Media comments on chess

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

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:24 pm

Would you like to read a piece about quantum chess, featuring Daniel Alsina?

I'm afraid it's in Spanish.

(Or you can see a video.)
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Neil Graham
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Neil Graham » Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:20 am

Whilst not chess related I see that Barnards Castle are considering erecting a bronze statue of Dominic Cummings whose excursion has increased tourist visits to the town.

See https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/0 ... -cummings/

The comments of the town's historical society representative Olaf Priol seemed extremely apposite in the circumstances and I will certainly enjoy seeing the statue when I next go to the town.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:33 pm

Olaf Priol has done a move from their previous abode of the Guardian, then.
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John Sellen
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Media comments on chess

Post by John Sellen » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:09 pm

Comment from Guardian today from famous theoretical physicist
https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... n-collider
"String theory involves a great deal of theoretical physics, fiendish mathematics and mind-boggling abstraction. Do you think the general public is able to grasp the details of this debate?
I think the public is curious as to what the consequences of this theory could be. The universe in some sense is like a chess game and for 2,000 years we’ve been trying to figure out how the pawns move. And now we’re beginning to understand how the queen moves and how you get a checkmate. The destiny of science is to become like grandmasters, to solve this puzzle that we call the universe. There are outstanding questions that the public wants to have answers for. For example, time travel, other dimensions, wormholes. What happened before the big bang? What’s on the other side of a black hole? None of these questions can be answered within the framework of Einstein’s theory. You have to go beyond Einstein into the quantum theory."

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Apr 04, 2021 4:28 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:10 pm
Today's Bargain Hunt had a chess set for sale:

Bargain Hunt.jpg
  • Bought for £12 (15:20 minutes into the programme)
  • Not liked by the auctioneer, estimate £10 - £20 (29:25 minutes into the programme)
  • Sold for £50 (36:00 minutes into the programme)
Thanks for this. I'd have happily paid £50 for that! :D (Having somewhere to put things like that is the real problem...)

[Picture can be seen in original post here, can anyone say what style set that is?]
Last edited by Christopher Kreuzer on Sun Apr 04, 2021 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Apr 04, 2021 4:35 pm

University Challenge in either the last quarter-final or one of the two semi-finals (I can check if anyone wants a direct link and timestamp) had a sort-of-chess question (which I've paraphrased below):

"What is the minimum number of moves for a knight to go from a1 to h8 (i.e. between two opposite corners of the 8x8 chessboard)?"

The contestant who buzzed in got this right, after only thinking for a second or two. Can you do better? :D

(I then had to explain to my mostly non-chess playing partner why this is the sort of question you wouldn't necessarily expect a chess player to be able to answer instantaneously - yes, I got it wrong! :oops: - I was out by one move as I was trying to guess quickly before the contestant answered. :roll: )

PS. We are watching the final tomorrow, so no spoilers for that please.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:38 pm

Your being out by one is surprising; I'd expect being out by two to be much more likely.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:48 pm

Heh yes but while we're realising that the other team are buzzing
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Ian Thompson
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Ian Thompson » Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:30 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 4:28 pm
[Picture can be seen in original post here, can anyone say what style set that is?]
Home-made, poor quality, I'd say. Just look at the extra large black pawn on f7, the slightly larger white pawn on h2, the two bishops being of different sizes (for both white and black) and the abnormal sizes of different pieces, particularly the knights, relative to each other.

If it's not home-made, I'd guess it's pieces from several different sets.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:34 pm

Luckily I don't frequent auctions or bid on items like that... Yes, the quality is poorer than I had realised, probably some pieces missing and replaced as you say from different sets.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:44 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:38 pm
Your being out by one is surprising; I'd expect being out by two to be much more likely.
I quickly estimated "four" to get to the other side, and then an extra move to get far enough "up" the board, but failed to realise that I'd land on g7 and a slightly twiddly route is needed to land precisely on h8, hence the answer being "six" not "five".

I'd have been more impressed if the question had been a proper Knight's Tour one. Or even longest uncrossed knight's path.

I had forgotten about the game TwixT and related games - has anyone here played those games?

David Sedgwick
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by David Sedgwick » Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:54 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:44 pm
I had forgotten about the game TwixT and related games - has anyone here played those games?
Yes, each year from 1997 to 2019 at the Mind Sports Olympiad, and in 2020 at the Online equivalent.

I haven't played Twixt all that often, as I am not very good at it. I am better, although still only moderate, at Boku, Entropy and Lines of Action.
Last edited by David Sedgwick on Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:39 pm

I remember Boku. I didn't go to many MSOs (the first was in 1997, not 1977 per David's typo there) - they were great fun. Mancala was another game I particularly liked.

David Sedgwick
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by David Sedgwick » Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:03 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:39 pm
... the first [MSO] was in 1997, not 1977 per David's typo there ...
Thanks. Now corrected.

It seems to have been my day for typos. I had an email alerting me to a bizarre one.

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Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:24 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 4:35 pm
"What is the minimum number of moves for a knight to go from a1 to h8 (i.e. between two opposite corners of the 8x8 chessboard)?"
For triple points the contestant should have said; ' 8 moves as in Alexander Khalifman - Boris Gulko, Moscow 1990.'