Archive for September, 2022

Topic sentence, supporting sentence -a short essay

Posted in Chess on September 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

In about two hours I have to go into work and teach the basics of how to write an essay. The focus is on structure and how to use topic sentences and supporting sentences in paragraphs. Last year I wrote a short essay on chess to illustrate what my students should be doing, roughly speaking. I’m going to use that same essay in today’s class and have posted it below.

Is chess a good game to play?

Every day there are millions of people playing chess. Some of them go to clubs to play and some of them like to play on line. Some people stay at home and play with their family. No matter what they do, there are people across the world playing chess all the time.

People like to play chess because there are many benefits to it. It can help you to think clearly and improve your concentrations levels. This is of great benefit to children because it can help them in school and think more easily about their studies. It can also help adults in their work because they can concentrate for longer periods more easily as well as when they travel to and from work. Another thing chess gives you is the skill to think ahead. In chess you have to think ahead so that you can make the right moves. In life skill can be used also and chess players are often good at thinking ahead more than people who don’t play chess. It can help them learn how to make decisions quickly and become more considerate over what they do in their life.

To conclude, there are many benefits from chess, which is why people around the world like to play it. Because of this, I think that chess is a good game to play and can be enjoyed by everyone.

معلمMark

That aside it’s almost 6 am.

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The more you live, the more you love

Posted in Chess on September 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

My daughter before she goes to school

Irrespective of how good you are at chess, you won’t transfer the skills you picked up and play them out in life itself, will you? Or will you? Perhaps more transferable are qualities such as improved concentration levels and overall ability to calculate more? And above all else success over the board pales in comparison to success in life…well these are the things I tell myself so that I don’t feel down over being something of an underachiever at the chessboard…it never really mattered anyway -yes that’s the spirit!

Having both a BA and an MA in Philosophy behind me, I suppose I ought to enquire into why things pan out how they do. I am compelled to question you could say and with regards to chess: my daughter was born out of my love of chess, and that is me done! Purpose in life is parental by nature, chess is nothing more than a hobby. I don’t know how varied chess-related goals are in life. Most players just want to improve their rating and get it as high as they can. I father a child whose very existence has come about because I met her mother at an international tournament. There’s nothing left for me to do: I am happy with my lot.

As we grow older, do we need to find reasons why we bother with things? Chess brought me a child, that’s enough for me, why others play on I don’t know. Presumably they just like it.

This evening I left my room unexpectedly. Dressed in casual clothes I walked to the nearest supermarket and bought some washing powder. When I returned I washed one and only one item of clothing -I wear it now. I wear it in the middle of the night, amidst solitude. But solitude is okay if you like your own company, and on the whole, I am pretty good at entertaining myself. It doesn’t matter what hour it is, all that matters is I am on line.

Above all else, the burning question is what did we get from chess? I have a child, and I reckon that can’t be beaten. Titles and rating points pale into insignificance over what I have. Not boastful just contented.

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How, when, and what will be said?

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on September 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Should you be enthusiastic enough about the modern game to follow the main events, you may well know that another is right around the corner. Another Champions Chess tour will commence soon with many of the usual suspects in play. We do have the current world champion participating as well as the name on everyone’s lips GM Hans Niemann. No doubt a great very many will tune in for that clash for reasons well publicized this month.

Let us hope that the world champion clears up some points regarding his departure from the Sinquefield, and let us hope he remains human and dispels some of the gossip flying around. Cheating is extremely rare in OTB chess but the fear and paranoia generated from accusations levied is disproportionate to the impact on a tournament. Surely it is time to move on before it becomes an embarrassment, and an even bigger source of amusement to the non-chess playing world than what it already is.

What needs to be addressed is why the world champion is refusing to explain why he withdrew. He must surely know that GM Niemann has been harmed by the accusations made, and so with maturity it really ought to be time to set the record straight and move on -well let’s hope so.

As it stands I am taking a break from chess and so won’t be following the event. I go to bed very early these days, thus making the coverage past my bedtime, and not something I can stay up for. How beneficial taking a break is I don’t know. It matters not as there is nothing happening OTB, and since when was on line chess ever worth taking so seriously, especially with regards to blitz. The closest I come to thinking about chess deeply is when I teach essay writing, as I use an example of the benefits of chess to illustrate how essays should be structured to my students. It’s an essay I wrote last year and the only real focal point of chess in my life. If events were shown earlier in the day, perhaps that would change matters, then perhaps not.

Should you wish to follow the event live, may I suggest you follow the commentary team headed by GM David Howell. He’s very good but more to the point his team bring home the point that following the modern game is a full time job. Yes, it’s an all or nothing approach I am afraid as opening theory is so deep now, you need to be fully on board or if not then blown away by the complexity of the modern game.

So I’m afraid I won’t be giving running reports of what’s coming up, like was the case with the Olympiad, which in itself was fantastic. Let us hope that this time the world champion doesn’t disappear without explanation and some great chess in played. Don’t ask me what we would do without youtube, just don’t go there.

