Media comments on chess

[Simon Rogers]

Forgot to mention a couple of days ago.
Last Friday Children in Need on BBC1.
There was a paddle tennis sketch between Peter Crouch and Sir Andy Murray.
Andy introduced the child umpire to Peter and said she had Chess Club on Friday night.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Really strange report on Queen's Gambit (compare headline and text!)

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tv/queens-g ... e-23030826

[Gordon Morse]

Not so strange from the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertain ... s-54995676

This is currently no. 2 in the 'most watched' section of the BBC News website

[JustinHorton]

Alan Whittle of Everton plays chess with John Manning of Bolton Wanderers

[Gordon Morse]

Interview with Magnus Carlsen today's 'Guardian':

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... on-netflix

[Roger de Coverly]

There's an ad for a new gaming device called the Nintendo Switch which features a couple using the device to play chess against one another.

The screen appears to be about the same size as the traditional pocket set.

[Andy McCulloch]

The Switch was new in 2017.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Secret Scotland, presented by Susan Calman was in Lewis/Harris recently (Channel 5). She met Margaret McLeod (Weaver), Ken McLeod of McLeod and McLeod (black pudding shop), Jane McLeod (step dancer), but someone not called McLeod at Stornoway Museum to look at Lewis chess pieces "on loan from the British Museum" (hmm). If you just want to see chess pieces it's at about 32 minutes, available on My5.

[Alistair Campbell]

Probably MacLeod. (Admins - feel free to move to the Pedants' thread).

Since I'm here I should perhaps contribute my own tuppence worth with something I watched back at the beginning of lockdown, but which I can't trace.

I think it was an episode of "Coast", set on the south coast somewhere, where Neil Oliver (perhaps) found cause to board one of the expensive yachts moored thereabouts. The yacht had an inbuilt chess board - "look at the attention to detail" waxed Dr Oliver, although one particular detail appeared to have been overlooked...

[Stewart Reuben]

Sunday Times 22 November had 3 separate pieces about chess.
David Howell's usual column.
An interview with Judit Polgar in the main newspaper, comparing her with the main figure in Queen's Gambit.
In the magazine a two page spread about 'The Art of chess'. Marcel Duchamp, the famous painter/chessplayer, is alluded to.

Will ches be able to hold people's attention after the Covid crisis is over?

[Tim Spanton]

Ancient Warfare magazine vol XIV issue 2: "Working at a commercial development site at Northgate in [Chester}, archaeologists have made a fascinating discovery: a lozenge-shaped gaming piece. The piece was likely used in the game of Ludus Latrunculorum ... a two-player military strategy game, similar to chess or draughts."

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Probably MacLeod"

Yes - I think one of the subtitles was wrong and I believed it...

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Tim,

'Ludus Latrunculorum' yes good one (Ludo)

Was about to post it could be from ; 'Backus Backgamorum' or 'Snakus Ladderus.'

Googled it: Ludus Latrunculorum it is on the gen.

[NickFaulks]

Will chess be able to hold people's attention after the Covid crisis is over?

Possibly not, but it may be a very long time before we have to worry about that.

[JustinHorton]

'Snakus Ladderus.'

Serpentes et Scalae, I think, but I wouldn't back myself in a bet.