What am I doing?

[Anthony Taglione]

I have to agree that the recent TV program did seem to meander without portfolio, flitting back and forth between some thirty-year-old footage of Hartston and Miles and the poorly annotated, uninteresting game between King and Keene. The chess boxing was simply bizarre but the main issue with the program was that it had too many chessplayers.

Seeing the rather pretty female players was a plus for the program and they seemed far more personable than any of the male players presented. A fresh program would need someone with high impact to their personality. One of the biggest problems for a chess TV program is that chessplayers tend to be drawn from the introverted, semi-neurotic, foot-tapping elements of society. Few of us have anything resembling a TV personality and the basic appeal of a typical chessplayer is low. Of course, everyone reading (or writing) this is an exception to the norm.

The idea of devoting time to opening traps, along with the glee of thrashing an opponent in very few moves, seems good. Maybe it could even be pulled out to more episodes by, for example, devoting two or three to opening traps; a couple to mid-game fireworks and then another to endgames. It would need something to wrap the whole series together, though, something running right the way through all of the episodes for the viewing audience to be involved in. Obviously, an interactive website would accompany it. Any annotation given needs to be much more direct than, "Hmm, I wonder why he did that?". The voice-over should be strong and confident in what he, or she, expounds.

I've not seen Andrew Martin for more than a couple of decades but he was always a larger than life character. Plaskett might be another fine choice and I recall a good dynamic between the two of them.

[Justin Hadi]

Hi Geoff,

Good luck with your program idea. You miss the point of my challenge though - that is to find a production company who will produce it, anyone can fire off an idea and post it on a forum, the point is you need to find someone to make it for you.

The reaction from production companies for both these mind sports has been, understandably as they're wearing their professional hats, it won't work. This is frustrating when one is passionate about something and I mention snooker as a sport that was dying out before its introduction onto our tv screens.

If you do that, hats off to you, seriously.

On TV charisma, it's just a question of getting the right people on, Andrew Martin, Danny King would be good. Come to think of it I thought Martin Amis was pretty good too.

The link you sent to me indeed showed that some experienced chess players don't like it, but isn't your point that it's the views of the non chess players which are important? From the forum link you gave me the points seem to be

Negative stuff
Ray Keene should not have been allowed on - I tend to agree with this, Danny King was excellent in my view.
No place for postal chess - I agree it's not great for publicising the game and it's behind the times, but the program makers seemed to want to paint an unbiased view of chess, which you can't fault them for - the way chess comes across these days is not always dynamic, and needs making more exciting - not that I want to shorten time controls for world championship matches.
Should have been more banter - the cafe blitz provided enough of that I thought.
Evidence of dumbing down (less for beginners) - you have to start somewhere and the higher the level aimed at, the more likely the average joe will switch off.
"I'd like to see them cover a bog standard league match featuring under 1600 players" - this is again a question of getting a production company to do this.
They should have focussed more on things that are likely to challenge the stereotypes; not back them up - Sheila Dines and David Howell did very well to challenge stereotypes I thought (not old, boring men)
Random tips - nothing wrong with that, the show was aimed at people who just knew the rules and would like to improve

Positive Stuff
Danny King, David Howell and Sheila Dines came across well, encouraging to see chess on TV, interesting new material, good collection of clips, various suggestions for the next program.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Justin,

On that other link you will read that a players NCP girlfriend said it did
not show chess players in a good light and I agree.

It was good to see chess on TV and I joined in the campaign
to email the boss to get more chess on TV.

But it was very counter productive and shows the whole thing
was cobbled together without liason.

Here we have every schoolboy in the land with a chess set.
What do they do with it? Was the a booklet a CD enclosed. No.

The could have built the programme around that.

"Hey! there is chess on the telly."

David Howell is the British Champion though you would never
have guessed it. He looked embarrassed. He's a wnner, TV loves winners.
He should have been right in the viewers faces.

The kids need a chess role model.

Players of my generation will remember that footage of Fischer arriving
in Iceland walking down the gangplank carrying a chessboard under his
arm ready to take on the world.

That was me sorted for the rest of life.

What did they show?

Enter the postal player (It's not his fault but he should not have been on).
Are we trying to shove postal chess to these kids?

