Media comments on chess

[Pete Morriss]

For those interested in Cracking the Cryptic, yesterday's offering was in honour of the Tata Steel event. But not the most exciting puzzle, in my very unexpert opinion.

[Angus French]

Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation points in his weekly newsletter to a study of chess games used to measure cognitive performance:

Checkmate. The Queen’s Gambit (WATCH IT NOW!) means chess is having a bit of a moment. But chess tournaments can give us great research, not just good TV… A fascinating study takes data from 24,000 chess games between 1890 and 2014 , and compares the moves made by competitors to the ‘best’ move possible according to AI – essentially grading how well the players are performing. It also looks at when they were performing at their ‘best’ by following the same competitors over time, and how the peak age in mental capability of chess professionals has changed over time. The good news is that us humans have been getting better at this complex cognitive task over time (those born around the 1970s perform 8 per cent better than the 1870s cohort, and the 1990s saw particularly sharp improvements). Less encouragingly, there’s a clear ‘hump’ pattern to mental performance, which improves fast during our 20s and peaks around 35. Those of us self-identifying as middle-aged are on the downslope of mental ability. Which is nice. The kids’ chess lessons are off.

[Roger de Coverly]

Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation points in his weekly newsletter to a study of chess games used to measure cognitive performance:

[ But chess tournaments can give us great research, not just good TV… A fascinating study takes data from 24,000 chess games between 1890 and 2014 , and compares the moves made by competitors to the ‘best’ move possible according to AI – essentially grading how well the players are performing. .

I don't know how big a sample size they would need, but that's likely well under 1% of the potentially available data.

Whilst it would be reasonably unexpected that a GM at 60 could be performing worse than he or she were at 25, is the same necessarily true of amateur players, who might have incomplete knowledge or understanding at 25, that they can improve over subsequent years?

[Ian Thompson]

Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation points in his weekly newsletter to a study of chess games used to measure cognitive performance:

Checkmate. The Queen’s Gambit (WATCH IT NOW!) means chess is having a bit of a moment. But chess tournaments can give us great research, not just good TV… A fascinating study takes data from 24,000 chess games between 1890 and 2014 , and compares the moves made by competitors to the ‘best’ move possible according to AI – essentially grading how well the players are performing. It also looks at when they were performing at their ‘best’ by following the same competitors over time, and how the peak age in mental capability of chess professionals has changed over time. The good news is that us humans have been getting better at this complex cognitive task over time (those born around the 1970s perform 8 per cent better than the 1870s cohort, and the 1990s saw particularly sharp improvements). Less encouragingly, there’s a clear ‘hump’ pattern to mental performance, which improves fast during our 20s and peaks around 35. Those of us self-identifying as middle-aged are on the downslope of mental ability. Which is nice. The kids’ chess lessons are off.

This sounds dubious to me. I would expect modern players to match computer moves more often than players did a century ago because our general understanding of chess has improved and because modern players will be influenced by the moves computers recommend, leading them to play more like a computer does.

[NickFaulks]

This sounds dubious to me.

I'd say that is kind.

[Brian Valentine]

The paper does show the improvement either by calendar year or year of birth is more relevant than the ageing effect.

I was getting hopeful, in that it appeared in one graph that there was a reversal to improvement above 65. Unfortunately this appears to apply to those born prior to 1924 and also may be an artefact of their curve fitting.

[Paul Cooksey]

This piece actually just violated my eyes (and my intellect). Click at your own risk...https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti ... rmour.html

[John Upham]

This piece actually just violated my eyes (and my intellect). Click at your own risk...https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti ... rmour.html

Possibly the most hideous "jumping on the Queen's Gambit bandwagon" article to date.

Not only that, but guess what....

Yes, the board is the wrong way round!

[Simon Rogers]

This piece actually just violated my eyes (and my intellect). Click at your own risk...https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti ... rmour.html

Possibly the most hideous "jumping on the Queen's Gambit bandwagon" article to date.

Not only that, but guess what....

Yes, the board is the wrong way round!

I think Charlie Storey's advert in the Women's Chess Category for the Queens Gambit Academy comes a close second.

[John Sellen]

"I think Charlie Storey's advert in the Women's Chess Category for the Queens Gambit Academy comes a close second."
I do agree with you Simon
I took out a months Netflix subscription to watch the Queens Gambit and it's fabulous . It has done a great deal to to bring chess to a wider audience
Perhaps not surprising to see people jump on the bandwagon for personal gain
Incidentally I have always been mystified by the claims the person you are referring to has won " 170+ Opens "
This seems a huge figure is there any evidence for this. Maybe Charlie could clarify if this is OTB Opens or online chess

[Roger de Coverly]

Incidentally I have always been mystified by the claims the person you are referring to has won " 170+ Opens "
This seems a huge figure is there any evidence for this. Maybe Charlie could clarify if this is OTB Opens or online chess

That particular can of worms has already been opened. Charlie doesn't seem able to document this claim tournament by tournament,

We did establish that his definition of an "Open" appears to encompass things like club 5 minute tournaments. Actually the total was 168 until not so long ago, perhaps the most recent two could be listed.

[Nick Grey]

34 mins
Post update
West Ham 0-0 Liverpool

Any chance of this game bursting into life guys?

It's been more like a game of chess than a classic end-to-end encounter.

[JustinHorton]

Catalan company which made sets for The Queen's Gambit enjoys a boom

[Geoff Chandler]

Thanks Justin,

The links says E-Bay sales are right up there as well.

In the early 1980's. late 70's I played Brian Ely at Alnwick (a 5 round all day allegro).
I said if you win I'll buy one of your chess sets. He had his own chess supplies company then.

I lost! So bought these big chunky plastic pieces, weighted/felted in cream and dark browny maroon.
Never used them, too big. I'll drop them on E-Bay for £5.99 (post £2.99) and see what happens.

I remember that tournament for two games. I was white in the Frankenstein Dracula variation. I lost.
Next game I was black in the Frankenstein Dracula. I lost (yes three loses on the bounce, I had castled queenside!)

I had Mrs C. with me. After I lost my first game v Ely she said we can go and explore the place.
When I said I had four other games to play she said: "Are you going to play chess all day?"
She thought it was a knockout thing and was glad I lost. Then I had to explain why I was buying yet another chess set.

[Mick Norris]

Tom Curry on the England rugby union team training

A giant chess set is one particularly popular source of entertainment and Curry says he has "jumped on the bandwagon".

"The chess is still going and it's a massive game which is exciting," said Curry.

"It's taken very seriously. Jonny [May] goes away and researches the game and he has some technical moves.

"I've lost to Mako [Vunipola] so it's not going too well, but ask me how I'm getting on in a few weeks."