumph in the event in nearly 40 years, and only the third American ever to do so.
While many chess professionals worry that their opponents — in person or online — will cheat by using chess engines, or software that determines the best move, correspondence players have embraced their use. The International Correspondence Chess Federation allows players to consult engines during their games, making the matches a hybrid competition that involves the strategy and planning of humans guided by the accuracy of machines. In correspondence chess, players may spend days or even weeks on a single move. A typical game can last for more than a year.
What does it mean to be the best in the world at a game in which a player’s strength is enhanced — or neutralized — by computers? When asked about his own approach, Mr. Edwards said that his style was similar to that of Tigran Petrosian, the Armenian grandmaster known for his fortresslike defensive play. In most of Mr. Edwards’s games, he tries to create and press a small advantage with the goal of gently nudging his opponents over the edge where, even with the help of the strongest engine, they are unable to escape an inevitable defeat.
Image
A bald man sporting a mostly white beard and glasses is sitting at a desk in front of two computer screens displaying chess games. On the walls behind him are comic book covers.
Jon Edwards at home. He is the first American in almost 40 years to win the World Correspondence Chess Championship.Credit...Courtesy of Jon Edwards
A bald man sporting a mostly white beard and glasses is sitting at a desk in front of two computer screens displaying chess games. On the walls behind him are comic book covers.
Even with such a plan, a majority of correspondence games end in a draw because it is nearly impossible to beat an opponent who has access to the defensive resources of a chess engine. Out of the 136 games played in the 32nd World Correspondence Chess Championship, 119 were draws. What’s more, when games are decisive, this is sometimes because of human error.
Given the high number of draws and the difficulty of winning even a single game, could Mr. Edwards be the last world champion correspondence player? He didn’t seem to think so. “Most outsiders and many players believe that correspondence chess is dying,” he said, “but the best correspondence players don’t believe that.”
Thanks for reading The Times.
Subscribe to The Times
Alex King, a FIDE master who recently played in his first I.C.C.F. event, said that, despite the more level playing field of correspondence chess compared to typical games, he still enjoyed himself. “Just the purely aesthetic aspect of playing chess — I still get a kick out of that even when other elements are removed,” Mr. King said.
Correspondence chess helps shape chess at the highest level. Because of the mechanized nature of the process, many correspondence players find themselves treading into previously unexplored territory. Mr. Edwards said that he would sometimes share his new discoveries with the coaching team of elite players to help them find new tools to spring on unsuspecting opponents.
Historically, correspondence chess has been a contemplative diversion for intellectuals, aristocrats and soldiers. The earliest correspondence games for which a surviving record exists took place in 1804, between Friedrich Wilhelm von Mauvillon, a Dutch army officer stationed in The Hague, and a compatriot of his who was stationed in Breda, the Netherlands. Mauvillon published three of these games in a chess book in 1827, forever immortalizing his draw and two victories over his friend.
Looking back even further, it is believed that King Henry I of England, whose reign lasted from 1100 to 1135 A.D., played correspondence chess with his counterpart in France, King Louis VI, who reigned from 1108 until 1137. The French enlightenment writer and luminary Voltaire is noted to have played correspondence chess with his pupil Frederick the Great of Prussia. Their moves were securely escorted by royal courier between Berlin and Paris. It’s also thought that Venetian merchants played correspondence chess with one another, contemplating their next moves on voyages between ports.
Even in the past, correspondence chess was a vehicle for innovation. Take, for example, the French Defense, an opening that is played at all levels of chess in the modern era. In the 1830s, a London chess club played a correspondence match against a Parisian club. The English players, playing with the white pieces, began with a standard move — 1 e4, moving their pawn forward two squares. The Parisian players countered with e6, which was unusual at the time, moving their pawn forward only one square. Thereafter, the opening was called the French Defense.
The advent of telegraphic cables and morse code facilitated near instantaneous communication of chess moves across long distances, allowing for matches between the best players in the world to be played without the burdensome and expensive task of long distance travel. One famous example was the Capablanca Memorial tournament that took place in Havana in 1965. Unable to travel to the event because of the American embargo of Cuba, Bobby Fischer played via teletype.
Today, computers play a central role in elite correspondence events not only by instantly relaying a move, but also by helping players determine the move they should play. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, correspondence chess still holds an interest for amateurs and professionals alike and will probably continue to for years to come.