Kids today do not know what an envelope is.
When was the last time anyone on here received a hand written letter?

Precisely

So I think it was great opportunity lost.
The next one must better one more programme like that and
these chess sets will lay gathering dust.

I pulled Andrew out the air, I've seen him at a demo board and he also the
only guy on a chess DVD I've seen who appears to actually enjoy what he is doing.

You could get me to do it but it would only end up like....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcSaJ_f0yvw


Hi Earnie.

Slightly disagree about how players dressed and spoke.
I want the game to attractive everyone and that includes the chavs.
(they now have a chess set - what was the point?).

We need someone who looks like them, speaks like them,
swears like them and thinks like them.

"Getting new blood into the game involves much more than simply talking about."

I totally agree. I had a big hand in starting Sandy Bells.
Now it has three league teams, 90% of them had never pushed a pawn in anger
before and now all have grades and play in tournaments all over the place.

Good luck with your workshop, try to spread the load though, don't
take it on all by yourself. (experience talking).

[Alex Holowczak]

Kids today do not know what an envelope is.
When was the last time anyone on here received a hand written letter?

Precisely

I sent one in September last year! However, it got lost in the post...

[Peter Rhodes]

When I saw the postal chess, to me it was quite intriguing especially as I know one of the players and I don't really know anything about postal chess.

But yes, with hindsight and listening to some opinions here, it does seem rather misplaced. I can't forsee any potential chess players watching some guy opening envelopes and filing several pieces of paper into well ordered sleeves and thinking "wow - that is for me" !!

I can't help thinking it would have been far better to devote that time instead to the workings and events of a local chess club. I wonder if the producer/program researchers were advised appropriately. Although Correspondence Chess is important it (imho) certainly doesn't warrant the amount of time given to it on the program (does it ?).

[Alex Holowczak]

I can't help thinking it would have been far better to devote that time instead to the workings and events of a local chess club. I wonder if the producer/program researchers were advised appropriately. Although Correspondence Chess is important it (imho) certainly doesn't warrant the amount of time given to it on the program (does it ?).

There was nothing on it that would suggest to a potentially interested player how exactly they would get involved. Showing a chess club playing matches, followed by a brief, off-the-cuff comment about how there are hundreds of these clubs over the country for players of all standards, and that they play in teams and in local leagues, and then it would have made the game seem a more real thing to get involved with. By only having the "cream of the crop", it seemed to show that these things are going on, but viewers were encouraged to marvel at it, rather than actually get involved themselves.

It's the same problem that ice hockey has in the UK. Most people enjoy watching it in the Winter Olympics, and young people might have NHL games for their games consoles - but, there's never anything showing how to get involved yourself. Same with Speedway, looks great on TV, but where/how do you learn to do it?

The thing chess, ice hockey and speedway all have in common - they were more popular 20 years ago in the UK than they are now.

[Justin Hadi]

Hi Geoff,

On that other link you will read that a players NCP girlfriend said it did
not show chess players in a good light and I agree....

But it was very counter productive and shows the whole thing
was cobbled together without liason.

I wouldn't say two people is a significant sample size. Overall it was a good show as most people here and the reviewers have made clear. Any person who has their interest piqued can easily type "chess england" into google, and the ECF comes up as the third result.

A programme about chess might not be the most obvious sanctuary for someone in need of televisual resuscitation, but surprisingly, it was a corker, with contributions from Martin Amis, Dominic Lawson and nobody called Randy.
How to Win at Chess didn't altogether puncture this nerdy image, but it was pleasing to find that the British junior champion is not only female but also a bit of a babe, and there was a nice clip of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson sitting down to a game in Bottom.

Clearly suggesting that it went some way towards puncturing the 'nerdy' image. Counter-productive? No. "A corker." I find it a bit disturbing that you feel the need to focus on the negatives. You have made your opinion clear, but it's the opinion of a tiny minority in the chess world at least.

Here we have every schoolboy in the land with a chess set.
What do they do with it? Was the a booklet a CD enclosed. No.

The could have built the programme around that.

