Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Like a game of chess

Who, in 1983, made the following claim?

Life is like a game of chess.

31 comments:

Tom Chivers said...

Forrest Gump?

Anonymous said...

Karpov - though that's a wild guess.

ejh said...

Neither of the above!

I shall, perhaps, record other instances of such-and-such supposedly resembling chess as time goes past, but this one you're going to have to guess...

Anonymous said...

James Callaghan? (more stabbing in the dark - probably too late for him I suppose)

Ryan said...

It's not the greatest quote ever, is it? I think I've seen it attributed to Spassky, but I expect many others have said it and whether Spassky said it in '83 I don't know!

Tom Chivers said...

Serious guess this time. Kasparov.

Anonymous said...

Karpov, Kallaghan or Kasparov? If none of those then another 'K': Korchnoi. I guess this knowing that he wrote a book called 'Chess is my life' (which is not the same, of course) but mindful of his battles with the Soviet Union.

Angus.

Tom Chivers said...

Am I right in thinking Karpov published a book called "Chess is not my life" soon after, Angus? Or is that just a story I'd like to tell?

Robert Pearson said...

I thought it was Grandmaster A. Schopenauer, but that would be 1783. Spassky's greatest quote, no matter what he ever says for the rest of his life, will always be about how he and his first wife "were like bishops of opposite colours."

Anonymous said...

Tom, I don't know but that rings true... Just looked it up and the title was also 'Chess is my life'...

Angus.

Tom Chivers said...

Shame! I seem to recall Karpov, in Who's Who, also listed his hobbies as "Stamp collecting and communism." I wondered if these were the extra things he had in his life.

I think I must have made that story up. "Chess is not my life" gets three google hits. It seriously loses this Google Fight.

ejh said...

All these guesses are not just wrong, but very wrong indeed.

Tom Chivers said...

Chris Waddle?

ejh said...

No, but probably closer.

Jonathan B said...

Ossie Ardiles?

Tom Chivers said...

Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Nobis said...

Tarrash one century before said the same thing!!!

p.s. I made a new blog, come to visit me, I need visitors!

Tom Chivers said...

I was kind of enjoying guessing.

But what the heck. Go on then.

ejh said...

The claim was made in song.

Anonymous said...

Was it Modern Romance in "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey" ?

ejh said...

Har.

No.

Tom Chivers said...

Tim Rice.

Chris Morgan said...

I reckon I might know the answer but I hasten to add I'm not a fan - I used the internet.

ejh said...

Tell us, Chris, tell us...

Chris Morgan said...

Bananarama?

ejh said...

and...?

Chris Morgan said...

Fun Boy Three. Originally a jazz tune from 1939 by Sy Oliver according to Wikipedia.

ejh said...

Ping! You are correct. Will you take the money or go into the box?

Chris Morgan said...

Money please.

Anonymous said...

Is this a S&BCCblog record for number of comments on a post?

ejh said...

The thinner the theme, the wider the commentary.

It's the age we live in.