As well as being a serious Chess Player a decade or so back, I was also a qualified International Chess Arbiter. As well as running a successful Chess Club and undertaking the duties of Arbiter in Ceredigion Schools Competitions, the Aberystwyth Festival of Chess and a Women's event in the North of England. I also organised the Newport Chess Congress on one occasion. Albeit I always enjoyed playing more than organising and controlling.
The one thing that did interest me was Chess Grading. I started in the days of the English Grade, and in my first ever Match Play standard game for grading I drew with a player with an English Grade of 175. In many ways that is equivalent to an ELO Grade of 2000, but the similarities cease with the number assignment as I truly believe that English players are far better than their suppressed grades. I'm Welsh and our grades are in ELO.
Chess Grading is all about statistics and probability. We often get hung up on our Grade and sometimes search for that elusive annual increase that often evades us. Chess players tend to think of themselves as being a better player than their grade suggests. I don't know why that is, maybe we all strive for perfection, but in the cut and thrust of a real game with an approved time control the pressures and constraints placed upon us prevent us reaching our true inner potential.
Mathematically, Jeffers is statistically certain of beating me in 1 game in 100, but alas statistics and mathematical probability never determine in which of the 100 games Jeffers will win, or if there will be a variance that allows him to win 2 or more games. I have an = score against a Welsh Olympian over three games, + = -
That should not have been the case according to the tables and the mathematics. But hey ho, I smashed him up with a piece sacrifice in Round 1 of a Weekend Tournament and bluffed my way out of trouble in the second game a few months later when I deliberately left a piece en-prise. He declined the piece believing that I had seen another piece sacrifice and instead opted for a draw by repetition. A few months later he beat me. Mathematically the + = - results should not have happened as they were contrary to the scheme of things.
This is how Chess Grades are worked out. Well it's a tad more complicated than that but the sequence involves attributing a KNOWN CHESS GRADE from the previous season, or an assigned TEMPORARY CHESS GRADE for new players. Checking a probability table against the KNOWN or TEMPORARY GRADE of one player against the KNOWN GRADE of the other player and thereby making the grading adjustment depending on the result. The adjustment is by way of a mathematical calculation. To obtain a full CHESS GRADE a player has to complete 16 games in one season when using a match play chess set and board and clocks set against approved rates of play. The grading adjustment for all players moves as the season's game results are considered. But this work is completed in hindsight as Chess Grades are calculated in arrears, i.e. the season finishes before the Grading Officer considers the grades. The Chess Grading list is then issued before or just after that start of the next season (depending on how busy the Grading Officer has been over the Summer).
The higher up you go the more complicated things become in that top players have to achieve a CHESS NORM, i.e. it's not just about the grade. The player has to hold a recognised grade in ELO points (a FIDE International Grade) at the appropirate level and also demonstrate an average standard of playing results at the grading level that they are aiming for. And demonstrate this standard on more than one occasion so that the demonstrated standard is not a fluke. As I have explained tables and probabilities are open to variances so the top player has to show that the achieved result on one occasion is not a variance. The top player with the appropriate FIDE grade would achieve a result that is equivalent to an International Master (IM) or Grandmaster (GM) and this result would be assigned as an IM or GM Norm as appropriate. When they have enough 'Norms' and have maintained their FIDE Grade at the appropriate level then they would become an International Master or Grandmaster. Alas, this is something that will not happen for me.
22 January 2010
Mr. Tister
I asked Mr. Tister AKA 'Loverboy' AKA our Grandson for some Chess playing advice in my game against Jeffers. Well, I had to ask Justin as I was struggling against Jeffers. The only thing is, could Jeffers see the same complexities in the game as it developed, or were the Demons mine alone? He's only 19 months, Justin Bennett that is and not Jeffers. So I had to interpret his explanation as the spoken language is a tad garbled. My intrepation of the analysis undertaken by Mr. Tister is somewhat strange. "Hide your King amongst the pawns, get his King and squeeze it in your hand and Pawns taste yummy". Thanks, Mr. Tister very useful indeed. I shall endeavour to get Jeffers King and consider the pawn advice the next time I am knocking up lunch for the family.
13 January 2010
The Library
One of the good points regarding retirement; is that I can chose to write what I want and when I want.
I have written about choices previously in the Blog. Having to make a choice is in many ways about overcoming the road signs that shape our direction of travel through life. Sometimes we need help in making these decisions. That help can be through the ever present social network that exists in the workplace. Alternatively or probably simultaneously, it is partly a reliance on those who we regard as friends. Friend and family networks often listen and dispense meaningful advice, and although such advice in often invaluable, our choices are also supported by what we have learnt.
This life long learning is gained either through exposure to events that lead to solutions being gained the hard way, or by studying material or behaviours that inform us about a particular topic, or area of interested.