Here, I sit in a dark room alone. The country I am fielded a team at the Olympiad so weak that I could beat the entire team if I wanted to. I sit listening to Dutch trance, content with my own company and happy to write as always. Everything is stable and secure, and I am content with myself. Chess is, after all, only a hobby. Sometimes work takes centre stage, as indeed it should. So sitting alone late at night in the dark is fine. Ultimately, my goal in life is to be a good father, and so all that dovetails around that takes priority over a hobby. It’s all good despite the fact I have little to say…just thought I would touch base.

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Headlines that bring about a wry smile of sorts

Posted in Chess, Viz inspired material on September 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I tried to refrain from commentating on the precise nature of the allegations levied against GM Hans Niemann but once it hit the mainstream media, and headline writers got a hold of it, it’s hard not to smile and say something. However, still I shan’t say much but if someone can explain just how such devices can be implemented in cheating, I am all ears. Just how did GM Niemann sit still if he was up to it? Of all the scandals to surface, it just had to be that! Can’t we go back to devices in shoes? Just perhaps we will have bottom inspectors at tournaments soon! Oh no! Not The Bottom Inspectors!

Oh!
The Bottom Inspectors from Viz

So here is an article that summarises the whole thing, bringing about a wry smile in the process.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11211325/Did-chess-grandmaster-use-anal-beads-beat-world-No-1-Magnus-Carlsen-Bizarre-rumour-sweeps-sport.html

Mark. J. McCready 5.46 pm Wednesday, September the fourteenth.

Room 306, Helwa Apt.

Sakaka, Saudia Arabia

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Warriors head to head

Posted in Chess, On-line journal on September 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Despite having it’s own youtube channel, chessboxing is yet to take off. It has a cult following and has been televised enough times already, but it isn’t generating sponsorship on any level and remains subterranean for now. Admittedly, I can’t see what the attraction is as it appears so amateurish thus unentertaining. But anyway, here’s a sneak preview of something earlier this year, just perhaps it may float your boat.

You can find details of fighters and venues here:

https://www.chessboxing.info/venues/

And their youtube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Chessboxing

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Chess groupies

Posted in Chess on September 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Meanwhile in St. Louis, in need of support of late, the American GM Hans Niemann has got it here -although I am not sure he will be so impressed!

Coverage can be found here:

https://clips.twitch.tv/AbrasiveTriangularPheasantStrawBeary-7EX_vdUlcKhnPM30

He’s got it here also:

The incident in question is discussed here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/09/chess-hans-niemann-hits-back-over-cheating-controversy-in-st-louis

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Informed opinion or online gossip?

Posted in Chess on September 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

There’s a lot being said about Carlsen and his reasons for withdrawing from the Sinquefield Cup. Take whatever you will but you could do much worse than read the following by GM Jacob Agaard.

https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856

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A lutonian writes

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess on September 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

BRONSTEIN AND TAIMANOV IN LIVERPOOL

By DENIS V. MARDLE

CHESS, May 1952, Vol.17 no.200, p154

In 1951, it was decided to run an International Union of Students’ Chess Tournament in conjunction with the National Union of Students’ Arts Festival at Liverpool this Easter. The British Universities’ Chess Association co-operated, and some eight teams with three players in each were expected to meet from April 4th to April 10th, but by the opening date only one Belgian, one Dane and one Indian were at Liverpool to meet the British and Finnish teams. It was known that players were to come from the Soviet Union, and their non-appearance brought many enquiries from reporters. There was no “mystery” about the matter; the late choice of players had meant late applications for visas. In fact, only four days was required for the issue of these once Bronstein and Taimanov were known to be waiting in Prague.

The three individual players were grouped into an “International” team, and while awaiting the arrival of the Russians a short Tourney was held in which Finland beat Britain by 2-1, and the International team by the same margin, while the British trio beat the latter by 3-0.

The Soviet Grandmaster and Master arrived at 6 a. m. on April 10th, and a tournament was hastily arranged with the fast time limit of 40 moves in two hours. This was unfortunately necessary, as two games a day had to be played on two of the five days available. The other competitors were the Finnish master Pastuhoff and his fellow-countrymen Nyren and Rutanen with the Danish player Dinsen and the Indian Katragadda.

As was to be expected, the Russians won all their games against the other players, though they met stiff opposition. Nyren had a drawn position against Bronstein after 40 moves but was outplayed in the ending. The draw between the Russian players was a bitterly contested struggle. Taimanov, a concert pianist by profession, gave short recitals to the other competitors, and Bronstein’s work at the British section of the Institute of Languages in Moscow was of great service, even if he appeared to speak our language rather more quickly than most British people!

Unfortunately the impossibility of issuing advance publicity meant that few spectators witnessed the rare spectacle of two Soviet masters playing in a tourney in Britain.

In their individual game Bronstein avoided a draw by repetition on the fifteenth move, and after intense study of the transition to the middle game obtained a superior position, but as the time limit approached he had to make twelve moves in three minutes. At this point Taimanov sacrificed a piece for an attack which gained him a draw by perpetual check, Bronstein having missed a winning line.

The text above has been lifted from the following site:
https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/195204liverpool-viewer.html

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Gameswomanship

Posted in Chess on September 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Andrea Botez, the prettiest of all female chess players, can be seen in the video below. What I would like to know is how he was able to concentrate on his moves?

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Chess Fever

Posted in Chess, Documentaries on September 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The 1925 Soviet cinematic attempt to further popularise chess can be found below (feat. Capablanca)

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