Most of them don't have the chess sets yet. Or would you prefer the show went into all the details of Holloid reducing the number of sets, and delay after delay? It's the production companies and TV stations who decide what to put on, and not us. They also tend to present things unbiasedly (is that a word?). Chess is not flavour of the month, which is why I'm suggesting getting a Master Game episode or episodes on to build on the success of this show and cut out the middle man. See the reaction and go from there. I think you'd be pretty suprised at the results, for example poker looks pretty dull and yet has been on TV for years. Most of the players aren't particularly in your face.

David Howell is the British Champion though you would never
have guessed it. He looked embarrassed. He's a wnner, TV loves winners.
He should have been right in the viewers faces.

The kids need a chess role model.

You've got to work with what you've got. I thought David Howell was pretty good in puncturing the boring old people image. Do you think it might have been a bit difficult to get Carlsen? He's also pretty shy and we don't have Kasparov or Fischer any more.

I'll leave it there in case this debate goes the way of the 4NCL one

[Ian Thompson]

But yes, with hindsight and listening to some opinions here, it does seem rather misplaced. I can't forsee any potential chess players watching some guy opening envelopes and filing several pieces of paper into well ordered sleeves and thinking "wow - that is for me" !!

Quite. They could have shown correspondence chess being played by e-mail, which is a bit more up-to-date, with current game positions being stored in computer databases, not in paper files. They could also have shown people playing blitz chess on the Internet and said this is taking over from correspondence/e-mail chess for young players. There is, or was, a video on YouTube of someone playing bullet chess and commenting on the game as it progressed. That would have been a good use of 2 minutes of the programme and I think the game showed an amateur beating a GM as well.

[Roger de Coverly]

Quite. They could have shown correspondence chess being played by e-mail, which is a bit more up-to-date, with current game positions being stored in computer databases, not in paper files. They could also have shown people playing blitz chess on the Internet and said this is taking over from correspondence/e-mail chess for young players.

I've spoken to club players of pensionable age who find on-line blitz far too fast but who will happily fill their day with dozens of turn based/email games.

There is, or was, a video on YouTube of someone playing bullet chess and commenting on the game as it progressed. That would have been a good use of 2 minutes of the programme and I think the game showed an amateur beating a GM as well.

It could have been this one by "kingscrusher".

http://www.chessforeurope.com/video/vid ... -2009.html

[LozCooper]

Geoff Chandler wrote:
David Howell is the British Champion though you would never
have guessed it. He looked embarrassed. He's a wnner, TV loves winners.
He should have been right in the viewers faces.

The kids need a chess role model.

You may not think that David Howell is a chess role model for kids but I'm sure people who know him would disagree, myself included. No doubt if he'd been in the viewers faces he would be called arrogant. He may be humble and down to earth but he's one of the best players England have produced and any aspiring junior could do far worse than look to David Howell and also to others not on the programme like Luke McShane as their role models, not just in terms of ability but also personality.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Loz.

I'm sure David is a well balanced polite young man and
he is without doubt a very good chess player.

He came across exactley as you think he would and
I have nothing personal against him for being who he is.
I just think it was an opportunity lost.

A bit of arrogant acting would not have done any harm.
(we would all know what he was doing but the viewers won't)
I've searched for NCP's talking about chess on TV in a forum. Nothing.

And why should they. It was instantly forgetable and predictable.
No shocks, no hidden surprises, the viewer has chess and chess
players in a pigeon hole and there it will stay.

We all know chess is not like that.

There is nothing wrong with arrogrance. It sells.

It could crack this chess is for nerds tag that has hung around
the neck of this beautiful game for over 150 years.

McEnroe, Hurricane Higgins, Cantona,......Fischer.
Instant column inches and Higgins and Fischer
raised the profile of their minority sport 100 fold.

Look what Nigel Kennedy did for violin players.
A violin player for christ sake, what can be more nerdy than that?

Look at this:

Cookery

20 years ago cookery programmes were one a week.
Some middle-aged housewife showing other middle-aged
housewives how to bake a cake.

Suddenly up pop the arrogant in your face cooks and we now have
something called 'A Celebrity Chef' and three cookery programmes on every day.

It's a war out there and we won't compete if our main weapon is
Mr nice guy with clean teeth, a posh accent and a sensible haircut.

