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Archive for July 23rd, 2025

Moves I could never play 13

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The first player whose games I studied was Morphy, how long after that I am unsure of, but second was Nimzowitsch. He’s known for his system and the unusual moves he made in adherence with them, mysterious rook moves being among them. In the diagram below we see one of his dumbfounding moves, which is far to deep for me to play. I could not jusitfy such a queen manœuvre unless it was decidedly beneficial to a detailed plan. It looks so passive, almost a waste of a move, I couldn’t play it. The plan implemented is far too deep for me.

Very deep and rather obscure but helped win him the game. Why is another question. In his book Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch, IM John Watson makes a strong argument that Nimzowitch won so many games not because of his ideas and system but rather he was simply much better than his opponents. There I am inclined to agree.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1007465

MJM

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Moves I could never play 12

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Some positions are so complex tactically, I can’t get very far with them -and here’s an obvious example. Like all those destined to remain so massively under 2700 ELO, I can only guess what black should play in the position below. The move chosen doesn’t look the best but what would I know?

The game can be found here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1009910&comp=1. Far too above my level to follow. I do recall Adams was just about the best there was with the Marshall Gambit at his peak.

Once more, and perhaps for the last time, this position comes from a game in a publication I bought over a decade ago, and have only recently re-read.

Mark

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Moves I could not play 11

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Karpov was one of the all time best at bamboozling opponents with quiet moves that seemed relatively harmless, only to prove that they weren’t. The move below is one of my favourites of his. Most opponent’s would think something like ‘he thinks Nf4 is coming maybe he’ll play g3, he can’t move another piece backwards, surely?.’

I have studied this game at great depth many times over the years. You can find it here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1022951

It’s in Karpov’s first publication of his games, although I have to say his analysis of it could have been more extensive. However, the depth of positional understanding in play by Karpov is so great, his opponent never stood a chance. Have a good look at 19. a3 if you don’t believe me. Play through it and ask yourself how an attack with a lone knight and a couple of pawns against 2 knights, 2 rooks, and a queen, as is the case after 37. Nc7 can succeed and why. That’s Karpov there or thereabouts at his best in my opinion. Poor old Bagairov.

MJM

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Moves I could not play 10

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I prefer not to allow my opponent’s pawns to queen, so the move below I could not play. Black wants a rook on e8, that I get. Control over key diagonals too but does white have to be so accomodating? Looks good for white in terms of initiative but defendable for black after going a rook up. Appears to require a transfer of advantage by white of sorts.

As if anyone could see that coming. The chances of that are much lower than the next world champion being told he’s got a bun in the oven before being crowned in the closing ceremony. Here’s the game anyway: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1266208

Regarding this game, again refer to a favoured publication of mine.

Mark. J. McCready

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Moves I could not play 9

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Stiff upper lip in play here: what one Englishman can do, another cannot. McShane won a brilliancy prize for this game and violated an accepted endgame principle with the move below; that being move your king towards your pawns in the endgame, not away from them.

The reason for this move is to bring the bishop to g7. Alas, I am not good enough to evaluate correctly if this counter-intuitive looking move is playable as it also costs black material immediately. Given that Nakamura’s following move looked very logical but was also frowned upon by the engines, and soon followed by resignation, no wonder I couldn’t see how strong that move McShane played is. The game is a true classic, as mos twhich win brilliancy prizes are, but tough indeed to work through all the tactics…super tough actually.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1565814

Mark. J. McCready

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Moves I could never play 8

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I feel obliged to show my all time favourite move. Has there ever been a braver move played? Commentating live, Evgenij Miroshnichenko called the game a masterpiece. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Probably my all time favourite game courtesy of this move. Against Giri of all opponents also.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1956850

MJM near the equator

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Moves I could never play 7

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In this game someone got thwacked and it wasn’t Tiviakov. But much to his credit, his opponent did manage to soldier on for another 33 moves after the devasting move revealed below.

*The bombshell dropped by Tiviakov was 39. …Rxf3*

Even if I had 430985723409853659867230498750239457 minutes left on the clock, I couldn’t find that! The game can be found here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1369212

Again, with regards to this game, I refer to the publication I bought in 2012, just before my daughter was born.

MJM Latin America

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Moves I could never play 6

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Here’s another move I couldn’t play. Saccing a rook for a strong attack is above me. I would want to be certain it initiates a winning attack, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. But that is what the move below prefaces impressively indeed.

I would not feel threatened by that if it were played against me. However, black’s position soon becomes unenviable, then lost completely thereafter. All way above my level -I’m not good enough to think that if something looks like an innocuous check then it isn’t that – as it wouldn’t be played if that’s all it were.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1458883

For in depth analysis of this game, may I suggest the following purchase?

MJM South America

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Reflections 5

Posted in Meme, Reflections on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

MJM

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Moves I could never play 5

Posted in Moves I could never play on July 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

This game I recently discover via research conducted a month or so back. The game is from a simul, where the play is often more gung-ho. That still, you have to admire Fox for threatening mate in 1 given his king position against former Russian champion, and soon to be world champion Alekhine.

I neither have the bravery nor the calculation skills to play such a move.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1012317

MJM Colombia

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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 by it. 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
Categories
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
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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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