Chess on TV

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Mike Gunn
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mike Gunn » Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:42 pm

Ah, was it a match between two computers? If it was that was a detail I missed (and would make sense). Did the Soviets bring their computer with them (that would be very unusual for the 1960s)?

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:58 pm

Mike Gunn wrote:Ah, was it a match between two computers?
It was a match between a computer and a visiting Soviet academic. The connection was a friendship between the first victim and the visitor.

Mike Gunn
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mike Gunn » Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:01 pm

I was also at school in the 1960s and whereas we knew about algebraic notation we certainly didn't use it and 99.9% of published literature* was in English Descriptive. I thought this made the policewoman's identification (and Morse's confirmation) of the King's Gambit via algebraic rather unlikely.

*the exception of course (as noted above) was Flank Openings by RK.

Mike Gunn
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mike Gunn » Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:04 pm

In that case I stand by my contention that no chess computer program in 1967 could have put up a decent performance against any above average chess player (until somebody produces definitive evidence the other way).

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:22 pm

Mike Gunn wrote: 99.9% of published literature* was in English Descriptive.
That's in English though, the BCM is particular would offer Foreign language publications mainly in Russian and German. Prior to Batsfords entering the chess book market, that was the mostly the only source of high level detailed openings analysis. Whilst Russian is probably beyond the casual language abilities of most, understanding "Weiss steht besser" was within the capabilities of O level German.

Mike Gunn
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mike Gunn » Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:30 pm

Yes, I meant the stuff in English!

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Jan 09, 2017 5:32 pm

Algebraic notation was used by Arabs in the 11th century.
I remember being an arbiter at the Olympiad in 1984. When amove was sealed in Spanish descriptive, I worked out it was correct by examining the move on the board.
Bernard Cafferty pointed out to me at one Lloyds Bank Masters that Eric Teichmann was scoring most oddly. He was using Udemann notation. That is a1 is 11 and b1 21, while a3 is 13. BUT he was doing it in binerary! I told him to desist, which he did and used algebraic.

I forget when FIDE introduced the law that games be scored in algebraic. I remember thinking, 'That is none of their business'.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:01 pm

"He was using Udemann notation. That is a1 is 11 and b1 21, while a3 is 13."

That was used in postal chess when it was postal. Obviously, people using Spanish descriptive or Welsh algebraic could communicate. Now it's all done online, there's no need!

Reg Clucas
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Reg Clucas » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:16 pm

Paul Cooksey wrote:
Reg Clucas wrote:According to Abrahams it was the 3rd game in a match played in March 1967, of which the first two were drawn, and White's 15th move was "probably the first real sacrifice made by a computer"
I suppose that comment might show even a reasonably strong player not grasping computer play at that time. 4.Ne5 no more or less a sacrifice really.
Yes, Abrahams does in fact acknowledge that, but says "White's [4th] move is 'book' - hardly a sacrifice".

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:15 pm

Reg Clucas wrote: Yes, Abrahams does in fact acknowledge that, but says "White's [4th] move is 'book' - hardly a sacrifice".
It would not have been a given that the computer program had been programmed with a knowledge of "book" moves, or if it had, that it included the particular line. There was a program more recently that had a liking as White for putting a Bishop on the a2 g8 diagonal. So much so that if you forced it to play the Spanish, it rather liked to meet 3. .. a6 with 4. Bc4.

Mike Gunn
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mike Gunn » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:16 am

I have found one of my books from the 1970s which discusses chess programs (Games playing with computers by AG Bell, published by George Allen and Unwin, 1972). To demonstrate the strength of programs around this time it gives a game between Stewart Reuben ("a county class player") and a program running on a CDC 6600 computer ("set to operate at full power"). Stewart (playing white) won in 69 moves.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:36 pm

I remember playing that game. I think we tinkered with the parameters of the machine to see whether it made a difference. It didn't. I had to play quickly as computer time was valuable. But I don't think I ever saw that book.
Igt is one of my most famous games!

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Geoff Chandler » Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:20 am

'Elementary' with John Lee Miller as Sherlock and Lucy Lui as Joan Watson is actually quite good.
In fact it is very good. I recently binged watched though 4 series to catch up to Series 5.

It is far superior to that complicated mumbo-jumbo BBC nonsense 'Sherlock' with Benedict Cumberbatch
and Martin Freeman (and the ghost of his dead wife making it Randall and Hopkirk Deceased with no plot just bo**ocks)

In the 'Elementary' episode 'Bang Bang Shoot Chute' Sherlock plays this game against a hustler cum Baddie in the park.

Sherlock is Black


Mark Ashley
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Mark Ashley » Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:17 am

Geoff Chandler wrote:'Elementary' with John Lee Miller as Sherlock and Lucy Lui as Joan Watson is actually quite good.
In fact it is very good. I recently binged watched though 4 series to catch up to Series 5.

It is far superior to that complicated mumbo-jumbo BBC nonsense 'Sherlock' with Benedict Cumberbatch
and Martin Freeman (and the ghost of his dead wife making it Randall and Hopkirk Deceased with no plot just bo**ocks)

In the 'Elementary' episode 'Bang Bang Shoot Chute' Sherlock plays this game against a hustler cum Baddie in the park.

Sherlock is Black

Totally agree on Elementary being much better than the BBC show. I had high hopes, especially after the first episode of Sherlock, but i feels its trying to be too clever with itself.

In earlier seasons he plays against the mortician (?). I think in one game he plays the Ponziano.

Not sure if it is covered elsewhere in this thread but in a show called the Last Ship, in the first season a prisoner in solitary confinement earns priviliges and requests someone to play chess against.

Last night in an episode of BBC's Taboo, A senior figure in the East India company identifies other characters as chess pieces.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Chess on TV

Post by Geoff Chandler » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:21 pm

Hi Mark,

Yes, the mortician warns Sherlock his is ready the Ponziano this time.

I was grumbling about 'Sherlock' at work and others put me onto 'Elementary'.
When I heard Watson was a women I declared it would be all lovey-dovey mush-mush!
but thankfully they convinced me to give it a go. It's excellent with a load on in jokes
and nods to the Conan Doyle stories for the alert viewer. (and no mush)

Holmes has a group of hackers (his irregulars) who make him do embarrassing things as payment.

Watson (Lucy Lui) asks what he is paying one hacker this time.
He says he let him sniff her hair whilst she is asleep. (it's a joke)

He also dislikes Bono so that is another clincher.

I have found a few OTB and net games with the above trap. The sister variation is..


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