Great chess quotes

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

November 28, 2019

The Longest Game

Pentala Harikrishna in an interview in Kolkata during the recent Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz.

Recently, you were involved in one of the longest games ever played at the European Club Cup (236 moves). Tell us about it.

I think it was the first time I played more than 200 moves. It’s really difficult to play that amount of moves. My opponent, David Howell, initially said he was playing because his team mate was losing. So, in order to equalise the match, he tried to win on my board. So, maybe, that was the reason he played 50 or 100 moves initially. And then I was surprised as to why he was playing so many moves, he was moving from one side to the other and not really making any progress. At some point it was quite funny because there were more arbiters waiting in the playing hall than the players because only we were playing and around nine or ten arbiters were waiting for our game to finish. I think we played for around six hours and forty-five minutes. Not much time was left for dinner (laughs)…when I saw the final drawing pattern, I didn’t know whether he wanted to make a record or something. It was quite tiring. First, it was long and second, there was no improvement. We sat and wrote the moves on four sheets of paper. I was exhausted and I was hoping the match would finish soon so that I could grab a bite, but it was important not to make a mistake in the match.

https://epaper.telegraphindia.com/im...16_i_1_sf.html

The game’s score is at:

https://forum.chesstalk.com/forum/ch...-events/page13

It is entry #191

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

December 3, 2019

Five Guys Named Jamieson

I never would have thought in writing great chess quotes that I would give the entire results of a tournament!

First, this quote from Ian Rogers:

Results of an extraordinary recent tournament in Peru, featuring five players named Jamieson, are here:

https://chess-results.com/tnr490387....et=YES&flag=30

However according to FIDE VP Granda, the tournament run by IA Tacuche Martinez never happened! Past fake events have created norms, but why this one??

-
Final Ranking after 7 Rounds
-
Rk.		Name		FED		Rtg		Pts.
‘-
1		Martinez Adell Sergi		ESP		0		5.5
2		Luis Antonio Perez De Leon		PAN		0		5.5
3		Lazo Roman Sebastian		CRC		0		5.5
4		Landeo Enciso Camila		PER		0		5
5		Luis Acosta Omar		ESP		0		5
6		Ochoa Alvarez Mauricio		MEX		0		5
7		Lazo Manriquez Edgardo		CHI		0		5
8		Toresen Isak		NOR		0		4.5
9		Perez Aban Carlos Andres		BOL		0		4.5
10		Jose Abreu Adrian Armando		DOM		0		4.5
11		Martinez Agapito Fernando		MEX		0		4.5
12		Rodrigo Aguado Jose Luis		ESP		0		4.5
13		Ochoa Arrue Inigo		ESP		0		4.5
14		Caro Villar cristian		PER		0		4.5
15		Luis Eduardo		POR		0		4.5
16		Lazo Gomez Ingrid Shadani		MEX		1830		4
17		Luis Castellano Miguel A.		ESP		1590		4
18		Luis Cejudo Gaizka		ESP		1477		4
19		Luis Alvarez Isabela		CUB		1467		4
20		Perez Abarca Raul		ESP		0		4
21	FM	Jamieson Peter M		SCO		2213		4
22		Jamieson Neil		ENG		0		4
23	IM	Jamieson Robert M		AUS		2444		3.5
24		Lazo Ramos Mathiu Anthony		PER		1671		3.5
25		Lazo De La Vega Katherine	-	PER		0		3.5
26		Lazo Verver Y Vargas Lenin		MEX		2002		3.5
27		Ulloa Perez Juan		PER		0		3.5
28		Perez Acebal Alfonso		URU		2158		3.5
29		Perez Sebastian		PER		1591		3.5
30		Jordyn Bijoy		IND		0		3.5
31		Luis Broock Carlos		ESP		0		3
32		Tores Belisario Anthony De Jesus		VEN		0		3
33		Luis Alvarez Elizabeth		CUB		2028		3
34		Perez Aban Javier Adrian		BOL		1516		3
35		Lazo Villarroel Isabel Camila		BOL		0		3
36		Luis Anthony Jayanata		INA		1643		3
37		Perez Vinicio		DOM		0		3
38		Perez Yenni		DOM		0		3
39		Jamieson Ian		SCO		1891		3
40		Ochoa Aldaz Mikel		ESP		1846		3
41		Martinez Acuna Aniuska Celeste		VEN		0		3
42		Landeo Enciso Enzo Andre		PER		0		2.5
43		Lazo Tapia Esperanza		CHI		0		2.5
44		Ochoa Mauricio		MEX		0		2.5
45		Toresano Lopez Daniel		ESP		0		2.5
46		Luis Abad Silvio		BRA		0		2
47		Ochoa A Camilo Andres		COL		0		2
48		Toresen Hakon		NOR		0		2
49		Perez Gabriel		VEN		0		2
50		Lazo Martinez Incaivi Brandon		HON		0		2
51		Lazo Manriquez Paz Andrea		CHI		0		1.5
52		Jamieson Alexander		ENG		1710		1.5
53		Luis Broock Tania		ESP		0		1.5
54		Perez Abellan Alvaro		ESP		0		0.5
-
-
-

