Moves I could never play | McCreadyandChess

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Moves I could never play 32

Posted in Moves I could never play on December 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1281045

M J M

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Moves I could never play 31

Posted in Moves I could never play on December 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Social media post from 15 years ago.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1143956

M J M

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Moves I could never play 30

Posted in Moves I could never play on October 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

On this day fb throws this up:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067777&fbclid=IwY2xjawNMhF9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOa3VGazlSNXRvYTR0S1lwAR6DwXBmkHkpcmEWRpW_ci-dy5rZVhNYQXXpiDDL5Ohf7LXHHYafn3hEATYqDw_aem_TPKYrArbN6SJykr1gJ5bGA

M J M

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Moves I could never play 29

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

With Bob Hope and no hope the only two hopes I have at being good at chess, the rather radiant move below, that being 18. Nc6 is, above my level very much. The analysis required is so deep, and imagination is required as well. Yes I note that white wants to remove the dark-squared bishop which is a key defender but it looks like Black has enough still. Way, way, way above my level.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1034337

I found this game from surfing this: Tim Krabbe

M J M

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Moves I could never play 28

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Who doesn’t like mad positions? What is black meant to play here? It’s another Soviet Championship game, this time between Balashov and Beliavsky, from 86. The move played looks rather suicidal to me but this position is too difficult to know what’s best imo.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1024991

You can find analysis in the recommended publication below.

M J M

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Moves I could never play 27

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

One of Karpov’s best games and such a sublime and elegant move. This is Karpov v Dorfman, Soviet Championships 1976. Way above my level but so beautiful. Most would just want to grab material with dxe7, which is hardly going to win you the game. Karpov knows best.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067966

You can find analysis here.

M J M

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Moves I could never play 26

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The chess player I admire most is GM Magnus Carlsen.¹ Second is his main rival Fabi.² Here’s a position from one of their many clashes. It’s too difficult for moi to assess accurately in order to discern what is the best move to play, engines aside. Rook endgames are so highly nuanced that anyone can go wrong in them, so what chance has little ole’ me got of seeing GM Carlsen’s move?

Piece activity is essential in endgames, we all know that and black obviously wants to queen a pawn but can’t he shore up his position first by improving his king position? It doesn’t look right to drop the e-pawn and gift white greater mobility for his rooks like that. I would want to play Kf7-e6-d5 before doing anything else, try and march the king in if you can, assuming of course the position allows for this. Just looks safer and much less double-edged but with calculation skills as limited as mine, and me being prone to making a mess of things, how can I tell what to play for first, Rook or King activity? GM Carlsen only drew this game, so perhaps there are inaccuries in play, however, I would prefer to take black in the position above. I would play 38. … Kf7 here.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1916995

M J M

It’s more character than ability based. ↩︎
Similar to Magnus. The way he conducts himself, I have a lot of time for. ↩︎

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Moves I could never play 25

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I do love bravery over the board especially when it comes from those remembered more for defeat than victory. Pianist and GM Taimanov shows confidence in his calculation skills and plays something that myself, who is always a nervous wreck over the board is too feeble and rubbish to try!

Could you castle long here and leave your queen hanging? Perhaps you could if you can see whose king is in the most danger. At first blush it’s not for the faint-hearted me thinks but spend a few minutes and it’s actually quite playable. That said, instinctively I would discard such moves as being far too risky and look for something more solid instead. An interesting game with a devastating attack it is.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1111512&kpage=4&comp=1

Analysis of the game above can be found on pg. 105 of that below.

M J M

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Moves I could never play 24

Posted in Moves I could never play on September 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Straight from the source because I cannot link the game. GM Nunn’s book Understanding Chess Endgames again, I do suggest you purchase a copy if endgames are what you want to study, and you are a rather meek club player like myself. Have a look at the following position, it’s white to play.

White is able to win this but there is only one way to do it, via the intermediary check Rg6! As the analysis shows below, black is compelled to capture on f4 but a pawn race will soon ensue, which allows white to pick up a valuable tempo by queening his pawn with check. To me it doesn’t look like white can save himself. In endgames, where lines of calculation ealongate, I wouldn’t see the significance of the intermiediary check. Would you?

Analysis can be found here:

M J M

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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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…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

Bedfordshire Outfoxed -Local History

Reflections 20— Reflection & Warm Condolence

Reflections 17 — Colourful reflections from afar
Luton & The University of Bedfordshire Chess Club
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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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