First rate BBC documentary. Enjoy
M J M
First rate BBC documentary. Enjoy
M J M
Posted in Documentaries | Leave a Comment »

Chapter 23 –Why does the devil have all the best tunes?, The Moves That Matter, Bloomsbury, 2020
M J M
Posted in GM Rowson's thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Posted in GM Rowson's thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Posted in GM Rowson's thoughts | Leave a Comment »
I was about to post this in the Moves I Could Never Play category until I realized I saw which black’s best move was, as keeping the opposition looks paramount to me, so I guessed it correctly. More memories from facebook which have been long since forgotten. Thotsaporn, who comments, is rated aeound 2050 usually. I once saw him beat an Israeli IM with his pet line in the French Winwer once (Advance, Bogoljubov variation).
M J M
Posted in Chess | Leave a Comment »
How good are you at finding mate in 30? Alas, I found out from fb today that I am not very good at all. Of course I jest but the winning move from one of Capablanca’s games I also could not find without even knowing it leads to mate in 30, well according to Stockfish 18 it does. Here’s what I posted on facebook 15 years ago. I have to say, Kg6, as my friend Khalid suggested, looks like the right move to me now but I am wrong. I must have seen the answer at the time to know what the correct move is. Endgames are clearly not my forte.
Lichess confirms that mate in 30 is afoot, which I can’t see.

M J M
Posted in Moves I could never play | Leave a Comment »
In re-reading the post Our Clash of Future Champions, which can be found: here. I noticed that in Part 4 -The dimly lit view of our past, I argued that chess clubs were widespread accross Bedfordshire in the early 20th century. I do believe I have found the building where one of them met and played.
The Shelter is a reading room and can be seen below.

More information about the building can be found here: The Shelter
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Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess from 1900-1920 | Leave a Comment »
Click on it for the full image.
Disclaimer This website is not responsible for any eye strain caused by viewing any of its posts!
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Posted in X | Leave a Comment »
Esteemed chess fan and snooker world champion Steve Davis used to say that playing snooker was a sign of a mispent youth. Is constantly watching videos about chess a sign of a mispent adulthood? If so, guilty as charged but anyway there is a rapidly increasing number of themed compilation videos on chess appearing on youtube these days. On the whole they are quite watchable but some are obviously better than others. The two embedded below have well chosen content methinks for they show chess players in a light they are not normally portrayed in. Both definitely worth a watch -you will see that the best in the world are indeed very human.
M J M
Posted in Documentaries | Leave a Comment »
Sans Voir is the French term for Blindfold Chess btw. Here old masters Euwe and Botvinnik play a televised game of blindfold chess. It’s for Dutch tv, so its in Dutch but as you most surely know, you can use subtitles and change them to English with youtube. I don’t know who that is moving the pieces on the demonstration board, the commentary provided is there for the benefit of the audience, most obviously.
M J M
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