Crafty McCready is at it again with trivia Q’s geared towards discombobulation than being answered. Here’s the latest. Care to give it a go do you?
Archive for the ‘Chess’ Category
A question containing an inherent ambiguity, perhaps…
Posted in Chess on February 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »
2 loves 1 question
Posted in Chess on June 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I am at it again. Conjuring up questions on forums I think no one can answer. This question is the second time I have recently asked something connected to music -the thing I love the most. Do you know the answer?
Chess marathon
Posted in Chess on June 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »
In the current Norway Chess tournament, two friends are trying to break the world record of 60 hours of non-stop chess. Rather them than me.
A less tricky question and a trickier one
Posted in Chess on May 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I posed another question on the forum I often contribute on but this time it has a googleable answer. For those outside the UK, the question pertains to England.
Then I went and asked one trickier.
Mark. J. McCready
The post Kasparov Karpov
Posted in Chess on May 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I am by no means an expert and may well be wrong here but do forgive me for thinking that what you see below is not how Karpov used to play when he was young.
Into astounding sacrifices by Englishmen in the 80s are we?
Posted in Chess on May 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Are you into the sort of game where one of the very best in the world gets absolutely massacred by a devastating sacrifice? Do you like watching kings run for cover in the middle game with resignation being the only form of escape?
Game 1 Beliavsky V Nunn, Wijk Aan Zee 1985
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1103322
Game 2 Plaskett V Miles, Lugano 1985
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1097818
Mark. J. McCready
The missing link?
Posted in Chess on May 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Chess lovers: what is the missing link between The Damned —– and —– Nirvana and how could there be a chess connection? Any ideas? Tough questions huh? Okay let’s make it easier then.
Nirvana. Truly fantastic trio from Seattle (and surrounding areas). Have a listen to this:
———–missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————— missing link ———-missing link————missing link —————missing link ———-missing link————missing link missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————- missing link ———-missing link————missing link —————- missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————– missing link ———-missing link————missing link———missing link ———-missing link————
The Damned. Top notch UK punk outfit. Attention please.
The missing link is this: Killing Joke. Tune in.
The Damned ‘life goes on‘ —– Killing Joke ‘eighties’ —— Nirvana ‘come as you are’. ‘Come as you are’ was borrowed (for want of a better term, perhaps ripped off lifted is better) from the song ‘eighties’, everyone knows this. But what most people don’t know is that the song ‘eighties’ was borrowed (ripped off lifted) from ‘life goes on’ by The Damned.
So where lies the chess connection? The missing link Killing Joke wrote a song which alludes to chess in the chorus and uses chess metaphors. It’s called ‘Chessboards’ and can be found on their album ‘Brighter than a Thousand Suns’. In my opinion, it is a strong contender for being the best song written about chess ever -truly great chorus! Here it is. Please do have a listen.
Best Nirvana song: Lounge Act
Best Killing Joke song: Euphoria
Best The Damned song: New Rose
Are you converted? In case you don’t know, music is much better than chess.
Mark. J. McCready
Could not find that killer blow
Posted in Chess on April 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Easy if you look
Posted in Chess on April 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »
A question of notoriety
Posted in Chess on March 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The question ‘Who is the most famous chess player in the world?’ isn’t as easily answered as you might think. The most obvious, or perhaps immediate, reply is to state the world champion as the answer. However, in the modern game this just is not true. We all know that the previous world champion Magnus Carlsen is more well known, well in the western world at least. But as has been stating during commentary in the GRENKE classic that times have changed.
The creator of Gotham Chess, Levy Rosman, has a following on youtube into the millions and of also a very popular streamer. Also the Botez Sisters are more widely known. Jan Gustafsson was quick to point out that Andrea has moved into boxing and has just DJ-ed an event in Berlin thus has branched out. In the modern game, the internet is the main medium for chess and also the greatest source of revenue. So there you have it, its no longer the case that becoming the world champion makes you the most famous chess player in town… .
MJM
MJM
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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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- Pattaya 2011
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- 2011
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- Thai Junior Championships
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- 2008
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- 2011
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- Around 2011
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- 2011
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- Pattaya 2009
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- 2011
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- Kuwait 2008
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- 2012
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- 2012
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- 2011 BKK Chess club
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- 2011
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- 2011 Thai Open
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- 2011 Thai Open
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- 2013 approx
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- Around 2014
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- 2010
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- 2012
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- Around 2011
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- 2011
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- 2011
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- 2013
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- Around 2011
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- Around 2011
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- 2020
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- 2011
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- 2008
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- 2011
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- 2013 or thereabouts
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- 2010
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- 2017
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- 2014?
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- 2010
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- 2024
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- 2024
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- 2024
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