Chess - Who Plays?

Anyone here like chess? What a great but frustrating game! You can sit down and play with anyone anywhere in the world without even needing language.

It seems to be less popular now. You don't find so many people who can play, in England at least.

In Cuba it is very different and people play all the time sat outside in the street. You can have a game any time you like.

I wouldn't say I was any good at it, but I try. I played for the BR Euston team back in the day, against the cops at Scotland Yard and the Gas Board and stuff. In the computer chess, where it goes up to level 10, I can usually win against level 8 and sometimes can beat a level 9 maybe. But I'm the Scott Loach of chess - full of mistakes and blunders and air kicks.

For chess related stories, I can only think of drinking in the Met Police bar at Scotland Yard after the match above (most of the cops didn't seem very nice, especially when drinking). It was not long after the miner's strike and although I offered no clue about my own thoughts on the subject, they bragged loudly about "shagging miners' wives" and such like. Seemed like just boasting bullship of the normal pub braggart and loudmouth really, only a bit more so. I didn't stay for long.

Then there was a time when I came back from Amsterdam on the train and ferry with some comrades and we had a chess set with us which had really heavy metal pieces (gold and black interestingly) with which to pass the time on the train. In fact, it had been pretty good because some of the morning commuters who got on at one of the Belgian stations got really involved in the game and formed into two separate teams of huddled whispering advisers for me and my mate. The problem only came when we went through the customs at Dover and got pulled over. After finding out we'd been to "The Dam" the unsmiling customs goon asked whether we had smoked and Marijuana. My stupid mate replied "Yeah, aint against the law is it?"

Well what interested them most of all was the chess set, with the pieces being so heavy. I think it saved us from even more rigorous cavity searches while they ripped the felt off the bottom of the chess pieces looking (I suppose) for drill holes or whatever.

 

Well I don't believe your accusation for a minute. Partly because very few police at Scotland Yard would have gone anywhere near the striking miners, partly because those that did would have been working until 11.30pm, sleeping in dormitories or tents with other colleagues, and then back on duty at 5am in the morning, and partly because you have a tendency to grossly exaggerate when it comes to these things.

But mostly because I worked in Scotland Yard in the mid eighties, and I wasn't even aware that there was a Met Police Bar (although that doesn't mean 100% that there wasn't one, as it was a big building).

But, I do play chess, and really enjoy it.

 

Yet my son's chess tutor (in lieu of a 'normal' club due to lockdown - he started beating me fairly regularly) says that membership enquires haver gone through the roof since this started.

FTFY

Every Lithuanian vaiku darželis (nursery school - from 3 YO up to entry to formal school at age 7) has chess in the curriculum - it becomes a 'voluntary' subject when the kids go to 'proper' school.

The vast majority of the Dutch/Flemish visitors who stopped me in the street in Vilnius asked for directions to this place (we lived around the corner from it) to buy one of these (please note the price tag).

 

Have you watched Queen's Gambit?

 

TV prog of the year?

I have spells of playing, but it’s not easy to find the time, though you can eke out a game against a chess computer for ages.

 

Maths geeks mainly.

 

I play online frequently online on gameknot.com.

Nice thing to have ticking along in the background whilst working .

it feels nice to connect with people all around the world through a non verbal language . Although recently I got beaten by a kid who started sledging me mid game which was mildly humiliating.

 

I tried playing online a few times, but got absolutely hammered every time. I supposed my opponents were asking the computer for their best next move. Doesn't that put you off playing online?

 

I like the idea of it. However I truly suck at it.

 

I'm utterly **** at it. Completely walk into obvious checkmate or put myself into trouble.

I prefer backgammon

 

You misspelt "BUCKAROO".

 

Haha, I don't profess to be any good. Clive sounds too good for me, particlarly when considering he represented the mighty BR Euston Chess Team, no less.

 

There's a good game and plenty of decent on-line apps as well.

I don't have the attention span for chess although I can play.

 

I don't know ZZ?

I would imagine that anyone who worked for BR would be a pretty good chess player, with all the spare time those guys had on their hands, as they did not do much actual work

 

Yeah, I played board 6 (the bottom one for the weakest player) when they were absolutely desperate!

I think I was the only one from the 'operations' side of the railway who ever played for them. They were all suits from the headquarters and the offices and such.

 

Why are you so obsessed with Cuba Clive? I dont think I have seen the reasons behind it anywhere on here.

 

Exactly the same here. I think it's to do with being too aggressive all the bl**dy time. Works well with backgammon though.

 

You tried to get me to play your version of that but I'm not debasing myself that way.

 

I love chess, but I hate losing.

wfcforums tournament incoming?

 

The Kremlins are an Anglo-Cubano family. Some Cubans amongst us. We lived in Havana previously and I worked for the national newspaper, Granma, as a translator and interpreter...

 

I *think* it was dependent on the satellite state or the Soviet Republic you were in (aka how 'Russsified' it was: they were uncomfortable with anything that could be viewed as not pro-Soviet or promoted any other nationality) hence lots of the Baltic States' players weren't 'prominent' but Russians were. Most of Vilnius's Soviet era 'Technical Schools' (think FE colleges geared to university entrance) had chess on the curriculum as did all high schools.

My son and I have been having a lot of fun looking at the King's Gambit...

 

Well it was a thrilling end to the world chess championships. Dios mío!

The inscrutable Ding who'd bored his dull way to a series of draws goes and blunders his rook, right at the end. In a position from which even I could get a draw.

The young Indian lad wins. Age 18.

The Russkies are calling foul. I can see why.

It IS a bit suspicious, isn't it? A top player blundering like that. It wasn't particular time pressure or anything.

And he didn't flinch. Didn't look again and have his mouth drop open in a slow ".....ahhhhhh fuuuuuuukkk" expression like a normal person. Remained absolutely inscrutable. Like nothing had happened. Everyone else in the nerdy chess world was going bananas in the commentary boxes, jumping around like Elon musk and sending chapatis flying.

Even after he lost Ding only slightly angrily snatched his jacket off the chair and walked off. I'd have been repeatedly smashing the board and pieces with the chair.

So what are we saying? Legit victory or fix?

 

As Hans Niemann said. You shove chess up your Ass.

 

I used to play chess and played other Hornets on chess.com a few years ago but it is a while since I played but if anyone ese here is on chess.com I would happily give them a game.

 

I'm not great but would also play other orns on Chess.com

 

Can I wear jeans?