Archive for July 9th, 2022

£8000

Posted in Who wants to be a millionaire chess special on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

In the second move of the Dutch Defence, black moves which pawn if he wants to play the Leningrad variation?

ANSWER A g-pawn

ANSWER B b-pawn

ANSWER C d-pawn

ANSWER D e-pawn

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A/C

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I don’t wish to cut myself as a lonesome figure but it is 0212. I just woke up and grabbed 4 hours sleep, now another dark room with the sound of the A/C is all I have. Yes social media is helping because everyone else is asleep but I sit up in bed, alone. I’m not in the right frame of mind to play chess, just annoyed I didn’t sleep longer. A dark silent room with everyone asleep is why I come online. No chess, just chatting to some girl I met…she says she is lonely. This is my life: dark hours leadened with silence and the sound of the A/C. I have no one to talk to here, everything is closed. I am online.

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Sea air

Posted in On-line journal on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

By the seaside we be. Listening to this track, I sit on the sofa.

Now to play that song again, and again and play an online game as well. I assure you I shall be victorious and will post it here.

And as expected but in naughty boy mode by stealing little moves that don’t seem to do much until my position is clearly won.

https://lichess.org/POslTxBxpLYe

Terminal 21 for shopping, then a walk along the beach coming right up! The joys of time off work!

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Dear Ken 6

Posted in Dear Ken on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Agony uncle Ken, for troubled chess players in difficult leagues.

Kevin, Leighton Buzzard I’d like to ask your opinion if I may about a club member we have who is making waves at our club. He’s a gentleman of Irish decent I believe, and plays draughts to a level as high as his chess. Herein lies the problem. He comes to the club with boxes of books to sell, thrashes anyone he plays over the board then goes home. He’s not rude or discourteous but he’s making some members angry. They are jealous of his talent and have threatened to kidnap him at his work and smuggle him off to Hertfordshire. This fellow is rated 203 but plays stronger, so no one has a chance at our club hence the reason there is a mutiny aboard. They’ve said they could abduct him and smuggle him off to Suffolk or Norfolk if he keeps beating everyone. They are serious because I have seen the plans they’ve hatched. What should I do Ken?

KEN: you haven’t told me if he carries a shooter but I’m assuming he doesn’t otherwise it’s easily fixed. Get him a shooter and point out who is behind the mutiny. If they try to smuggle him out of Bedfordshire in the back of a van, he can just gun them down. I don’t know too much about the Beds. league but in most counties, chess players carry shooters. Catch up, arm yourselves up and get ready for some action.

Kevin, Leighton Buzzard but Ken, it’s not one or two, its nearly the whole club. Nearly 50 want him dealt with and taken out of the county!

Ken: you’ll need bodyguards then. Good luck with that. If he’s a decent bloke, he’ll be alright. But that’s a tough one!

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Dear Ken 5

Posted in Dear Ken on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to Ken, agony uncle for troubled chess players.

Grant, Luton Dear Ken, recently my team was whitewashed 5-0 in the Beds league. The reason this happened is three of the team members arrived several hours early at the social club we play in, and started off a massive drinking session. By the time the match had started, they had been dancing on the dance floor and were buying in rounds for everyone in the team, meaning that by half way in the match some of us were a bit tipsy and some of us hammered. One player fell asleep at the board and lost on time, another fell off his chair. How am I to discourage such debauchery on a match evening?

KEN: you don’t, you have a good knees up and a laugh. Forget about the chess, it’s not that important. I suggest you join in the rounds and have a proper session next time. Laddish culture and all that.

Grant, Luton but Ken, on the way home one team player took a taxi and it crashed, throwing him through the windscreen into some bushes and he has no recollection of it!

KEN: nice one my son!

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