English Chess Forum

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Sun May 02, 2021 7:14 pm

In cricket, a bowler will be aiming to hit the stumps a much lower proportion of the time.

Yes, but when they are aiming for a yorkerish ball at the bottom of middle stump I would like to think they would be reasonably close - so bowl that! Don't worry about maximum pace.

When Yorkshire were totally rained off in a one-day KO match a few years ago, the players retreated to the indoor nets at Headingley, where Yorkshire's chosen bowler was er, a batsman, who bowled slow full tosses and hit the stumps. The regular bowlers were too used to aiming just outside off-stump and trying to induce an edge, or trying to turn it a lot!

Cricket Bowl Outs.

I suppose the chess equivalent would be both players are blindfolded, literally, then sat at two separate boards.

The boards would have the same mate in two set up on them, blindfolds off! and the first player to show the mate in two wins.
(The mates in two would have to be freshly composed and secretly sealed in an enveloped for each tie break.)

I have seen many cockeyed ideas on various chess forums for alternatives to Rapid/Blitz/Armageddon tie breaks
but I think I have just come up with the daftest.
Although it's not a valid suggestion - just a chess equivalent, but if and when FIDE adopt the idea then I want the credit.

I've often wondered how they resolve tie breaks in bridge. Do they just cut and draw a card, Aces high!
Ties in Shove Ha'penny are of course settled by simply tossing the halfpenny.

Here is one for you (no googling)

What was the name of the ship on the reverse of the halfpenny? (a question on the radio a few months ago. I knew the answer!)

Bridge events are usually played over so many boards that an exact tie is unlikely, but I haven't looked through tie-break rules for it.

IM Jack Rudd wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 3:08 am

Bridge events are usually played over so many boards that an exact tie is unlikely, ...

Ties do happen.

The English Bridge Union White Book, the equivalent of an Arbiters' Manual, can be seen at www.ebu.co.uk/documents/laws-and-ethics ... -final.pdf.

The Split-tie Procedures are in Section 3.2. They run to seven pages.

Hi Dave and Jack,

Seven pages! Surely cut cut the cards.

Drake's ship 'The Golden Hind.' is on the reverse of the halfpenny. Store this info I bet one day it will come in handy.

This morning Radio 4 extra had on the Steptoe and Son episode where they are playing chess with egg cups and salt cellars etc.
'The Cuckoo in the Nest' which also appeared on T.V. The chess scene, 'You cocked up my Sicilian Defence!' is right at the beginning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0ubLxwNHw

Yesterday's "Pointless" (Series 25, Episode 20) featured a round on Famous People playing chess - about 26:30 in.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... episode-20

Meanwhile- Scot Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie advises that it is “essential” to play chess - after about 13 minutes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... -democracy

(These links may not work outside the UK).

Posted at 2217
'Chelsea could have won by six'
Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid (Agg: 3-1)


Don Hutchison

Ex-Liverpool midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

I was coming to the game tonight wondering what kind of game we would see. I was convinced it was going to be a chess match. I couldn't have been more wrong. Chelsea were just brilliant and could have won by five or six goals.

Nick Grey > I was convinced it was going to be a chess match<
He must mean where games have been relished and admired by generations for over 150 years.

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 1:58 am

What was the name of the ship on the reverse of the halfpenny? (a question on the radio a few months ago. I knew the answer!)

If I was to suggest 5...e5 would I be close to the answer you seek?

Hi John,

I gave the answer earlier, but 5....e5 as a clue. hmmm.... let me think about it.

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Thu May 06, 2021 6:45 pm

Hi John,

I gave the answer earlier, but 5....e5 as a clue. hmmm.... let me think about it.

5...e5 could be the Sicilian Pelikan...

Does that help?, OK, the spelling is not quite correct.

Too many episodes of Only Connect and The Round Britain quiz...

Hi John,

An excellent way you have linked it back to chess.

I never knew the Golden Hind was originally the Pelican. A brilliant spot.

Three mentions in the first half of the Arsenal game being like a chess match despite the best attempts of Arsenal players to trouble their own goalkeeper.