Search found 698 matches

by Paul Habershon
Tue Sep 29, 2026 6:48 am
Forum: International News
Topic: 2026 Chess Olympiad
Replies: 644
Views: 25899

Re: 2026 Chess Olympiad

Bodhana and Aga were on at the end of tonight's BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00326q4 Pleasant report and accurate apart from the reference to eight wins from eleven matches instead of eight points from eleven games. Clearer would be 'undefeated with x wins and x draws from her eleven...
by Paul Habershon
Fri Sep 11, 2026 9:44 pm
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: Pedants United
Replies: 534
Views: 111222

Re: Pedants United

It depends to some extent on the person's accent. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+pronounce+bayeux+in+french&oq=how+to+pronounce+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgYIAhAjGCcyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgAQyBwgKEAAYgA...
by Paul Habershon
Fri Sep 11, 2026 6:13 pm
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: Pedants United
Replies: 534
Views: 111222

Re: Pedants United

Grating news:
I have heard broadcasters mispronouncing Bayeux as 'bio'.

Also a BBC reporter outside the Tapestry exhibition yesterday told us we couldn't 'underestimate' the interest. I think she meant 'overestimate'.
by Paul Habershon
Wed Aug 26, 2026 2:58 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Leaving the board without resigning
Replies: 79
Views: 4755

Re: Leaving the board without resigning

I am so pleased to have a won position that it doesn't worry me in the slightest if my opponent delays resignation or engages in other provocative behaviour. It is important to remain scrupulously polite, smile and shake hands as usual if the opponent is still present at flag fall. The stress of dep...
by Paul Habershon
Wed Aug 19, 2026 9:51 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Media comments on chess
Replies: 6636
Views: 1157936

Re: Media comments on chess

On Monday 17th August The Times had a lengthy page 3 feature on Bodhana, including a picture of her British Women's playoff game v Trisha Kanyamarala, again erroneously captioned as 14 years old. There was also a leading article on the current popularity of chess. Today, 19th August, there is a lett...
by Paul Habershon
Mon Jul 27, 2026 3:21 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Chess Champions as Cabinet Ministers
Replies: 15
Views: 2338

Re: Chess Champions as Cabinet Ministers

Angela Eagle was responsible for changing the female British champion title to "Womens" from "Ladies". She persuaded Stewart Reuben to do this at the 2008 British Championships at Liverpool. I think it was at the Liverpool 2008 prizegiving that I was impressed by Angela Eagle's impromptu speech in ...
by Paul Habershon
Tue Jul 21, 2026 11:46 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Judith Polgar
Replies: 8
Views: 1180

Re: Judith Polgar

Judit as President would have been good for the sanctioning of Dvorkovich and weakening Kirsan Ilyumzhinov's bid to resume as FIDE President (proposed by the Russian Chess Federation). CHESS magazine reports: The EU is once again considering sanctioning the FIDE president...Mr Dvorkovich was listed ...
by Paul Habershon
Sat Jul 11, 2026 11:49 pm
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: England at the world cup
Replies: 32
Views: 3619

Re: England at the world cup

England v Norway at 81.56 on the football clock. Fairly sure I just saw camera pick out Magnus in the crowd. No remark by commentator.
by Paul Habershon
Wed Jul 01, 2026 9:33 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Team selection
Replies: 46
Views: 13117

Re: Team selection

Widening this thread to a team selection problem for a club with several league teams. Take a club with five teams, A to E, in a small league with two divisions of 7 and 8 teams, five boards each. The A and B teams are in Division One, selected in rating order, no problem. The controversial topic is...
by Paul Habershon
Tue Jun 30, 2026 11:40 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The new number 2?
Replies: 15
Views: 2391

Re: The new number 2?

When chess friends meet up and play something other than chess together, what is most commonly played? Is it golf? I think bridge must be one of the most likely, with golf up there too. I am partnering a fellow chess club member at a bridge club this evening though he is not my regular partner. By ...
by Paul Habershon
Sat Jun 27, 2026 11:04 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The song remains the same.
Replies: 18
Views: 2596

Re: The song remains the same.

If we do enjoy chess it is curious that, unlike most enjoyable activities, we are hoping it will be over as soon as possible, in our favour of course. Perhaps the enjoyment comes from the winning glow which may well last longer than the game.
by Paul Habershon
Sun Jun 21, 2026 6:53 am
Forum: Seniors Chess
Topic: English Senior Chess Championships past winners
Replies: 5
Views: 3978

English Senior Chess Championships past winners

It seems difficult to find a list of past English Senior chess champions. The ECF website's history starts only in 2019. I am fairly sure that the first champion was Andrew Whiteley in 2008 in the 0-60 tournament organised by Neil Graham at the Izaak Walton Hotel in Derbyshire. Subsequently the comp...
by Paul Habershon
Mon Jun 08, 2026 7:45 pm
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Malcolm John Lightfoot (1950-2026)
Replies: 2
Views: 1879

Re: Malcolm John Lightfoot (1950-2026)

Here is Malcolm beating me in a British Championship Qualifying Zone in the days when games were arranged privately, usually at the home of one of the players. The other participants were N S Cooper, K G Hyde, G Nicholas, F Parr, R Webb. I believe Frank Parr once held the record for appearances in t...
by Paul Habershon
Tue May 26, 2026 12:51 pm
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: Musical satire
Replies: 1
Views: 1342

Musical satire

I like this sort of thing:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 2Hn2IGV6Y2

You may need to click an icon on the right to get the sound going.
by Paul Habershon
Tue May 26, 2026 6:16 am
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Chess history trivia
Replies: 2596
Views: 317187

Re: Chess history trivia

John Clarke wrote: ↑
Mon May 25, 2026 10:43 pm
Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑
Mon May 25, 2026 9:08 am
Apart from the interest in Patrick Moore,

(And while we're at it: the chairman's full surname was Caldwell-Moore - I wonder when and why he chose to drop the double-barrel?)
Reminds me of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Caldwell