Double take
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
double take:
n. A delayed reaction to an unusual remark or circumstance, often used as a comic device.
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Karpov last month decided to send the affable Nigel Short on a hectic safari to a number of African countries in an gamble to get some African votes for the coming FIDE election. Ilyumzhinov is very popular in 3rd world countries, profitting from the late FIDE president Florencio Campomanes’ immensely successful 20-year project to promote chess beyond Europe and the Americas. As a result, chess has become tremendously popular in the 3rd world.
Well, yesterday Uganda’s leading website —THE NEW VISION— carried an article on Nigel’s visit to the city capital.(http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/30/721711) and quoted part of an interview the English grandmaster gave to explain his election mission:
“There is need for change at the helm of chess globally if the game is to progress beyond the borders of Europe and the Americas” –nigel short
I hope Nigel had a nice big smile when he said this!
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Newsweek yesterday carried an article about the introduction of electronic sensors/devices in some sports to help avoid controversies when an arbiter does not make the right call …The Greatness and Perfection of Missing the Call
At one point in the article the author writes: ”Then there’s the aesthetic argument, which is why—after athletes sweat and fight it out in a very human arena—should the contest be decided by some deus ex machina that just descends from above and declares, “Beep! This is who won”? It’s the same reason no one really cares about chess anymore; everyone knows the computer always wins. ”
OUCH!!! THAT HURT! THANK-YOU KASPAROV…
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Russian Grandmaster N.Pogonina has a really great website (http://www.pogonina.com/) that I have already mentioned on this blog several times before. You should really check it out! It has news, problems, humour, interviews, training advice, great photos and much, much more.
I reproduce two bits of humour from today on Pogonina’s site. Enjoy!
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Mikhail Tal was questioned by a young female reporter:
”Whom would you prefer: a beautiful female or a chess Queen?”
”It all depends on the position!” – responded the ex-World Champion
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As part of his training before challenging the computer, Garry Kasparov beat a fridge and wall clock, and drew his washing machine!
”Oh, dat is terrible!!”
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SPRAGGETT ON CHESS