Just when you finally get a day off during the week, the latest international tournament to roll into town just had to have a free day too. So what better way could there be to spend a day than lounging around watching archive footage of ex-world champions whilst the little one runs amok with her new shopping trolley, the last of nanny’s birthday presents! Whilst flicking through a few playlists, I came across a montage showing the rivalry between Kasparov and Karpov. It’s well edited, there’s a lot of great footage, and the music is quite listenable too. A nice way to spend 15 minutes for sure.
For the lads the tropics is a great place to laze around on the beach whilst trying to pull scantily-clad local girls but for us real men its an ideal place to turn our backs on society and play some underwater chess instead. In the linked video, two machismo IM’s turn up, swap their thick goggles for scuba masks and go to war in the aqua waters of Curacao, much to the delight of some bemused tourists.
The footage, however, contains scenes which will cause uproar amongst hardcore chess purists. There’s so many fish in the water that it’s hard to follow the action, and a stingray went unpunished by the arbiter for swimming over the board whilst the players were deep in concentration. Obviously, it should have received a verbal warning at least. It’s hardly surprising that no one has played underwater since the video was made in 2008 given the etiquette of the marine life in it and the double-standards employed by the officials. Yet again, its one rule for marooned International Masters and another for the occasional passing stingray….when is FIDE going to get its act together?
NB Chess fans suffering with high-blood pressure should seek medical advice from a doctor before clicking on the link below. Discretionary viewing advised.
Viz, the most informative chess magazine in Britain, has brought out a chess/bridge cryptic crossword. I had a go at it myself but found it too hard. After contacting the publishers, they told me that it was for players rated 2900+ only before putting the phone down! Anyway, why don’t you see if you can do it.
If you were thinking of splashing out on some snazzy new software like Komodo 8 then think again. You can join the dark – or light- side with Lucas chess instead. It’s free, open source and has a great GUI. It’s user friendly and there’s lots of options. It’s the sort of thing that makes you wonder why people pay for software. I very much doubt whether I will purchase Fritz again.
I have stumbled across another documentary on chess, entitled ‘Chess – A state of Mind’. It hails from the 80’s and accredits Bill Hartston as the writer. Leaving the narrative aside, there’s lots of rare footage to be seen making it worth a watch. There’s Bent Larsen discussing the stories he told Fischer as a child and a few glimpses of Smyslov here and there. You might even see Raymond Keene out jogging with Michael Stean and Korchnoi, a sight for sore eyes certainly.
Someone in my homelands is going around town, spray-painting chess pieces onto walls, prompting a police investigation. What naughty person is doing that I wonder?
Just when you’re sure that facebook is nothing more than an insidious American invention not worth signing up for, along comes some guy and constructs the largest, most impressive image bank of chess on the planet with something for everyone and much, much more, and then places the whole lot on it -typical!
Anyway, its called MemoryChess and is easily found, now existing as a community of around 7000 to date. There exists thousands of images that you won’t find elsewhere, all neatly placed into albums of various themes. There is nothing on the net that can compare, I assure you.
The 2nd Norway No Logo Tournament has started with some exciting games already. Following it closely I noted during the blitz that Short mentioned Aronian had told him there were no good players from the 80’s. With Garry Kasparov becoming the world champion in the 80’s and joining the show the day after the blitz, I thought I would ask the commentary team what Garry thought of that remark. To my surprise it was the first question they asked him and it produced much lively discussion. You can find it by clicking on the link and going to 1:03:30
Some confusion reigned however because Aronian was not there to qualify his remark. I think Short put his finger on it by saying that it was the failure of the youth to supplant the old guard that Aronian was referring to if he were being serious. A charge which cannot be levied at our modern age of course.
The following link contains more Kasparov. It appeared on the Irish programme, The Late Late Show and makes for uncomfortable viewing indeed. I don’t think I’ve seen a chat show host become so flustered and make so many mistakes.
Kasparov at Fischer’s grave. Image courtesy of Memory Chess.
Monkey impersonations, singing into a mic during play, 3 boards to a table, a room too small by far, clocks frequently being pressed wrongly, a late start of over an hour and a curfew forcing the abandonment of the final two rounds, what do they have in common? They all featured in a quickplay tournament I was unable to make -thankfully!
The joys of amateur chess are boundless and btw it was the juniors making the monkey noises and singing into the mic.
…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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