The two pics below were taken on this day two years ago. It was around that time that I played the opening in question against GM Bogdan.
Archive for the ‘Chess’ Category
2 years ago.
Posted in Chess on September 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Off the cuff wins
Posted in Chess on September 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Just look at that. Here I am writing about taking a break from chess across the board and then as soon as I finish a post, I decide on the spur of the moment to play a game or two on-line. And what happened? I only went and won both of them.
https://lichess.org/Yb4LkNgjUCId
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.
The more you live, the more you love
Posted in Chess on September 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
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.
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!
So here is an article that summarises the whole thing, bringing about a wry smile in the process.
Mark. J. McCready 5.46 pm Wednesday, September the fourteenth.
Room 306, Helwa Apt.
Sakaka, Saudia Arabia
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:
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:
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
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?
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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A side note on how to read old Tom Sweby's columns
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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
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- I’m either 10 or 11 here
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- 1982, myself versus Brian from Sunderland.
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- At the Thai Junior chess championships. My daughter of course.
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