Would you like to become a millionaire?

Kevin Williamson · Post by **Kevin Williamson** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:59 am

Graham Borrowdale wrote:Thanks, James - sorry for being rhetorical. As a Beds player I know that we usually struggle to field a single player above 200 grade, never mind GMs

Although if James ever returns to Bedfordshire I am sure we can find a way to squeeze him in to the team

Jonathan Bryant · Post by **Jonathan Bryant** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:01 pm

James Plaskett wrote: Kasparov won the top prize on the Georgian version of the show when he, partnered by his wife, played for money for an operation needed for a sick child.

Hang on, what? Is that really true?

James Plaskett · Post by **James Plaskett** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:08 pm

Da, Tovarisch; eta pravda.

Kasparov s Daria -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu8s9D0jRZk

He was helped by his missus, as was I.
(I phoned the wife!)

Jonathan Bryant · Post by **Jonathan Bryant** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:20 pm

James Plaskett wrote:Da, Tovarisch; eta pravda.

Kasparov s Daria -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu8s9D0jRZk

He was helped by his missus, as was I.
(I phoned the wife!)

Thanks for the link which I’m happy to accept proves your man was on some version of WWTBAM but I was more questioning the bit about playing for money to pay for an operation for a sick child - and since there’s no translation on that video it doesn’t help me.

Just to be clear, are you saying that you know for a fact that Garry Kasparov played a version of WWTBAM the point of which was to win enough money to pay for a kid’s operation?

Bonus follow-up: if so, did anybody ever ask, "So what happens if he doesn’t win enough? Do we just let the f**ker die or what?"

I mean, even by Gazza’s standards this seems more than a tad crass

James Plaskett · Post by **James Plaskett** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:42 pm

Here´s a chess question, echoed two weeks later on the German show -

https://en.chessbase.com/post/who-wants ... e-part-two

´Nigel Short´ was once the answer to an early question on the UK show, too.

Parfitt and Rossi from Status Quo actually got WRONG their first question - "How many knights are there on a chess board at the start of the game?"
But, they were playing for charity, so the company covered that up.

Don´t laugh: I made up my mind that I would take particular care on any chess-related question.
And the Millionaire? winner, Keppel, when partnered by England goalie, Seaman, got wrong a question before the 1,000 Quid point.
That too was covered up.

A lot of these charity shows are rigged.
But, as I´ve posted at quiz fora: if it is a CHARITY show well, who cares?
If some poor bastard gets found guilty of being signalled by coughs to the million when in fact he won it perfectly fairly... well.. that´s something else entirely.

You may see whole galleries of celebs on the US version, and they hardly ever fail to reach 250K.

Here´s more re Kasparov, Sñr Bryant -

http://www.chessintranslation.com/2011/ ... -kasparov/

Jonathan Bryant · Post by **Jonathan Bryant** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:55 pm

James Plaskett wrote: Here´s more re Kasparov, Sñr Bryant -

http://www.chessintranslation.com/2011/ ... -kasparov/

Thanks.

And sitting in the studio were the children who needed our help – a brother and sister with a heart defect who needed an immediate operation. In such moments you feel an enormous responsibility ....

To which I can only say, bloody hell. Garry Kasparov: he’ll make a game show out of your crisis.

Gary Kenworthy · Post by **Gary Kenworthy** » Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:20 pm

coughing stories today in several papers and media. e.g.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l?ITO=1490

From a Beds County Chess Player
(BTW: I played a 229 grade at Bedford chess.club. a week ago in the Corden Trophy.

Gary Kenworthy · Post by **Gary Kenworthy** » Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:44 pm

Patron Saints: A St Anton is a type of boxwood and ebony chess set, Check out bookstalls and chess set and catalogues
Jim knows Luton (South Beds) and thus Mad hatters and Mercury.-- (I will not tell you his joke!!) - they have St. Philip
On the show: -- GM Stuart Conquest told me the cameras pointed at him, as the guy in the audience -- so he was technically a GM "on the show".
Andrew Ledger (two GM norms) I believe last played for Beds in the close final against Norfolk, Minor Counties Final. Pushed everybody down a board and assisted in narrow last few seconds victory for Bedfordshire. Now of course he is with Yorkshire CCA (Sheffield)
GM Mariotti is news to me. - -Thank you. Although many Italians in Bedford and Bedfordshire because of the WWII ePoW camps and then the brick workers. - Very high-ish density of Italians which then attracted more Italians.