You think I'm wrong.

OK one question.

Which do you think received more press and TV coverage.

David Howell winning the British Chess Championship?

Or Danny Gormally punching that other lad in kisser?

You know the answer to that one. Case rested.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Earnie,

Minor moot point.
I did not call tennis and football minority sports.
I specifically mentioned Higgins and Fischer as minority sportsmen.

"Its not individuals who sell a game its the game itself if presented in the right way"

It's the individual sportsman that raise the games profile
and the profile of chess is not where I want it to be.

The first step to the "right way" is to fight the public image of chess being
an old man's boring game played only by nerds.

We are fighting against xboxes and a very poor 200 year old PR.

We just need a good player to play Mr. Arrogant and a producer with some
imagination charged with dragging chess by the scruff of it's neck into the 21st century.

David Howell is a good looking lad. Dress him in black, get him to
stare straight into the camera with a cocky air of self confidence.

"I'm the British Chess Champion, here is 10,000 quid. You want it?
Then enter the British Chess Championship and try and take it away from me.

Or you can just stay in your bedroom playing silly computers games and
never getting laid. Loser."

That should do it.

(well your jaw has just hit the deck and you knew it was coming.
Think what the average NCP Joe will think.)

And I'm right about the Danny incident.

"....Instant news but forgotten the day after."

We have not forgotten about it and that was 4 years ago.

[Alex Holowczak]

Michael Adams was once the 4th best player in the world and still is one of the very best but I doubt many outside our chess world have any idea who he is.

If you asked Joe Public to name an English chess player, they'd say Nigel Short. If you asked them to name any chess player (or say, who the World Champion is), they'd guess either "that Russian guy", or Garry Kasparov.

[Peter Rhodes]

It could have been this one by "kingscrusher".

http://www.chessforeurope.com/video/vid ... -2009.html

Who is this kingcrusher dude ?

His video is really good !

[LozCooper]

Hi Loz.

I'm sure David is a well balanced polite young man and
he is without doubt a very good chess player.

He came across exactley as you think he would and
I have nothing personal against him for being who he is.
I just think it was an opportunity lost.

A bit of arrogant acting would not have done any harm.
(we would all know what he was doing but the viewers won't)
I've searched for NCP's talking about chess on TV in a forum. Nothing.

And why should they. It was instantly forgetable and predictable.
No shocks, no hidden surprises, the viewer has chess and chess
players in a pigeon hole and there it will stay.

We all know chess is not like that.

There is nothing wrong with arrogrance. It sells.

It could crack this chess is for nerds tag that has hung around
the neck of this beautiful game for over 150 years.

McEnroe, Hurricane Higgins, Cantona,......Fischer.
Instant column inches and Higgins and Fischer
raised the profile of their minority sport 100 fold.

Look what Nigel Kennedy did for violin players.
A violin player for christ sake, what can be more nerdy than that?

Look at this:

Cookery

20 years ago cookery programmes were one a week.
Some middle-aged housewife showing other middle-aged
housewives how to bake a cake.

Suddenly up pop the arrogant in your face cooks and we now have
something called 'A Celebrity Chef' and three cookery programmes on every day.

It's a war out there and we won't compete if our main weapon is
Mr nice guy with clean teeth, a posh accent and a sensible haircut.

You think I'm wrong.

OK one question.

Which do you think received more press and TV coverage.

David Howell winning the British Chess Championship?

Or Danny Gormally punching that other lad in kisser?

You know the answer to that one. Case rested.

It's not really a case of being right and wrong. I would have thought David is better off spending his time becoming as good a chess player as he can rather than worrying about how to project himself on tv especially as he'll spend far more time playing chess than appearing in front of a tv camera.

I think the programme could have had different content, I'm sure that showing Simon Williams for example playing blitz and giving some insight into the chess scene may have been a better use of airtime and if they wanted players who would be more forthright with their opinions then they could have interviewed different players. I'm surprised that they spent so much time on postal chess and although I thought Danny King came across well that the flicking back and forth to the game with Ray Keene and the dreary music that accompanied wouldn't inspire me to take up the game if I wasn't already involved.