ChessBase just published an interesting story about Bobby Fischer and LIVE chess on Icelandic TV. Fischer apparently was watching the LIVE TV chess show and called in to comment on the missed checkmate combination by 2 Icelandic IMs.
The article is here.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
So what?
So…Bobby watches chess live on TV?! I mean, watches players weaker than him play on TV? I thought he said he hated chess that’s being played right now especially when they rely on modern opening theory.
Funny, before he went insane, he used to look at games from other lesser players from magazines and once approached one, I forgot who but not strong and instantly recalled the game to him and suggested a very devastating continuation. The player even forgot about the game himself…
Anyway…he still watches chess??!
Yeah, he’s still kickin’…
By the way, the first game in this match shows Kramnik’s bad influence to chess players: to overlook a mate in one is very popular right now!
(It’s just a joke…)
Arlauk
No, it’s the rise of a new chess school pioneered by Kramnik. Many-many years ago this couldn’t have been the case–today’s players could calculate so far ahead than ancient players that they could overlook a mate in one. It should also get their names immortalized in the same book with Kramnik when the book “this centuries greatest mates in one” hits the stores somewhere in the future.
” Anonymous said…
No, it’s the rise of a new chess school pioneered by Kramnik. Many-many years ago this couldn’t have been the case–today’s players could calculate so far ahead than ancient players that they could overlook a mate in one. It should also get their names immortalized in the same book with Kramnik when the book “this centuries greatest mates in one” hits the stores somewhere in the future.”
Maybe Kramnic was cheating using a new ‘selective search’ only chess computer when he missed the mate in one. You have to have a ‘brute force’ search of at least one ply to guarantee seeing a mate in one!
(Also just a joke before any Kramnic fans get offended)
I noticed that the winner of the match on Icelandic-TV captured the king in the final blitz-game and then pushed the clock. According to new rules this forfeits because you are doing an illegal move.
Right?
something curious about the chessbase article, when speaking about fischer, they capitalize He and His, which previously i had seen reserved for referring to God and Jesus…
As we can see, He may be inactive and living reclusively, but He hasn’t lost His ability to spot beautiful combinations when they appear on the chessboard.
I think the question should be: if they have live chess on Icelandic TV then why not on U.S. TV?
Coz the majority of US citizens prefer to less mentally challenging form of entertainment 😉
(sad but true)
Please someone, take a look at the game. Is there a mate in four for black, if white moves Nxh4 instead of Qf7+ in the 39th move?
Gabor
When interviewed, Fischer always says that “the old chess” (his term) bores him.
This shows, in fact, that he does still follow the game.
“Yeah, he’s still kickin’…
By the way, the first game in this match shows Kramnik’s bad influence to chess players: to overlook a mate in one is very popular right now!
(It’s just a joke…)”
Yeah, Kramnik caught Topalov’s Disease (thinking back to Game 2)
It’s just a joke. (On you this time)
So F calls in to TV shows and that is news. Okay, Bobby – now for the next step. How about posting a comment on Susan’s blog?
Sure I will post.
It was really nothing. Just idling away some time.
Bobby Fischer
there are you happy now.
HaHa.
(Susan you never know when this blog will turn into a fight or a joke page.)
Susan I was thinking that would have made a good combination for one of your puzzles. Goes to show Bobby has a sharpe eye.
Gabor said…
Please someone, take a look at the game. Is there a mate in four for black, if white moves Nxh4 instead of Qf7+ in the 39th move?
Gabor
Monday, December 18, 2006 7:21:36 AM
Gabor give me the fen for the position and I will look at it. but I dont want to play 39 moves to find the position. seems fair.
I thought it was humorous that the Chessbase article capitalized “He” and “His” when referring to Fischer, no matter where they appeared in the sentence, something the Catholic Church does when referring to God. 🙂
Hi Anon,
The position after whites 37th move:
8/2p3rk/2q1pQ1p/4pN2/3br3/7P/5PP1/5RK1 b – – 0 37
After that black moved Kg8 and white mated Qxg7#
Fischer called in and pointed out that:
[Fischer: 37…Rxg2+ 38.Kh1 (38.Kxg2 Rg4+ 39.Kh2 Qg2# ) 38…Rh4!! 39.Qf7+ Rg7+ 40.f3 Rxh3#
My dilemma, and I am probably wrong, that what stops white to move Nxh4 (capturing black’s rook) instead of Qf7+ in move 39? In which case I sure don’t see the mate in four. Maybe mate later, but not the way Fischer pointed out.
Gabor
Nxh4 loses since rook moves away to discover check.. ( note the bishop too )
Basically Gunnarson loses all his pieces… and hence the game
The truth is that I like very little to see news about Fischer. His compension of the chess is of admiring… but I cannot stop to think in his ideas anti Semite(and he has jew blood!), anti American(his own country!) and that he broke the international blockade on a country that made horrible crimes when it was divided (its current name is Serbia)
He has his place in the history of chess,it is exactly where he should be… and in any place more.
What about if white plays 39 f3 ?
I cannot see an easy way forward for black after that.
Eg 39 … Rg1+ 40 Kh2
or 39 … Rxh3+ 40 Kxg2
(but I haven’t played chess in a long time, so I’m probably missing something here.)
Of course he still watches chess. Fischer Random is the same game except for the beginning positions and a basic rule about castling. Why wouldn’t resulting positions after the opening be of interest? Of course they would. I’m sure he was laughing over Kramnik missing mate in one.
I’m not sure why people continue to bring up Fischer’s unpopular comments and we are talking about a combination he saw on the board. Separate his chess from his politics! Fischer is certainly no fool, but he has unpopular views. That is the extent of it.
Ancient players could also calculate well, but having knowledge of all the previous games provides one with a great advantage in what should be calculated. Did anyone remember the Steinitz-von Bardalanben game where Steinitz announced mate-in-8 or so?
This was on ChessBase…
37…Rxg2+ 38.Kh1 Rh4!! and now if instead of 39.Qf7+:
39.f3 Rg1+ 40.Rxg1 Qxf3+ 41.Rg2 Rxh3#;
39.Nxh4 Rxf2+ 40.Kg1 (40.Nf3 Rxf1+ 41.Kh2 Rxf3–+) 40…Rg2+ 41.Kh1 Rg1+; 39…Rg7+ 40.f3 Rxh3#.
You people all missed the point of the article. People in Iceland get to enjoy 2 HOURS of chess on television! That’s awesome. The Chessbase article has a link to the entire program.
The point is Kramnik would never stand up to Fischer’s attacks. Out of a position where Fischer saw a winning combination Kramnik would have tried to eke out some small positional advantage, then try for a favorable end game win.
Cool! Very interesting… thanks for posting this, was cool watching the video. Especially since we don’t get any media coverage of chess here in America. 🙂
“Bobby probably has the Fritz 9/10 that will help him see the mate position ?
How can you be sure he is not cheating”
Well, I don’t think he’d even need to cheat, but I don’t think he would’ve cheated to do it (even though I don’t think he’s a good person). After a lifetime of devotion to chess, he would be too prideful to cheat.
Chessplayers have become enslaved by computers. We think computers have all the answers. With all these doomsday movies around about computers taking over (including the Matrix trilogy), you would think we’re already there.
We see how Kasparov and Kramnik had become totally intimidated in matches. It’s a travesty to resign positions (like Kasparov) because one thinks the computer can’t miss moves. Then Kramnik misses a mate in one against Deep Fritz for no good reason other than intimidation. He said he’d never missed a mate in one before.
What would be the point of Fischer pointing it out if he merely cranked it out of a computer? I don’t think he’d waste his time.