Media comments on chess

[JustinHorton]

The plight of the LibDems was compared to zugzwang today by Sharon Bowles ex-MEP. Whatever move the LibDems play makes their position worse, she said (I was quite impressed by her knowledge).

She may have picked up the term from her husband, who used to play a bit.

[Steve Rooney]

From Mark Steel's lively comment piece on The Independent website today:

"But a fleeting glance at history suggests that trying to be as firm on immigration as parties set up to oppose immigration isn’t likely to work, just as a chess club won’t gain many new members if it says that “football appears to be more popular than our game. But we can overtake their popularity if we kick the pieces across the table, and if a pawn’s taken we surround the referee and insist it dived outside the square”. But that’s how it seems Labour and the Conservatives are set to challenge the threat of Ukip."

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 54058.html

[Gordon Cadden]

I found this is a junk shop.



I've reproduced the story inside here:

http://www.redhotpawn.com/blog/blogread ... postid=168

The last occasion that I purchased the Eagle comic, was in 1953. Whatever happened to Dan Dare, and his battles with the Mekon ? Can I have an update please.

[JustinHorton]

I'm pretty sure Dan Dare was in the Eagle when it relaunched.

[Lewis Martin]

A young player in the news: (courtesy of BCM Chess who posted this on Facebook)

http://www.courier.co.uk/Tonbridge-chil ... story.html

I can see in terms of a local aspect, it is nice to see various achievements of people locally, but do they actually help that player? Particularly in terms of peers.

When I was younger, and about the same age as Freddie, I did have a few articles about me in the local paper, and even somehow managed to be in the Times once. Although I was still good at that age, it was probably over-exaggerated at secondary and personally was bullied for a little while: a possible contribution to me not really that bothered with chess after 12 years old.

Nowadays of course, I have picked up the game more partly with some ambitions (e.g. World Deaf Champion), though probably would have given it up if it wasn't for a local league club being at my school.

Another thing: I see that John Emms is now tutoring him, is this normal now? You could argue that while it helps encouraging youngsters to improve at a young age, what about the other 11 year olds? I see that in the article that Freddie won the London Junior U12s.

While I was U12 in the London Juniors, it was myself against Callum Kilpatrick in the final round to play for winning this. Callum eventually won and represented England in the World Youth Championships. Earlier on in the year at the British Championships, I was actually unbeaten 3rd only to the Indian winner and Eugene Geidelberg who managed to sneak into second without playing the two Indians (Prasanna Rao is now an IM last time I looked, and Fenil Shah who seems to not play much nowadays).

My point is that I am worried about other youngsters who also are good young talents, but are not picked up on as much due to one particular tournament success: while I agree to an extent that the major youth tournaments tend to have stronger players in them, more talented youngsters should be given a chance for good coaching not just by GMs: some IM's are also good too, Lorin D'Costa comes to mind, working with Joshua Altman.

I am not begrudging Callum at all, more the youth selectors back then, who never selected me for any of these European/World Youth events and that other talented players should be given chances too.

Later on, while U14 I won the U16 National Junior Squad, despite losing interest in the game, (indeed I seriously considered giving it up earlier that year, and only played in it due to visiting/staying over at a friend's house) which prompted someone to ask me about the possibility of going to Dubai only to subsequently find that I was born in '91 and not '92 for the FIDE U14. It is somewhat a little narrow-minded don't you think? One good tournament = playing for England?

I appreciate that in this current economic climate, funding is getting harder to come by, but coaching should not be limited to just one player. More stronger youngsters competing against each other will likely lead to more stronger players of the same age group overall.

[Roger de Coverly]

Another thing: I see that John Emms is now tutoring him, is this normal now? You could argue that while it helps encouraging youngsters to improve at a young age, what about the other 11 year olds?

That's usually down to parents being willing to pay and increasingly it is becoming the norm. There's rather more people as potential coaches as well. It's not really showing in a vintage crop of new IMs and GMs unlike the dim and distant past when Nigel, Julian, Mickey etc. were the prodigies.

[Ian Kingston]

Chess and boxing (definitely not chess boxing):

The fight was beautifully poised at the moment of impact but it had been far more a chess match than a repeat of last November’s memorable slugfest.

Independent report on the Froch-Groves fight.

I think what irritates me about this lazy comparison is that chess has its equivalent of the slugfest, but sports writers think that all games of chess are cautious affairs. In reality, any game of chess could probably be compared with a boxing match - you just have to find a game and a fight of similar styles ('similar' being very much a subjective judgement of course).

I didn't watch Froch-Groves, but from reports it sounds like Groves overlooked a mate in one in a slightly worse position.

[Lewis Martin]

I think what irritates me about this lazy comparison is that chess has its equivalent of the slugfest, but sports writers think that all games of chess are cautious affairs. In reality, any game of chess could probably be compared with a boxing match - you just have to find a game and a fight of similar styles ('similar' being very much a subjective judgement of course).

I'm still waiting to hear a comparison of Barcelona vs Real Madrid in a chess game: Carlsen vs Nakamura

Carlsen playing tika-taka football building up to a win while Nakamura does a lot of counter-attacking football.

Of course, Carlsen wouldn't like this as he is a Real Madrid fan.

Simon Williams made a comparison once of how a chess game was like a game of football. I have not heard any other commentator say anything like that since.

[Roger de Coverly]

Simon Williams made a comparison once of how a chess game was like a game of football. I have not heard any other commentator say anything like that since.

The "missing an open goal" or "shooting wide" metaphors are used relatively frequently. That's where someone builds up an attack only to miss the critical and perhaps simple winning idea at the end. One of the Nakamura games against Carlsen was like that although the ideas were simple only to the commentating chess engines.

[Stewart Reuben]

The statement that a football match was like a game of chess is very common. Of course it is not. e.g. it is not a game of two halves.

[David Shepherd]

The statement that a football match was like a game of chess is very common. Of course it is not. e.g. it is not a game of two halves.

It is sometimes if you play in the Surrey league .

Although to be fair I guess it is different as in football you don't give the teams the option to decide not to play the second half and instead let the referee decide the outcome of the match based on the first half

[Nick Grey]

It's tough in the Surrey league. I've worn my shin pads after footie training for certain games.

I recall some years (20+) ago via football media of a Norway international player also being a GM at chess. So that will give Magnus something else to think about.

Anyway watching England play football 8pm ish & there is 100% certainty of a chess related comment in either half.

[NickFaulks]

I recall some years (20+) ago via football media of a Norway international player also being a GM at chess. So that will give Magnus something else to think about.

That was Simen Agdestein, currently playing with Carlsen in the Norway elite tournament.

[Chris Rice]

There is a vandal spray painting chess pieces all over Devizes (Wiltshire). If this is an initiative by the new ECF Commercial Director then good work Bob.

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/1 ... es_vandal/

[Jonathan Bryant]

There is a vandal spray painting chess pieces all over Devizes (Wiltshire). If this is an initiative by the new ECF Commercial Director then good work Bob.

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/1 ... es_vandal/

A crime for Chief Inspector R.D. Keene to crack, surely?