Media comments on chess

[Roger de Coverly]

Prior to that, it had gradually become conventional, over a number of years, to have White move first in published analysis, and by about 1862 to have White move first in all published games. But it was evident that players could in many cases choose Black when they had the first move, even if the published game-score indicated that White had moved first.

Would the use of algebraic notation have an effect? If the player of the Black pieces had started, then 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. P-KB4 or similar in more wordy formats is the same regardless, however 1. e4 e5 2. f4 is only the same if you count 1 to 8 for the side moving first and reverse the order to get hgfedcba along the back rank.

[Stewart Reuben]

In one of the Evening Standard London Chess Congresses two players came and consulted me. The first named player wanted to have the first move,
but also wanted to choose the Black pieces. 'After all, that is the rule'. I assured him that the rule was that he had to take the white pieces. Off they went. I consulted the Laws - just in case I had made a mistake.
The game finished quickly. The player of the Black pieces told me that WHite had resigned after just a few moves, so it was a most unsatisfactory
experience.
On another occasion, a player told me he wanted always to play with the white pieces in front of him, even if he had black, because that was what he was used to in printed material.
Andrew Martin, when commentating at the British, had the annoying habit of switching the board round when it was Black's move. I found that very disconcerting.
When running events for juniors, I found that it was necessary to emphasise that the first named player took the white pieces. Otherwise, not knowing that convention, they would toss for who had white.

Roger is correct. The algebraic system goes back to the 9th century

[Nick Grey]

Go - Black moves first or takes a handicap.

I seem to recall debates at school about racism and equal opportunities.

We had debates on why wear white for cricket and tennis why not black.

I love turning board round when it was Black's move. Andrew Martin published black on the bottom in one book.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Stewart,

Regarding Andrew Martin switching the board around. I dislike, even to this day, doing puzzles from books and magazines
with Black to play and have to solve them 'upside down.' Lost count of the times I've looked at a 'Black to Play' and
spent a while looking for the white move. When I solve from CHESS magazine I do the White's first (and them I'm ashamed
to say often skip the Black to play unless it's one of the first half a dozen - the one or two move easy ones.)

In the Edinburgh - London 1820's correspondence chess match Edinburgh had the Black pieces for the entire match.
When they had the move (moved first) this was their view of the Scotch Game.

RNBKQB1R/PPP1PPPP/5N2/3P4/3pp3/2n5/ppp2ppp/r1bkqbnr w - - 0 1

[E Michael White]

I dislike, even to this day, doing puzzles from books and magazines
with Black to play and have to solve them 'upside down.'

In helpmate problems, it's conventional to have black move first, which means both sides make the same number of moves. It somehow seems more appropriate for a helpmate problem to be like that.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Michael,

I don't mind that, I enjoy solving those and take them to a board. Though for some reason at one time I had to
keep reminding myself who goes first and the difference between a helpmate and a selfmate (white goes first in a selfie!)

Thread topic.
Mrs C. said she watch an episode of Father Brown recently where chess pieces played a prominent part.
Anybody know what episode? They seem to on about 3 times a day. She normally gives me a shout when anything
chess is on the telly but I was in my man cave chess haven with the Soltis book on Carlsen with orders not to disturb.

Good book enjoyed the first few games, but that was when Carlsen was going though attack the King at all cost phase.
Soon I'll be hitting the grinds and those end games. But so far Soltis has not lost me, I like him, he writes for normal readers,
not ashamed to point out the obvious and only uses a computer to blunder check his notes not allowing a computer to take over.

Pointless anyway. Carlsen comes near bottom in the top 10 players of computer first move match ups.
He still plays good moves, those that set the most OTB problems...therefore the best moves.
So giving reams of computer vomit is something he most likely would not have played anyway.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Wow, Geoff, what have you started here?

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 betwen 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!).

EDIT: OK, maybe not that many links after all, but one very famous quote:

http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/c ... odoxy.html

Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination. Artistic paternity is as wholesome as physical paternity. Moreover, it is worthy of remark that when a poet really was morbid it was commonly because he had some weak spot of rationality on his brain. Poe, for instance, really was morbid; not because he was poetical, but because he was specially analytical. Even chess was too poetical for him; he disliked chess because it was full of knights and castles, like a poem. He avowedly preferred the black discs of draughts, because they were more like the mere black dots on a diagram.

Usually truncated to:

Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do.

[Geoff Chandler]

Thanks Chris,

Think I'll find it with the info you have given me. The hard bit will be getting the zapper out of Mrs C's hand
hand so I can do a search for a programme she has already seen. That is not going to happen.

However, plan A. Tell her the doctor called and she has to go for her covid jag that will give me approx one hour of zapper time.

[LawrenceCooper]

Dan Christian, batting for Sydney Sixers, in the Aussie Big Bash, declares his hobby to be chess with the ambition to be a grandmaster. When asked he sounded uncertain as to what he needs to do to get the title though

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Dan Christian, batting for Sydney Sixers, in the Aussie Big Bash, declares his hobby to be chess with the ambition to be a grandmaster."

If he can score at a run rate of 200+, he should stick to cricket temporarily... He can practise chess when it's raining though.

[Stewart Reuben]

Kevin >If he can score at a run rate of 200+, he should stick to cricket temporarily... He can practise chess when it's raining though.<
But, if he is fielding, surely there is time to play chess by communicating the moves? I won't cal it blindfold, as he needs to have sight of the pitch.

[Kevin Thurlow]

According to the "i", someone called Kieran Hodgson has been on Twitter with a series of parodies called "Bad TV". This started with "The Crown", where he plays all the parts, but he has also done a "Queen's Gambit". Unfortunately, the article only really goes into detail about other work, but I assume some twitterite can find the QG.

[Mick Norris]

This one?

[Kevin Thurlow]

Looks like it - no idea if it's better than the original!

[NickFaulks]

Looks like it - no idea if it's better than the original!

Not far off.