Anand v Carlsen

The very latest International round up of English news.
PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:09 pm

Richard James wrote:Magnus Carlsen is the Justin Bieber of chess according to this.
Definitely not impressed with Joseff Thomas, visited his website, that Richard linked to, no mention of chess there, so he has not understood how chess has enormous cultural value, in terms of teaching the very young, the value of semiotics.

I guess he was good as a youngster, then he discovered when he played the big boys, that he was not half as good as he thought he was, hence no mention of chess on his website, but then the BBC rang him, and he thought hooray I'm a media hero, so he put a tie on quick and headed for his career, as the next Michael Portillo and to be able to stick his snout in the BBC trough and slurp up all those big houses and sexy cars.
Last edited by PeterTurland on Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Christopher Kreuzer
Posts: 8806
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
Location: London

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:19 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Christopher Kreuzer wrote:The video clip (which I've not watched) says "Former British Chess champion Joseff Thomas". Anyone know who that is?
http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=1801333

He won the U-16 title, if I recall correctly.
Thanks, Jack (and thanks, Richard).

His ECF rating history is here:

http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/new/menu.p ... ile=player

No need to be that harsh, Peter. Though I'd need to watch the video clip (on a better connection) before saying more. It does seem bizarre how some people get contacted by the BBC, though. Does the video clip shed any light on that?

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Matthew Turner » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:33 pm

I would be surprised if the BBC sought Joseff Thomas out as a chess expert. It seems much more likely that he is doing an internship or the like at the beeb then when the World Chess Championship story came out they cross referenced their employee files. Joseff is a more than competent player and what he said is fairly reasonable for the average punter.

Ian Thompson
Posts: 3551
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:31 pm
Location: Awbridge, Hampshire

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:42 pm

PeterTurland wrote:Definitely not impressed with Joseff Thomas, visited his website, that one of us linked to, no mention of chess there ...
Agreed. His website also suggests that doesn't know much about his degree subject either. His CV might look better if he did mention his achievements at chess and didn't mention his skills in "object orientated" programming twice. He also didn't seem to know much about the Anand-Carlsen match in his interview either. He said he thought it had lasted about a month.

PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:43 pm

Matthew Turner wrote:I would be surprised if the BBC sought Joseff Thomas out as a chess expert. It seems much more likely that he is doing an internship or the like at the beeb then when the World Chess Championship story came out they cross referenced their employee files. Joseff is a more than competent player and what he said is fairly reasonable for the average punter.
So why is there nothing about chess on his website?

BTW I hate being called a punter.

PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:07 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
PeterTurland wrote:Definitely not impressed with Joseff Thomas, visited his website, that one of us linked to, no mention of chess there ...
Agreed. His website also suggests that doesn't know much about his degree subject either. His CV might look better if he did mention his achievements at chess and didn't mention his skills in "object orientated" programming twice. He also didn't seem to know much about the Anand-Carlsen match in his interview either. He said he thought it had lasted about a month.
I used to code many years ago, in basic, Z80 and 6502 and then I became a continental truck driver for 8 years, so no longer practised my coding hobby, when I tried to pick it up again in 1995, found out sadly, because I had lost the knack, mainly because I no longer understood the language they used, a particular example being "object orientated".

It is my observation, that human beings obfuscate language and promote a private language, so few people can understand what they are on about, chess fights this, and it possibly explains the paucity of chess on British media, in terms of a wonderful language, that teaches the young, what an ego is.
Last edited by PeterTurland on Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
David Shepherd
Posts: 912
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:46 pm

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by David Shepherd » Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:21 pm

PeterTurland wrote: then I became a continental truck for 8 years
That sounds painful.

Ian Thompson
Posts: 3551
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:31 pm
Location: Awbridge, Hampshire

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:26 pm

PeterTurland wrote:I had lost the knack, mainly because I no longer understood the language they used, a particular example being "object orientated".
I doubt it. Do a Google search on "object orientated programming" and see what it does. Then you will probably understand why I don't think much of Joseff's CV.

PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:28 pm

David Shepherd wrote:
PeterTurland wrote: then I became a continental truck for 8 years
That sounds painful.
Fixed lol.

User avatar
Christopher Kreuzer
Posts: 8806
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
Location: London

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:52 pm

Only just read the Chessbase report:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/chennai-g1 ... d-champion

There is a great picture at the end of the report. That has to be a candidate for the best-ever celebration, surely? :D

PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:04 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Only just read the Chessbase report:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/chennai-g1 ... d-champion

There is a great picture at the end of the report. That has to be a candidate for the best-ever celebration, surely? :D
That water looked very wet.

At last a European champion, hooray.

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4818
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:09 pm

PeterTurland wrote:At last a European champion, hooray.
"At last"? Which continent do you think Kramnik is from, then?

PeterTurland
Posts: 541
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by PeterTurland » Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:22 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
PeterTurland wrote:At last a European champion, hooray.
"At last"? Which continent do you think Kramnik is from, then?
You choose :) I have run out of continents, because I can only cope with one planet at a time.

Jonathan Bryant
Posts: 3452
Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Sat Nov 23, 2013 7:37 am

Matthew Turner wrote:I would be surprised if the BBC sought Joseff Thomas out as a chess expert. It seems much more likely that he is doing an internship or the like at the beeb then when the World Chess Championship story came out they cross referenced their employee files. Joseff is a more than competent player and what he said is fairly reasonable for the average punter.
I suppose we should be grateful they didn't put some random cab driver on.

User avatar
Greg Breed
Posts: 723
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:30 am
Location: Aylesbury, Bucks, UK

Re: Anand v Carlsen

Post by Greg Breed » Mon Nov 25, 2013 5:13 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
PeterTurland wrote:At last a European champion, hooray.
"At last"? Which continent do you think Kramnik is from, then?
Well Kramnik is Russian and most of Russia is in Asia, however the boundary for Europe has been steadily creeping Eastwards for some time. Once upon a time it was at the Bosphorus and Istanbul straddled both continents. Now they say that the Caucasus Mountains are the divide between continents. That doesn't really help much as they run East-West along the Georgia-Russia border.

According to Wikipedia the standard convention of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia follows the Caucasus crest, the Urals River and the Urals Mountains to the Sea of Kara...
Pah! That would mean Kazakhstan is partly in Europe too!

So (Wiki) officially Turkey is not in Europe! Some might find that amusing...
Hatch End A Captain (Hillingdon League)
Controller (Hillingdon League)