Imagine travelling over half the world to play in a non-existent tournament, fated to do so because your family name is Jamieson.

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

December 7, 2019

From an interview of Chris Ward with Maurice Ashley during the broadcast of London Chess Classic. Chris is the most enthusiastic, effervescent commentator around:

Discussing the Ding Liren – MVL game:

“Ding has a lot of pawns still on the board. You know what we would like to see? There is the chance of seven new queens appearing on the board!”

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

December 16, 2019

Jeopardy and Chess

From the English Chess Forum:

Joseph Conion - In a discussion on chess and its history with one of my distinguished humanities colleagues I was told to my surprise that the English word 'Jeopardy' comes originally from chess.

The origin is from French 'Jeu parti' - or split game, even game - being the old-fashioned (Pre-1500) expression for a chess problem, i.e. a position where the game is in the balance.

And indeed the OED entry confirms this.

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...237497#p237497

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

December 27, 2019

Crying after Losing

The commentators at the World Rapid in Moscow in December of 2019 are Peter Leko, Almira Skripchenko and Evgenyi Miroshnichenko.

During the commentary of the seventh round, Almira says that when she went to the washroom, one of the girls there had lost her game and was crying.

It reminded her of herself. She asked Peter if that ever happened to him.

Peter says that in his first tournament, as an underrated player, a nine-year old against category 2 and category 3 players, he lost all of his games and cried big time. He asked himself, “Will I ever be a chessplayer?” Well, you know the answer.

Almira switched over to Miro at the demonstration board and hit him with the same question about crying after a loss.

Miro: That is an unexpected question. I still do, that is basically why I stopped playing chess!

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

January 1, 2020

From the English Chess Forum:

Every Christmas, Private Eye publishes a double-page of spoof adverts for things you never knew you needed. Some of them are actually better than the things you see in magazines in the run up to Christmas... (For example, this time they have a "trollinav", which consults your shopping list and leads you to the right places in the supermarket!)

However, back on track, we have "The Multifaith Chess Set", which comes with all the standard pieces, except it has one Bishop, one Iman, one Rabbi and one Richard Dawkins. "Now you can be a truly diverse woke grandmaster of the ancient game!"

Kevin Thurlow, Dec. 30, 2019

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...c351aa#p239066

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

January 2, 2020

Withdrawal from Chess

From New In Chess:

A Mystery

With some sadness, I shall not be renewing my subscription this time. The reason lies with me, not with the magazine (which continues to be very high quality). About five years ago, and quite inexplicably, my enthusiasm for chess simply disappeared, as if a light switch had been turned off in my mind. I no longer had any interest in playing, and I very rarely read my chess books and magazines. My efforts to re-ignite my former feelings for the game have failed.

It is all a mystery to me. I have loved chess since my school days. In the first chess magazine I ever owned, I remember being gripped by reports of the tense hostilities in the Kortchnoi-Petrosian Candidates match in 1977. My first contact with New In Chess was like striking gold. I received a sample copy, which turned out to be the issue with Tony Miles’s amazing account of his experiences at the Tilburg tournament in 1985. What a fabulous introduction to your magazine! Since then I have acquired and enjoyed almost a complete run from the very start.

After more than three decades therefore, it is time to say Goodbye and more importantly – Thank You to everyone at New In Chess, past and present for so many years of stimulating reading.

Andrew Farthing
Brockhill Village, Norton, Worcester, UK

From the Letters (Your Move) section of New In Chess,
2019#8, page 12


See also:

(quote #55)
https://forum.chesstalk.com/forum/ch...s-quotes/page4

https://forum.chesstalk.com/forum/ch...ent-from-chess

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

January 11, 2020

From an advertisement in Chess Life, April 1969:

Immediate Shipment!

