McCreadyandChess

‘Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. Love, and so art and morals, is the discovery of reality.’ Iris Murdoch – The Sublime and The Good

No sooner had I come in from the cold in some ex-soviet backwater, than I got roped into a quickplay tournament by the sweaty ChaoPraya river, Bangkok in some chess-themed bar entitled ‘The Checkmate Bar and Bistro’. A recent change in the law in Thailand states that whilst ensconced in the country, foreigners must now spend their entire savings on alcohol as opposed to a mere 95%, as per usual. Unfortunately for we chess players, the only appropriately themed bar in the country just had to be devoid of atmosphere and for those who want to be part of the ‘in crowd’ only. Thankfully, the ‘in crowd’ lurk during the evenings when the whole area comes to life (more on that to come). During the day it is dead. That few dozen melancholy woodpushers of which I was one, were left to wander around in the sweltering sun, far away from that filth that is the non-chess-playing pubic.

Not a number, not a free man… .

Since I play so infrequently, I thought that the tournament might help show where I’m at with my chess, given that I will participate in a major tournament next month….if my FIDE ID can be reactivated in time that is. Until I become a number again, I am not free to play in any official FIDE tournament. In an act of embittered patriotism, I was denumbered after being away from England’s green and pleasant lands for too long by the ECF.

I went window shopping today, I bought four windows! – Tommy Cooper

I’d never been to Asiatique, where the Checkmate Bar & Bistro is itself; Asiatique is a night bazaar, at best a pastiche of Asian culture for tourists, local teenagers, the occasional entrepreneur, and just about anyone out of the six million or so nearby; at worst, it’s a packed, over-priced, pretentious free for all lacking in any real character. In Asia most nationalities are either indifferent to, ignorant of, or utterly contemptuous towards one another, and when ethnic minorities or indigenous peoples’ become involved, attitudes become even more ungracious, generally speaking of course! Thankfully, whilst eating each others’ food and drinking their beer, all is forgotten. Even the Chinese can get stuck into some Sukiyaki whilst guzzling Asahi without fear of indigestion should the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre ever repeat on them during their meals -hence the commercial, not cultural, success of Asiatique. I thought that once the sun went down over the river; the Ferris wheel standing over it, the free boat rides along it, the endless lanes of stalls and entertainers leading to it, the crowds of shoppers wandering along it, and the light shows that shone onto it would be nice for the little one to see -and I was indeed correct.

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection -Freud. Society and its Discontents

Even though parenthood and playing chess do not compliment one another well in such close proximity, I could not leave Grace for the weekend for chess. My daughter owes her very existence to chess, as it was at a tournament where I first met her mother. Even her name carries a slight sense of her father’s optimism, as her initials are GM (I requested that no middle name be given so she could be forever entitled). It always seems right, rudimentary even, to bring her along to tournaments, though never quite logical: if, however, logic is concerned solely with the present that is. As any sensible parent can tell you, in having children you are, quintessentially, committed to their future and its unfolding. And planning in the context of parenthood requires much more diligence and care than in chess for if you get it wrong over the board you only lose your position/game, but as a father the consequences of a poorly formed plan can be far more reaching. Circumspection is tuned more finely by parenting than chess…and so a day’s chess became the backdrop for a family outing with the calm vital between rounds impinged upon heavily by parental duties and the calm during play disrupted frequently by the need to check that all is fine with the little one.

Tragedy strikes after a solid start

Something so very, very odd happened on the way home. I fell asleep in the taxi, only awaking when we finally arrived home. I do not remember the last time that happened, it was many years ago for sure. Then, when I managed to climb the stairs, I fell asleep again for hours more even though the tv was blaring out, the lights were on full, my wife was chatting to her mum, Grace kept climbing all over me because she wanted to play, but the sleep I fell into was so deep that I could neither move nor respond. Grace even gave me a little kiss at one point when she saw I wasn’t moving but I could do nothing. When I finally awoke, I couldn’t walk properly. Somehow I had slipped into a state of chronic fatigue. Eventually I woke at 3 pm the next day. I had missed the entire second day. Unbelievable!

Nothing more than a mere caricature in a strange land?

Whilst stuck in snowy Azerbaijan, somehow I just ate, and drank, and ate, and ate, and ate and lost my appetite for chess altogether. Worse, I stopped exercising too, became untalkative and rather unhappy, suddenly 15 kgs heavier. I suspect I was still paying the price for such indulgence as on the eve of the tournament, I had to check if I was doing the right thing…what a pity that the timing was so awful. Only those who enjoy keeping fit and exercising regularly can truly understand this paragraph I think.

The saddest of all expressions… .

What is the worst expression a chess player could ever hear? It must surely be the words ‘I hate chess’. But what could cause someone to say such a thing with such venom directly to me? Only those who are forced to play chess against their wishes. I wasn’t the opponent but I did see the game unfold until both became too fed up to continue. I found it saddening to see children being forced into playing chess, they ought to choose what they do with their free time. Though my child will grow up around chess I would never force her to play or do anything she didn’t want to for that matter. Hopefully she will take an interest in it herself (Grace if you are reading this as an adult please take note) but if she doesn’t that’s fine too.

Cruel words sleep above me, mounting and teasing… .

After almost four decades of playing chess I fell asleep during a quickplay game for the first time ever…ah the joys of occasional chess!

Ye Olde daughter at the grand old age of 11 days

Even our resident Grandmaster couldn’t draw inspiration from the surroundings.

The irrepressible Tommy, once disrupted some chess action in Luton in the early nineties, owing to his wonderful humour

The greatest vocalist and front man since the alleged big bang occurred a few years back….or whenever it was…his skin isn’t a layer of soot, I doubt whether cruel words mount above him. A man even more obscure than myself.

Once upon a time… I mean when I did my MA I took a trip to north Wales to do a photo shoot here. I was a number back then too, and (drum roll please) a free man…any thoughts on the font used in the image, its history and the instrument that fashioned it?