11 | February | 2024 | McCreadyandChess

Archive for February 11th, 2024

Brussels but no sprouts! The world’s best left perplexed by Plaskett’s puzzle!

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on February 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Ex-Luton player G. H. Diggle once described Mr. James Plaskett as Bedfordshire‘s strongest ever player and who can argue with our Geoffrey, arguably the funniest writer chess has ever seen? The claim made is undoubtably true and how wonderful it was to learn that James has a puzzle attributed to him too! Not that he composed it but in the company of the world’s best competing at a blitz tournament -drew attention to it instead! And I can assure you that with regards to puzzles per se, they are ~~faith~~ no more outrageous than this one! Context is provided here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaskett%27s_Puzzle and is used in the video below and yes its well worth a watch!

MJM

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Sensing our limits

Posted in Chess on February 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

My biggest weakness as a chess player is a lack of tactical nous. Here’s an example. I couldn’t do this puzzle, there are many good moves for white but I couldn’t find the killer blow, can you?

MJM – – Al Fursan

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Up in the air

Posted in My Own Games on February 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It has been claimed that a GM can just throw a minor piece up in the air and it will somehow land on the right square on the board. Unfortunately, I am not a GM. In fact, I’m nothing like one chess wise and looks wise ~~as I am much more handsome than the average GM~~.

I’m doing my best for my county in an online match, and reached a dilemma in the opening. ‘Just where do I put that bloody light-squared bishop?‘ Should I place it on g2, e2, d3 or c4?

How should I know what’s best? I chose c4 because I want to create pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal and push the king onto the h-file, after which I will castle long and send harry the h-pawn down the board. I am soon to play Qd3 (threatening Qxg6, and also making it easier to switch the queen to the h-file. But since I am ~~bloody rubbish~~ a bit rusty at chess these days, I can’t be sure if I am doing the right thing here. Any thoughts?

MJM —- Al Fursan

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…on what this site initially became…on what this site is now becoming…on what this site cannot become…

On what this site initially became…

…once upon a time, the chess-related musings of an adrift academic were bound playfully and electronically in this online journal of sorts. They grew and grew as the decade did too. I kept on because I love to write whether I had much to say or not; therefore, being read by others was usually of little or no importance, comparatively speaking. Content was based on personal thoughts and experience on various topics with no intended audience borne in mind. With topics broadening, my own take on things always shaped the narrative I constructed: I often thought I was insightful but never that I was right. Sometimes imagination gave rise to originality: and of that I have always remained proud. I often introduced humour, believing that I am funnier than I really am. Sometimes, I found my own style antithetical to the conservatism I believe chess is plagued by -oftentimes that has put a gracious smile on my face… .

On what this site is now becoming…

…this site is now becoming a collaboration of chess in Bedfordshire: much more so of the past than the present -that has become the dominant trend. I document the history of chess in Bedfordshire as much as I can, and as time has passed I have become more thorough and resourceful. However, I am not a trained historian as my background lies principally in philosophy but yes it is true I did study some modules on history as both an undergraduate and a post-graduate too; furthermore, I have trained myself up, particularly in terms of postmodern history. Since 2015, I have only read history and historiography as well as those philosophers who have been so influential on postmodern history, such as Nietzsche (whom I once wrote a 19,000 word dissertation on, entitled: Can the Will to Power be Found in The Birth of Tragedy?), also Richard Rorty and Foucault and I suppose certain structualists such as Claude Levi-Strauss too. Regarding postmodernism, mostly I keep to Hayden White, Keith Jenkins and Alan Muslow.

Some friends and former playing partners back home describe me as the ‘go to guy’ for the history of chess in Bedfordshire. This compliment says more about the lack of interest in the subject than my own endeavour. As mentioned, I am too adrift from academia to feel chuffed. Rather. I tend to lament that my historical research, like my chess, just isn’t what it should be. Even though I may well have a broad understanding of Bedfordshire chess history courtesy of the volume of research put into it, all of which began in 2014, this is not something I am particularly proud of. Nonetheless, out of courtesy compliments are graciously received. If the truth be told, I just see it as my job and only that – after all someone’s got to do it and no one else is that interested!

Amongst the many others, I have created three categories: ‘Bedfordshire Chess’ and ‘History of Bedfordshire Chess’ and ‘Luton Chess Club’. This website is slowly moving towards a consolidation of those (all of which can be found in one of the toolbars to the right).

