English Chess Forum

There is an interesting feature about chess in Armenia on the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-43084816

I was in a bit of a quandary when I saw the feature and thought it should be flagged in this forum. The 'Media comments' thread is its natural home but it could have got lost there, and I think any thread of 145 pages is at least 135 pages too long.

The 'Junior Chess' section was another candidate but that seemed a bit too narrow, and if I had placed it in the 'International News' section, another obvious place, that might have distracted forum users' attention away from the fascinating debate about pairing systems in the 'Northumbria Masters' thread.

'Fascinating' may not be the word I am looking for!

It seems to be a summary of a segment in From Our Own Correspondent from a couple of weeks ago. I've not listened to it yet.

I think we all missed it, don't know why - nor do I know why the website item is only online now.

As so often with this type of article, it is long on hype, including a pic of the BBC reporter in action, and short on basic and inconvenient fact. What is the surname of this wonder child? We are not told. How does he compare with the real talents of his age, india's IM Praggnandhaa or Uzbekistan's GM Abutassorov? We are not told.

There is an obvious benchmark, the 2017 world and European championships for under 12,10 and 8.

Armenia with all these resources did not send a single player to the world cadets in Brazil, August 2017.

In the European Youth under-18 to under-8 in Romania, September 2017, Armenia's only winner was in the girls under 18.

Not one of the 20 Armenian boys medalled, none finished higher than sixth. None was named Mikhael. Whereas poor old England did achieve a medal, Shreyas Royal's silver in the U8.

If the BBC reporter had really done her homework, she should have quizzed Smbat Lputian on his country's failure to produce junior medallists despite the huge state support. India, Uzbekistan and Iran have successfully created current generations of young talents, but Armenia has not.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:35 am

What is the surname of this wonder child?

Searching the FIDE rating list for ARM and "Mik" comes up with a couple of candidates, neither with impressive ratings.

Chess in Armenian schools is a story the BBC has run before
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13140772 from 2011 for example. The six year olds in 2011 will now be 12 or 13 and should be making an impression either in strength or depth.

Despite Leonard Barden's evidence-based demolition of this garbage, it's making a regular appearance on my Facebook timeline, pumped out by familiar names who really should be checking the facts

I can find no contact details for the woman who got paid licence fee money to write this. According to her twitter page she is sports-loving and left wing. 'Nuff said.

1. She can be contacted via her twitter address, no? I managed.

2. The piece isn't "garbage". certainly not by the normal standards of reporting on chess by non-chessplayers. There's no 600 million nonsense, for instance. The author may be insufficiently well-well-informed on the progress of Armenian juniors at the European championships, but we don't usually have to get to that level of information before the holes start gaping at us, do we?

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2018 6:19 am

1. She can be contacted via her twitter address, no? I managed.

You're right, of course, and the thought did occur to me. I just don't do that.

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:35 pm

Despite Leonard Barden's evidence-based demolition of this garbage, it's making a regular appearance on my Facebook timeline, pumped out by familiar names who really should be checking the facts

David, some of us posted this on social media for interest and comment, rather than because we agreed or approved.

The nearest I can find to the 'Mikhael' in the article is this player, ranked 1165 in the world for U12s. Of course it's possible there may be others hiding away, not playing in FIDE rated events.

You weren't one of the names I'd seen, Richard. But I'll check you out shortly, and add you to the list

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:37 pm

I can find no contact details for the woman who got paid licence fee money to write this. According to her twitter page she is sports-loving and left wing. 'Nuff said.

Oh, the absolute HORROR!!

And that does make rather a change for the Beeb these days, if the truth be told