The professions of chess players

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Chris J Greatorix
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The professions of chess players

Post by Chris J Greatorix » Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:36 pm

As a mere outsider to the game, I wonder what professions would suit strong ECF 180+ chess players? The skills of a good chess player seem to be:
1) Problem solving
2) Forward thinking
3) dealing with time pressure

Doctor? Solicitor? Teacher? Banker? (Mcshane) Binman? Engineer? Lecturer? Librarian?

I suppose it depends on the person itself, since we cannot assign one type of person to the game of chess.

John Moore
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by John Moore » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:03 pm

Hi Chris

I first raised this in August 2009 - see page 14 of General Chat under "What do you do for a living". No reason why you should know this, of course, but if it helps you to start off what I thought and still think is a good thread - I am still a consultant for a logistics company and Geoff Chandler is still with the circus :lol:

Paul Cooksey

Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Paul Cooksey » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:09 pm

John Moore wrote:"What do you do for a living"
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=997
Chris J Greatorix wrote:Doctor? Solicitor? Teacher? Banker? (Mcshane) Binman? Engineer? Lecturer? Librarian?
I think you have missed the two most common; IT and accountancy.
Chris J Greatorix wrote:strong ECF 180+ chess players
Strong is ECF 182+. (a number to be set arbitrarily by me annually, based on the grade of another member of the forum who passed his O level maths a year younger than me).

John Moore
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by John Moore » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:11 pm

And so what are you then, Paul. oh and thanks for doing the link properly.

Paul Cooksey

Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Paul Cooksey » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:26 pm

John Moore wrote:And so what are you then, Paul. oh and thanks for doing the link properly.
IT for a healthcare multinational. I used to have proper SAP skills, although now I provide technology agnostic leadership. Hopefully. On the good days, anyway.

In the UK we have another FM in marketing, which I guess is unusual, and had an IM in audit, which I suppose is more common.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:00 am

Haven't people had several careers? Surely that is the norm? For me at least 3. In the SCCU Jamboree one year a 10 player team of Chemists was formed. Dr John Cornforth would have been the most illustrious. He won the Nobel Prize.

Paul Cooksey >In the UK we have another FM in marketing, which I guess is unusual,<

A chessplayer who works in marketing would be very valuable. If you could supply his contact details to me or, if reluctant to do that, pass the message on, I would be most greatful. You could also write privately to me.

[email protected] ECF Marketing Director

Geoff Chandler
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:40 am

I've quit the circus, they threw me out for clowning around.

I am applying to become the chess correspondent for the News of the World.

kishanpattni
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by kishanpattni » Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:10 am

I'm a below 180 player. I work as a postman. From my lifestyle it is difficult to find the amount of time I would like to dedicate to chess. I guess this might be common for physically exhausting professions. I wonder how many titled players there are in royal mail?

LozCooper

Re: The professions of chess players

Post by LozCooper » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:38 am

kishanpattni wrote:I'm a below 180 player. I work as a postman. From my lifestyle it is difficult to find the amount of time I would like to dedicate to chess. I guess this might be common for physically exhausting professions. I wonder how many titled players there are in royal mail?
Jim Plaskett was spotted working in a Post Office in Bedford many years ago when Andrew Ledger had to drop a parcel off :shock:

Paul Dargan
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Paul Dargan » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:16 am

I used to work in Royal Mail and there were remarkably few strong chess players for such a large organisation (160,000+) - Royal Mail/ Post Office stopped playing in the Civil Service type events I think because of lack of team ... there were some very strong bridge players in the Old Street offices though (Jerry Cope being the most obvious example)

Paul

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John Upham
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by John Upham » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:22 am

kishanpattni wrote: I wonder how many titled players there are in royal mail?
I believe that there is a FM who works for Royal Mail in the Bourne End area but I might be out of date...
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

Stewart Reuben
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Stewart Reuben » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:35 am

I wonder how many titled players there are in royal mail?

Prince William is/was a chessplayer.

Stewart Reuben

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:17 pm

"I guess this might be common for physically exhausting professions. I wonder how many titled players there are in royal mail?"

Going back a bit I know, but RJ Broadbent was quite good... But what his job in GPO was, I don't know. More recently Andrew Law played for PO. PO take on loads of people at Christmas for temporary jobs, so there are probably some strong players then.
"Kevin was the arbiter and was very patient. " Nick Grey

cjdemooi
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by cjdemooi » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:04 pm

Warren Kingston wrote:
Geoff Chandler wrote:I've quit the circus, they threw me out for clowning around.

I am applying to become the chess correspondent for the News of the World.
Geoff if you get the position, you would more than likely start with a blank board.
...or a blank cheque book...

I was 170 strength at my height but didn't work when I was playing. Now I'm an actor (as well as a rather silly quizzer) but don't play any more...

Geoff Chandler
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Re: The professions of chess players

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:23 pm

My mobile hacking kit has arrived along with a form I have to sign saying I never received it.

Have successfully hacked in the president of FIDE's mobile.

He is sending and receiving messages from someone called Zorg on the planet Milo.
Apparently invasion is imminent. I'll keep you updated.

I'm an air traffic controller.

Once I manged to solve the 8 Queens problem.
(put 8 Queens on the board with none attacking each other)

With 8 planes in the sky above Edinburgh with none crashing into each other.

Image

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