I have a significant chess library which was invaluable for club and tournament play during my informative years as a teenager and on into adulthood. I have several books on the Marshall Attack, a copy of BCO and BCO2 which must be the definitive the linchpin of all chess players learning. That is, weak chess players who rely on set moves to take them from the opening into the middle game. I also have an array of Endgame books and was proud of the manner in which I could conduct an endgame. The problem was reaching that stage of the game, as all too often than not, my open play led to a piece sacrifice here or there. Although amongst all of these books there is only one publication that deserves a place in my bookcase. The book in question is a well read, old ragged copy of Nimzowitsch ‘My System’. Nimzowitsch is as informative to the chess world as Sun Tzu is to Strategic thoughts and thinkers. Unlike ‘My system’ of which I have only one copy, I have four copies of Sun Tzu’s, Art of War. Each of these copies is different, and they do not include Mao’s Treatise; whereby Sun Tzu’s words and phases were remoulded, but actually said the same thing. So in reality I have five copies of the great book in its various forms. I feel like Mel Gibson in ‘Conspiracy Theory’, you know, where he has an urge to keep buying 'The Catcher in the Rye'. Although my earnings pale into insignificance compared to those of the great Mr. Gibson. My understanding of Chess and Strategy also pale into insignificance compared to Sun Tzu and Nimzowitsch.
The down side for the ‘Art of War’ is that it is often misquoted by those who have attended a short managerial course and skimmed a few pages. They quote the book, they quote a few choice phrases but they don’t actually understand the content. The same applies to ‘My System’, like all good books it is in many ways difficult to get to grips with. It is easier to put down, than to read in depth, especially if there is a BCO on the table. But if you persevere then the awards are truly great. Possibly there is a correlation between Nimzowitsch and Sun Tzu. Maybe reading to understand both books, could pay dividends in both the boardroom and on the chess board. They would certainly help you to make the choices that we are often faced with, and maybe, just maybe, get a few of them right.
I have written about choices previously in the Blog. Having to make a choice is in many ways about overcoming the road signs that shape our direction of travel through life. Sometimes we need help in making these decisions. That help can be through the ever present social network that exists in the workplace. Alternatively or probably simultaneously, it is partly a reliance on those who we regard as friends. Friend and family networks often listen and dispense meaningful advice, and although such advice in often invaluable, our choices are also supported by what we have learnt.
This life long learning is gained either through exposure to events that lead to solutions being gained the hard way, or by studying material or behaviours that inform us about a particular topic, or area of interested.
I have a significant chess library which was invaluable for club and tournament play during my informative years as a teenager and on into adulthood. I have several books on the Marshall Attack, a copy of BCO and BCO2 which must be the definitive the linchpin of all chess players learning. That is, weak chess players who rely on set moves to take them from the opening into the middle game. I also have an array of Endgame books and was proud of the manner in which I could conduct an endgame. The problem was reaching that stage of the game, as all too often than not, my open play led to a piece sacrifice here or there. Although amongst all of these books there is only one publication that deserves a place in my bookcase. The book in question is a well read, old ragged copy of Nimzowitsch ‘My System’. Nimzowitsch is as informative to the chess world as Sun Tzu is to Strategic thoughts and thinkers. Unlike ‘My system’ of which I have only one copy, I have four copies of Sun Tzu’s, Art of War. Each of these copies is different, and they do not include Mao’s Treatise; whereby Sun Tzu’s words and phases were remoulded, but actually said the same thing. So in reality I have five copies of the great book in its various forms. I feel like Mel Gibson in ‘Conspiracy Theory’, you know, where he has an urge to keep buying 'The Catcher in the Rye'. Although my earnings pale into insignificance compared to those of the great Mr. Gibson. My understanding of Chess and Strategy also pale into insignificance compared to Sun Tzu and Nimzowitsch.
The down side for the ‘Art of War’ is that it is often misquoted by those who have attended a short managerial course and skimmed a few pages. They quote the book, they quote a few choice phrases but they don’t actually understand the content. The same applies to ‘My System’, like all good books it is in many ways difficult to get to grips with. It is easier to put down, than to read in depth, especially if there is a BCO on the table. But if you persevere then the awards are truly great. Possibly there is a correlation between Nimzowitsch and Sun Tzu. Maybe reading to understand both books, could pay dividends in both the boardroom and on the chess board. They would certainly help you to make the choices that we are often faced with, and maybe, just maybe, get a few of them right.
Ice Station Zebra
Ice Station Zebra
Brrrrrrr, the Ice Man cometh! Temperatures in this part of Wales plummeted to -11 degrees. Great weather for enjoying Ed’s excellent Christmas Hamper and for finding an excuse to meet family and friends for coffee, but grim in terms of staying outdoors or achieving the many DIY tasks that seem to be coming thick and fast now that I am retiring. Amongst the chaos of the ice and snow I am proud of my efforts to keep the path and driveway at our house clear of slip hazards. I even managed to maintain a pathway onto the road so that the numerous car owners at our place; could make it safely to and from their cars. The picture shows yours truly wrapped up for the winter and using a garden hoe to clear the snow and ice. Oh that and a nice stiff broom and a £7 bag of Rock Salt. The long handled hoe meant a slower clearing process, but with the added benefit of no back ache from bending.
