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Archive for September 14th, 2025

Moves I could never play 23

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A mere mortal club player always in a muddle or worse over the board, am I meant to know how to weave a mating net in this position? Even if I did study endgames often, would I see it? Probably not. According to GM Nunn in his book detailed below, the move played is the only winning move. I am not good enough to consider how important the king position can be in such endgames and how it can be decisive also but then I am allergic to going more than 4 or 5 moves deep!

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1125480

You can find analysis of this position in GM Nunn’s Understanding Chess Endgames, pg. 40.

M J M

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Moves I could never play 22

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Soviet chess and Bondarevsky plays a move against Panov I could not play. The queen and two minor pieces are on the queenside and white appears to have control over many squares on the kingside, so making a sac work on that side of the board feels counter-intuitive and inadvisable. But work it does with deep calculation and another sac to follow. Not easy to see how so.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1411384

Analysis of this game can be found in this publication.

M J M

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Reading habits & reasons to watch on-line

Posted in Sources of inspiration on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Having to refine my reading habits more and more these days, choosing only the choicest on-line content whatever the cost may be. I noted earlier today that my all time favourite player -GM Carlsen- found himself in a highly unusual ending against GM Firouzja last week and chased it up in The Times.

In his column GM Howell gives us good reason to want to watch chess on-line.

You can read the whole article by subscribing to The Times, it’s much less expensive than you may think. https://www.thetimes.com/

M J M

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Moves I could never play 21

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

With regards to the publication below, which I bought decades ago, I’ve always had a strong admiration for Tolush. He was Spassky’s trainer, and his style of play is so reckless at times, as you will see below should you click on the link provided. I’m not a 1. d4 player but I know enough about The Trompowsky to say with some confidence that if you play it, and your queenside collaspes completely, and most of the kingside has been left undeveloped whilst your king gets chased half way up the board, perhaps you didn’t gain much of an advantage out of the opening! When you resign on move 26, that’s often the case. I couldn’t play the move below because my assessment is based more on evaluation than calculation and I am not brave enough to play such moves. How can he justify allowing 9. Nxc2+? Very brave indeed or failing that miscalculated-hard for me to tell. You may want to play through the game, many over the years have as it’s quite something.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1270161

M J M

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Moves I could never play 20

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

On pg. 101 in his excellent book The Soviet Championships B. Cafferty comments that the move below requires deep analysis. Far too deep for me and almost everyone else below 2600 ELO I would imagine. Sacrifices with long-term compensation are above my level I don’t mind admitting. I do not know how white is meant to proceed after the annotated move below.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1072785,

M J M

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More than one interpretation

Posted in Academia on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Take a look at the theorem below and decide how it should be interpreted:

England always beats France at chess

France always beats Spain at chess

Spain always beats England at chess

What are you leaning towards? Falsehood? Consistency? Recursion?

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas. R. Hofstadter, pg.103

M J M

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Moves I could never play 19

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I’ve never sacced a queen in my life! So what are the chances of the likes of me playing the move below? Yes, there’s some immediate compensation but not enough and the win is from from easy. Another 13 moves are played before GM Miles resigns with mate imminent. A fine game by Bedfordshire’s GM Plaskett, considered his best.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1097818&kpa&kpage=1&comp=1

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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
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kitefighter@gmail.com
Tuesdays from 7.30 pm, The Library, Ground Floor

Please go to:
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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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