Media comments on chess

[John Clarke]

What is the 25th prize in the British Chess Championship?

Dinner with Mr Keene?

[Stewart Reuben]

Nick 'What is the entry fee?' comparing prize money in the British Chess Championship with the poker tournament in Dublin.

A previous World Poker Champion, Mansour Matloubi, had given up playing in poker tournaments. 20 years ago I asked him why? He responded, because the entry fees are so high.
Donnecha O'Dea told me he had been offered 'sponsorship' by a company. But it was investment, not sponsorship. They would pay his entry fees, in return for 50% of the prize money. He turned them down flat. He said that he was perfectly willing to wear their logo prominently for a small sum, but why give away half his winnings just for the entry fee?

I primarily played in cash games. There you paid an hourly table charge, in London typically £20-25 . I had 38 winning years out of 40. I would never have given away half my winnings for payment of all the table charges.

[Mick Norris]

I was struck by the photo of the removal vans as Sunak's family move out of Downing Street (hopefully he'll follow)

I gather Bishop's Move removals have been around since 1854, so presumably they've been approached about chess sponsorship

There's more in the Guardian, about chess in Lagos

[Stewart Reuben]

I approached Bishop's Move many years ago about chess sponsorship, unsuccessfully. They rely on the logo on their vans providing adequate publicity.

That article about chess in Lagos in the Guardian reminds ma a little of that film 'Queen of Katwe'. It is difficult for us to grasp how valuable chess can be, even in such desperate situations.

[Stewart Reuben]

I should have added about Bishop's Move sponsorship, that it is so long ago, it is worth trying again - but not by me. I am sure the amount would be low. Thus, if invited to a meeting, have that clearly in mind.

[Mick Norris]

Also in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... utin-rally

from which

There is a precedent for a Russian competitor being personally punished for supporting government policies. Gymnast Ivan Kuliak is facing a disciplinary hearing for wearing a “Z” symbol on the podium next to a Ukrainian competitor, and chess player Sergey Karjakin was suspended for six months on Monday for social media posts with strident support for Putin and Russian troops.

Karjakin has yet more to say as quoted in the Guardian article

[Roger de Coverly]

the Guardian article

The article is by Sean Ingle who is a London club level player.

Also from the piece

Some Ukrainians have also indicated they do not want to face Russians, at least in chess. So if you let the Russians play, he argued, you are in effect cancelling the Ukrainians.

That's a potential can of wotms for FIDE as well, given that it's trying to stamp out the refusal of Iranians to play against Israelis and practices that permit this such as bending the pairings.

[Richard Bates]

I approached Bishop's Move many years ago about chess sponsorship, unsuccessfully. They rely on the logo on their vans providing adequate publicity.

I believe they do, or did, “sponsor” Battersea chess club. To the extent that the local media reports went as far as suggesting they saved the club. Whether that was actually true, or how much was involved is another matter. It certainly however marked a turning point for the club which subsequently thrived.

[Stewart Reuben]

EXCELLENT.
If they sought national publicity, I can't have noticed it.

[JustinHorton]

Brief reference to "el ajedrez" and "el jaque que está poniendo en el camino" from our Eurosport commentator on Paris- Roubaix

[Stewart Reuben]

17 April. World Snooker Championship
14th frame of O'Sullivan v Gilbert
Commentator, 'Not many moves you don't know - like grandmasters in chess.

[Stewart Reuben]

Rod Liddle's satirical column in The Sunday Times page 12.
It's your move, Beebelbrox
A bunch of Nasa scientists are planning to play the slowest chess game ever with aliens light years distant, according to the New Scientist. Each move would take hundreds of thousands of years, because of the rather large distances involved.
Well, good luck. But this is to assume that aliens are on the same intellectual level as our own chess master, Dominic Lawson (Dominic is a fellow columnist in the ST). They may be as thick as mince and only able to cope with those 1001 Puzzles for Morons books sold at railway stations.
We always make this mistake, assuming extraterrestrial life forms will be exceptionally clever and liberally inclined, whereas they're almost certainly malevolent, fascistic half-wits.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Liddle I presume (not Little)?

Well, quite a few of us could certainly think of some choice terms for him.

[JustinHorton]

Malevolent fascistic halfwit would probably be a good starting point.

[Stewart Reuben]

I corrected my post to Liddle. Was it a Freudian slip? He couldn't use Lidl, because they would have sued him. At least I presume by 'him' you mean Rod not Dominic? Pronouns are often ambiguous.