From page 57 of Hendricks Move First, Think Later, Chapter 6 Pattern-like Knowledge. The following position is a good example of how we look for patterns in chess and fail to see solutions that do not fit into those. See if you can find the draw for white here, I know I certainly couldn’t. It’s white to play and save the game.
Hopefully you’ve made a genuine attempt to find the draw but here’s the solution anyway.
I think what’s tricky about that is that it looks like checkmate is in the air prima facie rather than stalemate.
With an absolute stack of books and magazines on order from yesteryear, I thought I might share where I get them from. If you’re interested in antique, rare or out of print books as well as much chess paraphernalia that is quite ungoogleable, you could do a lot worse than click on the links below. Each bookstore I have used many times and can verify their professionalism and trustworthiness -just don’t go buying up all the best offers now!
Norwich’s own Glynn’s Bookstore http://www.abebooks.com/glynns-books-norwich/3949676/sf allegedly visited by Alan Partridge in search of Golding’s Lord of the Flies whilst researching the ‘numero one’ of radio debates in 1990’s England: that being, who was the best lord – Lord of The Rings, Lord of the Dance orLord of the Flies. Click below for the answer.
Tony’s Bookstore or http://www.chessbooks.co.uk/. They deliver worldwide, including Kazakhstan. Here Borat talks about the inherently ambiguous term the Soviet School of Chess…or does he?
Lastly, Dale Brandreth’s site or http://www.chessbookstore.com/ They will sell books to anyone, even author and former Monopoly champ Giles Brandreth, whose career took a nose-dive into politics when he became a member of Parliament. Here is the verbose champ below, showing us all why Britain has fallen into decline. Monopoly fans take note that Brandreth’s book on Monopoly has never been bettered…admittedly, the clip below is intriguing. Brandreth claims that chess is English in origin…or does he?
As you would expect, The Telegraph has presented us with a well-written article on gender difference -or lack thereof- in chess.
Even though more women are taking up our beautiful game than ever before, they still face chauvinism from some of its more old-fashioned practitioners. Journalist Rachel Halliwell makes two noted members of that club appear quite foolish in her article, and equally as effortlessly, dispels a number of gender based myths that pervade chess. An incisive riposte -journalism at its finest.
I’ve started reading Move First, Think Later. Its an intriguing read and very modern in its approach. As you may know, it won the Chess Book of The Year award in 2012.
Here’s a demo by the author himself. The position studied is original and the approach by the author is revisionist and refreshing.
I recently bought the book ‘The only quiz book you will ever need’ and found a section on chess. To my surprise I got two questions wrong (1 & 14). You can find all questions and answers below:
Chess: Miscellaneous 1 Quiz 5 (page 137)
Which Word Chess Champion’s namesake ‘gun’, sees a queen backing up two rooks on the same file?
In 2005, the first World Championship in Chessdarts was won by a future Women’s World Chess Champion and the 2004 BDO World Darts Champion. Name either.
During the candidates tournament in Zurich 1953, which future World Chess Champion used his fine baritone voice to sing extracts from opera on Swiss radio?
In 2003 a biography subtitled ‘It’s only me. was published about which late English chess grandmaster?
Name either of the grandmasters whitewashed 6-0 in successive matches by Bobby Fischer in 1971 in the Candidates Tournament to find a challenger to the World Champion Boris Spassky?
Whose reign as World Champion was first interrupted by Vassily Smyslov and then Mikhail Tal, making him the only man to hold the title in three nonsuccessive periods?
Which leading proponent of hypermodern chess wrote the influential book Mein System in 1925?
The men’s team from which country, with a population of just over 3 million, won the European Team Championship in 1999 and the World Team Championship in 2011 and the Chess Olympiad in 2006, 2008 and 2012?
Containing a hidden chess player, it was a sensation for decades. By what name was the Automaton Chess-player constructed by Wolfgang Von Kempelen in the late 18th century better known?
In May 2014, who achieved a record Elo rating of 2,882?
What move is represented in chess notation by 0-0-0?
The English Opening derives its name from its use by which English unofficial world champion, who played it during his 1843 match with Saint-Amant?
Taking its name from English and Austrian players who analysed it in 1886, which chess opening is characterized by the opening moves 1. e4 c6?
Which Dresden born millionaire grandmaster (1928-2013), heir to the Karl May publishing house refereed to the Fischer-Spassky match in Reykjavik in 1972?
In 2010, who, at the age of 16, became the youngest ever Women’s World Chess Champion?
McCready’s bonus question:
One of the questions above contains a misnomer. Which question is it and what is the misnomer?
Answers:
Alekhine -Alekhine’s gun
Alexandra Kosteniuk or Andy Fordham
Vassily Smysov
Tony Miles (an anagram of his name)
Mark Taimanov or Bent Larsen
Mikhail Botvinnik
Aaron Nimzowitch
Armenia
The Turk
Magnus Carlsen
Queenside or long castling
Howard Staunton
Caro-Kann defence
Lothar Scmid
Hou Yifan
Bonus Question answer: question 8 contains the term ‘Olympiad’, this is in fact a misnomer meaning the period of time between olympics rather than an event itself. Nearly 100 years on we are still waiting to have this changed in chess!
With chess traditionally being a ponderous and serious game, the online xanadu aka www.chess24.com, brings us the antithesis of that once more with Miss Tactics and Miss Strategy, both of whom team up for more Banter Blitz to tickle your fancy.
Miss Tactics – IM Sopiko Guramashvili (left) and Miss Strategy – IM Anna Rudolf (right)
They aren’t just a pair of pretty faces, both are titled and know what they are talking about. You younger guys ought to count yourselves lucky: when I was in my youth girls didn’t play chess, the only thing you could ogle was your opponent’s chair leg!
The link below should take you to the latest episode of banter blitz.
A frank and honest article concerning the plight of English chess has been written by GM Nigel Davies, whom you might also know as one of Chessbase’s better presenters, if not the best. The title is a play on words with the naturalized Brit GM Murray Chandler’s book The English Chess Explosion.
…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… .
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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