White is Nigel Davies. His mobile phone rings. The arbiter rushes over and realises that the ringtone is a piece of elevator music by Ray Lynch. He sits arm-in-arm with Nige listening to the syruppy chimes while the tournament hall rapidly empties. White's flag falls.
John Healy sent the game and position to every chess publication in the English-speaking world, claiming he'd just flattened Anand ... and everyone believed him.
I'm not at all upset, I'm just bored at "work". But if you persist in highlighting positions from (allegedly) his games, you might be interested in the occasional good move played by some more weak club players I know.
Who the players are is a secret! If I told you (and especially if I told you as well the year in which they played) then the clue would be too good :) Which in itself, I suppose, is a clue, but just not a very good one.
Alu - I think many people are aware that Healy was neither a strong player nor an entirely reliable witness. However, he wrote what many people have found an interesting and moving book, and as for his chess - if we were only interested in strong players here, we would have to write rather less about ourselves.
Sooo, 16 comments and nobody even seems interested in the right answer, let alone actually getting anywhere near it.... :-)
It was, in fact, from one of the earliest World Computer Championships (early 70s?) And what happened from here is that the machine "playing" the white pieces actually managed to LOSE from the diagrammed position!!
The game in question is from a book by Alex (?) Bell regarding Computer Chess in its early days before Fritz, Rybka and alike came along and beat the GMs!!
I remember reading that at my Uni library many many moons ago!
We have taken much from Richard James' work in the past.
E.g. the practice of naming a series of posts with Roman Numerals (often abbreviating to initials e.g. WHN? IX) was inspired* by the Fox and James column in Chess magazine.
Who are the players?
ReplyDeleteQa1 followed by a trip to the bathroom after Kxa1
ReplyDeleteWhite is Nigel Davies. His mobile phone rings. The arbiter rushes over and realises that the ringtone is a piece of elevator music by Ray Lynch. He sits arm-in-arm with Nige listening to the syruppy chimes while the tournament hall rapidly empties. White's flag falls.
ReplyDeleteDR
The police arrived
ReplyDelete(a) to arrest White for the theft of the Black pieces; but ended up
(b) fining White for his attempts at an artistic finish from the diagram:
38. Qa1+ Kxa1
39. Bc4#
by which time White had lost on time and
(c) the BCF rulebook covering such incidents went up in flames (and then out the window).
Obviously. :-)
seani
John Healy sent the game and position to every chess publication in the English-speaking world, claiming he'd just flattened Anand ... and everyone believed him.
ReplyDeleteAlu Chin
DR - actually David Robertson or just pretending?
ReplyDeleteAlu,
why does the John Healy issue upset you so?
Just pretending to be myself
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all upset, I'm just bored at "work". But if you persist in highlighting positions from (allegedly) his games, you might be interested in the occasional good move played by some more weak club players I know.
ReplyDeleteBut then, what would be the point?
Alu Chin
And do you mean this game or another?
ReplyDelete(And did he? And did they?)
No-one's near the right answer or players.
ReplyDeleteWho the players are is a secret! If I told you (and especially if I told you as well the year in which they played) then the clue would be too good :) Which in itself, I suppose, is a clue, but just not a very good one.
Might be good enough if I speculate that that isn't a queen that's being represented by the queen symbol. Nor the bishop a bishop.
ReplyDeleteAlu - I think many people are aware that Healy was neither a strong player nor an entirely reliable witness. However, he wrote what many people have found an interesting and moving book, and as for his chess - if we were only interested in strong players here, we would have to write rather less about ourselves.
ReplyDeleteBut, you know, elephants and gnats.
The queen is a queen, the bishop a bishop, and modern rules of chess apply . . .
ReplyDeleteWhite resigned because his opponent was a military dictator.
ReplyDeleteanonemouse
It's good, but it's not right.
ReplyDeleteAlu,
ReplyDeleteI think you've missed the point of the Grass Arena series.
Be that as it may, you are welcome not to read them, or any other posts on this blogfor that matter.
Sooo, 16 comments and nobody even seems interested in the right answer, let alone actually getting anywhere near it.... :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was, in fact, from one of the earliest World Computer Championships (early 70s?) And what happened from here is that the machine "playing" the white pieces actually managed to LOSE from the diagrammed position!!
I am NOT making this up ;-)
Ah yes, this one.
ReplyDelete38.Kc1 f5 39.Kc2 f4 40.Kc1 g4 41.Kc2 f3 42.Kc1 fxg2 43.Kc2 gxh1=Q 44.Kc1 Qxf1+ 45.Kd2 Qxf2+ 46.Kc1 Qg1+ 47.Kc2 Qxh2+ 48.Kc1 Qh1+ 49.Kc2 Qb1+ 50.Kd2 g3 51.Qc4+ Qb3 52.Qxb3+ Kxb3 53.e4 Kxb4 54.e5 g2 0-1 COKO III-GENIE COKO 1971 US Computer Championships
ReplyDeleteOh anonymous! How you've spoiled my fun. Indeed you're right. The full story of the solution will be published on Monday next week.
ReplyDeleteOnly just noticed this but recognized immediately. Did you get it from The (Even More) Complete Chess Addict?
ReplyDeleteNope - from a book about computer chess.
ReplyDeleteThe game in question is from a book by Alex (?) Bell regarding Computer Chess in its early days before Fritz, Rybka and alike came along and beat the GMs!!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading that at my Uni library many many moons ago!
We have taken much from Richard James' work in the past.
ReplyDeleteE.g. the practice of naming a series of posts with Roman Numerals (often abbreviating to initials e.g. WHN? IX) was inspired* by the Fox and James column in Chess magazine.
* read: "stolen from"
That's not the Alex Bell who use to teach at UNN?
ReplyDelete