ANYONE FOR A GAME OF CHESS THEN ??

[ObiWan]

Mystery Internet Chess Player Crushes Grand Master (or Fischer’s Back?)

For all you chess fans out there in Doperland, I hope you like this. It certainly made me chuckle
BBC News: Chess Legend ‘Plays The Web’
I particularly like…

[British Grand Master] Short said his adversary’s style of play was intriguing.

“My unseen opponent began with some highly irregular, if not totally absurd, opening moves - shifting all his pawns forward by one square. These were moves that no Grandmaster would ever play.”

Short said he immediately suspected a hoax, but became aware there was method in the apparent madness.

“From this deliberately unpromising position emerged moves of extraordinary power,” he said. “In this first game I was totally crushed.”

Short went on to lose the first of their four confrontations 8-0.

[Liberal]

Oh, wow! What a terrific story! […musing over many fond memories…]

[ObiWan]

*Originally posted by Libertarian *
Oh, wow! What a terrific story!

I thought so too. The original article Nigel Short published appeared in the (London) Daily Telegraph (Review section) on Sunday, September 9, 2001 but unfortunately does appear on their web site. However, a copy of it can be found here on USENET (in case anyone is interested).

In the article Short makes mention of the mystery player’s opening moves:

1…f6 followed by 2…Kf7 and 3…Ke6, exposing his own king to immediate assault - was one of his bizarre and unprecedented gambits. It was as if he was deliberately trying to handicap himself. However, I was beaten again.

Wow!
But my favourite bit has to be:

Often when I (Short) ran short of time he added seconds to my clock so that he could beat me on the position instead of on time. Of all my many hundreds of ICC opponents - including some of the world’s leading Grandmasters - no one had ever done that before or since.

Double wow! (And as Nigel himself points out, he’s no lightweight when it comes to blitz chess, having drawn 6-6 the last time he faced Garry Kasparov!)

It would be wonderful to publish one of my games against Fischer. To me they are what an undiscovered Mozart symphony would be to a music lover.

Unfortunately, I have no record of any of them and, even if I did, it would be a breach of etiquette to publish them.

Such a pity, I would have loved to have seen it!

[moodtobestewed]

I think ya’ll are going about this the wrong way - posting moves up here on the message board and all. What I’d suggest is selecting two team captains (then selecting teams of course) who could set up IDs at http://www.chessworld.net (or another server, but chessworld is my current fav).

The teams then could nominate moves amongst themselves and the team captains would actually carry it through on a real (well, virtual)chessboard. That way the SDMB could be reserved for general name calling and other witicisms at the other team’s expense.

Just a thought.

[Ethilrist]

aaaaand Rule 3 is…

[glee]

If you want more on the Fischer Internet story try:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary.htm

Tim Krabbe is a knowledgeable Dutch chess fan.
The site also contains a violently unpleasant interview, also supposedly with Fischer.

[Liberal]

[…reeling… …stumbling… …fainting…]

[Bluepony]

Is anyone still playing? I have Siam, Irkutsk, and Siberia and I get 12 armies, plus they all match so I get to put them next to the White Queen and wipe out your two rooks, a knight, and three pawns.

Plus I get 112 points for Triple Word Score, and using all my soldiers.

[Payne_N.Diaz]

*Originally posted by Ethilrist *
**aaaaand Rule 3 is… **

3. Hi, Opal!

[WH1TE-T1GERESS]

Have I won yet ???

[Smeghead]

*Originally posted by Ethilrist *
**aaaaand Rule 3 is… **

NO POOFTERS!!

[RTFirefly]

*Originally posted by Bluepony *
Is anyone still playing? I have Siam, Irkutsk, and Siberia and I get 12 armies, plus they all match so I get to put them next to the White Queen and wipe out your two rooks, a knight, and three pawns.

Plus I get 112 points for Triple Word Score, and using all my soldiers.

Ha! I can beat that.

As Italy, I’ve just stolen a march on France, getting fleets in MAO and the Western Med, and convoying an army into Brest. Plus I’ve got a 6-7-7-8-8 hand for 15:2-4-6-8 and a quadruple run of three, followed by NxP dbl ch.
And thanks, Lib.

[Bluepony]

*Originally posted by RTFirefly *

As Italy, I’ve just stolen a march on France, getting fleets in MAO and the Western Med, and convoying an army into Brest. Plus I’ve got a 6-7-7-8-8 hand for 15:2-4-6-8 and a quadruple run of three, followed by NxP dbl ch.

Quite an interesting move, Firefly. Very reminiscent of Kasparov’s opening gambits in the World Championships in Prague, a few years ago.

OK, PxP, en passant (I’ve always wanted to say that), lands on Ladder Square and goes all the way to 8th rank and gets promoted to Red Power Ranger. Crown me please, and that will cost you a double lime jello shot.

With my control of half the board, at this juncture, due to efficient placement of my King’s Bishop, aircraft carrier, and little metal dog, I will place my hotels on e8, a2, and b3, plus Boardwalk and Park Place.

You owe me $674,000 and one rook.

And you are in check.

[Slip_Mahoney]

Would you guys at least make the attempt to be serious here? Thank you.

Okay. You need Jacks or better to open. High spade takes half the pot. Deuces, fives and nines are wild, a Queen gets you an extra card and low heart has to match the pot. Dealer has to play blind.

Hey, who’s shy?

[OpalCat]

You could also set up boards here:

http://fff.fathom.org/cgi-bin/chess.cgi

anyone can set one up. Go nuts

[RTFirefly]

*Originally posted by Bluepony *
OK, PxP, en passant (I’ve always wanted to say that), lands on Ladder Square and goes all the way to 8th rank and gets promoted to Red Power Ranger. Crown me please, and that will cost you a double lime jello shot.

With my control of half the board, at this juncture, due to efficient placement of my King’s Bishop, aircraft carrier, and little metal dog, I will place my hotels on e8, a2, and b3, plus Boardwalk and Park Place.

You owe me $674,000 and one rook.

Damn, I’m bankr…er, I resign.

[clayton_e]

I’ll play. my e-mail is cs302b@yahoo.com
your move. Use the move # (as in “move#15” for example) as your subject for each move. I am looking forward to playing you.
-Clay

[Liberal]

clayton_e,

Um, you were offered an online board just two posts above.