MJMcCready · Post by **MJMcCready** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 9:10 pm

Gary Kenworthy wrote: ↑
Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:44 pm
Patron Saints: A St Anton is a type of boxwood and ebony chess set, Check out bookstalls and chess set and catalogues
Jim knows Luton (South Beds) and thus Mad hatters and Mercury.-- (I will not tell you his joke!!) - they have St. Philip
On the show: -- GM Stuart Conquest told me the cameras pointed at him, as the guy in the audience -- so he was technically a GM "on the show".
Andrew Ledger (two GM norms) I believe last played for Beds in the close final against Norfolk, Minor Counties Final. Pushed everybody down a board and assisted in narrow last few seconds victory for Bedfordshire. Now of course he is with Yorkshire CCA (Sheffield)
GM Mariotti is news to me. - -Thank you. Although many Italians in Bedford and Bedfordshire because of the WWII ePoW camps and then the brick workers. - Very high-ish density of Italians which then attracted more Italians.

Mr. Habershon remembers Paolo Mariotti very well. He played for Vauxhall A, where his brother worked who rated about 180 at the time.

Paul Habershon · Post by **Paul Habershon** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:37 pm

Yes, he was known as 'the weak Mariotti'.

Christopher Kreuzer · Post by **Christopher Kreuzer** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:48 pm

Paul Habershon wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:37 pm
Yes, he was known as 'the weak Mariotti'.

Am confused now. Earlier in the thread:

MJMcCready wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 16, 2017 9:10 pm
Mr. Habershon remembers Paolo Mariotti very well. He played for Vauxhall A, where his brother worked who rated about 180 at the time.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑
Thu Sep 29, 2016 1:04 am
Yes just one homegrown GM. We did have GM Mariotti play in the Beds. League in the 70s for a short while but he was from Italy of course. Paul Habershon played him a few times. His brother Paolo lived in Luton and worked as an engineer at SKF.

The Italian GM is presumably Sergio Mariotti (born 1946), who became a GM in 1974. The brother is Paolo Mariotti (around 180 ECF?), is that right? It is Paolo who played for Vauxhall A (not Sergio)? And it is Sergio who turned out a few times in the Bedfordshire League (presumably also for Vauxhall A)? Or are these details wrong and need clarifying?

(It would be a bit much to try and identify all the non-ENG players above a certain strength who played in England in the pre-digital grading list days, but having some idea of visiting GMs might be worthwhile, though some players would be pre-GM strength and become GMs later).

Roger de Coverly · Post by **Roger de Coverly** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:28 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:48 pm
It is Paolo who played for Vauxhall A (not Sergio)? And it is Sergio who turned out a few times in the Bedfordshire League (presumably also for Vauxhall A)?

I think they both played. I'm not sure if they were ever both resident, but they both visited. My memory is that it was the non-GM who was living here, but Bedfordshire witnesses would know better. I think Sergio had some association with the Bayswater club in London.

MJMcCready · Post by **MJMcCready** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:55 pm

Paolo was an engineer and his brother Sergio played for one season for Vauxhall. Maia Chiburdanidzealso played in Bedfordshire in the late 70's. I did speak to Sergio about all this a few years back but he informed me that he had such trouble with his heart that he is unable to remember much at all about his time in England. His results and games were reported locally on many occasions but sadly I do not have access to all my materials at present.

MJMcCready · Post by **MJMcCready** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:03 pm

There is some evidence here concerning Mariotti. Regarding Maia Chiburdanidze, I would need to be back home to attend to that but cannot arrange that until next summer at the earliest.

Paul Habershon · Post by **Paul Habershon** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 11:30 am

Re: Would you like to become a millionaire?

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:48 pm

Paul Habershon wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:37 pm
Yes, he was known as 'the weak Mariotti'.

Am confused now. Earlier in the thread:

MJMcCready wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2017 9:10 pm
Mr. Habershon remembers Paolo Mariotti very well. He played for Vauxhall A, where his brother worked who rated about 180 at the time.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2016 1:04 am
Yes just one homegrown GM. We did have GM Mariotti play in the Beds. League in the 70s for a short while but he was from Italy of course. Paul Habershon played him a few times. His brother Paolo lived in Luton and worked as an engineer at SKF.

The Italian GM is presumably Sergio Mariotti (born 1946), who became a GM in 1974. The brother is Paolo Mariotti (around 180 ECF?), is that right? It is Paolo who played for Vauxhall A (not Sergio)? And it is Sergio who turned out a few times in the Bedfordshire League (presumably also for Vauxhall A)? Or are these details wrong and need clarifying?

Just to set the record straight in this chess backwater: I have checked my records and found that I have never played GM Sergio Mariotti. I did play his brother Paolo just once. I append the game below as much for posting practice as anything else.

My most frequent opponent in matches for Bedford Modern School v Vauxhall Luton was Paul Tessaromatis, one of the legion of 'whatever happened to him?' players from the past. Ah! Vauxhall Luton and Vauxhall Dunstable! Just two of the now defunct works teams in the Beds. League. I expect similar teams have folded all over the country. They often had excellent premises and a bar.