New York Times axes chess column

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JustinHorton
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New York Times axes chess column

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Oct 12, 2014 3:58 pm

Dylan Loeb McClain's latest column is foillowed by the text
This is the final chess column to run in The New York Times.
[Via Jonathan Zalman.]
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Stewart Reuben
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sun Oct 12, 2014 5:49 pm

That is terrible. It used to appear 3 times a week.

Steven DuCharme
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Steven DuCharme » Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:58 pm

It may be resurrected online
I float like a pawn island and sting like an ignored knight :mrgreen:

Francis Fields
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Francis Fields » Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:01 am

I always enjoyed Lubomir Kavalek in the Washington Post. He described Carlsen as the Mozart of chess; how would he describe Caruana? Beethoven?

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John Upham
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by John Upham » Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:17 am

See here
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

John McKenna

Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by John McKenna » Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:08 pm

Francis Fields wrote:I always enjoyed Lubomir Kavalek in the Washington Post. He described Carlsen as the Mozart of chess; how would he describe Caruana? Beethoven?
Too soon, I think, for Kavalek to declare Caruana as a Beethoven to Carlsen's Mozart - Fabio would need to succeed Magnus as World Champion to fit that bill.

Kavalek's final Washington Post column can be found here -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01223.html

He writes on chess for the Huffington Post from time to time - not since Sept?
John Upham wrote:See here
Good to see the Guardian columnist turn out for the Surrey U-160 team away to Sussex at Horsham last Saturday. In the long-term, I tend to agree with what he wrote in the article linked to by John Upham, above, but there's a lot of life in the grand old game of chess, yet.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:23 pm

That piece is ludicrously pessimistic about the future of chess IMO.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Stewart Reuben
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Oct 14, 2014 9:30 pm

John McKenna >Good to see the Guardian columnist turn out for the Surrey U-160 team away to Sussex at Horsham last Saturday.<

It took a few moments to realise you didn't mean Leonard Barden.

Mick Norris
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Mick Norris » Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:29 am

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/m ... nue-online

with Kasparov quote
Few will mourn, even as a symbolic loss. "This is the final chess column to run in The New York Times."
Any postings on here represent my personal views

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JustinHorton
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:22 pm

Kasparov presumably being such a jerk because McClain exposed the Leong deal.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Arshad Ali
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Arshad Ali » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:42 pm

But isn't Kasparov right? The chess (and bridge) columns in newspapers don't have much in them. If one is a regular reader of any newspaper, one's eye might stray to the chess column only out of casual interest or ennui.

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JustinHorton
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:50 pm

A few weeks ago he was putting himself about as the great hope to promote chess, with special emphasis on the USA and Europe. Now the USA's leading newspaper loses its chess column and how does he react?

With Kasparov, it's always about Kasparov.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Stewart Reuben
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:15 pm

Arshad >The chess (and bridge) columns in newspapers don't have much in them.<

Hello, perhaps you don't support chess. The chess and bridge columns in newspapers should not be disparaged. They are of great value to the chess community. The loss of Leonard Barden's column in the printed version of the Evening Standard was a serious blow.

One thing the chess column has, which the editor likes, is a diagram that sets off the rest of the page. It adds gravitas to the paper. That is why you so often see chess sets in advertisements on TV.

Arshad Ali
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by Arshad Ali » Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:26 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:Arshad >The chess (and bridge) columns in newspapers don't have much in them.<

Hello, perhaps you don't support chess. The chess and bridge columns in newspapers should not be disparaged. They are of great value to the chess community. The loss of Leonard Barden's column in the printed version of the Evening Standard was a serious blow.

One thing the chess column has, which the editor likes, is a diagram that sets off the rest of the page. It adds gravitas to the paper. That is why you so often see chess sets in advertisements on TV.
In what sense? Serious players subscribe to NIC, BCM, and maybe the Informant as well. Maybe the chess column served a purpose fifty years ago, when the columnist might cover some tournament abroad and there was no other source of information about recent interesting games or tournament results. Today, as you yourself are admitting, its primary function is to lend gravitas to the paper ("See, our readers are interested in high-brow recreation.").

BrianRobinson
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Re: New York Times axes chess column

Post by BrianRobinson » Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:51 pm

Interesting article on Slate magazine at http://www.slate.com/articles/life/gami ... hance.html. Essentially saying that in the internet age newspaper chess columns need to go beyond simply reporting tournaments results and games. The column has a couple of interesting ideas for writers who fit the bill.

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