Bobby Fischer’s

My 60 Memorable Games

After a ten-year wait, Fischer’s second published collection of his games

With introductions to the games by U.S. Champion Larry Evans

Penetrating, in-depth annotations by Fischer of his most important and representative games to date. Fascinating discussions and insights into his play and that of his opponents by the most exciting chess genius of our time.

Whatever one thinks of Fischer’s personality, attitude and relationship with others in the chess world, there is no doubt that he is the most exciting player in the world today. He has won the last five tournaments which he completed, and he has not finished lower than second in any of his fourteen events during the past six years. His exploits in international competition, his unprecedented record of eight straight U.S. Championships, his brilliancies of tactical invention, and his contributions to opening theory – all have won him a high place in chess history. His very presence in a tournament generates excitement.

In this book, Bobby analyzes his most important and representative games, showing the strategic considerations, the tactics - and sometimes the blunders – that occur during the pressure of tournament play. He assesses his opponents’ thinking as well, Each game has, in addition to Fischer’s own annotations, an analytical introduction by the present U.S. Champion, Larry Evans. Index of openings, index of opponents, and Bobby Fischer’s tournament and match record.

Be among the first to own this remarkable book

List Price, $ 6.95 Members, $6.25

U.S. Chess Federation 479 Broadway, Newburgh, N. Y. 12550

All prices in U.S. Dollars! Our Canadian friends should add 10% to cover currency exchange differential.

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

January 26, 2020

The Linares ’94 Effect

Linares 1994 is remembered for the outstanding victory of Anatoly Karpov over a star-studded field with a score of 11/13 and a performance rating of 2985. It is also remembered for a fifth-round touch-move controversy between Kasparov and Judit Polgar.

We had two conditions for an “ideal storm” of a tournament. Karpov was in top form and Kasparov was near his. Because of the pairings in this closed tournament, an opponent would meet Kasparov in one round and get beaten up and then, in the next, would have to meet Karpov.

So, in Round One, Kasparov savaged Bareev, and then, successively played against Illescas, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Polgar, Gelfand, Karpov himself, Shirov, Kamsky, Kramnik, Anand, Beliavsky and Lautier. Karpov played Lautier in the first and then Bareev and so on down the list in the last sentence.

Shirov and Kasparov shared second place with 8.5 points.

Every game in the tournament is given in the April 4 issue of Inside Chess, 1994.

After all that set up, the quote(s) from the English Chess Forum. Caruana won the Tata Steel 2020 Tournament ahead of Carlsen with the same conditions as in Linares. Caruana 10/13 and Carlsen 8/13.

Richard Bates - It might be worth pointing out that in this tournament Caruana is potentially benefitting from the “Linares ‘93” effect - ie. meeting all but one of his opponents directly after they have faced the World Champion.

Jonathan Rogers – Linares 94?

Richard Bates – Yep, that’s the one

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...0494&start=120

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

February 1, 2020

Brexit

Brexit – British exit – refers to the UK leaving the European Union formally on January 31, 2020. The division between Remainers and Leavers does not look as though it is going to be easy to heal.

Leonard Barden – The daily chess column in the Evening Standard will finally reach its end on Friday, 31, January 2020. The total run is 63 years, 7 months and 27 days without a day missed.

Now the chess quote:

Re: Leonard Barden's last Evening Standard column

Post by John Saunders » Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:30 pm

Brexit and Bardexit on the same day. It's all too much.



https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...240176#p240176

[Hans Jung]

Im always in time trouble. But you cant change the man. A long time ago Maroczy told me I could be one of the best players in the world if not for time trouble. Yuri Averbakh said I'm always looking for the best move. Thats not good. I should just find a good move and play it - but I cant. ---- IM Geza Fuster --- Inside Chess 1988 #10

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

February 10, 2020

Electronic Devices

The FIDE Laws of Chess:

11.3.2.1
During a game, a player is forbidden to have any electronic device not specifically approved by the arbiter in the playing venue.

However, the regulations of an event may allow such devices to be stored in a player’s bag, provided the device is completely switched off. This bag must be placed as agreed with the arbiter. Both players are forbidden to use this bag without permission of the arbiter.

_________

From ChessBase:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/adhiba...nal-teams-2020

At the 40th National (Indian) Team Open, a big shock in round three when GM Adhiban Baskaran was forfeited on board one for possessing an analogue watch after 16 moves against IM C R G Krishna.

