Archive for July 20th, 2022

Oh boy, here we go.

Posted in Chess on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

There’s being funny and there’s taking the piss. When you book hotel rooms online, there’s usually a customer service section where you can ask questions. So here’s mine.

I wonder if I will actually get an answer?

MJM, dark room late at night.

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Has it become all too easy?

Posted in Chess on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

So Magnus has chosen not to defend his title. Maybe its all got a bit too easy for him.

https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/magnus-carlsen-will-not-defend-his-title

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Help!

Posted in Chess on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Help us out here, I am stuck on this one. First and foremost, what you are about to read is not an example of me bragging nor is it an attempt to attract attention, it’s more a case of general enquiry but I don’t quite know how to phrase it. Advice sought.

What I want to do is subtly slip into a conversation the line ‘you’ve probably noticed that I’m by far the most handsome chess player on the planet right?’ without making my interlocutor puke, burst out laughing, or think there’s something seriously wrong with me. So how do I slip a line like that into a conversation and move on from it casually? What sort of body language should I use? The tone of the sentence should be mild self-assurance overflowing with hope of confirmation. How many people around the world actually think I am I don’t know although I suspect it’s not very many (if any).

The reason I am asking this is I like to delude myself into thinking I am so funny and can make people laugh with such ease, so it’s just a gag I want to make a mental note of for female chess players, which I can drop into any conversation that starts drying up if I run out of things to say. Or alternately I might use it as a chat up line or maybe to get my fees waived at a tournament as it could actually be true, making me quite a coup.

Yes that’s me with former women’s world champion Hou Yifan. I was the photographer for that particular event, hence the ID badge.

Mark. J. McCready,

8.04 pm July 20th,

Laksi BKK

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A take on & interpretation of what chess is according to the UN

Posted in Life beyond the chess board on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

July 20th is International Chess Day, and so here is a take on why that is significant.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-chess-day

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Staying cool

Posted in Chess on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

How does he do it? How Does Magnus Carlsen cope with the fame and pressure of being the world champion? He always seems pretty relaxed about it to me but whatever goes on off camera…well we don’t really know do we?

He is under the spotlight here, signing autographs, dealing with fans and admirers, and again not looking too flustered by it. Gotta respect the guy for that, perhaps he is well used to it by now.

Magnus Carlsen signs autographs for a large queue of spectators in Zagreb, Croatia from chess

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