New in Chess - Nigel Short

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Post Reply
Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Feb 07, 2019 10:42 am

It appears that the New in Chess magazine has dropped Nigel as a columnist. He doesn't appear in the most recent edition and is reported to have announced his dismissal whilst at the Gibraltar tournament.

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

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Fri Feb 08, 2019 2:52 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Feb 07, 2019 10:42 am
... is reported to have announced his dismissal whilst at the Gibraltar tournament.
Do we know if ‘dismissal’ is quite the right word here?

By which i mean was Short sacked - because he did something to upset his employer or otherwise - or was the column just brought to an end, NiC deciding to move in another direction? The latter being pretty common if somewhat less dramatic

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Feb 08, 2019 3:30 pm

Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Fri Feb 08, 2019 2:52 pm
Do we know if ‘dismissal’ is quite the right word here?

My informant, who had been present at the Q&A session in Gibraltar phrased it as "Nigel said he'd been sacked".

There's a video embedded in the chessbase link below (one and half hours) which may throw some light.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/gibraltar ... festival-2

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

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:46 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Feb 08, 2019 3:30 pm
Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Fri Feb 08, 2019 2:52 pm
Do we know if ‘dismissal’ is quite the right word here?

My informant, who had been present at the Q&A session in Gibraltar phrased it as "Nigel said he'd been sacked".

There's a video embedded in the chessbase link below (one and half hours) which may throw some light.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/gibraltar ... festival-2
Thanks for the additional info. Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to check the video for a while.

Odd that Nige should not have mentioned it on his twitter feed yet. He’s not normally shy and retiring after all

User avatar
Allan Hodgkinson
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:55 pm

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Allan Hodgkinson » Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:52 pm

He’s now said “ A fear that my elevation to FIDE VP would constrain my independence, was the reason given.“

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5821
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:14 pm

"He’s now said “ A fear that my elevation to FIDE VP would constrain my independence, was the reason given.“ "

Ah, that would have been my guess...

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 am

Although I'd like to hear it (or indeed anything) from them.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Chris Rice
Posts: 3417
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:17 am

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Chris Rice » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:41 am

Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:46 pm
Odd that Nige should not have mentioned it on his twitter feed yet. He’s not normally shy and retiring after all
Nigel has referenced it on his twitter feed but I don't think anyone has put a link to it on this thread:

After eight years of entertaining and sometimes controversial columns, it is a pity that my services are no longer required."

and the quote that follows it is one that certainly expresses my view:

"Agree or disagree with his ideas, Nigel Short's column for @NewInChess was incisive and well-written. It's disappointing not to see it there anymore."Olimpiu Urcan

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

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:44 am

Chris Rice wrote:
Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:41 am
Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:46 pm
Odd that Nige should not have mentioned it on his twitter feed yet. He’s not normally shy and retiring after all
Nigel has referenced it on his twitter feed but I don't think anyone has put a link to it on this thread:
Thanks Chris

Looks like that got tweeted a couple of days after my post - although it didn’t come up on my feed at the time for some reason.

Nige, modest as ever, describing his own columns as “entertaining” I see. I haven’t subscribed for a while but actually I would agree that they often were.

There was also the odd moment of crass stupidity too of course. Still, personally I’d rather that mix than the bland devoid nothingness that often passes for journalism in chess mags.

Brian Towers
Posts: 1266
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 7:23 pm

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by Brian Towers » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:59 am

Allan Hodgkinson wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:52 pm
He’s now said “ A fear that my elevation to FIDE VP would constrain my independence, was the reason given.“
Presumably Judit Polgar's elevation to FIDE VP came too late (10th December) for her to be axed from the January edition of NiC. Will she be gone too in the March edition?
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:09 am

Ha ha good point
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

User avatar
John Clarke
Posts: 710
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:07 pm

Re: New in Chess - Nigel Short

Post by John Clarke » Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:40 pm

Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:44 am
I’d rather that mix than the bland devoid nothingness that often passes for journalism in chess mags.
Hear, hear! Opinions are always more entertaining than dry recitals of facts, even if you don't always agree with them (and as long as they don't get nasty or personal). That's my view, anyway. :)
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

Post Reply