Origin of a cliche

[Reg Clucas]

I think I've found the origin of that well known sports commentators' cliche "it's a game of chess out there!"

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[John Townsend]

Ah, yes, Reg, very tempting to sit down and play a game. More outdoors chess would be a good move - in summer, of course. Seriously, I think we all want to see chess played by the wider population again. I recall an outdoor set a few decades ago at the end of Bournemouth pier, and more recently - only about 20 years ago - in a street in Hastings. More strength to their arm!

[Matt Mackenzie]

Given the location, must be a good chance our own Mr Chandler has played on that board.

[J T Melsom]

Murray (field) Chandler as well perhaps?

[Geoff Chandler]

I never knew there was one outside Murrayfield but now I do I'll pop along and take a picture of it with my blue and red chess set (Scotland v Wales). Only been to Murrayfield twice, once to watch American football, the Scottish Claymores (boring) and the other time was to see Barcelona beat Hibs 6-0. When I worked at the taxi's I was often given two free tickets for the internationals but gave them away in Sandy Bells for a couple of pints.

I picked up these different coloured chess sets (red,blue, green, yellow, black,white) for £1.00 each. The are really nice chunky and solid, felted and weighted.

[Geoff Chandler]

I went there today. The board is not in the Murrayfield ground but in a park right next to the stadium.

[David York]

The table is supplied by Concrete Sports Ltd. It is not going anywhere fast as it weighs 600kg! You can use the supplier's website map to see if there is one near you, but you have to wade through table tennis tables to find them. I have also been warned that it needs updating. For example for three recently installed on Streatham Common are not yet listed - see the Friends of Streatham Common Facebook for some more info (9 December posting) https://www.facebook.com/groups/streathamcommon/

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi David.

There are four in Edinburgh (just enter your postcode/town in the link below)

https://concretesports.co.uk/find-a-table/

I'm going to picture bag them all. (watch this space)

[Geoff Chandler]

'Watch This Space." (part 2)

Yesterday I went to the Edinburgh Steiner School. They do not have a chess table, instead they have two concrete ping-pong tables. From the Steiner School I took a bus to Leith Primary School but they have a concrete soccer table. Onto King George V Park only to discover another ping pong table. So my new quest, bagging (a pic of me sitting at the board) all the concrete chess tables in Edinburgh has come to a grinding halt.

All was not lost. Leith has a fair collection of charity shops and amongst other things I picked up yet another brand new copy of Fischer's 60 (algebraic) for £1.99. That is three I've picked up recently. All brand spanking new...where are they coming from?

[NickFaulks]

I picked up yet another brand new copy of Fischer's 60 (algebraic) for £1.99. That is three I've picked up recently.

So far so good, but what is your exit strategy?

[David York]

'Watch This Space." (part 2)

Yesterday I went to the Edinburgh Steiner School. They do not have a chess table, instead they have two concrete ping-pong tables. From the Steiner School I took a bus to Leith Primary School but they have a concrete soccer table. Onto King George V Park only to discover another ping pong table. So my new quest, bagging (a pic of me sitting at the board) all the concrete chess tables in Edinburgh has come to a grinding halt.

All was not lost. Leith has a fair collection of charity shops and amongst other things I picked up yet another brand new copy of Fischer's 60 (algebraic) for £1.99. That is three I've picked up recently. All brand spanking new...where are they coming from?

Well, I did warn you that you might have to wade through non-chess tables. I made a trip to see the Streatham Common tables (and play social chess in London that weekend) and while I had to wade through mud to get to them, they are quite impressive - plenty of space for clocks etc.

StreathamTables.JPG

I'm trying to get public tables in Colchester, hence all the research.

[Geoff Chandler]

I'm trying to get public tables in Colchester, hence all the research.

Hi David,

I phoned the company using the number on the web site and actually spoke to the man who runs things there. He was very polite and helpful. I was trying to find out where all the chess tables in Scotland are. Good Luck in getting one in Colchester. (I might pop down to bag that one as well. )

[Steven DuCharme]

I see a reverse T.A.R.D.I.S. seating only one.

[David York]

I'm trying to get public tables in Colchester, hence all the research.

Hi David,

I phoned the company using the number on the web site and actually spoke to the man who runs things there. He was very polite and helpful. I was trying to find out where all the chess tables in Scotland are. Good Luck in getting one in Colchester. (I might pop down to bag that one as well. )

Geoff
Ten out of ten for persistence! I think we need a map of tables. I have a local one on my ColCHESSter website but so far, only one table (though two boards). I have looked at an open source map https://priceless.zottelig.ch/ that shows community assets including (under community sports) street chess but found I could not update. Probably more universal is the tagging facility of openstreetmap and you can see the global distribution here https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/tags/ ... Dchess#map I think my to-do list might accept a general mapping project but it would be easier with a little help

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi David,

The problem with the main sites location map is they do not say if it is a chess table or table tennis/table football. Do not want to go all that way to play ping pong.

My next non-chess quest, after seeing 'Local Hero' on T.V. is the phone box in Pennan, Aberdeenshire. I've checked the bus times tables. I can do Edinburgh-Aberdeen-Pennan and back again in a day on my bus pass. (and I'll post myself a letter at the wee box next to the phone.) I'll take a picture of a chess set as well if that table is still next to the phone booth.