Rachel Reeves and Chess

[Paul Habershon]

There is more:

She's made her opening gambit. What's the chancellor's long game?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjjw6l53xe2o

I had initially thought the chess reference was only in the headline. It is worth quoting the rather cringe-worthy chess bits in full... (for the record):

Rachel Reeves' favourite chess move is the Sicilian Defence.

It's an opening move designed to open up the board for later in the game - and one the chancellor used often as a junior chess champion. It's “particularly good when you want to go on the attack," she suggests.

Growing up, Reeves was driven around the country by her parents to compete and beat privately educated boys, often as the only state school-educated girl

The story has echoes of the fictitious chess prodigy Beth Harmon - the lead character in Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit, of which Reeves is a fan - playing out entire imaginary chess games on her bedroom ceiling, several moves ahead.

Most of the rest of the article (wisely) drops the chess analogy but sadly it comes up again at the end.

Rachel Reeves’ team says her chess-like strategy is to fix foundations first, then to rebuild Britain, and then to make every part of the UK better off.

Her first moves this week show that she and her government are playing a rather long game.

Am I the only one cringing slightly at this?

Yes, I cringe at the dubious link between chess and other skills. Also there is the usual sly dig at the privately educated. I enjoyed Giles Coren's take on the subject in Saturday's Times:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/960cb2 ... b5e9a594c9

which I hope isn't behind a paywall.

[Roger Lancaster]

Fact of the matter is that Standard & Poor's, arguably the most significant ratings agency, assesses the UK at AA.

The rating agencies are supposed to be rating the likelihood that a borrower will repay the loan which the lender makes to them. The UK Government, which borrows in a currency which it can print, is therefore by definition AAA. Whether you will be happy with what you can buy with the repaid capital is a different question, but beyond the scope of S&P's ratings.

I have rarely heard a rating agency executive asked about this puzzle, and when they are you just get answers that are gibberish. The question "are you seriously saying there is a non-zero chance that the US ( or UK ) Government will not pay out on its bonds" is simply bypassed.

Also, we should not forget that these rating agencies played a large part in the 2008 financial crisis by giving ( by which we mean selling ) AAA ratings to a horde of financial constructs that were only ever one accident away from defaulting. Of all the corrupt elements of the global financial system, I put the rating agencies close to the top.

I don't disagree but was responding to the statement that "the UK's sovereign debt rating was downgraded three times". If a non-sterling lender offers the UK £1 billion repayable in sterling then while it may be guaranteed (short of nuclear oblivion or similar) full repayment, it has to take into account what it believes the £1 billion will be worth, at the time of repayment, in the lender's own currency.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Not even by the widest stretch of imagination can the BBC be regarded as 'right wing'

Its leading politics presenter isn't widely known as Kuensservativeberg just because its a nice play on words, you know.

[NickFaulks]

it has to take into account what it believes the £1 billion will be worth, at the time of repayment, in the lender's own currency.

No it doesn't. If that were the case, how would you explain the AAA rating given to the USD debt of Johnson & Johnson?

The ratings given to UK and other sovereign governments borrowing in their own currency are just a statement of support, or otherwise, for those governments and their policies. S&P are generally in favour of "austerity" - ie the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This should come as no surprise.

[Nick Ivell]

Because Laura may lean to the right (like Andrew Neil in the past), that doesn't mean that the BBC as a whole does.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Because Laura may lean to the right (like Andrew Neil in the past), that doesn't mean that the BBC as a whole does.

Neil may have been more to the right politically than LK, and certainly more overt about it.

He was also, however, a much superior political journalist - in his prime at any rate.

And no, far from all the BBC's output is right leaning. "Only" its domestic politics and current affairs coverage really.

[Roger Lancaster]

it has to take into account what it believes the £1 billion will be worth, at the time of repayment, in the lender's own currency.

No it doesn't. If that were the case, how would you explain the AAA rating given to the USD debt of Johnson & Johnson?

The ratings given to UK and other sovereign governments borrowing in their own currency are just a statement of support, or otherwise, for those governments and their policies. S&P are generally in favour of "austerity" - ie the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This should come as no surprise.

Nick, I don't know (and so can't explain) just how S&P arrive at their ratings but, in the case of J&J, I assume it's anticipated that both the sums lent and the repayments are expressed in USD so there's no currency risk. Won't comment on your last two sentences in order to avoid politics.

[Geoff Chandler]

Moving some chess books from A to B I found an August 1993 CHESS tucked away at the back.

