Chess - a gentlemans game!

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Staunton died on Morphy's birthday. 22nd. June 1874.
Odds against that were 365-1

My friend Scriabin has a theory that Morphy was murdered!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
My friend Scriabin has a theory that Morphy was murdered!

thought he died after a very cold bath on a very hot day. They say he was very paranoid in the end though,thinking people were trying to kill him

Originally posted by utherpendragon
thought he died after a very cold bath on a very hot day. They say he was very paranoid in the end though,thinking people were trying to kill him

Yes he had a stroke while bathing, his mother and sister took care of him in his later years, he had delusions of persecution, etc. and was a recluse.

Originally posted by Sam The Sham
Yes he had a stroke while bathing, his mother and sister took care of him in his later years, he had delusions of persecution, etc. and was a recluse.

yes that's the official story, Scriabin says that there are three main possibilities, firstly that New Orleans is one of the most violent cities in America, murder was not unheard of, secondly that there really were people out to get him, for his refusal to be drafted into the confederate army, and thirdly accusations of espionage and spying for the north.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
yes that's the official story, Scriabin says that there are three main possibilities, firstly that New Orleans is one of the most violent cities in America, murder was not unheard of, secondly that there really were people out to get him, for his refusal to be drafted into the confederate army, and thirdly accusations of espionage and spying for the north.

Well, if they were mad about his refusal to be drafted, they sure waited a long time to do something about it, Morphy died 20 years after the end of the civil war.

But everyone loves a conspiracy theory.

Originally posted by Sam The Sham
Well, if they were mad about his refusal to be drafted, they sure waited a long time to do something about it, Morphy died 20 years after the end of the civil war.

But everyone loves a conspiracy theory.

Lol, 🙂

Originally posted by utherpendragon
Chess- A Gentlemans Game ! It surely is. The best"game" ever invented.Its actually more than just a game though. Unfortunately,not every one feels this way. When playing OTB and the time runs out on the clock its game over. I do not think any one disagrees w/that. But, playing on-line some people do not believe these same rules apply. Its not the firs ...[text shortened]... be seen.Its the nature of the internet,I guess. But its sad to see Chess brought to this level

Actually, yeah .. I have come across some pretty ungentlemanly behavior by a guy called some pendragon or the other. Im playing him in a tournament, which started on May 18th. In the first 3 days we got through about 20 moves avg in each game and since the 21st to today - 6 days, he played no moves. I think because I got the upperhand in one game the moron stopped playing for the last 6 days. This pendragon idiot is about 1800, and Im around 1500 so I think that makes it worse. How can you let a guy 300 lower beat you!! You know what? Im going to give him a whopping in both games... Come to daddy .... 🙂

Originally posted by Rajk999
Actually, yeah .. I have come across some pretty ungentlemanly behavior by a guy called some pendragon or the other. Im playing him in a tournament, which started on May 18th. In the first 3 days we got through about 20 moves avg in each game and since the 21st to today - 6 days, he played no moves. I think because I got the upperhand in one game the moron ...[text shortened]... eat you!! You know what? Im going to give him a whopping in both games... Come to daddy .... 🙂

You see. thats what i am talking about. I just looked at that game.I got 15 days,18 hours to make a move. But if you think I am dodging you,your sadly mistaken. I got a few more games going on then you do friend. Were gonna wrap it up right now. BTW the name calling I can do w/out,appreciate it.

Originally posted by utherpendragon
You see. thats what i am talking about. I just looked at that game.I got 15 days,18 hours to make a move. But if you think I am dodging you,your sadly mistaken. I got a few more games going on then you do friend. Were gonna wrap it up right now. BTW the name calling I can do w/out,appreciate it.

No biggie online. Here's a horror story of OTB tournament chess. Guy played a week-end tourny, Sat/Sun, his last game sunday evening was a dead win for him, opponent sealed his move, knowing the guy had to drive two hours back the next week-end to finish the game.

Next saturday, guy shows up, but his opponent didn't. After starting the clock of his opponent, he calls tournament director over, who opens the sealed move, which was : "Resign".

And a good laugh was had by all.

True story.

Originally posted by Sam The Sham
No biggie online. Here's a horror story of OTB tournament chess. Guy played a week-end tourny, Sat/Sun, his last game sunday evening was a dead win for him, opponent sealed his move, knowing the guy had to drive two hours back the next week-end to finish the game.

Next saturday, guy shows up, but his opponent didn't. After starting the clock of hi ...[text shortened]... ns the sealed move, which was : "Resign".

And a good laugh was had by all.

True story.

Thats a good one . thanks for sharing. BTW,i know what your saying about "no biggie on-line". It just amazes me,thats all. I guess its the "old school" in me coming out. I would love to meet some of these gems one day. That would be fun 🙂

Here's an example of gentlemanly behaviour from yesteryear.

Capablanca was playing Milan Vidmar in a tournament in London in 1922. The game was adjourned with Capablanca in a winning position. The rest of the story is best told in Vidmar's own words:

"When we parted I told Capablanca that I'd probably have to
lay down my arms soon. We spoke in French, in which he was
even less proficient than I. He nodded pleasantly and we
went our separate ways.

