English Chess Forum

I have one morning slot available from 10am-11am daily, for seconding at this year's British Championship. This means preparation for the coming game and a debrief on games played. I can help with the British itself or other events and I prefer an agreement for the full two weeks

If anyone is interested in this type of help and advice please get in touch by email to discuss terms:

[email protected]

Only serious enquiries please. I am a FIDE Senior Trainer, an IM and have decades of experience with this type of work.

Thanks.

The whole idea of seconding is unclear to me. What is it?

soheil it means one-to-one coaching for a particular event

I am sure that you are interested in why the word 'second' is employed.

Traditionally in a duel the two parties, who did the fencing with swords or shooting with pistols, were called the 'principals'.

The 'principals' were the parties of the first part and they each an assistant who were the parties of the second part.

Hence the two assistants were called 'seconds' and were responsible for ensuring the proper procedures were carried out.

Presumably seconds were required to cart off the dead bodies if the duel went wrong? Oh, apparently the seconds would sometimes fight as well. Presumably Andrew won't be required to do that...

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Presumably seconds were required to cart off the dead bodies if the duel went wrong?

Seconds at chess tournaments are not usually required to cart off dead bodies, just to give psychological assistance and dress any open wounds

If I had been challenged to a duel in the old days and asked to choose my weapons, I would have replied without hesitation "chess pieces"

Clive Blackburn wrote:If I had been challenged to a duel in the old days and asked to choose my weapons, I would have replied without hesitation "chess pieces"

Quite right, you could have someone's eye out with one of those pointy headed bishops!