Book-The Chess Scene

[Kevin Thurlow]

Of course, but I guess in practice most people pick up the queen (usually), put it on the 8th, and pick up the pawn as they do so. You might pick up the pawn, any piece you are capturing and dump them by the side of the board, and then put the queen down (using the same hand of course).

I think of it as like an American football "touchdown", where you don't actually do what it says, unlike the rugby "try", where you do touch it down!

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jacques,

Unless they (the people who tamper with things to justify their existence) have changed the rules again
you do not put a pawn on the 8th. You put on the 8th square the piece you are promoting too the move is
not complete till the promoted is placed on the board and the hand removed.

(actually I'm wrong. It is a technical point. the rule said: '1. the pawn does not have to be placed on the square of arrival,')

If you put an upside down Rook on the board instead of a Queen....Your opponent can claim it is a Rook.

[Jacques Parry]

Yes, the Laws now permit the method you propose. Did they ever say it was mandatory? As I recall, it is the method demonstrated by Tony in his video that used to be mandatory.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jaques,

I'm sure I read somewhere...possibly here. That you must not put the pawn on the 8th.
(rarely do endings, trying to recall the last time I promoted a pawn OTB...actually I can't.)

Nearly had one 3 years ago G.C V D.Russell, Edin League 2016

r3k1r1/pp1qp2p/2npNbP1/2p5/3p2Q1/1PP5/P2B2PP/4RRK1 b q - 0 19

Here I wanted Black to play 19...dxc3

[FEN "r3k1r1/pp1qp2p/2npNbP1/2p5/3p2Q1/1PP5/P2B2PP/4RRK1 b q - 0 19"] 19... dxc3 20. gxh7 Rxg4 21. h8=Q+ Bxh8 22. Rf8# *

But Black played 19....Rxg6. (i won with 20.Rxf6)

[Alan Ruffle]

Regarding juniors - the last word!

A first school. Student: 8 years old - a middle order player in the School chess club.

Student: Excuse me Mr Ruffle!
Mr Ruffle: Yes, can I help you?
Student: Can I play you?
Mr Ruffle: Well I'd like to, but I need to look after the rest of the class.
Student: Mr Ruffle, you know you said you could teach us to play chess in seven and a half minutes?
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that. I was emphasising that the game is really very simple and that I could teach you how to move the pieces in that time. What makes the game become harder and more interesting, is the fact that the player on the other side of the board is trying to stop you having everything your own way. They will try to prevent you making the moves you want to make. The more closely matched you are with your opponent, the harder, the more competitive and more enjoyable the game becomes.
Student: Then, if we are like you, we could spend the next sixty years reading books, watching chess on TV, learning from videos, playing chess on the internet or playing live games in the form of matches or tournaments. We could become good players.
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that.
Student: You said you were a middle order county player!
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that.
Student: Well we've been talking amongst ourselves. You know, us kids?
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I'm pleased to hear that.
Student: Well, we don't think you're that good!

Page 76……………….Coach in the classroom
The Chess Scene.
£14.99 + P & P from amazon, or a signed copy from me via PayPal

[LawrenceCooper]

Regarding juniors - the last word!

A first school. Student: 8 years old - a middle order player in the School chess club.

Student: Excuse me Mr Ruffle!
Mr Ruffle: Yes, can I help you?
Student: Can I play you?
Mr Ruffle: Well I'd like to, but I need to look after the rest of the class.
Student: Mr Ruffle, you know you said you could teach us to play chess in seven and a half minutes?
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that. I was emphasising that the game is really very simple and that I could teach you how to move the pieces in that time. What makes the game become harder and more interesting, is the fact that the player on the other side of the board is trying to stop you having everything your own way. They will try to prevent you making the moves you want to make. The more closely matched you are with your opponent, the harder, the more competitive and more enjoyable the game becomes.
Student: Then, if we are like you, we could spend the next sixty years reading books, watching chess on TV, learning from videos, playing chess on the internet or playing live games in the form of matches or tournaments. We could become good players.
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that.
Student: You said you were a middle order county player!
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I said that.
Student: Well we've been talking amongst ourselves. You know, us kids?
Mr Ruffle: Yes, I'm pleased to hear that.
Student: Well, we don't think you're that good!

Page 76……………….Coach in the classroom
The Chess Scene.
£14.99 + P & P from amazon, or a signed copy from me via PayPal

At the Crewe rapidplay prize giving a couple of years ago someone I didn't know approached me and commented "When I saw you were an IM I thought yo'u'd be really good"

[Kevin Thurlow]

"At the Crewe rapidplay prize giving a couple of years ago someone I didn't know approached me and commented "When I saw you were an IM I thought yo'u'd be really good""

Wow - how on earth do you answer that?

[JustinHorton]

Ah, this reminds me of the story in Eamon Dunphy's classic Only A Game? in which a footballer gets approached by a fan at an engagement and the fan asks him something like "whatever happened to you?"·