McCreadyandChess

The coquettes reign on-line

November 26, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

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.

https://chess24.com/en/live/video/miss-tactics—miss-strategy-banter-blitz

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

The English Chess Implosion by GM Nigel Davies

November 20, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

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.

Here it is: http://chessimprover.com/the-english-chess-implosion/

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

White to play and win via the distant opposition!

November 20, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

More from Nunn, Understanding Chess Endgames 1, pg 35. Note that the solution is given directly under the diagram. Should you wish to solve it yourself, I suggest you scroll down slowly. There are four lines of text beneath the diagram, after which the solution appears. In any event its white to play and win.

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

It’s a bumper month for Yannick!

November 19, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

The Swiss GM Yannick Pelletier has had a bumper month by beating Nakamura with some beautiful preparation against his beloved Kings Indian Defence, and then the current world champion Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen, who perhaps underestimating his opponent rated almost 300 points below him, played a move that is certainly not becoming of a world champion…but then what blunder is?

It is here that Carlsen plays 37… Rg8??

Is it me or does it seem that Pelletier has been around for ever?

For those partial to a little schadenfreude -in other words the entire global chess playing community- here’s Naka upstaging Carlsen on the blunder front against Caruana. The move that follows defies belief. How on earth can someone of his caliber play a move that you see at the lowest level of amateur games!

Nakamura (Black), has just played 6…f6?? I promise I’m not making that up. Check out the game below if you don’t believe me.

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/showdown-in-st-louis-nakamura-s-worst-game

Oh dear! You weren’t playing on auto-pilot and by analogy were you Naka?

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

Two reasons why we should admire Richard Rapport

November 15, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

At present, the Open European Team Championship, held in Reykjavik, is in danger of becoming a cracking tournament with great chess aplenty.

The Hungarian GM Richard Rapport, who is arguably the most creative and entertaining super GM around has, hot on the heels of his exciting attempt to wipe out GM Mickey Adams with the King’s Gambit, had us on the edge of our seats once again with his colourful and kaleidoscopic combinations once more.

In becoming less patient about thrusting his f-pawn up the board on only his second move Rapport played 1 f4 instead. Oo-la-la monsieur his 2700+ opponent thought must have thought!

Rapport – Fressinet

Then on move 29 the supra-f-pawn moves to f5 with devastating effect.

After 30. …exf5, it is white to play with a winning attack to follow.

You can find the game here for now.

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/european-team-championship-open-2015/3/3/2

Here’s GM Danny King eulogizing over Rapport, go to 7.33 and watch the smile on his face as he begins.

GM Richard Rapport

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Tagged richard rapport | Leave a Comment »

Jeremy James

November 7, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

Jeremy James, presenter of the BBC’s avant-garde show The Master Game, has sadly passed away. An obituary can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/28/jeremy-james-obituary

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

Blackburne visits Bedford

November 6, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

Once upon a time Bedford, traditionally the intellectual centre of Bedfordshire, had to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes by conceding considerable chess inferiority to its industrialized half-sister Luton. Blackburne, who trusted historian Tim Harding has recently written about, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Henry-Blackburne-Chess-Biography/dp/0786474734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446805615&sr=8-1&keywords=tim+harding managed to squeeze in a visit whilst circumnavigating the county and its more established chess hubs (post on his visit to Luton to follow). Here’s an account of his time in Bedford, he puts the current world champion to shame on the blindfold front (please click on the image for a better view).

Allegedly taken a year before his visit to Bedford.

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

Plays 1. Nc3 wins in 8 moves!

November 6, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

The following game can be found on pg. 34 of The quickest chess victories of all time by Graham Burgess.

R. Djurhuus – F. Liardet

Santiago 1990

1. Nc3 – Kramnik once played this.

1. … Nf6 2. d4 c5

3. Nf3 cxd4. Looks like a reversed Mexican Defence.

4. Nxd4 d5. Nothing too unusual so far.

5. Bg5 e5. Black’s last move looks a little suspicious to me.

6. Ndb5 a6??. As the author says, black is playing by analogy and runs straight into trouble.

7. Nxd5!

7. … axb5 8. Nxf6 1-0. If only all our opponents could be so accommodating!

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | Leave a Comment »

One born every minute…at least!

November 5, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

Posted in My own warped humour | Leave a Comment »

Move of the century?

October 31, 2015 by mccreadyandchess

It is claimed that black’s next move was the best move of the 20th century, the game is, of course, Topalov – Shirov, Linares 98.

White has just played 47. Kg1, what should black play next?

Here’s the game if you want the answer.

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

Posted in Life beyond the chess board | 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
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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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