Inside was a letter from Rachel Reeves dated the 5th July 1993 complaining about a suggestion from a male player in the July 1993 issue that when a man is playing women a screen should be placed between them so the male player is not put off.
I do not have the July issue. (it may turn up in another bookcase) so I cannot judge if the letter as I suspect, due to the mention of a screen that it was a tongue in cheek. Also at the time of writing the letter the male player was 64 years old. He may have been answering a younger male player who said women were putting him off. (I stress 'may have been' I have not seen the original piece.)

Rachel ends: "It is this type of comment that ensures that chess stays a male dominated game and is therefore destructive for chess as a whole."

Nor can I lay my hands on the September 1993 issue to see if this matter went any further and Rachel replied.(but watch this space, I have another 4 foot by 6 foot bookcase to sort out.) The bulk of the letters in the August 1993 issue, four feisty pages, are about Nigel and Garry playing their title match in London.

[James Pratt]

'Rachel Reeves, 32, MP for Leeds West since 2010, was appointed Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Ed Milliband. The current Chief Secretary to the Treasury represented NW Eagles in the 4NCL 1996/7 when the newly promoted economist was graded 128. Recently she seconded an Early Day Motion in Parliament on the benefits of teaching chess in schools and communities. Reeves played 2 friendly games against Stephen Moss of 'The Guardian', drawing 1-1. Gary Kasparov watched the second of these and was able to give advice, we gather.' - Media News in BCM 11/2011 p 562. Heaven knows who wrote this ...

[Matt Mackenzie]

Her younger sister Ellie also played chess a bit, and is now also a minister (without portfolio, as it happens) in the new government.

[Roger de Coverly]

Moving some chess books from A to B I found an August 1993 CHESS tucked away at the back.

Inside was a letter from Rachel Reeves dated the 5th July 1993 complaining about a suggestion from a male player in the July 1993 issue that when a man is playing women a screen should be placed between them so the male player is not put off.
I do not have the July issue. (it may turn up in another bookcase) so I cannot judge if the letter as I suspect, due to the mention of a screen that it was a tongue in cheek. Also at the time of writing the letter the male player was 64 years old. He may have been answering a younger male player who said women were putting him off. (I stress 'may have been' I have not seen the original piece.)

Oliver Penrose wrote the original letter (brother of ten times British champion, but well known in his own field), I think it was slightly tounge in cheek, referring back to a couple of games in an earlier issue where Chris Dunworth had lost to female players at Hastings. The screen was a Bridge reference, which might be needed/have been needed in competitions to prevent non-verbal signals between partners.

[Roger Lancaster]

It's dangerous to assume, as some on this forum seem to have done, that Rachel Reeves will be favourably disposed towards chess simply because she plays or played herself. If you're the Chancellor of the Exchequer having to preside over austerity, what better way of demonstrating your bona fides than by denying funding to a personally favourite activity?

And surprise, surprise .....

[John Upham]

In the last 24 hours I have been contacted by Sky Television seeking details on the chess achievements of Rachel.

Surely being a few days forward of a fiscal event is merely a coincidence?

Anyway, here is the text of that request:

Hi - there has been a lot of debate in the press recently about the achievements of Rachel Reeves when she was a schoolgirl, and entered and won the British Women�s Chess Associations under 14title in 1993. To put it mildly it�s become very political. To end the debate it would be lovely if we could track down some record that showed she did well in the BWCA championship that year. We do know that she entered the British Chess Association one too that year - and came 26th. But from my own research I discovered that the BWCA championship was more popular for young girls at the time because they didn�t have to go away for a whole week at a time etc. Since then the BWCA has become �defunct� and their records are not available on the web. We do know they were still about in 2003 but don�t think they stayed around for more than a decade afterwards - if that.

Are you able to throw any light on the matter. I would be most grateful if you could advise me as it�s become quite a hot topic amongst friends�.

With thanks

The question is: What debate?

I assume I am being asked to provide ammunition for Mr. Murdoch's media outfit to have a pop at Rachel.

Opinion?

[Roger de Coverly]

The question is: What debate?

Have you not seen the Guido Fawkes website?

When she first came to public attention, the forum validated her claim to have been the junior champion of the British Womens Chess Association. It's in here somewhere.

[John Upham]

The question is: What debate?

Have you not seen the Guido Fawkes website?

When she first came to public attention, the forum validated her claim to have been the junior champion of the British Womens Chess Association. It's in here somewhere.

OK, so it's as trivial as that.

Is there someone out there with back numbers of Queen's File that has all of this documented?

I failed to keep my copies.

Presumably at least one of these

President : Harriet Hunt
Secretary : Jane Duncanson
Treasurer : Evelyn Flint
Membership Secretary : Zoe Barraclough
Junior Director : Harriet Hunt
BCF Representative : Susan Richards
Queen's File Editor : Heather Lang
Webmaster : Heather Lang

Can help?