Now that the World Correspondence Chess Championship is finally over, I asked Mr. Edwards if he intended to defend his title. “I received word that I had won on Saturday, Oct. 8,” he said. “Two days later they invited me to accept the final spot in the 33rd world final. I declined because I truly need a break.”
Greg Keener is a FIDE arbiter and assistant manager at the Marshall Chess Club in New York.
A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 11, 2022, Section B, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: An American Is the Correspondence Champ, a Title Two Years in the Making. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
A Guide to Mastering the Art of Chess
During the pandemic, many turned to chess to occupy their minds. And the game has only grown more popular since.
If you are a chess novice, this guide will help you get started.
Trying to impress your adversaries? Make sure you know all the right terms.
The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. Dive into the history of the game to find out why.
Chess can be a great activity for children to pick up too — it can teach them social skills and how to express their emotions.
Want to refine your technique? Play Chess Replay, our interactive puzzle based on a historic chess game.
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Kevin Thurlow
- Posts: 5839
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm
Re: Media comments on chess
I got this email from him last week (not sure how he got the email address...)
"Hello,
I’m assisting to relay on behalf of GM Dr. Jon Edwards, whose sentiments are below:
I am Jon Edwards, newly the 32nd ICCF World Chess Champion.
For more information, this historic achievement was lauded on Nov. 9, 2022 by elite publications such as the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/cros ... chess.html
I write to freely evangelize chess as an positive intellectual activity that combines fun with learning, and assist with the production of any interview or other media that supports this.
I believe correspondence chess breaks down borders and antipathies, because it fosters friendships between men and women of different countries.
I believe deeply in the beauty of correspondence chess (Advanced Chess, of which Kasparov was a proponent). The value of human input in engine output is tremendous and underexplored, and this mirrors the exact skills that high-level Classical players and their teams need to find novelties in opening preparation. Correspondence chess, and the value of humans therein, is a bright light in a world that suggests AI superiority is impending.
I strongly believe that chess education develops an array of critical thinking skills in children and adults alike. As a World Champion, I am well suited to teach this art. My deep analysis of correspondence games, and how they are beyond the understanding of Stockfish, would be well received.
Given my accreditation and experience, I am well suited to appear in writing, audio, and video.
As a chess master, I have written significant didactic material on Chess, including collegiate texts used by major publishers such as Wiley.
Having presented corporate events (chartered by the likes of Barnes and Noble) for public audiences, I would be a natural choice for a video appearance.
Further, I have taught thousands of students of all ages during my tenure as a chess instructor, some of whom have gone on to win top championships.
Further information is available as congratulations bestowed by the United States Chess Federation:
https://new.uschess.org/edwards-32nd-ICCF-ch"
He then gives phone and email details, and
"Dr. Jon Edwards, Ph.D.
Grandmaster, ICCF World Chess Champion
Retired fellow, Princeton University"
"Hello,
I’m assisting to relay on behalf of GM Dr. Jon Edwards, whose sentiments are below:
I am Jon Edwards, newly the 32nd ICCF World Chess Champion.
For more information, this historic achievement was lauded on Nov. 9, 2022 by elite publications such as the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/cros ... chess.html
I write to freely evangelize chess as an positive intellectual activity that combines fun with learning, and assist with the production of any interview or other media that supports this.
I believe correspondence chess breaks down borders and antipathies, because it fosters friendships between men and women of different countries.
I believe deeply in the beauty of correspondence chess (Advanced Chess, of which Kasparov was a proponent). The value of human input in engine output is tremendous and underexplored, and this mirrors the exact skills that high-level Classical players and their teams need to find novelties in opening preparation. Correspondence chess, and the value of humans therein, is a bright light in a world that suggests AI superiority is impending.
I strongly believe that chess education develops an array of critical thinking skills in children and adults alike. As a World Champion, I am well suited to teach this art. My deep analysis of correspondence games, and how they are beyond the understanding of Stockfish, would be well received.
Given my accreditation and experience, I am well suited to appear in writing, audio, and video.
As a chess master, I have written significant didactic material on Chess, including collegiate texts used by major publishers such as Wiley.
Having presented corporate events (chartered by the likes of Barnes and Noble) for public audiences, I would be a natural choice for a video appearance.
Further, I have taught thousands of students of all ages during my tenure as a chess instructor, some of whom have gone on to win top championships.
Further information is available as congratulations bestowed by the United States Chess Federation:
https://new.uschess.org/edwards-32nd-ICCF-ch"
He then gives phone and email details, and
"Dr. Jon Edwards, Ph.D.
