Great chess quotes

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Great chess quotes

"I forgot that chess is not checkers, and that captures are not compulsory." :)
GM Eduard Gufeld, commenting on a calculation error which cost him a game.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

December 8, 2017

From Letters to the Editor of The Times today:

ROBOTS AND CHESS

Sir, I am not surprised that a computer can quickly master chess (“Robot becomes world-beating chess grandmaster in four hours” Dec 7). I enjoyed chess as a child but my performance gradually got worse. I found that as well as using their skill, many opponents were memorising games. Once many games are memorised, a chess player can look for positions that come from a known game, with known winning moves. As memory, rather than skill, plays such a large part of success in chess, a computer will obviously be able to master the memory side of the game very quickly. We should perhaps reassess our view of chess as a game of skill rather than our view of computers.

Peter West
London SW20

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/c...rule-6ksjjhfr6

Added Dec. 9, a reply to the above:

MAN V MACHINE

Sir, Peter West (letter, Dec 8) is wrong to suppose that computers’ great strength at chess is based on memory. It is their ability to calculate so accurately and quickly that produces their advantage over humans. In terms of general understanding and strategy of the game, areas where memory can play an important part, humans are still far superior.

Michael Brigden
Bath

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/c...ship-p2htrs6rj

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

December 5, 2017

Time moves on

Two postings from the For Sale section of the English Chess Forum:

Correspondence Chess postcards

1) Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Nov 18, 2017

I have about 350 of these, which I was about to put in the recycling, as I now play CC online. However, if anybody does play the old way, they are welcome to the cards, as long as the postage is paid. Please PM me if interested. I'm not holding my breath!

2) Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Nov 25, 2017

They are now in the recycling...

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 24, 2017

The winter weather at Wijk and St. Petersburg

Peter Svidler being interviewed by Anastasiya Karlovich after his game with Ding Liren in Round 8 of the Palma de Mallorca Grand Prix:

AK: Did you make the decision to play at Wijk this year during the tournament?

PS: The negotiations took place a week before the tournament. I accepted. I haven’t played there in ages. It will be nice to remember when I played there when I was younger and suffered horribly. I like suffering, so why not do it again?

AK: It seems like chess is about suffering.

By the way, your compatriot, Alexander Grischuk, refused to play there because of the weather conditions.

PS: It is a very difficult tournament. I think, in order to enjoy it, you have to do well - like fighting for first. If you are not, it is an extremely long and extremely difficult tournament, in weather conditions, which are very similar to St. Petersburg, which is to say, horrible.

I would be willing, at this point, to pay money not to spend winters at home (in St. Petersburg).

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 22, 2017

The Anti-Cheating Commission Report

Delivered at the FIDE Congress in Antalya, 2017.

This report, Annex 83, is full of good quotable things.

You’ll recall that groundless accusations of cheating were made against WGM Mihaela Sandu by most of her opposition in the European Women’s Championship

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/che...s-championship

that an attempt was made to stop and search Nigel Short on the way to the washroom while a game was in progress in the seventh round of the Baku Olympiad

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/Nig...e+“anti-chess”

in short, a period of witch-hunts and confrontation.

From Annex 83:

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/N...s/Annex_83.pdf

- Mrs Zhukova was sanctioned with a 3-month ban (suspended for one year under proviso that no reckless accusations are made in the period) for «making unjustified accusations of cheating against WGM Mihaela Sandu, thereby injuring and discrediting her reputation as an honest chess player»

Inspections during play

This has proven to be an overly sensitive topic in Baku. While some of the concerns by Mr. Short need careful assessment, the ACC still feels that the possibility of randomly inspecting a player during play should be in the regulations, as this is the THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY to catch any person who is suspected of cheating.

Of course, this has to be done cum grano salis, and the random check strategy should be carefully evaluated by the OACC Board and Chair. Here are a few

- No random checks should be performed during the last hour of play.

- No player in time trouble should ever be randomly checked. Arbiters could distribute ‘green pass’ to players whenever the player is in time trouble (say, less than 2 minutes per move). When asked to be searched, the player can show the green pass and be exempted. If a player does not have a green pass, he can still claim time trouble and the OACC will then be entitled to check with the match arbiter whether this is the case, with appropriate sanctions to be established in case of misrepresentation.

- Mandatory check-points should be established at each toilet. This does not mean that everyone entering will be searched, but the players will know that upon entering or leaving the toilet there is a high chance that they will be searched. These check-points should be manned at all times, and scans (which do not need to be thorough) should in no case be longer than 10 seconds.

and finally, this rather cryptic reference and the lovely expression "the exercise of extreme moderation":

The ACC wishes to thank Ethics for its hard work, especially in the case regarding the Chavki 2015 incident, which required the exercise of extreme moderation and a ground-breaking ruling on the subject of witch-hunting that set an important precedent for future cases.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 15, 2017

Do you know the story of Curt Schilling pitching for Boston against the Yankees in 2004? In Game 6 of the ALCS he pitched an impressive game with a bloody sock because of a sutured ankle tendon.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/989786...ge-to-history/

During the recent Champions Showdown in St. Louis, (November, 2017), Wesley So’s clock had a smear of blood on the top bar.

