BBC Radio 4

[Jack Maguire]

BBC Radio 4 is going to bring chess to the airwaves this xmas season.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...s-lennox-lewis

[Wayne Komer]

Re: BBC Radio 4

28 Dec. 2013

In Leonard Barden’s Guardian chess column today he discusses the reappearance of chess on BBC radio.

He also writes:

The centrepiece of the 1958-64 programmes was a consultation game where the legendary Bobby Fischer met the two top English masters, the only such game Fischer ever played. I was nominally his partner, though my true role was as a stooge to ask probing questions about his strategy and general approach. Bobby proved fluent, good-humoured, clear and authoritative and was particularly lucid at explaining the interplay of rooks and bishops.

We held an advantage throughout but after eight hours the studio time ran out. Fischer claimed a win but Jonathan Penrose and Peter Clarke would not concede. The unfinished game was eventually adjudicated a draw by Dr Max Euwe.

For the rest of the discussion and an anecdote of Fischer buying a suit on Savile Row see:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...d-barden-chess

I am not clear on whether an audio copy of the recording of that program is available today.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: BBC Radio 4

The Fischer consultation radio game can be found at:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1586887

This game appeared on British radio on the BBC’s Third Network and appeared in print in Chess Treasury on the Air, pages 124-132, edited by Terence Tiller. The two consulting teams appeared in different studios and their discussions were recorded and broadcast.

Bobby Fischer/Leonard Barden – Jonathan Penrose/Peter Clarke
Consultation Game on BBC Radio, 1961
B81 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4 h6 7. h3 Nc6 8. Be3 Bd7 9. Qd2 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qa5 11. O-O-O Bc6 12. Kb1 Be7 13. Bg2 O-O 14. Qd2 Rfd8 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Nxe7 Kf8 17. Bxd2 Kxe7 18. Rhe1 Rac8 19. c4 Nd7 20. b3 e5 21. Be3 Nc5 22. f3 b6 23. h4 Ne6 24. Bf1 f6 25. h5 Be8 26. Kb2 Bf7 27. a4 Rb8 28. a5 Nc5 29. Ra1 Rd7 30. Kc3 bxa5 31. Bxc5 dxc5 32. Rxa5 Rc7 33. Rea1 Rbb7 34. Rb1 Be8 35. b4 cxb4 36. Rxb4 Rxb4 37. Kxb4 Rb7 38. Kc3 Bf7 39. Bd3 Kd7 40. c5 Rb3 41. Kc2 Rb7 42. Bb5 Kd8 43. Bc6 Rc7 44. Bd5 Be8 45. Kb3 Bd7 46. Kc4 Ke7
0.5-0.5 adjudicated a draw by Dr. Euwe

HIARCS gives White a slight plus at the end. One of the lines:

(46...Ke7 {+0.76/34} 47.Ra6 Bc8 48.Ra2 Bd7 49.Kb4 Kd8 50.Ra3 Ke7 51.Ra6 Bc8 52.Ra5 Bd7 53.Ra3 Kd8 54.Ra2 Ke7 55.Kc4 Kd8 56.Kb4)

[Wayne Komer]

Re: BBC Radio 4

ChessBase News this morning has a whole article on the Fischer consultation game by Albert Silver

http://en.chessbase.com/post/rare-fi...lyzed-in-depth

It is analyzed in depth by GM Alejandro Ramirez and there is an excerpt from Max Euwe’s adjudication of the final position.

And, for chess book collectors, there are indications where to get a copy of Chess Treasury of the Air by Terence Tiller, which contains the game and others from the radio series.