Media comments on chess

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Ian Thompson
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Ian Thompson » Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:30 pm

Arkady Dvorkovich was interviewed on HARDtalk last night and the subject of his candidacy for the FIDE Presidency came up - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswj8y.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Sep 13, 2018 8:48 pm

"The programme is being televised on Tuesday 4th September at 9.00 p.m on BBC 4.
The programme is called “ The Joy of AI”."

This also featured Demis Hassabis talking on AI. Amusingly, one of the AI experts said that the biggest threat to the future did not come from artificial intelligence, but real stupidity.

The next programme was a collection of clips from old "Horizon"s, which also featured computer chess.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Sep 14, 2018 9:17 am

Ian Thompson wrote:
Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:30 pm
Arkady Dvorkovich was interviewed on HARDtalk last night and the subject of his candidacy for the FIDE Presidency came up - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswj8y.
It's quite an interesting programme. The FIDE stuff comes up in the last five minutes (Sackur talks about the controversy as to whether diplomatic support for Dvorkovich contravenes the IOC guidelines to which FIDE are signed up) but it's worth listening in full.
"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: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sat Sep 15, 2018 12:30 am

Ad on TV briefly seen.
For Pro-Biotics. Several little years and what they develop into. One i playing chess and becomes a lawyer.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:03 am

Leonard Barden wrote:
Sat Sep 01, 2018 11:21 am
An Athenaeum CC member who reads my columns sent me the item below. Could be interesting. How much of the chess club filming will survive into the actual programme ?

Athenaeum Chess Club on TV next Tuesday 4 September at 9.00 p.m on BBC 4
The BBC came to the Athenaeum Chess Club a couple of months ago. They were doing a programme on
Artificial Intelligence.
They brought a computer that Alan Turing used in 1948, and one of our members Olivia Smith, beat the computer a few times.
The BBC spent the entire evening with us, filming members playing chess with each other. The programme is being televised on Tuesday 4th September at 9.00 p.m on BBC 4.
The programme is called “ The Joy of AI”.
Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 8:48 pm

This also featured Demis Hassabis talking on AI. Amusingly, one of the AI experts said that the biggest threat to the future did not come from artificial intelligence, but real stupidity.

The next programme was a collection of clips from old "Horizon"s, which also featured computer chess.
The programme is worth watching in full, very interesting (it is presented by Jim Al-Khalili): The Joy of AI.

Collection of BBC TV on AI is at AI TV on BBC 4.1. I think the old Horizon documentaries Kevin referred to that featured chess are at The Horizon Guide to AI.

Watching both now. Might post back here later if anything chess-related is worth noting.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:55 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:03 am

Watching both now.
Simultaneously, like David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth?
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:46 am

JustinHorton wrote:
Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:55 am
Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:03 am

Watching both now.
Simultaneously, like David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth?
Sadly not. :D

The chess bit did feature Athenaeum Chess Club (those who have been there will recognise the playing room).

It runs from 07:25 to 11:35, and Nick Pert (I think) is one of the chess players there (unless it was Richard Pert?). The documentary presenter (Jim Al-Khalili) sat in the club playing room (Dudley Court, Tenants' Hall, 36 Endell Street) and spoke to the camera about Alan Turing's early work on chess programmes. He then used TuroChamp (Turing's chess programme) on a laptop against "seasoned club player Olivia", who as expected won the game.

That was the extent of the footage of the chess club. Chess featured briefly again when Demis Hassabis and the Deep Mind and AlphaGo programme was brought in to the narrative. Nothing about Intel and Kasparov's loss to the Deep Blue chess computer. Demis Hassabis spoke three times, I think, at: 13:55 to 14:35 (on machine learning in general); and 37:10 to 39:00 (on AlphaGo and the potential application of AI to medicine and science research); and 55:05 to 55:30 (on how AI can't yet compare to the amazing learning capabilities of 2-year-old humans).

One of the best bits of the programme was when the presenter was conversing with the conversational robot Alana, both in the programme itself (47:50 to 53:55) and in the credits at the end (58:30 to 59:00). Both funny and impressive in almost equal measure.

It is difficult to disagree with the presenter's conclusion that: "The evolution of machines that think must surely be one of the greatest developments in human history".

(Tempered earlier in the programme by the quote from I. J. Good that the first ultraintelligent machine [capable of inventing even more intelligent machines] will be the last invention humans need to make.)

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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:57 pm

"He then used TuroChamp (Turing's chess programme) on a laptop against "seasoned club player Olivia", who as expected won the game."

It's worth noting that Alan Turing wasn't being incredibly optimistic with the name there - his colleague was "David Champernowne", so he included both their names in the title.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Sun Sep 16, 2018 12:52 pm

Tuesday morning the 18th September 01:05 - 04:00 Channel 4. 'The Chess Players.'

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sun Sep 16, 2018 2:31 pm

Geoff >Tuesday morning the 18th September 01:05 - 04:00 Channel 4. 'The Chess Players.'<

Actually 01.55-04.00. Directed by Satyajit Ray 1978 it is quite a good film. Richard Attenborough is the main Western star. Saeed jaffrey and Sanjeev Kumar the main protagonists. They play the pre-15th Century version of the game incessantly, while the British are taking over the country in the 1850s.

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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:23 am

Friday 21 September BROOKLYN CASTLE to be broadcast on PBS America 8pm. Informtion obtained from Sunday Times Culture.
This is one of the sub-genre films about chess in a US juior high school.
it was made in 2012 and I have never seen it. but how do i get to see it and hopefully record it to add to my collection? I see no evidence that I can get it on my TV.

Answering my own query a few minutes later. PBS America is on
Virgin 276. Sky 160. Freeview 94.

Two completely separate chess films from two continentsshown in one week!

Ian Thompson
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Sep 21, 2018 6:57 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:23 am
Friday 21 September BROOKLYN CASTLE to be broadcast on PBS America 8pm.

Answering my own query a few minutes later. PBS America is on
Virgin 276. Sky 160. Freeview 94.
9 pm tonight according to the Freeview TV guide.

NickFaulks
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:57 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 6:57 pm
9 pm tonight according to the Freeview TV guide.
Thanks for the tip, but does anyone actually get Freeview 94? We're supposed to but we don't.
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Ian Thompson
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:13 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:57 pm
Ian Thompson wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 6:57 pm
9 pm tonight according to the Freeview TV guide.
Thanks for the tip, but does anyone actually get Freeview 94? We're supposed to but we don't.
I do.

Brian Towers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Brian Towers » Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:39 pm

Alastair Campbell quoting Garry Kasparov in a tweet.
This is pathetic Barry. This is the most serious set of decisions in modern times and you suggest the official position is to sit it out rather than lead and show alternative. ‘Waiting for your opponent to fail does not amount to a strategy’ - @Kasparov63
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.