The game was stopped, So bandaged and the blood removed.

“GM Wesley So had a callous on the middle finger of his clock-hitting hand. During his 28th game in four days, it re-opened during a time-trouble frenzy.

When the disinfectant dried, GM Wesley So completed an improbable comeback against GM Leinier Dominguez.

"You gotta do what you gotta do!" So said about the spilled blood (if baseball has a "Bloody Sock" game then chess now has a "Bloody Clock" game). So told Chess.com later that in the melee of moving rapidly, he wasn't even aware it was his blood until he checked his hand after the game. After a quick bandage, he went back out and clinched the match the next game.”

Mike Klein at chess.com

https://www.chess.com/news/view/amer...pions-showdown

See also post #11 at:

http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthrea...471#post119471

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 12, 2017

Michael Farthing in the EC Forum:

I remember playing a game where I decided to let my opponent complete his elegant mating combination and he rewarded me by delaying the finish while he set about mopping up my remaining material!

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...cb0d1c#p208424

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 4, 2017

The time control for most classic games is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves. Many a player has come a cropper by changing the pawn structure during time pressure.

Today, Jan Gustafsson was commenting on Round 7 of the European Team Crete 2017 and said during the broadcast:

Don’t push a pawn on the 40th move
________

Andy Soltis has written this in “The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess”:

“Don’t begin decisive action before a time control.

This warning of Botvinnik’s was cited in 64 (March 1995), which recalled how the former world champion delayed changing the pawn structure during time pressure in one of his last games. Instead, Botvinnik made five “pass” moves just before move 40 and waited until he had ample time, at move 42, to make sure the critical move would decide the game strategically.”

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 4, 2017

There is a discussion about the quote:

Having a knight posted in your game at e6 is worse than a rusty nail in your knee

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/index.html

See: Chess Note 10635

It has been attributed to Tarrasch, Steinitz, Anderssen and Bogoljubow.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

November 1, 2017

The Goldilocks Problem in Chess Books

In the November 2017 issue of Chess Life, John Hartmann reviews The Scotch Gambit by Alex Fishbein and these are his introductory remarks:

“Astronomers and Astrophysicists often speak of a “Goldilocks Problem” when discussing the origins of life in the universe and the search for life beyond our own solar system.

There seems to be a fairly narrow “habitable zone”—neither too hot nor too cold, neither too close to their home stars nor too far away —if planets are to be able to support life. Lucky for us, the Earth is juuuust right in its relation to the sun!

Chess authors have their own version of the “Goldilocks Problem,” and we see it most clearly when we consider the competing difficulties in writing an opening book.

It’s a tricky balancing project. Authors have to include enough analysis to make their case, but not so much that they overwhelm their readers.”
_________

Fishbein's book passes the test because, Hartmann concludes: It avoids all the extremes of the opening book genre, and, by so neatly tying together analysis and exposition, Fishbein has written the rare book suitable for both amateurs and masters.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Great chess quotes

Position after White’s 97. Kh4. Can Black win here?

One more example of a very similar (same) endgame

[Event "2017 Aurora Summer Open"]
[Site "Aurora"]
[Date "2017.07.30"]
[Round "5.3"]
[White "Rek, Viatcheslav (slava)"]
[Black "Chen, Richard"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "2286"]
[BlackElo "2332"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O e5 5. c4 dxc4 6. Qa4+ Qd7 7. Qxc4 Ne7 8.
Nc3 Nbc6 9. d3 O-O 10. Ne4 Qd8 11. Bd2 Rb8 12. Rac1 h6 13. b4 Be6 14. Qc2 a6
15. a4 Nd5 16. Nc5 Bg4 17. Nxb7 Ncxb4 18. Nxd8 Nxc2 19. Nc6 Rb2 20. Ncxe5 Bxe5
21. Nxe5 Be6 22. Bxh6 Rd8 23. Nc6 Re8 24. Bd2 Ra2 25. e4 Ne7 26. Nxe7+ Rxe7 27.
Bc3 Rd7 28. Rfd1 Nd4 29. Bxd4 Rxd4 30. Rxc7 Raxa4 31. Bf3 Ra2 32. Kg2 a5 33.
Rc3 a4 34. Rb1 Rd2 35. Bd1 Ra2 36. Rb8+ Kg7 37. Ra8 Rb4 38. Rc2 Ra1 39. Rd2 a3
40. d4 Rbb1 41. d5 Bd7 42. Be2 Rb2 43. Rxa3 Rxd2 44. Rxa1 Rxe2 45. Kf3 Rb2 46.
Ra3 Kf6 47. Ke3 Bb5 48. h4 Re2+ 49. Kf3 Ke5 50. Rb3 Bc4 51. Re3 Rd2 52. Ra3
Rd3+ 53. Rxd3 Bxd3 54. Kg4 Bxe4 55. h5 gxh5+ 56. Kxh5 Kxd5 57. Kg5 Ke5 58. f4+
Ke6 59. g4 Bf3 60. Kh4 Bd1 61. Kg5 Bb3 62. Kh4 Kf6 63. Kh5 Bc2 64. Kh4 Bg6 65.
Kg3 Ke6 66. Kh4 f6 67. Kg3 Bc2 68. Kh4 Bb1 69. Kh5 Bd3 70. Kh6 Bc2 71. Kh5 Bd1
72. Kh4 Be2 1/2-1/2

~57 moves it became 2 pawns vs Bishop and a pawn.

