tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post8846879598275487982..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: How Margaret Thatcher ruined British chessJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-51997312087237460772011-06-23T18:59:09.524+01:002011-06-23T18:59:09.524+01:00Would you care to expand upon that comment?
Or ha...Would you care to expand upon that comment?<br /><br />Or have you just learnt a new word?Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-63964551436487153952011-06-23T07:03:44.743+01:002011-06-23T07:03:44.743+01:00Laughable and disingenuous.Laughable and disingenuous.Nobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16329815721904353534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-72304322979184560442007-11-21T14:20:00.000+00:002007-11-21T14:20:00.000+00:00For the pawn on a6 as shown in the posting, see th...For the pawn on a6 as shown in the posting, see the diagram on page 256 of Kaufman's <I>The Chess Advantage In Black And White</I> where White (in Leskovar-Korneev, Málaga 2001, and other games) has contined 12.Re1. Black then has 12...Re8 13.f3 Nd6! with a good game.<BR/><BR/>For a similar discussion, see <A HREF="http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2007/07/ten-and-half-questions-about-decline-of.html" REL="nofollow">here</A> and comments.ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-62056385179645731612007-11-14T08:21:00.000+00:002007-11-14T08:21:00.000+00:00Thanks. The position with the pawn on a7 occurred ...Thanks. The position with the pawn on a7 occurred in the 1st game of the Lasker-Marshall world championship match in 1907. Lasker won (as black).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-66425009476410043402007-11-13T21:52:00.000+00:002007-11-13T21:52:00.000+00:00There was no great significance: it was just the f...There was no great significance: it was just the first interesting position I came across when searching for a diagram. I believe you can reach it via different move orders with the pawn on a6 or a7.<BR/><BR/>I was a 1.d4 man.Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-71101827760630082822007-11-13T09:07:00.000+00:002007-11-13T09:07:00.000+00:00The position in the diagram occurs after 11 moves ...The position in the diagram occurs after 11 moves of a variation of the Centre Attack in the Ruy Lopez.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure your readers (or at least those that play the game) would like to know why you included it.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous 2 (for the last time)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-79972774395042246262007-11-13T08:52:00.000+00:002007-11-13T08:52:00.000+00:00I did wonder whether Lembit was in your mind, but ...I did wonder whether Lembit was in your mind, but decided not to mention my suspicion.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous 2Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-47503987556442794212007-11-12T19:45:00.000+00:002007-11-12T19:45:00.000+00:00Anonymous 1: I am not sure how important schools w...Anonymous 1: I am not sure how important schools were in the rise of English chess. Here in Leicestershire the clubs had more of a role, and I think this was fairly typical. Though there is no doubt that some schools did encourage chess.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous 2: Of course: I have corrected the posting. I must have been thinking of Lembit, Thanks.<BR/><BR/>Paul 1: The age at which players are supposed to be at their peak gets younger and younger. These days chess is like snooker: once you slip a little it is very hard to get back because there are so many good young players fighting their way up.<BR/><BR/>I get the impression that Kasparov had been at the top for 20 years and wanted to do other things with his life. If he were motivated, he would probably still be world champion.<BR/><BR/>Paul 2: Please to hear it. The Communist regimes certainly used to encourage chess, but I don't know what happens now. Judging by how well Eastern European players still do, nothing much has changed.Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-87808537170043957252007-11-12T11:02:00.000+00:002007-11-12T11:02:00.000+00:00Fascinating, Jonathan. More often than not, succes...Fascinating, Jonathan. More often than not, success in sports or games boils down to kids involvement. No wonder Brazil is so good at footbal - the kids play it in the streets all the time.<BR/><BR/>You will be glad to hear that my daughters (state) primary school is doing its little bit in having a monthly chess lesson during the mathematics lessons - this is for the nine and ten year olds. They have enlisted the help of parents like myself to go in and help the kids with tips. It is amazing how enthusiastic the kids are and how quickly they pick up the rules. <BR/><BR/>Preumably, kids are playing it all the time in the Eastern Europe republics?Paul Walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00525444717679391831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-2623605037360715092007-11-12T09:40:00.000+00:002007-11-12T09:40:00.000+00:00Genuinely fascinating Jonathan.I guess what I find...Genuinely fascinating Jonathan.<BR/><BR/>I guess what I find most intriguing about chess is why players seem to peak at a relatively young age. While you would expect this in other, more physical sports, you might think that the shelf-life of a chess player would be much longer. What happened to Nigel Short, for instance, after his failed world title challenge? He was still young enough to come back a better player, and yet he has scarcely been heard of again. And what happened to Kasparov? Did he genuinely go into a decline, or is he still the best player in the world and it's only chess politics that gets in the way?Paul Linfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01977920120772282561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-66191333532874655942007-11-12T05:40:00.000+00:002007-11-12T05:40:00.000+00:00Just a minor correction: Tal was Latvian.Just a minor correction: Tal was Latvian.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-39729722325682667402007-11-11T23:57:00.000+00:002007-11-11T23:57:00.000+00:00Possibly, though, Jonathan, it has something to do...Possibly, though, Jonathan, it has something to do with schools and education in general.<BR/><BR/>I am not up-to-date on this, but in the 50s, 60s and 70s, chess was flourishing at the school level. Each generation was stronger than the one before.<BR/><BR/>I have the impression that schools are largely demoralised. Is there anything very much happening with chess at that level nowadays? <BR/><BR/>If not, it is clearly also the fault of Mrs Thatcher and her demonisation of the teaching profession.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com