Channel Four and the Edinburgh Chess Club

[Geoff Chandler]

What started off as a general enquiry has led to Channel Four using the Edinburgh Club
for part of a game show series mixed in with the clubs 200 year history.

Picture is the two celebs being coached by Andrew Green and Keith Ruxton
and at a later date (this coming Thursday) the celebs will play each other.

I get into the act by welcoming them to the chess club and introducing them to Andrew and Keith.
(had to do a few re-takes as I kept looking at and smiling at the camera.)

I signed a piece of paper, never read it, just signed it, I may be sworn to secrecy about who the
celebs are so I've played safe and put on a ?



Took four-five hours to complete - I picked Andrew and Keith as I've seen them coach before.
They were superb and I really mean that. Instructive, chatty and the jokes went back and forth
The director was well impressed.

A lot of prep involved including reserving four parking bays outside the club for all their vans
and covid testing kits being delivered to us three and five other chess players who were there as
extras to give the club an atmosphere with players in the background.

(for effect in a few shots I'm alone playing over the moves from Sergeant's book on Morphy - I'm doing The Opera Game!)

I have more filming to do on Thursday, I, the 'chess consultant' (something new to add to the CV)
will act as judge/arbiter/controller and supply the equipment when the two celebs play each other.
(all I'm worried about is making sure I have board around the right way.)

Started a new thread to keep it updated as to when it will be shown, possibly in the Autumn.

[Geoff Chandler]

Update.

Yesterday the Celebrities, TV crew and me went to the Royal College of Physicians for the final piece of the filming.

A really beautiful location and setting. A huge quiet hall decorated with columns and busts
and with portraits of the great and good staring down at the players.



I set up the kit in the middle of the hall, with two extra Queens and a mechanical clock
(which they wanted.) Board round the right way!

I took a score of the game and then unknown to me, although they filmed the entire game (took approx 20 minutes)
they wanted to go through it again move by move for the close up shots of the players making a move.

The problem being I was so engrossed in the game I missed out a couple of moves!!
(move 17 I was looking at Qg3 and possible follow ups if Black missed the mate in one.)

OOPS! rather embarrassing, camera rolling and me looking all bemused at my note book.
(I hope they cut that bit out.)
But I did manage to re-construct the game. (took about a minute but seemed ages to me)
I had one job to do and screwed it up.

At the end, again caught by surprise, I was asked about the game.
Somehow I managed to garble my way though it. (another, hopefully, for the cutting room floor.)

The show goes out in August, think one of the best bits will be the Keith and Andrew coaching.

Here is the game. I'm leaving the celebs names out.

Please remember this was their first ever game with a clock and for one contestant it was their first game of chess ever!
The other player had played before but only very rarely and once during the game made an illegal move.

(our first ever games would have been something like this.)

The coaching seems to have worked as both sides castled early on.
When it was over I advised the tipping over of the King for effect.
They liked that idea and added more to it with the celeb tipping over the King,
looking upset and telling the camera not to watch the show.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Bd6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. d3 Nc6 7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. Ng5 b5 9. Nxh7 Nxh7 10. Bf4 Bxf4 11. Qf3 Bc7 12. a4 b4 13. Ne2 a6 14. Nf4 Rb8 15. Rad1 e5 16. Nh5 Bb6 17. Nxg7 Kxg7 18. Qg3+ Kh8 19. Rd2 Rb7 20. Re2 Re7 21. Re3 Re6 22. Rf3 c4 23. Rd1 c3 24. bxc3 bxc3 25. Rb1 Bc5 26. Rb8 Qc7 27. Qg4 Qxb8 28. Qh4 Qb1#

[Nick Burrows]

I like the rook laader Rde-e2-e3-f3 then it looked like they wanted to repeat with the 2nd rook!

[Joey Stewart]

To be fair, I have seen a lot worse games by beginner and even experienced players, black quickly latched onto the idea that if you just take all the blundered pieces you tend to win.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Nick,

The player explains at the end of the game they suddenly thought a Rook could only move
one square a time. Then realised a few moves later they had it wrong. (that was the first time player)
They might show that bit though they have hours of film from the Hall and the chess club to fit in.

After 18...Kh8 one asked if this was not stalemate.
Again probably the same type of question we asked on our first games.

Considering this was their first game I thought they did OK.I know I was mated the Scholars way
in my fist few games. I also know these two castled a long time before I ever got around to it.

When I saw Black's 3...e6 I was thinking maybe one of the coaches had advised playing this to avoid
a Scholars Mate set up anticipating what the other player was being coached.

That 20 minute game and the set up took from 0930 to 1300 to do.

I explained to the player of the white pieces he can be glad he has been back rank mated,
Every player gets back ranked at least once and never forgets it adding in the old Russian proverb.

"There are two types of chess player, those that have been back rank mated and those who will be back rank mated."

[Stewart Reuben]

GM Paul Motwani told me about his first game as little boy against a little girl.
It went e4 d6 2 Bb5+. ''That's mate,' the little girl said. 'I am threatening to take your king and you cannot capture my bishop, nor move your king'. 'Fair enough,' said Paul. When he told me this story, he said he still knew the girl in Dundee.

[Geoff Chandler]

GM Paul Motwani told me about his first game as little boy against a little girl.
It went e4 d6 2 Bb5+. ''That's mate,'

Hi Stewart,

I'm sure Paul has mentioned this in one of his books. 2.Bb5+ should be known as the Dundee Mate variation.