"How to Win at Chess"

Did anyone watch "How to Win at Chess" on BBC last night?

http://bbc.co.uk/i/p8lhp/

Intriguingly he first piece of advice given was:
"Rule 1: Open with a center pawn."

I tried, but the BBC iplayer blocks viewing to all but UK audiences.

Boy, those MI5/MI6 guys will do anything to keep secrets from getting out.

It was a repeat of a repeat of a repeat.

First shown last year.

One fat geezer (Ryamond Keene) and one thin geezer (Danny King)
sitting on a sofa playing over some bland obscure game.

Did nothing to help dispell the chess is for geeks myth.
Set back Chess 50 years. Load of tosh.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I tried, but the BBC iplayer blocks viewing to all but UK audiences.

Boy, those MI5/MI6 guys will do anything to keep secrets from getting out.

Yeah I was disappointed. It greatly oversimplified chess, the way they talked made it hard to believe that they were grandmasters.

I'm just waiting for greenpawn to get a TV show!

Here in the GOOD ole USA, we don't air such programs. It's a shame really.

I HUNGER for anything chess, but the media feeds us reality TV crap 24/7. That's all it is over here. Back in the DAY, the DISCOVERY channel and The LEARNING channel actually helped you learn and discover--now you get a MARATHON of garbage like "Dirty Jobs" (no pun intended).

And people wonder why a high school graduate spells at the level OF 13 year old....or when a COLLEGE graduate can't find SOUTH America on an atlas.

SORRY to get off on a tangent, but I'm a bit jealous.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
It was a repeat of a repeat of a repeat.

First shown last year.

One fat geezer (Ryamond Keene) and one thin geezer (Danny King)
sitting on a sofa playing over some bland obscure game.

Did nothing to help dispell the chess is for geeks myth.
Set back Chess 50 years. Load of tosh.

Originally posted by greenpawn34



One fat geezer (Ryamond Keene)

(The only man on Earth who has written more books than he's read.)

Originally posted by Thabtos
One fat geezer (Ryamond Keene)

(The only man on Earth who has written more books than he's read.)

True although the penguin was not without talent. I have just been looking at a book "chess scandals" 1978 world chess championship by Edmondson and Tal which mentions keene ( a second to Korchnoi ) often.

It does sound like even then though he specialised in acquiring opening data and novelties from others (rather than being at the true forfront of inventing it) but creating comprehensive data bases was presumably a true art form in itself in those days?

Keene's book on "The Modern Defence" is a classic.

Keene was a good player till he got his GM title.
Then he just stopped to concentrate on writing.

Unless you are one of the super-duper guys then there is more money in
writing about the game than playing it.

I was still cashing royalty cheques right up until 2006 for Master Chess
written in 1984 - then I sold the complete rights. And that is just one book.
RK has written over 100 plus columns etc.)

I have his book on his games how he became a GM. Some good games in there.

It was his games and few others that added, the Pirc/Modern/KID to my rep.

Think looking back it's his best book, other will say his book on Nimzovitch.
Flank Openings was good as well. That leaves approx 97. 🙁

Feel British Chess missed a huge opportunity to show the public just what
the modern game was all about and the advisors should have known better.

Rowson and few other bits came across OK then suddenly we got
Hariet Hunt dressed like a nun sitting in a room with no furniture,
some polite guy with one-eye playing postal chess (with stamps and envelopes),
like there no internet chess. it was just awful.

Edit - yes the Batsford Modern Defence - coupled with The Pirc defence
and one kept referring you to the other so you had to buy both. 🙂

I play Postal Chess and there isn't anything wrong with it!

Agreed, - but millions more play it more on the net.

Why did they show this old boy in this day and age with his stamps
and envelopes. It was a hatchet job.

Chess is for old men who don't use computers.

I remember an 11 year old harriet hunt beating me in a 30/30 game whilst never taking her eyes (and mouth) of her packed lunch (and no, it did not take her an hour to finish her lunch).