On what this site cannot become…

…I like to be both creative and amusing when I can be, factor in that playfulness has been an ever-present factor, the content of this site should be thought of as multifarious. It could be said I continue to enjoy undermining the conservatism I believe chess is underpinned by even after all these years, and often try to use humour to do it still, believing I have got better at it. Consequently, despite the general direction its going in, this site cannot only be about Chess in Bedfordshire and nor will it be. It may become noted for that yes -in fact that’s been the case for years already even by established historians, archivists, and whoever else. External factors aside, this site is titled McCreadyandChess. I cannot, nor will I not, remove my own personal thoughts and experiences of chess from the posts of this site -especially if I think they are funny or original for they constitute my writing at its very, very best. In addition, the number of categories alone tells you that breadth of content is important to me. I am proud of my site, it is identity conferring and that is how it shall stay -end of story. All you really have are: ‘Some thoughts on the beautiful game’, which, incidentally, just happen to be my very own; nothing more, nothing less, take of it whatever you please… .

Mark. J. McCready

9.56 pm Monday, October 28th 2024

Bangkok, Thailand
Posts which McCready is mighty pleased with

Malpractice — Replete with dark humour and literary devices

Bedfordshire Chess in the 70s its past and its future — Local History

Our Clash of Future Champions — Local History

Fond Memories of Bedfordshire Chess — Humour & Reflection

Meme 16 — Dark Humour & Parody

Reflections 20— Reflection & Warm Condolence

Reflections 17 — Colourful reflections from afar
Luton & The University of Bedfordshire Chess Club
The University of Bedfordshire Library, Vicarage St. Luton
01582 743921/07710036246 (Humuyan)
kitefighter@gmail.com
Tuesdays from 7.30 pm, The Library, Ground Floor

Please go to:
https://www.lutonchessclub.com/
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A side note on how to read old Tom Sweby's columns
Not perhaps, but quintessentially, Old Tom Sweby is best thought of as a passionate devotee to the newspapers he wrote for. He was well read and knowledgeable of the Bedfordshire chess scene and well beyond, given that he was the president of the S.C.C.U. once upon a time. He was generally well-respected and rubbed shoulders with many, if not all, of those eminent within British chess circles. It would, however, be a critical mistake to see his column is primary source material entirely. That it is not. You will also find secondary source material quoted too, and the reliability of that is not quite as Tom hoped. Given that he wrote for decades, this is to some degree inevitable, and after all we are all prone to error whether we realize it or not. Thankfully, with regards to old Tom Sweby, they are infrequent and for the most part old Tom continued to document events and developments in the Bedfordshire league from the get go as best he could but, of course, everything lies open to interpretation. Despite this, and generally speaking. this does indeed make him informative and thus worth reading. Dare I say his columns constitute a narrative describing the latest developments, match reports and changing nature of the Beds league...he knew his audience and wrote according. This manifested itself over decades but brevity was always in play courtesy of the restictions imposed by writing a column. Should you wish to read a in instrumental figure of the Beds' league post WW2, you are quite welcome to peruse what has been posted here... . :-) I should, however, point out that as the decades wore on he gradually moved on away from narratives concerning the Bedfordshire league towards affairs both historical and international. The reasons for this are multifarous, old age was a predominante factor presumably, however, the bottom line is with regards to how the Bedfordshire chess scene developed post WW2: old Tom Sweby is your go to guy. He wrote more about chess in Bedforshire than anyone else did but given he was a Lutonian and writing for a Luton newspaper there is both bias and greater coverage of his hometown than the rest of the county.
Gallery

I’m either 10 or 11 here

1982, myself versus Brian from Sunderland.

At the Thai Junior chess championships. My daughter of course.

Pattaya 2011

2011

Thai Junior Championships

2008

2011

Around 2011

2011

Pattaya 2009

2011

Kuwait 2008

2012

2012

2011 BKK Chess club

2011

2011 Thai Open

2011 Thai Open

2013 approx

Around 2014

2010

2012

Around 2011

2011

2011

2013

Around 2011

Around 2011

2020

2011

2008

2011

2013 or thereabouts

2010

2017

2014?

2010

2024

2024

2024
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