Media comments on chess

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Simon Rogers
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:21 pm

Sunday 6th June on Channel 4 5.30pm to 8pm was the highlights of the Formula 1 Grand Prix from Baku, Azerbaijan.
Before the race highlights, there was an interview with the Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
Charles was asked about his relationship with his new teammate Carlos Sainz compared to his previous teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Charles explained how him and Carlos have the same interests including Golf and Chess.

Michael Yeo
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Michael Yeo » Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:08 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:11 pm
Paul Habershon wrote:
Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:57 pm
NickFaulks wrote:
Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:12 pm

Yes, that was my point. Nearly all of the top bridge players are men, albeit not to the same extent as in chess.
Today's English top 100 bridge players (rolling National Grading System) has two women, at 44th and 69th.

The only caveat is that players can elect to keep their grade private. I think that's quite rare, especially of players in the top 100.
Footnote: chess connected top-ranked English bridge players (positions can change daily). 41st Ankush Khandelwal, 125th Frank Littlewood (brother of the late John), 163rd Jonathan Mestel, 216th Paul Lamford, 264th Peter Lee.
Slightly less exalted chess players but high ranking bridge players : 31st Stewart Fishburne, 77th Alan Oddie, 82nd Peter Taylor

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:20 am

Paul C >where elderly people drink tea and occasionally say "No bid" to each other.<
They aren't allowed to do that in bridge tournaments anymore for fear of cheating.
I was aware that Paul Lamford is WLS for chess.
My original idea to raise a senior team in 2000 for the European Senior 60+ Team Chess Championship was to get 4 chess/bridge players together so that we could play bridge of an evening. Nothing came of that until Paul Habershon joined us and he organised bridge evenings.
I played bridge against Oscar, son of Natasha Regan, when he was 7 or 8. He was about my strength. I suspect that the age demographics of mind sports is more to do with social attitudes than true differences in these mind sports. Thus 6 year old chess players is normal. 90 year old chess players is not.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:22 pm

Private Eye 1549 - top of page 38, Cartoon

three or four women sitting at adjoining tables in a restaurant, whilst a man walks along clutching a glass. One woman says to another, "Is this your first time dating a chess grandmaster?"

Not sure all the readers will get that. Actually, a fair number might not remember eating in a restaurant...

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:47 pm

ON ITV4 at 8.30pm one of the commentators spoke about tactics and strategy. He quoted Kasparov to explain the difference.
You could see it on ITV+1 at 9.30pm.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:54 am

Image

From the Telegraph's obituary for notable charlatan Edward de Bono.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:44 pm

Quite chummy with Raymondo at one point IIRC?
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:47 pm

Oh that's interesting, either I've forgotten that or never knew. Obviously the similarity between de Bono's grift and Tony Buzan's is clear.

EDIT: ha ha, here he is at the Brain Of The Year dinner in 2009. He seems to have won the not-much-coveted award that year.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:37 pm

Usual stuff on BBC website about Austria vs North Macedonia, Rob Green says...

"You have these international matches that are chess-like games and you think at times are a little bit dull and pedestrian. This is nothing of the sort, there's no chess involved in this, it's end to end, mistakes around the pitch, tackles flying in. It's been great!"

Reminds me of a lot of chess I've seen!

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:12 pm

Kevin >Reminds me of a lot of chess I've seen!<
Chess shares with snooker the problem that, if play is perfect, it will end in a draw, In the case of snooker it actually ends in a re-spot.
On the other hand, it is different for tennis. The semi-final between Djokovic and Nadal had very few unforced errors, yet was utterly engrossing.
It is an insoluble problem for our great mindsport when viewed as a spectator sport.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:16 pm

Well not really, since draws are common in other sports including the most-watched of them all
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:18 pm

Perfect play in snooker actually ends with a win for the player who breaks, although it's very rare for someone to be good enough to reliably pot off the break and get into position on a colour.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:20 pm

I didn't catch the whole sentence but definitely heard "ajedrez" invoked on Cuatro just now during Slovakia v Poland
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:32 pm

I was comparing chess, snooker and tennis. Football, cricket and rugby are very different.
I have never seen anybody try to pot a ball in snooker on the break off, when they are correctly laid out. I have suspected that the players deliberately break off 'loosely' in order that the frame not be boring. It was only recently, with the controversy about breaking off, that I learnt that many strong snooker players believe it is an advantage to play second.
When Karpov (Tolya) came to London in for his WC match against Kasparov, we rented each of them a house. Tolya asked that we provide him and his entourage with a snooker table. One of my assistants, Jill Triggs and I went to see Tolya in the snooker room. He was by himself. As we entered, he started playing AND POTTED THE CUE BALL with his first shot. Jill said, 'That is not what you are supposed to do!' Tolya responded waspishly, 'I do know that, Jill.' We then left him to it.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Media comments on chess

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:22 pm

Quinten Hann once managed it in a match against Stephen Lee, but wasn't in position on a colour afterwards, and Lee went on to win the frame pretty easily.

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