It is clear that from the FIDE laws electronic devices are not allowed. How then was Adhiban given a loss when he was wearing an analog watch? A few years ago, when the rule 11.3.2.1 was implemented the arbiters all across the country were faced with several instances where they had to decipher an analog watch from an electronic one. Logically if a watch had batteries in it, it would become an electronic one. But it was not always easy to segregate the two. In order to make things less complex and avoid unnecessary appeals, AICF in its Central Council meeting came up with the clause that no watches are allowed. Although this rule was not specifically mentioned in the regulations of the National Team Championships 2020, it was discussed in the player's meeting before the start of the event.

Comments on ChessBase:

- A wrist watch can help players to notice when the game clock is not keeping time correctly without having to check on the game clocks of other players. It would be considerate of the players if an event in which players are not permitted to have wrist or other watches that there be large wall clocks that are checked before the event for accuracy.

- I think the main reason to ban them is that in a huge event, the arbiter is not going to review all the few hundreds players watches to see which ones are digital and which ones are not. And even sometimes is not obvious for a non-expert to see if a watch can transmit info or not.

By the way, is not an only-Indian thing. World Blitz&Rapid, among others, had this very same rule. However, I agree that the penalty for a first offence is too harsh.

__________

Now, the chess quote:

More Electronic Problems

"There was no mass walkout on my behalf when the chief arbiter at a congress a week ago suggested to me that my hearing aids should be electronically scanned "

I have raised the issue of hearing aids with ECF, so they are aware. I tend to take mine out at the start of the game and put them in their boxes, partly to show I'm removing them and also to tell the opponent not to whisper draw offers. (I don't expect them to shout either, but at least attract my attention first.) Things looking like hearing aids are an obvious way to receive messages. Of course my plan is dependent on having small hearing aids, and many players still whisper at me.

I do know a player who has an insulin pump, so he has to explain to opponents that it might go "beep" occasionally. Obviously, he can't switch that off. Luckily, everybody has just accepted this.

Kevin Thurlow in the EC Forum:

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...aa3ece#p240460

_____________

Added later:

Carsten Hansen (tweet) -

I must admit I’m more than a little puzzled about this. Why is there a problem with analog watches?

In some tournaments you are forfeited if not on time for the start of the game but now apparently you can’t wear a watch to make sure you arrive on time?

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

February 11, 2020

Lost, then Found

A recruit is being talked through his survival gear by his sergeant:

‘A knife, rations, map, chess set, compass, flares...’

“Wait a minute,” asks the recruit, “Why do I need a chess set?”

“If you are alone and need help, take out the chess set and play over an ending. Sooner or later someone will appear to tell you where you are going wrong.”

Geoff. Chandler on the EC Forum

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic...f6bd3b#p240476

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

February 18, 2020

Swindling

From the introduction to the new book The Complete Chess Swindler by David Smerdon:

Chess is a cruel game. We all know that feeling when your position has gone awry and everything seems hopeless. You feel like resigning. But don’t give up! This is precisely the moment to switch to swindle mode.

Master the art of provoking errors and you will be able to turn the tables and escape with a draw – or sometimes even steal the full point!

Swindling is a skill that can be trained. In this book, David Smerdon shows how you can use tricks from psychology to marshal hidden resources and exploit your opponent’s biases.

In a lost position, your best practical chance often lies not in what the computer recommends, but in playing your opponent.

With an abundance of eye-popping examples and training exercises, Smerdon identifies the four best friends of every chess swindler: your opponent’s impatience, their hubris, their fear, and their need to stay in control.

You’ll also learn about such cunning swindling motifs as the Trojan Horse, the Decoy Trap, the Berserk Attack, and ‘Window-Ledging’.

So, come and join the Swindlers’ Club, become a great escape artist and dramatically improve your results. In this instructive and highly entertaining guide, Smerdon shows you how.

New in Chess, 2020, 368 pages

[Wayne Komer]

Great Chess Quotes

March 4, 2020

Chess in the time of plague

At the end of December 2019, the World Health Organization was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in China. The virus did not match any other known virus. In January, China confirmed COVID-19.

Since then, there have been quarantines and travel restrictions and cautions against personal contact to try to limit the spread of the virus.

This has prompted a tweet from Ian Rogers:

Given the world body FIDE's advice against shaking hands, chess may need to develop new protocols, e.g. a nod at the start of the game, and the old-fashioned knocking over the king for resignation. An arbiter polishing the pieces after each move (as in snooker) may be too much.

https://twitter.com/GMIanRogers