Media comments on chess

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Tim Spanton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Tim Spanton » Sun Apr 26, 2020 10:49 pm

"It's turned into a real chess match, hasn't it?" Harry Pinero, commenting on Diogo Jota v Lys Mousset, ePremier League Invitational quarterfinal.

https://beauchess.blogspot.com/

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:31 am

I watched that 'Bobby Fischer Live' a few days ago.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bobby_fischer_live

It's awful.

The gist is Bobby wanted and needed his dad so much that chess became the substitute and the game talked to him like a father .
(you can hear the game speaking to him during the film every time he has a crisis). This drove Bobby insane.

A low budget is obvious. They use the stair well outside Bobby's New York flat as the same location for his lodgings in Reykjavik.

As expected a lot of the chess scenes are wrong. This sites nit-pickers (I won't point them out - they know who they are.)
would have enough to keep them happy for months. Bobby is White in the box room game. In another scene he opens 1.e3.
(too my ever lasting regret I never went to Iceland in 1972. Did they really have pictures of previous World Chess Champions on the toilet walls?)

The makers seem to have scoured the net for Bobby Fischer myths and cobbled them together into a mish-mash of a film with bits of chess in it.

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John Upham
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by John Upham » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:24 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:31 am
I watched that 'Bobby Fischer Live' a few days ago.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bobby_fischer_live

It's awful.

The gist is Bobby wanted and needed his dad so much that chess became the substitute and the game talked to him like a father .
(you can hear the game speaking to him during the film every time he has a crisis). This drove Bobby insane.

A low budget is obvious. They use the stair well outside Bobby's New York flat as the same location for his lodgings in Reykjavik.

As expected a lot of the chess scenes are wrong. This sites nit-pickers (I won't point them out - they know who they are.)
would have enough to keep them happy for months. Bobby is White in the box room game. In another scene he opens 1.e3.
(too my ever lasting regret I never went to Iceland in 1972. Did they really have pictures of previous World Chess Champions on the toilet walls?)

The makers seem to have scoured the net for Bobby Fischer myths and cobbled them together into a mish-mash of a film with bits of chess in it.

What is your opinion of "Bobby Fischer vs the Rest of the World" by Brad Darrach ?
Last edited by John Upham on Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:58 pm

Geoff Chandler >Did they really have pictures of previous World Chess Champions on the toilet walls?<

The last time I saw, or spoke, to Bobby was in Reykjavik 1972. I don't remember there being posters of previous World Champions on the walls of toilets that I frequented. That is not the same as saying they were not there. By the time i chatted to Bobby he was well in the lead and perfectly affable.

I had not heard of this film before, but was unable to order a copy today.

John, i don't remember much about "Bobby Fischer vs the Rest of the World by Brad Darrach ? I don't think it shed much light.

There is little doubt that Bobby was severely affected by the lack of a relationship with his biological father. Did he only find out who that was as an adult? Like most people, I just assumed he was Jewish.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:54 pm

Hi John,

Thought ' "Bobby Fischer vs the Rest of the World' was OK and 'Pawn Sacrifice' and 'Closing Gambit.' No real complaints, enjoyed all three.'

Pawn Sacrifice' took a liberty here and there which was a tad annoying because in the scene where Fischer shows Lombardy how he
could have beaten Petrosian is spot on. The dates match, the position is the same and the variation Fischer gives is sound and plausible.

My Review here including the analysis from the scene I mentioned.

https://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blog/l ... ogpost.281

(The film really was given to me on a USB stick by a girl from the office and although a non-player she did enjoy it. )

So they did have a chess person involved behind the scenes in 'Sacrifice', It is a pity they got other easily corrected chess bits wrong .

But this 'Bobby Fischer Live' was as I said; 'awful.' and inaccurate, Unless of course after game one in the '72 match Bobby collapsed on
the toilet floor (the toilet with pictures of previous World Chess Champions on the wall ) hearing the voice of Chess telling him to get up.
Here I must be honest and admit it was not long after that I switched off. I could not stand it any longer.

Hi Stewart,

I watched it on Amazon Prime after the kids came round and set it up for us (me and Mrs C.) for extra viewing during the lock down.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:55 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:54 pm

Thought ' "Bobby Fischer vs the Rest of the World' was OK and 'Pawn Sacrifice' and 'Closing Gambit.' No real complaints, enjoyed all three.'
Tough competition as to which of Pawn Sacrifice and Closing Gambit is even worse than the other
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:21 pm

The May/June "Boundless" - the magazine for the Civil Service Motoring Association (although it is probably open to anybody these days, good for cheapish insurance, and days out in normal times) has 12 pieces of advice for what to do in lockdown, 1) Learn a new skill, 2) Catch up on box sets, 3) Blitz your odd jobs..... 11) Try online games "Chess, Scrabble, sudoku, bridge, bingo... there's an incredible range of games available online to help us keep our brains buzzing." (etc.)

Mick Norris
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Mick Norris » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:12 pm

GB Boxing
Zoom calls have become part of the weekly schedule and a chess league has even been set up between fighters and coaches
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:15 pm

Hi Justin,

I enjoyed both Pawn Sacrifice and Closing Gambit. I judge them that way because I was entertained.

Pitting them against 99% of the utter trash that is on daytime T.V. of which I've recently become acquainted they are magnificent.

(I really fell sorry for our long term unemployed. They have to watch this crap all the time all year round.)

Bobby Fischer Live is toe curling bad. Daytime T.V. material.
The trouble is none players will see it and will have this wrong one-sided view of Bobby Fischer.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:36 pm

This street was recently opened up in Edinburgh.

Image

It is named after me. (I am honoured.)

Image

more here: https://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blog/t ... se-mat.448

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:51 pm

Please post a photo of you by the street sign. Don't bother if it is too high!

Mike Gunn
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Mike Gunn » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:32 pm

Further to the Reykjavik 1972 query a colleague from Guildford Chess Club who was reporting on the match tells me he can't remember any posters in the toilets, either. However, he adds that this is the sort of detail he probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. He sent me a nice image of the original poster for the match which I will post on here (if somebody tells me how).

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:54 pm

Hi Stewart,

it's on the other side of the town. near the docks possibly where a Ships's Chandler stood.

I'll go after the lock down.

Neil Graham
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Neil Graham » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:01 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:36 pm
This street was recently opened up in Edinburgh.

Image

It is named after me. (I am honoured.)

Image

more here: https://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blog/t ... se-mat.448
Ravelli Flywheel?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel, ... d_Flywheel

Since when have Groucho & Chico been involved in street naming?

Simon Rogers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:27 am

I've just watched a repeat of last week's episode of "Have I got news for you". Does anyone else remember an episode from a few years ago which featured Chess Monthly in the guest publication round. I remember on the front cover it featured Jonathan Hawkins winning the British Chess Championships. I think the episode was presented by Alexander Armstrong but I can't be sure.