Paradigm
It's paradoxical that I have followed the main elements expounded by Nimzowitsch, but yet with my extra space and pawn I am actually losing. To make matters worse it's still very cold in the UK, but thankfully this game is hotting up.
It's probably the hottest thing that I have been near for the last two days with freezing temperatures outside and not much warmth in our lounge at the moment. Mind you I did manage 30 lengths of the swimming pool this afternoon along with a Sauna. Oh, and coffee and meatballs with a good friend of mine in town. Not a lot of meatballs, but a lot of friend. Adam has a FIDE Chess Rating, but that didn't stop him freezing in the cold. I don't have a FIDE rating as I enjoyed the cut and thrust of open play too much. Which in simple terms meant that I really enjoyed my chess, but I lost almost as many games as I won and often against weak opposition against whom I could have slogged it out for a definite win, but at the cost of a very boring few hours. Nothing worse than a boring 6 hour game of chess.
Unlike the cold, which I don't enjoy at all. It bit into the skin, especially when we went shopping and back to the car. The cold was made worse in that my Bro sent me a £45 pair of gloves yesterday and in a made rush across town I left them in the boot. Now there's a logistical preparedness lesson if there ever was one. Well two lessons really; [1] remember your gloves, or [2] move to a warmer climate. I bet that it's quite warm in Accra at the moment, but not as warm as the position in the game between Roger from Wales and Jeffers from Ghana that began on the 6th January 2010.
It's probably the hottest thing that I have been near for the last two days with freezing temperatures outside and not much warmth in our lounge at the moment. Mind you I did manage 30 lengths of the swimming pool this afternoon along with a Sauna. Oh, and coffee and meatballs with a good friend of mine in town. Not a lot of meatballs, but a lot of friend. Adam has a FIDE Chess Rating, but that didn't stop him freezing in the cold. I don't have a FIDE rating as I enjoyed the cut and thrust of open play too much. Which in simple terms meant that I really enjoyed my chess, but I lost almost as many games as I won and often against weak opposition against whom I could have slogged it out for a definite win, but at the cost of a very boring few hours. Nothing worse than a boring 6 hour game of chess.
Unlike the cold, which I don't enjoy at all. It bit into the skin, especially when we went shopping and back to the car. The cold was made worse in that my Bro sent me a £45 pair of gloves yesterday and in a made rush across town I left them in the boot. Now there's a logistical preparedness lesson if there ever was one. Well two lessons really; [1] remember your gloves, or [2] move to a warmer climate. I bet that it's quite warm in Accra at the moment, but not as warm as the position in the game between Roger from Wales and Jeffers from Ghana that began on the 6th January 2010.
9 January 2010
Chess
RBA Bennett [Wales] Highest Past rating 2000 [Offered Rating for Interzonal in Ireland] (White) v J Adjei [Ghana] 1596 (Black)
Google Chess started 6 January 2010
Time Control: 1 move in up to 3 days
Rules: No books or Internet resources, no moving pieces other than executed moves
Kings Gambit Accepted
1. e4 e5
2. f4 exf4
3. Nf3 Nf6
4. e5 Nd5
5. Bc4 Nb6
6. Bb3 d6
7. O-O Nc6
8. exd6
To be continued
The Chess Set shown in the photograph consists of a triple weighted Match Play wooden chess set with felted bases turned in a Staunton Pattern with a King that is 9.8cm high. The pieces are stored in a velvet lined wooden box with a name plate bearing the owners name. During match play the pieces rest on a high quality Match Play wooden board consisting of 5.5cm squares. The board has a full felt underlay. This Match Play set and board only comes out on special occasions. The last time was in 1998. Playing Jeffers is special, and every time I move, I sip the red wine and raise a glass to 'absent friends'.
Serena
Serena (that's the name of the Clio involved in the accident) had 26 items damaged in all. I visited her at the repair centre only yesterday. Whereas Jodi visited the Good Samaritans the other week while traveling back to South Wales. Serena is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery by the end of this week or the beginning of the following week. Although I suspect that my eldest daughters purse will feel the effects of this carnage for many years to come; as her no claims bonus diminishes and the insurance premiums increase. But hey ho, cars are a way of modern life and when you travel significant distances then in a Western European society a car is pretty important. Although with the Internet and mobiles phones you don't always have to travel to keep in touch. I have just signed up to Google.com and am indulging a past favourite of mine; playing chess. It's great because I am now deep into two games against Jeffers in Accra. His ELO Rating on Google is 1596. I would be a little concerned playing a 1600 rated Chess player from England, as we all know that the English grades are suppressed. You can always add on a good 200 points. Especially in tournament play. But I do not know how the African grades equate. Jeffers speaks four languages so he is no dummy. I'm pretty good myself, but I only speak two languages and one of them quite badly. Then again it is not about Chess Grade or winning, it is more about social intercourse with a good friend located on the other side of the World.
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