I’ve agreed to play in my first on-line tournament, now all the rage as pandemic sweeps the globe.
I became an on-line member of my home town chess club and that’s the organizational body.
It’s an unprincipled decision because the digital revolution we are currently undergoing is pernicious. You can’t compare on-line tournaments to those in the real world, to do so is ludicrous and unworthy of consideration.
But with a blind love of chess pushing the agenda, I shall participate, and try to be at my best.
Wish me luck. Being rusty I will most likely need it… .
To me: my sincere apologies for allowing windows platforms to proclaim uninspiring updates and persuade me to click on them.
My own update is of a similar nature: I am reading hard and writing hard, uncoupled from seeing things in stages, as was alluded to in the video posted about a month ago. I love the post I am writing so much, it’s with me all the time and its reached the point where I can sublimate complex philosophical issues into the narrative using the vernacular and also pull the narrative sideways with more formal language, giving it a well-rounded feel, showing signs of just how much effort has gone into it. It has reached the stage where I can safely say I can have it published for the writing is strong, much more above anything you find on this site. You shan’t find it on this site but I shall insert excerpts, tasters if you like.
Once again, as is stated in the video, its not done for profit. I never care if I am read. I won’t intend on making money from a publication because that is demeaning to me. But for those who like to read, it will have plenty of content for something with a tight narrative based upon a topic of little inspiration to most and no inspiration to better chess players than I for they see things only in terms of knowledge and ability and shy away from the art of communication -unlike myself.
What an update this is. Okay a lockdown question: when’s it going to be published then Mark? Answer will be in a certain teenspeak (as the text proves, I am still the street-kid I grew up as on a rough council road) ‘ao, Im supposed ta know I ain’t doin it, ere let’s ave a knock about init’
If it were the case that the world’s superpowers are using the media to blow out of proportion the latest pandemic and in doing so are metaphorically speaking, playing a game of chess whilst using the general public as mere pawns, which pawn would you be?
More seriously is this really one big game going to fizzle out into a draw, whilst pawns are left unmoved? What pawn are you? I choose the f-pawn for myself for there is an f-word that I say a lot more whilst under curfew.
When-o-when will everything return to normal? If a game is being played it will cause many in the west to question the life they lead and how ensnared they are. Anyone going to castle long and leave the west because of it I wonder?
We may end up with a larger online community of chess players if anything else. A small consolation I know…
As some of you may know the incredibly beautiful Arriane Caoili has passed away at a young age. I met her once in London and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. So much so I walked over to her game to see if she was, in fact, a chess player -and yes of course she was.
Condolences go to her family, Lev and all her friends;
I have no words to express the grievance over my wife Arianne's death. She was intelligent , hard working and joyous person that lived a beautiful life…
To have matches cancelled, leagues, tournaments, and much more…what to do? Risk death just for a hobby? I hardly play so no effect here but I do pity those actively engaged in what must be trying times.
All the best. Pandemic aside, I hope it makes you stronger.
I have my writing projects to give me some, but not much joy.
It’s 0446 March 13th. Finally I’ve finished. The project I have been working on for 19 months was completed in November but much re-writing had to take place and the editorial procedure was drawn out and repeated twice, so that’s three times in total. Finally its all done now and I don’t have to write anymore.
Just need to add about ten quotes and selected pics. I doubt whether I shall bother with an Appendix, so a proofread and off to the publishers it is.
I -and no I’m not telling you where- came here to write and to read. I am engaged in a major project that will have to be sent out for publication, what comes of that you shall stay informed of. There is a second project too a second too perhaps but for that I am still reading more postmodern history than doing the research, which per se only started a few weeks back…
I’m very happy to say that I have just finished the second draft/editorial procedure of my main meaning only one more is left. My writing style has tightened so much there may be much to do but I doubt it. Should I stay focused it should be finished. Then I have to let it slip in case something I have forgotten emerges. The publishing company will have decide the genre themselves. Of course I know exactly what it is but I am as unpretentious as I was 1000 years before I was born, so it is up to them. Six-eight hours of writing and 2 hours of reading a day undisturbed. Bliss.
And so an afternoon of rest beckons then the final draft begins. It’s probably the only thing I will ever write where I do want people to read. When I said I come from a hardened working-class background, believe me I was not joking. How many of you reading this have seen with your own eyes your board knocked over because your opponent his ripped of table legs and -Bruce-Lee like- went smacking pupils in the head, bollocks, shins, back, legs, arms…ok so he was going to be expelled shortly anyway for throwing a typewriter at another students head but yes, there is plenty of contact which will raise however many eyebrows you have. Oh btw I never lowered myself to such behaviour, whilst all that went on I only booted in study cubicles, booted chairs about, and hilariously threw hundreds of books out of the windows along with several classmates…there is content far more graphic than that believe me. I’ve had a colourful life, let’s just leave it at that, word count is at present 32793. That will jump at least 5000 words as sections and quotations are missing.
Oh boy it gets so hard. The Westminster Gazette publishes something in full. The next day about six other newspapers follow suit. Do I assume they just copied? I’m an academic! I can’t just do that! It is as reprehensible as it is irresponsible. Ohhh, headache time… .