Grandmaster, ICCF World Chess Champion
Retired fellow, Princeton University"
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StewartReuben
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:04 pm
Re: Media comments on chess
Episode in FOYLE'S LAW called Broken Souls.
I saw the re-run of this epidode, virtually by chance, Tuesday evening on ITV3.
Foyle, a policeman, plays chess several times with a psychologist. It was not strictly relevant to the plot which wa a murder mytery. The series was set in the Second World War.
I saw the re-run of this epidode, virtually by chance, Tuesday evening on ITV3.
Foyle, a policeman, plays chess several times with a psychologist. It was not strictly relevant to the plot which wa a murder mytery. The series was set in the Second World War.
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JustinHorton
- Posts: 10364
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Re: Media comments on chess
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
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Tim Spanton
- Posts: 1212
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Re: Media comments on chess
Isn't Black playing a Reversed Polish, albeit making an unusual gambit of it?
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Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess
Out of curiosity I skimmed through that Foyles War episode on youtube looking for what looked liked chess scenes.This was the position in the cafe (about 16:20) just as Dr Novak was playing Nxb5. White's c-pawn and f1 Bishop are missing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7WEZcobzEE
In the very last shot right at the end of the show we see a chess board with the King and Queen on the wrong squares.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7WEZcobzEE
In the very last shot right at the end of the show we see a chess board with the King and Queen on the wrong squares.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Media comments on chess
Today's edition of Tipping Point has just had "which world title did Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer play for in 1972"?
Contestant didn't know the answer, but correctly guessed it was chess.
Contestant didn't know the answer, but correctly guessed it was chess.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Kevin Thurlow
- Posts: 5839
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Re: Media comments on chess
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fifa- ... itton.html
Ronaldo and Messi are notable performers at Association Football.
Ronaldo and Messi are notable performers at Association Football.
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John Saunders
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- Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Re: Media comments on chess
Please forgive me for bumping this old thread, but I happened to watch this episode (S8, E5) of Father Brown today. Chess figures throughout, but not in a very interesting way as it's just a case of chess pieces being used as counters in a wildly implausible contest between father and daughter to decide which of them is the more effective thief. However, right at the end of the episode we are shown a full position on a chessboard, with Father Brown playing White against his master thief friend Hercule Flambeau in the local pub...Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:49 am
I Googled "Father Brown chess" and did not expect what I got (OK, my brain had convinced me you had meant 'Father Ted'!!).
Father Brown (film) has some details.
And then we have:
‘Father Brown’: S08.E05. “The Folly of Jephthah”
I had forgotten that there were so many links between G.K. Chesterton and chess.
As far as I can tell, the topics of Chesterton and Father Brown and chess have not come up on the forum before. Maybe start a new thread to avoid it being lost in this one on media comments on chess (now at 277 pages!).
The position is only shown for a second or two. Father Brown and Flambeau are in conversation as they play and we then see Father Brown play 1 Qxb8+ to which Flambeau eventually replies 1...Rxb8. Father Brown continues to engage his adversary in conversation as he concludes the game with 2 Bc8 mate.
Had the game been played in 2022, I feel sure that the forum's numerous arbiters might have stepped in prior to the conclusion and warned White that he was in some danger of an infraction of article 12.6 by continuing to talk to his opponent during the game. And the forum's players might have wondered why White chose to indulge the flashy but unnecessary queen sacrifice when mate in one was available.
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Personal Twitter @johnchess
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John Saunders
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Re: Media comments on chess
I happened to notice this chess-themed puzzle in The i newspaper a week or so ago. Thought it might be of some interest...
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Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
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Kevin Thurlow
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Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess
Hi John,John Saunders wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:38 pmI happened to notice this chess-themed puzzle in The i newspaper a week or so ago.
The is also a 'Wes So.'
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Bob Kane
- Posts: 124
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Re: Media comments on chess
Available on Prime "The peripheral" is a sci fi series set in a future when technology has subtly altered society, in episode 6 a police inspector complains at some length about the demise of chess enjoyment because of AI ,( this scene set in 2032 ! 
)
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John Saunders
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Re: Media comments on chess
Haha, yes, I had a quick look through the puzzle for unintended chess player names of two or three-letters. There is also a current world champion: "Ju".Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 1:18 amHi John,John Saunders wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:38 pmI happened to notice this chess-themed puzzle in The i newspaper a week or so ago.
The is also a 'Wes So.'
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)