The reasons why one player is chosen over another to perform a simul are multifarious. On Tuesday December 14th 1926, Luton Chess Club invited former Russian Eugene Znosko-Borovosky to the town to perform a simul but why him in particular? Was it related to his publication mentioned in the reportage? Was he much cheaper? Did it concern availability? Was it about reputation? Who else was available? Was it seen as something of a coup? Most likely we will never know, perhaps it was all of the aforementioned combined.
With the information to hand, we cannot discount this as Znosko-Borovosky’s only visit to Luton.
Should it be the case that E. Znosko-Borovosky did return he would not be alone there. In more recent times (88 & 89) GM Chandler did that in Luton too. When further evidence concerning the aforementioned master is found, I shall post it.
Last month I participated in a classical tournament for the first time in eight years – I didn’t enjoy my chess. It wasn’t a mistake to play because my family enjoyed the experience as a whole -and I was chuffed to see my daughter helping out! Nonetheless, what can we learn from such experiences? What is that one thing, above all else, we should take from chess and apply to life itself? In my humble opinion, it is learning from your mistakes. Okay, so why exactly was it I enjoyed the occasion but not the chess? I shall leave you in the capable hands of GM Speelman.
“…one doesn’t always mind losing, it depends on how you lost. If you played extremely badly you can mind or if its very important but if you are beaten by a very good player in a very good game you mind quite a lot but its not so terrible…”
Grandmaster Clash 16.26 (see previous post)
I agree it is how you lose that matters and not that you lost. I didn’t like being out of practice and being conscious I was playing below par. I didn’t like the sense in which I felt I was letting myself down. I didn’t like seeing carelessness in my play. I didn’t enjoy being out of shape, too rusty, and not really up for it: it wasn’t that I lost, it was how I lost that stopped me from enjoying my chess. Furthermore, I didn’t care for the victories either because once again I felt I was not up to it. Yes I won a prize. A medal and some money but I finished the final game is quickly as I could and left hours before they were awarded. I was done with playing chess like that by then.
Today I saw this:
I have the time. I have the money. I like the city it is hosted in. I will not participate.
The month before there is a tournament in Phuket. I like Phuket. I will not participate.
To reiterate: chess teaches us to learn from our mistakes, and I believe this skill is transferable. I will not endure a repeat of last month this summer. Case closed.
Classical chess is to stay out of reach. A bit of blitz or rapid here and there yes -nothing too serious. That’s it. That’s as far as it goes.
For the longest time, I have believed the greatest documentary ever made on chess was the BBC production Grandmaster Clash. Impartiality aside, that it shoots the English Olympiad conquest of 1988, coupled with it being one of the very first documentaries I ever saw, just may have something to do with it.
Written by Steven Fry, it is very well-produced and makes for great viewing. After searching for well over a decade, and even writing to the BBC to see if they had it in their archives, finally I can link it for you. It’s a well-written, well-directed must watch – no doubt about it.
…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… .
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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