Media comments on chess

[Nick Grey]

The Thomas Crown Affair 10 May BBC1 10.30pm. Chess sequence.

[Mick Norris]

Ireland T20 cricket captain Andrew Balbirnie

Like the rest of the sporting world, Balbirnie has been challenged with filling his days during the lockdown.

That has included participating in virtual batting masterclasses with Irish cricket clubs as well as constructing a giant chess board on in his garden using empty beer bottles as pawns and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's biography as his king.

"The days are mixing into weeks and months at this stage, so we got the old chess board out of the attic," he said.

"A week or two after that, we got a bit more creative and last week we set it up on our deck. I think I had six or seven empty bottles of Moretti as pawns, Jurgen Klopp's biography as my king.

"I was playing my dad and he had a picture of my mum as his queen, so it was pretty creative.

"Unfortunately, I've lost to him. We've played about 10 times, so I think I'm going to shut up shop."

[Peter Hornsby]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52604957

[JustinHorton]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52604957

You know that story appears in the comment before yours

[NickFaulks]

The Thomas Crown Affair 10 May BBC1 10.30pm. Chess sequence.

Unfortunately it was the inferior remake, so no chess sequence.

[Simon Rogers]

I forgot all about the Thomas Crown Affair last night. Don't forget tomorrow night The Village ITV 8pm until 8.30pm.
Friday night BBC2 11.20pm Film: Pawn Sacrifice.

[JustinHorton]

The Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves (Thursday) apparently sends on a weekly cartoon newsletter on request. I know this because their director, who draws the newsletter, tweeted to that effect today.

[NickFaulks]

Thanks, I've signed up.

[Simon Rogers]

Just a reminder that on BBC2 tonight at 11.20PM until 1.05AM is the Film: Pawn Sacrifice. Stars Tobey Maguire
Telling the story of the 1972 match between Fischer v Spassky.
I've not seen the film before so I don't know how good it is.

[JustinHorton]

Grotesquely bad for the most part

[Simon Rogers]

Thanks Justin for the warning. I've set my recorder for it tonight instead of watching it. So it doesn't give me nightmares. I'll have a go at watching it in the next couple of weeks.
I've still not seen Queen of Katwe, which I recorded on BBC2 last November. Is that a good film?

[Mick Norris]

I've still not seen Queen of Katwe, which I recorded on BBC2 last November. Is that a good film?

Yes, well worth a watch

[Stewart Reuben]

Queen of Katwe good
Innocent Moves (aka Searching for Bobby Fischer) excellent
Seventh Seal iconic
Chess Fever silent film by Pudovkin. Very funny.
Black and White like day is night aka Dangerous Moves good
Luzhin Defence good

There many others where chess is central to the whole film. There is a whole sub-genre of schools regenerated by success at chess. Possibly only boxing has a comparable number of films devoted to one sport.

[Simon Rogers]

Thanks I'll try to find the films next time I'm in HMV. I'm sure there was a thriller film called Knight Moves.
There has also been a number of Football films and Motor Racing films.
On the motor racing films I remember Senna and Rush.
The football film The Damned United I enjoyed watching.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Simon, I also think 'Queen of Katwe' is well worth watching.

In a similar vein, there is the NZ film The Dark Horse, which I would also recommend: