Humor and chess

Hello I am searching on the web for the somewhat rare combination of humor and chess.

Once a week I teach chess to beginners, (age 6-65, but mostly under 12)
I would like to add some funny cartoons and/or phrases between the assignments I hand them. Offcourse I use Google, but perhaps does someone here also have a good link for me.

It would be appreciated

Went down to London this week and finally got me a copy of Rampant Chess by our very own Greenpawn. Sir, it's exactly what you need.

http://www.chessville.com/Editorials/cartoons.htm

http://www.chessville.com/ArtFictionandHistoryindex.htm

Hi

Good plug but perhaps RP is a bit too deep for learners.
Some of the gags would go over their heads untyil they are
more seasoned players.

(You enjoying the book - are you amused and are you learning things?)

Lift wjhat ever you want from The Corner - there are cartoons
and alike on there all over the place.

I have an idea - I have all the pics somewhere
I lift what I think are funny and drop them on an unused corner
and post the link.

I think putting across your love of the game and showing the
game can be fun is very important to catch and hook beginners.

A couple of joke games always kicks off a session well and
they can be very instructive and thought provoking.

I was showing this one to all from GM's to No M's at the Scottish.
You just got to laugh.

It's is from an actual game - this actually happened in an OTB game.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4

Okay we start from here.



Seeing no way to take advantage of the centralised Queen.

Here you point out after 5...c5 the Queen can move but the
weakness created by the pawn push remains.
(silly pawns moves - common students error - nip it in the bud).

Your next game can be a Black loss where 5...c5 turned out to be critical.

I just dug this out from the RHP database. Game 2317963
just a few minutes ago.

5...c5 played it's part in Black downfall - ask the Black d-pawn
that was left backward on an open file.

It's actually a very good game by White - you can transpose it
to the Scotch. (or show how one opening can easily go into another).

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 c5 6. Qd3 Nf6 7. Nc3

And you have the actual position from the afor mentioned game
that began 1.Nf3.

Back to the game and your class.

So Black comes up with a plan - Queens off.

5...Qf6



Swapping Queens develops the Black Knight.
So White declines the offer and gains a cramping tempo hitting
the Queen.

6.e5 Qb6.
Black sticks to his plan of getting the Queens off.



And again White declines the offer, it would open the a-file
for the Black Rook.
A good time to slip in how doubled pawns need not be feared.

Best to get that across before they read a chess book and start
swapping good pieces for bad pieces just to double pawns thinking
the game now wins itself.
A little bit of knowledge is very dangerous and digging double pawn
phobeia out of a player can take ages.

So White played 7.Qc3



And although at this moment the Queen has 8 safe squares
she can go to. She aint going nowehere after 7....Bb5.

(Colin McNab said you should never change a plan and
said Black should have played 7...Qb5!! - he was joking)

Properly done you could hold and teach a class of beginners
with just those 7 moves.

An instructive joke game with a lovely punch line.

Hmmm....'Instructrive Joke Games' by Chandler & Ruxton.
I'll do the opening traps, Keith can do the endings.

(yes endings too have their moments - who has not laughed
at stalemate or an under promotion trick)

We will have knocked up by next weekend - £9.95 from Bates Motel Games.

A good friend of mine owns a t-shirt company, and I try to contribute some funny one liners and novel ideas, but as I play more chess, by t-shirt ideas are becoming more and more skewed toward the esoteric.

For example, I suggested a shirt that read: Vampires Suck.

Not very creative, but still, hopefully enough to tickle one's funny bone.

Anyway, I had an idea for a chess t-shirt that read:

1. e3# pwned!

A play on the term pwned and it's resemblance to the word pawned

I amaze myself at how clever I am.

But he rejected it, based on the assumption that there would be maybe six people who would get the joke, as one would have to understand algebraic notation and appreciate irony.

Tell a beginner you're going to play left-handed to help even things up.

Thanks all!

Great game greenpawn 🙂

I'm with you - I've played a few folks who are really funny, but you're right - it's a rare combination. I'll gladly try a game with you any time.

As to your original question, and off the top of my head:

Check it out
My pawn is smarter than your honor student

I'll think of more and post them here.

Originally posted by MetBierOp
Hello I am searching on the web for the somewhat rare combination of humor and chess.

Once a week I teach chess to beginners, (age 6-65, but mostly under 12)
I would like to add some funny cartoons and/or phrases between the assignments I hand them. Offcourse I use Google, but perhaps does someone here also have a good link for me.

It would be appreciated

Well...here is a chessplayer joke to start:

Q: How do you set a chessplayer up in a small business?

A: Give him a big business and wait 6 months!!😀

Yay chess jokes.

Q: What does a Grand Master do to relax?
A: He takes a night off

Phil. (not going anywhere near 'mating with two bishops' or 'pawn/porn' gags)

I heard that joke two knights ago.🙂

How many chess players does it take to change a lightbulb?

None - they get Fritz to do it for them.

This is linked to in Winston's post above, but I think it's worth a special mention:

http://www.chessville.com/misc/Fiction/MeasureYourChessAggressiveness.htm

It's very old, but makes me laugh every time I read it 🙂

Hi

Used old space on Corner - have grabbed just a few including
a few of the Chess badges I designed for all the clubs in Edinburgh.
Also there is lifted cartoons from other sources.

Take anything and tamper with it - do what you will.

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=7