I noticed the idea of pushing f5 and g5 when walking around.

[Matthew Nicholson]

Re: Great chess quotes

Black prevents f5 followed by g5 by playing 97...Kg6! with an easy win. If 98.f5 Kh6 seals the deal.



Edit - Note that Ke6 doesn't work because f5+ Bxf5 g5.

God dammit I'm an idiot. If white backs off and doesn't play f5 I don't see a win lol... Will keep working.

Okay final edit. It's a draw... Black has to stay on g6 or g7/h7 with his king. There's no way to prevent Kh4-Kg3 repeating by white, and if black leaves those squares the f5-g5 idea draws. It's a fortress kind of.

[Ed Seedhouse]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes
Position after White’s 97. Kh4. Can Black win here?

Nope. Black cannot prevent f5 followed by g5 forcing the exchange of black's last pawn, except by playing f5 and voluntarily trading off the black pawn.. No mate possible with a lone bishop.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great Chess Quotes

October 29, 2017

David Robertson on the EC Forum commenting on the match England- Norway in Round 2 of the European Team Champs, Crete 2017

Luke McShane's struggle today provides me with a perverse kind of comfort. It means I needn't feel that bad about the ease with which Benjamin Arvola brushed me off the board in the 4NCL two years back like ash off a young man's sleeve

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...207970#p207970

The game is

European Team Championship, Crete 2017
England-Norway, Board 4
Round 2, Oct. 29, 2017
Notkevich, Benjamin Arvola (2458) – McShane, Luke (2647)
C45 Scotch game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qf6 5.Be3 Bc5 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 Ne5 8.Be2 Qg6 9.O-O d6 10.Kh1 O-O 11.Nd2 Ng4 12.Bf4 Kh8 13.h3 Nf6 14.Bf3 Bd7 15.Re1 Rae8 16.b4 Bb6 17.Nc4 Nc6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 Qg5 21.Bg3 Rxe1+ 22.Qxe1 Re8 23.Qd1 c6 24.Qb3 Kg8 25.Rd1 h5 26.Qc4 h4 27.Bd6 Ne4 28.Bxe4 Rxe4 29.Bc5 Bc7 30.Nf3 Qg6 31.Qd3 Bf5 32.Qd2 Be6 33.Bd6 Bb6 34.Bc5 Bd5 35.Bxb6 axb6 36.Re1 Rxe1+ 37.Qxe1 Qf5 38.Qe5 Qxe5 39.Nxe5 f6 40.Ng6 Kf7 41.Nxh4 Bxa2 42.Nf5 c5 43.Kg1 Ke6 44.Nxg7+ Kd5 45.Ne8 Kc4 46.Nd6+ Kxc3 47.bxc5 bxc5 48.Nxb7 c4 49.Nd6 Kd3 50.Nb5 Bb3 51.h4 Ba4 52.Na3 c3 53.h5 c2 54.Nxc2 Bxc2 55.Kh2 Ke4 56.Kh3 Kf4 57.Kh4 Bf5 58.h6 Bg6 59.Kh3 Kg5 60.Kg3 Kxh6 61.Kh4 Be4 62.g4 Bf3 63.Kg3 Bd1 64.f4 Kg6 65.Kh4 Be2 66.Kg3 Kf7 67.Kh4 Kg7 68.Kg3 Bc4 69.Kh4 Bf7 70.Kg3 Be8 71.Kh4 Bf7 72.Kg3 Bg8 73.Kh4 Bh7 74.Kh5 Bc2 75.Kh4 Ba4 76.Kg3 Be8 77.Kh4 Bd7 78.Kg3 Bc8 79.Kh4 Bb7 80.Kg3 Bc6 81.Kh4 Bd5 82.Kg3 Bc4 83.Kh4 Bb5 84.Kg3 Ba4 85.Kh4 Bb3 86.Kg3 Ba2 87.Kh4 Bb1 88.Kg3 Bc2 89.Kh4 Bd3 90.Kg3 Be4 91.Kh4 Bd3 92.Kg3 Bh7 93.Kh4 Bb1 94.Kg3 Be4 95.Kh4 Bh7 96.Kg3 Kf7 97.Kh4 Ke6 98.f5+ Bxf5 99.g5 Bg6 100.gxf6 Kxf6 1/2-1/2

Position after White’s 97. Kh4. Can Black win here?

[Hans Jung]

Re: Great chess quotes

Great story nonetheless.