English Chess Forum

This is a good book



but the diagrams...



I cannot get use to those Knights.

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 27, 2018 6:02 pm

I cannot get use to those Knights.

You have a problem with right-wing knights?

QN face East . KN face West. Lots of 'I adjust' if I think young opponents cannot speak French. Get the arbiter over if you think your opponent is taking the Mick. Certain players that throw their pieces on the floor ought to go & pick them up so start their clock again whilst they do so

I noticed this year that Henrik Carlsen has his knights facing diagonally inwards, so the g1 knight looks at a7 and the b1 knight looks at h7. I had one opponent who had them facing backwards, which is seriously disturbing.

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:59 am

I had one opponent who had them facing backwards, which is seriously disturbing.

Yes, it would be. It feels as though it should be illegal, although I can't explain why.

For a while I kept my knights pointing at my opponent's king, not sure why I stopped doing that.

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:59 am

I had one opponent who had them facing backwards, which is seriously disturbing.

Perhaps a sign he was planning to play the Giuoco Piano?

In what direction should one point the bishop's mitre ?

I have worried about this for some time.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:54 am

In what direction should one point the bishop's mitre ?

I have worried about this for some time.

If my Bishops are giving me any funny looks, I point them away from me

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:59 am

I noticed this year that Henrik Carlsen has his knights facing diagonally inwards, so the g1 knight looks at a7 and the b1 knight looks at h7.

I do that. The knights are not looking at a7 and h7 of course, they've got their eyes on the centre, where they want to go. I once had an opponent who reached across before we started and moved them sideways on, which I thought was quite rude and off putting.

I'm not sure what it says in the rules. I expect that is silent. But if I'm playing white or black I'll set the knights facing how I want.
My opponents will tremble in fear of what I will do with them.
What really annoys me is king/queen on wrong squares so ought to go to the arbiter on penalty or make a comment to everyone about not knowing how to play the game.
Also those felt bits fallen off & different shades and sizes of pieces & pawns.

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 27, 2018 6:02 pm

This is a good book



but the diagrams...



I cannot get use to those Knights.

LOL, written in competition with another written by a team headed by one of this forum's favourite recipients of the OBE.

Roger Lancaster wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:07 am

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 27, 2018 6:02 pm

This is a good book



but the diagrams...



I cannot get use to those Knights.

LOL, written in competition with another written by a team headed by one of this forum's favourite recipients of the OBE.

That is a long author list!

Bob Wade
Tony Miles
David Bronstein
William Hartston
Les Blackstock
Andrew Martin
Roger Lancaster
Hilary Thomas

Sadly, the first three are no longer with us.
But it makes me wonder who wrote what - are there details inside?

And is the Andrew Martin there, the same Andrew Martin who is well known in English chess circles (the IM and coach and who posts to this forum)? I presume so, but am trying to work out the relative ages of the authors and what titles they held at the time of publication.

Roger Lancaster, the same Roger Lancaster as posts to this forum (and whose post I am responding to)? The name Les Blackstock also rings a bell.

Hilary Thomas I've not heard of. But Googling brings up Richard Pentreath and references on this forum. Oh dear.

Quite a lot to unpack from the list of authors of that book!

Anyone able to do a brief potted history of Chequers Chess?

One Andrew Martin?
There's only one Andrew Martin!

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:23 am

Anyone able to do a brief potted history of Chequers Chess?

All the authors are who you identified.

Chequers was a Cafe in North London, the (now deceased) owner of which had some fights with the BCF and other parts of the chess establishment. It wasn't just controversial for printing Knights the wrong way round.

From memory there was a Short v Kasparov 6 game rapid play match in the later 1980s which was made for television (Thames), the game scores of which were attempted to be published by Chequers Chess when there was an embargo on publication before the broadcast.

Also there was an international tournament "Chess for Peace" for which flyers were issued at the preceding Lloyds Bank tournament threatening that the BCF wouldn't rate it.

No first hand knowledge, but all night Blitz tournaments also took place. Were there accusations of promised prize money not being paid?

Anyone able to do a brief potted history of Chequers Chess?

Yes, but the problem is that the project was in many ways controversial and anyone writing a "history" would inevitably be giving their subjective version of it. Of course, that's true of any historical account but much more true in some cases than in others. Maybe I'll give it a shot when I've a little more time.