Countdown?

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MJMcCready
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Countdown?

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:38 am

Which chess players have appeared on countdown over the years? I know one of the ledger brothers in Bedford did. Has anyone else and how did they find it do you know?

James Coleman
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Re: Countdown?

Post by James Coleman » Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:18 am

Matt Turner was on it, and did extremely well.

There have been quite a lot of chessplayers (of varying degrees of note) make an appearance throughout the years.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Countdown?

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:06 am

Did he enjoy it do you know? Viz often described Carol Vorderman as 'thinking man's crumpet', I wonder if she really was?

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John Clarke
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Re: Countdown?

Post by John Clarke » Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:48 am

MJMcCready wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:38 am
Which chess players have appeared on countdown over the years? I know one of the ledger brothers in Bedford did. Has anyone else and how did they find it do you know?
This subject has been dealt with pretty thoroughly before, notably here and here, although other shows are covered as well.

BTW the original "thinking man's crumpet" was former BBC2 presenter Joan Bakewell (I beg her pardon: Lady Bakewell, as she now is).
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

Paul Habershon
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Paul Habershon » Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:00 am

John Clarke wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:48 am
MJMcCready wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:38 am
Which chess players have appeared on countdown over the years? I know one of the ledger brothers in Bedford did. Has anyone else and how did they find it do you know?
This subject has been dealt with pretty thoroughly before, notably here and here, although other shows are covered as well.
Mark, I don't know how to post a link with 'here', but as recently as June 23, 2020, Kevin and I told our Countdown stories. They are in the 'Hope for our society?' thread, Section 5 in 'Not Chess'. Although I have the teapot from winning one game, I was much less successful than a lot of the chessplaying contestants. There is a site showing Countdown stats somewhere and my winning score was the lowest of that series.

Three years later I was within touching distance of winning £3000 (to emulate Dave Ledger) on the live show Brainteaser, but pathetically failed to turn VOICED into DIVORCE when given the new letter R in its correct position. A few weeks later Brainteaser was one of several shows taken off the air because of shenanigans about how they ran phone-in competitions.

Matthew Turner
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Matthew Turner » Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:05 am

MJMcCready wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:06 am
Did he enjoy it do you know? Viz often described Carol Vorderman as 'thinking man's crumpet', I wonder if she really was?
Absolutely tremendous experience, amazing repartee between contestants, presenters and audience

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Jan 04, 2021 9:29 am

"Absolutely tremendous experience, amazing repartee between contestants, presenters and audience"

Totally agree.

https://wiki.apterous.org/Main_Page has lots of info, although unless you trawl through the alphabetical list of contestants it seems difficult to find info. There is a search function though.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:28 am

James Coleman wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:18 am
Matt Turner was on it, and did extremely well.
Not long afterwards, he played in the Hastings Premier.The commentator, Chris Ward, suggested to the audience that they try to make words out of the abcdefgh along the sides of a board, with an a borrowed from the next board to make 9. I don't recall the best attempt.

Matthew Turner
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Matthew Turner » Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:42 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:28 am
James Coleman wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:18 am
Matt Turner was on it, and did extremely well.
Not long afterwards, he played in the Hastings Premier.The commentator, Chris Ward, suggested to the audience that they try to make words out of the abcdefgh along the sides of a board, with an a borrowed from the next board to make 9. I don't recall the best attempt.
facade?

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Countdown?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:49 pm

or chafed?

I did think of a 7, but had to look it up and it's a bit rude!

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MJMcCready
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Re: Countdown?

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:55 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:00 am
John Clarke wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:48 am
MJMcCready wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:38 am
Which chess players have appeared on countdown over the years? I know one of the ledger brothers in Bedford did. Has anyone else and how did they find it do you know?
This subject has been dealt with pretty thoroughly before, notably here and here, although other shows are covered as well.
Mark, I don't know how to post a link with 'here', but as recently as June 23, 2020, Kevin and I told our Countdown stories. They are in the 'Hope for our society?' thread, Section 5 in 'Not Chess'. Although I have the teapot from winning one game, I was much less successful than a lot of the chessplaying contestants. There is a site showing Countdown stats somewhere and my winning score was the lowest of that series.

Three years later I was within touching distance of winning £3000 (to emulate Dave Ledger) on the live show Brainteaser, but pathetically failed to turn VOICED into DIVORCE when given the new letter R in its correct position. A few weeks later Brainteaser was one of several shows taken off the air because of shenanigans about how they ran phone-in competitions.
Thanks Paul, managed to find them.

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