English Chess Forum

Just been to see this film, and can highly recommend it.

Looks pretty good based on the reviews so far:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_horse_2014/

Forgot to mention yesterday evening, but I have to thank Bob Kane, the Commercial Director, for organising the competition to win tickets to see this.

My son, Jonathan, just sent me the DVD from NZ. Well worth watching and usually for a film the chess seems to hold up with proper chess being played rather than the beginner level chess in most films. ( there was even a decent smothered mate in one of the scenes)

The producers had a proper chess adviser in the person of Ewen Green. Probably not a familiar figure to UK residents, but he's a FIDE master, a former NZ co-champion, and played in several Olympiads back in the day. Definitely wouldn't have allowed any obvious howlers.

I just saw the film on a cruise ship in Chilean waters, as one does.
It's odd. I read the chess advisor as Shane Fitzgerald who I don't know. Ewart Green once gave a 20 game blindfold simul.
In the climactic game in a junior tournament I saw, it went, I think. 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Nxe5 Nxe5 5 0-0. Of course White won.
The film was well worth seeing. But it was somewhat confused, like the mind of the main character on whose real-life story the film was based.

is this a black knight?

The Dark Horse is the nickname of the principal character. It probably relates more to his being an unexpected winner in earlier times.

Any thoughts on NZ's greatest ever chess player?

Strongest must be Murray Chandler, but RG Wade would also have to be mentioned somehow or other when discussing NZ-born players.

Agreed.

It's all your fault with your slap-dash forum posting methods.

You give moves with no diagrams and now you talk about films with no pictures.

I saw this thread, like the sound of the film so requested it from Santa bloody Claus.

I got this.



When I should have got this:



It's all you fault, everyone of you of posted in this thread.
Useless, the whole lot of you and I've blogged you.

(what are the three most famous chess moves in history?) Think of answer before you go to:

http://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blog/th ... s-quiz.284

And you don't have to repeat the whole page including the pictures to answer.
Just cut and paste the question. (if you get stuck...ask Jack.)

There is an art in posting on a forum. You lot are nothing but a bunch of forum rebels...vandals...

...and you have ruined Christmas.

Geoff Chandler wrote: (what are the three most famous chess moves in history?) Think of answer before you go to:

Got two of them! If Fischer really had played 1.c3 I might have got that as well.

HI Reg,

I usually have a chuckle at an error in a book "There but for the grace of God..."
But I really do feel for the author, Bill Price' as it is an annoying slip.

It's a beautiful book, 'Chess History in 50 Moves'. and later on it does mention 1.c4.

It lists websites for further reading. The other ECF site gets a mention as does the Edinburgh Chess Club.
Also Edward Winter's site which will recognise it as a typo and not a stated fact.

Here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Chess-F ... 1845436091

You can take a peek inside.