Life beyond the chess board | McCreadyandChess

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That one-year hiatus explained thus broken…

Posted in Life beyond the chess board, My own endeavours, On-line journal on June 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Sincerest of apologies in not posting for a year. In truth there are conditions the service provider insists upon, which leave me less than impressed at times…it wasn’t that I didn’t want to write or had nothing to say, it was just that…

…and now those conditions have been, begrudgingly, met I am back although I have had to change the website name oh-so-slightly, since some slippery Russian went and stole my own whilst I was away! (thieving b******d)

…in short I will post throughout the summer since the afforded break from work presently allows me to do so….

…that’s all for now. I have poured my heart and soul into this site. I do hope you read on, and so cheerio…I shall be seeing you!

Mark.J.McCready

June 28th 2022

Laksi, Bangkok

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Strength and weakness

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on January 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Following elite chess is far from easy for a number reasons, some of which are more obvious than others. If I can’t work out how the mechanics involved then at its highest level chess is most likely to remain something of an enigma. If you’re an academic at heart, lamentably a philosopher, then the altered perspective involved in judging individuals by their character and not their ability makes it all the more harder. Of course there is an ethical dilemma involved which is not easily overcome; namely, to what extent should professional and private lives be kept separate? And although some of those in the elite adhere to the classical stereotype of what a chess player typically is more than others, until we invest time in understanding, and not just judging their character, the waters are left undisturbed and opaque. GM Hikaru Nakamura was not particularly well-liked for a long time, mainly because he had a distinct habit of pulling faces over the board but once you get to see him in action and follow him through his youtube channel, then you can see him very differently indeed. In the clip below we can see Hikaru playing to his strengths and succumbing to his own weaknesses. Being a man of the world I can tell you exactly why Hikaru is tutoring the young lady below but perhaps that’s best left unsaid…

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Number one again?

Posted in Life beyond the chess board, On-line journal on January 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I’m becoming concerned here as I prefer to engage in the workings of machinery rather than the appearance of them. What lies below isn’t an accurate reflection of how things are. Representing my county online and being the top player in the team depicts the absence of those who count more so than show who is present.

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Cherry Drops

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on January 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

The confectionary I couldn’t play chess without once upon a time. Cost -55p: rating increase +5.

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on this day…

Posted in Chess, Life beyond the chess board on January 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I posted the following on fb nine years ago to the day.

White plays the counter-intuitive c5 and wins since the black king is too far to do anything.

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26

Posted in Life beyond the chess board, On-line journal on January 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

A mere 26 years on, since I ran away from the responsibility of being Tournament Organizer at my home club, I’m back at it again. The difference is, this time its all on-line quickplay stuff, which is a damn site easier to do than club championships where more than half never even shown up once!

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When it’s cool for cats it’s…?

Posted in Life beyond the chess board, My own warped humour on January 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

2021 off to a good start. A clip of a cat enjoying my chess content. 😂 pic.twitter.com/p81tq2u5sd
— GothamChess (@GothamChess) January 1, 2021

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Some sentiment be…

Posted in Life beyond the chess board, Viz inspired material on December 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Sometimes I play chess without the right thinking cap on.

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Opening theory kinda carpe diem na?

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on December 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Apologies for the somewhat pretentious title. Carpe Diem refers to seizing the moment and the question particle ‘na’ is both informal and something used in speech in the Thai language. But who in their right mind thinks that below is worth illustrating? Titillation aside, what could the motive possibly be ~~for showing this chess porn~~? It comes form a side line in the Vienna Gambit. And what on earth could be gained from studying this? This is one example where chess theory is best abandoned.

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…in the freezing fog at 0839 the picture was taken…the endgame studies begun the minute before…

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on December 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

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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
The University of Bedfordshire Library, Vicarage St. Luton
01582 743921/07710036246 (Humuyan)
kitefighter@gmail.com
Tuesdays from 7.30 pm, The Library, Ground Floor

Please go to:
https://www.lutonchessclub.com/
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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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