Media comments on chess

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Andy Stoker
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Andy Stoker » Tue May 08, 2018 7:36 am

"Thirteen years, three general elections and a financial crash have passed since the public gave a prime minister a handsome majority in the House of Commons. Two of those elections returned no majority at all. To judge by last week’s votes in English local authorities, neither the Conservatives nor the Labour party can count on forming a powerful government in the near future.
While “ stalemate ” has emerged as the journalistic shorthand for this new dispensation, it is not quite right. Someone has to govern, and the Tories tend to scrape enough votes to do it. Stalemate also implies something of a passive electorate: two parties locked in mutual nullification like chess grandmasters while voters ooh and aah from the auditorium." Financial Times 8 May 18

Unfortunately the metaphor doesn't quite hang together - but a brave attempt to extend the idea

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue May 08, 2018 11:54 am

Geoff, I just looked up the film, Rustom 2016, to see whether it is in Bob Basalla's enormous list of chess references in movies. It is there.

I was watching the World Snooker Championship last night on TV. It occurs to me that re-racking the balls and starting a new game is a little like an early draw agreement in chess.
Many years ago I was watching Steve Davis play snooker. He offered his opponent a draw, which was accepted. It was then that I realised he was indeed a chessplayer and he later became president of the BCF.

The CHECKMATE series is now available on amazon as a download.

Brian Towers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Brian Towers » Tue May 08, 2018 3:47 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Tue May 08, 2018 11:54 am
I was watching the World Snooker Championship last night on TV. It occurs to me that re-racking the balls and starting a new game is a little like an early draw agreement in chess.
No. Much more like 5-fold repetition.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue May 08, 2018 7:05 pm

In yesterday's World championship they re-racked after having justplayed 3 shots each, including the very first one.
I do wonder whether there is a tacit agreement NOT to nestle into the pack in order not to bore the spectators.

Nick Grey
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Nick Grey » Tue May 08, 2018 9:15 pm

Wasn't it Chess + Balls = Snooker (kingpin magazine)? Thus Snooker minus balls = Chess? It is looking like the Swansea v Southampton game is heading towards a draw which is no good for either team. No suggestion on the commentary that this is chess.

Paul Buswell
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Paul Buswell » Thu May 10, 2018 12:41 pm

'Daily Politics' on BBC2 today: Lord Hennessy (Peter Hennessy) describes the West's position vis-à-vis the overall Middle East situation as like playing chess on twelve boards simultaneously, with three of the boards on fire, with perhaps President Trump's most recent action re Iran lighting a fourth. (I paraphrase, from memory)

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sat May 12, 2018 12:59 am

Daily Telegraph 11.5.2018.
'ENTEBBE' which is opening in cinemas around about now. Review by Robbie Collin included:
But the film's determination to remain politically evn-handed robs much of the drama of any sense of urgency or purpose. With no one to root for, the action itself is sluggishly uninvolving, while the stand-off leading u to it is treated much like a correspondence chess match, of interest purely in terms of strategy, with no sense that innocent lives are at stake.

Although he doesn't know the difference between match and game, this does read like Robbie Collin is a chessplayer. Has anybody heard of him?

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Sat May 12, 2018 12:35 pm

Is this not the 3rd of 4th film about the Entebbe Hijacking?

On the same theme as Stewarts previous post,Israeli intelligence are launching, or have launched, "Operation Chess."

https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar ... o_prevent/

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sun May 13, 2018 1:49 pm

I saw 'Chess, the Musical' for the umpteenth time yesterday at the London Coliseum, staged by The English National Opera. This is its first West End production since it opened in 1986.
The plot of the show has had a very chequered history. As Sir Time Rice said, 'Musicals are not written. They are rewritten'. But this time the plot was very similar to the original. There were, I think, two new songs.
From my angle in the stalls, I was unable to see whether they had the board round the right way, or whether the moves made sense. No chess advisor was credited. Players sometimes made the moves with one hand and then pressed the clock with the other. But I didn't get it made the rule, about using the same hand to press the clock as moves the pieces, until relatively recently. I have never seen a production where they use scoresheets, that would be too much to ask of the actors. Sensibly they used mechanical clocks, electronic ones would be too fiddly.
I have wondered if it is being put on because the World Championship is being held for the 4th time in London later this year.

I can highly recommend it, especially if you have never seen the stage show.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun May 13, 2018 11:10 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Sun May 13, 2018 1:49 pm
Sensibly they used mechanical clocks, electronic ones would be too fiddly.
Is it still set in the 1980s or earlier?

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon May 14, 2018 10:05 am

Still set in the 1980s with a few flash-backs and even flash forwards.

James Pratt
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by James Pratt » Tue May 15, 2018 12:06 am

I saw CHESS MOVES sniggered at on the TV 'News Quiz' last week as Guest Publication. Victoria Coren Mitchell appeared to quote it a massive once, but I could be wrong. So nothing memorable or unpleasant happily ..

Phil Neatherway
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Phil Neatherway » Tue May 15, 2018 8:57 am

According to this article by the Fabian Society, Brexit is like a game of chess. I didn't realise either.

https://labourlist.org/2018/05/andrew-h ... long-game/

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue May 15, 2018 9:52 am

James Pratt wrote:
Tue May 15, 2018 12:06 am
I saw CHESS MOVES sniggered at on the TV 'News Quiz' last week as Guest Publication.
Chess Moves was discontinued some time ago, so it was a repeat.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5043&p=168955&hilit ... ou#p168951

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue May 15, 2018 11:49 am

Yesterday's Metro. Clue 4 Across.

Image

:roll: