English Chess Forum

From tonight's Radio 5 commentary - Karen Carney summarises

"Sometimes you have a chess match where both teams are scared to make their move, but instead it's a brilliant game.

Ademola Lookman is already Fulham's star player tonight, the pace, the skill, he is on the money tonight. He will be a key man, you can tell."

Fulham are now losing 2-0 to Burnley!

'Edinburgh school becomes first in Scotland to add chess to the curriculum.'

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... 232735?amp

Today's main cartoon in The Observer has Death playing Boris Johnson at chess. (Boris is studying a paper titled: Lockdown easing roadmap. Death says "check".)

https://chesscircuit.substack.com/p/the ... tre-ilkley

This is a brilliant initiative - well done!!

It's not really a media comment though

Who perpetrated this crime against the English language?

And, like a chess grandmaster who offers a gambit down one flank only suddenly to open up the opposite one, the spinner must impart every one of his deliveries — every blast into enemy territory — with the power to confuse by deception. He must make his every action — before, during and after the delivery — incorrigibly polysemous.

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 1:37 pm

https://chesscircuit.substack.com/p/the ... tre-ilkley

This is a brilliant initiative - well done!!

Presumably it is Ellie Varley and Chris Wright playing, but who are the blokes in the pictures?

Fantastic effort by Andrew and Matt.

Gerard Killoran wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 2:48 pm

Who perpetrated this crime against the English language?

And, like a chess grandmaster who offers a gambit down one flank only suddenly to open up the opposite one, the spinner must impart every one of his deliveries — every blast into enemy territory — with the power to confuse by deception. He must make his every action — before, during and after the delivery — incorrigibly polysemous.

Ah, the poor man's Matthew d'Ancona

From the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertain ... s-57159727

I watched a programme last night that I had recorded from Thursday 13th May 6.30pm until 7pm on BBC2.
It was called Great British Railways and was presented by Michael Portillo.
The episode was a trip in North West Wales and featured a stop and overnight stay in Portmeirion.
Michael took part in a human chess game. I can't remember which piece he played.
It was amusing when he announced check and then decided to shout it again with the stamp of his staff.

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 10:55 pm

Gerard Killoran wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 2:48 pm

Who perpetrated this crime against the English language?

And, like a chess grandmaster who offers a gambit down one flank only suddenly to open up the opposite one, the spinner must impart every one of his deliveries — every blast into enemy territory — with the power to confuse by deception. He must make his every action — before, during and after the delivery — incorrigibly polysemous.

Ah, the poor man's Matthew d'Ancona

If you're thinking of the incorrigibly polysemous Amol Rajan - correct.

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Wed May 19, 2021 10:44 am

Michael took part in a human chess game. I can't remember which piece he played.

He was a pawn. But he needs to learn how the pieces move. His instruction was something like "Pawn no.3 to c4" at which he strode forward 4 or 5 squares before shouting "check!"

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Wed May 19, 2021 10:44 am

I can't remember which piece he played.
It was amusing when he announced check and then decided to shout it again with the stamp of his staff.

Presumably he was a bishop.

Edit : But I now see above that he was a clueless pawn somehow in possession of a staff.

REVERTING TO A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION

My VHS tapes of recorded chess material in English have now found a home. Hastings Chess Club, where the chairman, Marc Bryant has a flat. He has a VHS player/recorder and ample storage space in the club library. He came and collected my collection yesterday.
I transferred them to DVD years ago, but the ECF Library didn't ever display their collection from me because of copyright.
He also collected about 15 different electronic chess clocks. This may be the biggest collection in Britain. They would have been useless for the new home of the ECF Library, as they require expertise to work them. That is no all, he also collected my two life-sized mannequins - one of them of me. They have been playing chess in my living room for 20 years, but never got beyond 1 c4.

Glad to hear that your VHS/DVD collection found a home, Stewart. The electronic chess clocks and mannequins sound like collectors' items. Hope all is well and that any prospective move is going well (you mentioned in some previous posts that you might be moving - I hope I am not being too presumptuous here to bring that up).