English Chess Forum

The preview for Episode 25 is here! The full shebang will be published at 1am.

Episode 25 studies British history, chess in a sporting commentary context, rating ceilings, and chess as a vehicle for studying the NHS during the pandemic. Enjoy!

In Episode 25 our host Jon Mackenzie suggested a new variant of chess where the game stops after a predetermined number of moves and the result is entirely based on the computer evaluation at that point. It was originally called 20-100, then 20-60, but we've settled on 10-40. Here is its debut, which we've just broadcast on Twitch.

Phil Makepeace wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:37 pm

In Episode 25 our host Jon Mackenzie suggested a new variant of chess where the game stops after a predetermined number of moves and the result is entirely based on the computer evaluation at that point.

Apart from the computer evaluation bit, it's an extremely old form, which is/was still extant in some leagues. The magic word is adjudication. But perhaps the idea is satire.

Well, quite. But adjudication is new to blitz as far as we know, and an evaluation of +0.01 is enough for a win. One of the games was curtailed at move 11.

Episode 26 is out tonight. Here's a little preview, which involves some horsing around...

And here is Episode 26! There’s a particular emphasis on classism in chess this week together with speculation on the top speed of a bear.

Episode 27 catches us all on holiday, so Chris has this week interviewed PokerStars integrity king, and 2300-rated player, Li Wu.

This position features in the episode too. What should white play? (It's from a segment on machine learning...)

Seriously, you should listen to this episode. The position is simple, and you already know the answer. Perhaps two answers. But one of them is a better move to play against a human opponent. If you listen to this episode I am fairly sure you will gain 50 Elo points!

If you also listen to the excellent interview with GM Kevin Goh on the Perpetual Chess podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw29MLoocGk - you will see what modern chess in the era of players who have been raised on silicon, not paper, is starting to look like. This is one reason why Nepo is in the final with Carlsen today!

We're still on holiday so in Episode 28 I've been talking to John Ashworth, CEO of Caplin Systems who sponsor the Hastings International Chess Congress. John talks about how he came to become a patron of our game, and his general journey in chess.

Episode 29 will be out this evening and features special guest Thom Lawrence, CTO of StatsBomb, who was able to bring a broader analytical spectrum to our usual waffle about the current state and future of chess. Here's a little preview.

And here is Episode 29! How comparable are chess analytics to other sports, and should comparisons even be drawn?

Episode 30 is an interview with English WFM Kanwal Bhatia about her careers in chess and machine learning. We also discuss the state of the game in the country with particular reference to women and girls. Kanwal's a thoughtful and engaging speaker and well-placed to make such judgements.

Phil Makepeace wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:30 pm

Episode 30 is an interview with English WFM Kanwal Bhatia about her careers in chess and machine learning. We also discuss the state of the game in the country with particular reference to women and girls. Kanwal's a thoughtful and engaging speaker and well-placed to make such judgements.

A very informative interview. It's well worth a listen.

Thanks, Loz!

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