"When play resumed, the arbiter opened the sealed envelope,
made my move on the board and then started White's clock.
Later I felt someone touch my arm. 'Capablanca is still not
here,' said the arbiter, who appeared anxious. 'He has lots
of time left,' I replied, and watched other interesting
games in progress, for how long I don't know. Suddenly I
felt the arbiter's hand again. He was unmistakably very
concerned. 'In a minute or at the most two, the world
champion will overstep on time,' he said.

"An oppressive feeling of anxiety overwhelmed me. What if,
when we parted, I caused Capablanca to misunderstand me? What
if he took my last words to mean I had written 'Resigns' on
my scoresheet? If I eventually won first prize through this
misunderstanding, it would be gained in an underhanded way.

"With difficulty I pushed my way through the throng of
spectators, arrived at my table and turned my king over
without further thought. His flag fell. Capablanca came,
saw my prostrate king, and smiled pleasantly at me.

"We never spoke about the anguish I went through, or of
the danger in which he had unwittingly placed himself. I
must admit my game was not to be saved if it had followed
its normal course on resumption.

"I had long since forgotten this curious incident. But at
Nottingham 1936, the president of the British Chess
Federation introduced me as 'the man who played the FAIREST
move ever seen in England.'"

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Here's an example of gentlemanly behaviour from yesteryear.

Capablanca was playing Milan Vidmar in a tournament in London in 1922. The game was adjourned with Capablanca in a winning position. The rest of the story is best told in Vidmar's own words:

"When we parted I told Capablanca that I'd probably have to
lay down my arms soon. We spoke ...[text shortened]... me as 'the man who played the FAIREST
move ever seen in England.'"

oh fat lady, you have restored my faith in humanity, what a wonderful and inspiring tale! thanks you!

Originally posted by utherpendragon
You see. thats what i am talking about. I just looked at that game.I got 15 days,18 hours to make a move. But if you think I am dodging you,your sadly mistaken. I got a few more games going on then you do friend. Were gonna wrap it up right now. BTW the name calling I can do w/out,appreciate it.

You can have 1000 days. Thats irrelevant to my point and you know that. Anyway youre an ungentlemanly chess player. Here is another reason. At the start of every game I wish the other player 'good luck'. Its the equivalent of shaking hands over the internet. Its common courtesy. At the very least you can reply and say Hi if you prefer not to wish me good luck. But in your case you ignored me. Its the equivalent of ignoring my outstretched hand in an OTB game. In terms of gentlemanly behaviour you get a ZERO.

Originally posted by Rajk999
You can have 1000 days. Thats irrelevant to my point and you know that. Anyway youre an ungentlemanly chess player. Here is another reason. At the start of every game I wish the other player 'good luck'. Its the equivalent of shaking hands over the internet. Its common courtesy. At the very least you can reply and say Hi if you prefer not to wish me good l ...[text shortened]... gnoring my outstretched hand in an OTB game. In terms of gentlemanly behaviour you get a ZERO.

there is a great story in which Nigel short extended his hand to a player (Cheparinov) and it was ignored.

Sunday's handshake affair shook Wijk aan Zee 2008 – and most obviously Nigel Short, who was staying in the same hotel as we were and with whom we imbibed in a midnight drink. The English grandmaster was still shaking as he sipped his glass of red wine. It was clear that the refusal by his opponent to accept his handshake had had a deeply disruptive effect on his emotional balance. Nigel had received the decision of the Appeals Committee and was not at all happy with that. Ivan Cheparinov was expected to issue a "public excuse" ("apology" was the intended word) before 11 a.m. the next day, which Nigel was expected to accept. The replay of the game was scheduled for two and a half hours later, at 1:30 p.m. on the free day.

When he heard about the decision Nigel was incandescent with rage and informed the Committee that he had no intention of replaying the game. He left the venue immediately and joined our correspondent Steve Giddins in a nearby Italian restaurant. "I have never seen Nigel so angry," Steve writes in his BCM report. "He was literally almost speechless, and being pretty lost for words myself, we hardly exchanged more than 3-4 sentences for almost a whole hour, as we sat in the restaurant. One thing Short did say was 'It looks as though I have played my last game in this tournament'. It was impossible to know what to say, or how even to attempt to help him come to terms with such a manifest injustice. The overwhelming feeling was that he had been 'stitched up' – caught in a classic, premeditated sting by the Bulgarians, the latter backed up by an ill-directed Appeals Committee, and now he had nowhere to turn, and nobody to whom he could appeal further. The mood only lightened a little after almost an hour, when the restaurant’s piped music progressed beyond 'Santa Lucia' and 'O sole mio', and instead began playing the theme music from 'The Godfather'. At this moment, I caught Nigel’s eye, and said with mock solemnity, 'For justice, we must go to Don Corleone!'. We both laughed for the first time since hearing the Appeals Committee ruling."

source http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4402

and here is a video of the scoundrel bring the nobility of the game into ill repute.

YouTube

Originally posted by Rajk999
You can have 1000 days. Thats irrelevant to my point and you know that. Anyway youre an ungentlemanly chess player. Here is another reason. At the start of every game I wish the other player 'good luck'. Its the equivalent of shaking hands over the internet. Its common courtesy. At the very least you can reply and say Hi if you prefer not to wish me good l ...[text shortened]... gnoring my outstretched hand in an OTB game. In terms of gentlemanly behaviour you get a ZERO.

It was an oversight on my part and I apologize for that. You fail to mention I did give you the standard greeting in our other game that we started at the same time.You know,the one your whuppin my butt on 🙂