Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

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Neville Twitchell
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Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Neville Twitchell » Wed Dec 15, 2021 7:53 pm

Did anybody notice there was a chess question on Monday (13th December) evening's instalment of "Only Connect"?
One of the sequence questions went:- 'Classical', 'Rapid', at which point I was able to guess that it was a reference to chess time controls, and the 3rd and 4th in the sequence were therefore 'Blitz' and 'Bullet'. One of the teams was able to get the answer.

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Joey Stewart
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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Joey Stewart » Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:16 am

I hate that show, that's is simply no way anyone could possibly have the in depth knowledge on every subject imaginable that they seem to demand of their contestants - unless it is someone's specialist subject on mastermind chess questions should never be more then knowing about the pieces, the squares on the board and maybe the names of a few world champions
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Neville Twitchell » Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:27 am

Joey Stewart wrote:
Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:16 am
I hate that show, that's is simply no way anyone could possibly have the in depth knowledge on every subject imaginable that they seem to demand of their contestants - unless it is someone's specialist subject on mastermind chess questions should never be more then knowing about the pieces, the squares on the board and maybe the names of a few world champions
What are you suggesting? That the contestants are somehow being fed the answers? I agree that the knowledge of esoteric subjects often dispayed by the contestants is remarkable but I don't believe there is anything dodgy going on.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:28 am

Early in the run of Only Connect some year's ago, one of the questions was, 'What is the next letter in the sequence R N B Q? The team being asked the question didn't get the right answer K, B. The name of the team was 'The chess players'. I asked Victoria Coren how they couldn't have known that answer. She, in turn, asked me whether I though the question too difficult.
CJ De Mooi explained to me that they were a group of professional quizzers that had given themselves that name and were not necessarily chess players at all.

In about 1995 I was contacted by a member of a group that provided questions for University Challenge. They wanted to ask the name of the World Chess Champion. I advised them not to ask that question, there was controversy over the issue at the time.
Then I suggested they ask, 'How many squares are there on a draughts board? He immediately answered 64. I responded, no. 32. He said I see what you mean. He then said, 'Would you mind if I changed it to: How many squares are used on a draughts board?' Of course, I agreed. Whether it was ever actually used, I don't know.

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Joey Stewart
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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Joey Stewart » Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:35 am

I think the questions on only connect are legitimate, just requiring far too much obscure knowledge for any normal human being to acquire in one lifetime - I would fancy my chances at getting chess related ones but then I'd immediately lose in the next round to something like fly fishing hook sizes or which families in coronation Street have managed the pub.

Now pointless, on the other hand, does seem to actively try and screw contestants out of winnings - I have lost count of the number of times a sport question comes up in the final,the players obviously have very good knowledge of their subject and pick three brilliant answers only to find that actually they were all worth one or two points.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Dec 16, 2021 8:37 am

As you know I'm all for obscurity, particularly certain international chess tournaments.
I most admit I don't know much about fly fishing hook sizes but I believe there was a famous book about fly fishing by J R Hartley.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Dec 16, 2021 9:20 am

The legendary William G Stewart did say, "The questions are only difficult if you don't know the answer!" He did follow that by saying on an episode of "15 to 1", some chap who was a young, fit rugby player got a question on embroidery and then one on romantic novels, where understandably, he failed...

The problem lies more in the programme having ambiguous questions or penalising people for giving correct answers. Pointless and Millionaire (even Mastermind) have done both. The lady who set questions for Treasure Hunt got very cross about that.

Easy to be ambiguous of course,
"In what activity would you use the French Defence?"
"War", (thinking of the Maginot LIne)

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Dec 16, 2021 11:22 am

I enjoy watching 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' But I do wonder about the order of the answers given and about whether the questions are really selected randomly.
Thus, for example: is the correct choice of the order ever a b c d in the fastest finger contest?
Do they sometimes choose questions on topics which they know will be familiar to the contestants; or possibly ones they expect the contestant has scant knowledge. e.g. in my case, I would be very weak on TV soaps, or pop music; but strong on jazz or mind sports?

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Joey Stewart
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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Joey Stewart » Thu Dec 16, 2021 2:37 pm

"celebrity" editions of quiz shows definitely tend towards asking questions they assume the celebrity will know the answer to e.g. sports stars will get a mix of 50% basic general knowledge and 50% sports
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by David Williams » Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:08 pm

I believe before appearing on many quiz programmes you will be asked formally or informally what your interests are. I've always wondered if you should tell the truth or lie through your teeth, though I suspect the likelihood is I'd end up being asked on screen about my supposed lifelong interest in embroidery.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Dec 16, 2021 5:49 pm

Again, on Who wants to be a millionaire? many of the contestants seem unaware of how to gamble. e.g. They have just the 50/50 lifeline left. They have no idea about the correct answer. They should reduce the answers to one correct and one incorrect. Then the odd are always better than even money, especially with the additional chance you may actually know the next answer. That is except the £1 million as then there is no next answer.
Instead people chicken out. I realise for many people they have never before been involved with such large sums. So now they are disobeying the First Law of Gambling - never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose. But some of the sums are derisory, perhaps as little as £10,000.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by David Sedgwick » Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:32 am

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Thu Dec 16, 2021 5:49 pm
But some of the sums are derisory, perhaps as little as £10,000.
There are millions of people in this country for whom £10,000 is by no means a derisory sum.

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Joey Stewart
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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Joey Stewart » Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:34 pm

10 grand is often touted as a life changing sum, but I would tend to say it is life changing in the very short term - it will get you out of debts, buy/repair a car, used to be enough to pay a house deposit but longer term it won't go far especially since most contestants openly admit they intend to squander the lot on holidays or buy a load of presents.
I definitely wouldn't turn down 10k for a gameshow prize though - it's well above average and for 99% of the country would be an extra 60-75% of their annual wages
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:01 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:32 am
Stewart Reuben wrote:
Thu Dec 16, 2021 5:49 pm
But some of the sums are derisory, perhaps as little as £10,000.
There are millions of people in this country for whom £10,000 is by no means a derisory sum.
Agreed. If it was first prize in a tournament it would be of interest to all our top players and to many people I know it would be greeted like a lottery win.

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Re: Chess Questions in Quiz Programmes

Post by Stewart Reuben » Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:26 pm

In 1989 I won £49,700 in one evening in a poker cash game. That was the culmination of 10 months where I won £250,000. All tax free of course. But was it life changing? I rather thought not. Perhaps it was too gradual. Though, 30+ years later, perhaps it has been life-changing.
Why is it of more than technical interest? Well, the ECF is talking of reintroducing the Grand Prix. The last time they brought it in with Tradewise, they made a hash of it. The prize was much too small, to be called a Grand Prix. Did you hear Mark Hebden's derisory comment? That was also the end of the Tradewise sponsorship.
We know the first prize in the 1973 Cutty Sark Grand Prix was £1000. That was enough to lure Tony Miles away from his degree course. Later on the system enabled Dave Rumens to make a living from the weekend circuit.
With the supports of Smith & Williamson, I did introduce £10,000 first first for the British Championship. I wanted to do away with start money for the event. It was too time-consuming, for whoever was going to succeed me as director. David Sedgwick was against that and was proven correct when the Indians later came to dominate the event. I later warned that the system had to be changed, but wasn't listened to.

Clearly I am too old and out of the loop on these matters. What should the ECF Grand Prix be? Of course, because of covid, it may well be the wrong year to consider the matter anyway.
My apologies if this is a bit disjointed. I wrote it while watching snooker in Tenerife on the TV. The highest break prize this week is £10,000.

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