Monk Beats Chess Genius Based On Fischer
By SHELBY LYMAN
August 12, 2008
If you’re a fan of “Monk,” the detective series featuring the eccentric sleuth and chess enthusiast Adrian Monk, you were probably delighted with the subject of the recent episode: “Mr. Monk and the Genius.”
The genius is Patrick Kloster, the best chess player in the world, who murders his second wife after brazenly alerting her of his intentions. He had, Monk later brilliantly infers, also done away with his first wife.
It soon becomes obvious that Kloster is scripted to remind us of the late Bobby Fischer. There are several clues, including a tournament event in Vancouver, his 180 IQ and a discussion of the “poisoned pawn,” a winning pawn sacrifice made by Boris Spassky during their famous match.
During the battle of the two geniuses that ensues, Kloster is able to stay a couple of steps ahead of Monk. But when Kloster during a simultaneous game arrogantly explains to Monk that castling allows the shuffling of two pieces, Monk solves the double murder.
Here is the full story.
All well and good for a TV detective fantasy. But chess aficionados would insist that in a real confrontation between the two, it would be Fischer not Monk who would win the game of wits.
But chess aficionados would be wrong, because the nature of Monk’s (imaginary) talent in that show has nothing to do with the talent of chess players, the two talents are not comperable. His way of figuring things out is not concentrated around combinative thinking or thinking ahead several steps (sure there is such element), but his real talent is simply noticing things other people (normal people) just don’t.
Actually, I thought that episode was pretty weak. And the attempts to link chess terms to the crime (like castling or poisoned pawn) were so deliberate that it almost hurt. Sorry, but there have been both much better Monk episodes and chess references on TV…
I like the terminator story where mankind is destroyed by a chess computer.
When will the new episodes show up?
I NEED to know when the chess computer will strike!
The chess computer is going to give me DEATH THREATS and is going to KILL ME!
Call Geraldo!
According to WIKIPEDIA the second season is going to be aired from September 8 onwards – rejoice!
I saw this episode a few weeks ago… I enjoyed it, but I have to agree with anonymous… the attempts to use chess terminology was rather feeble, and the entire episode was very predictable.
“the attempts to use chess terminology was rather feeble, and the entire episode was very predictable.”
What? Did it end in a draw?
too bad the stereotype of the chess ‘genius’ is that of an egocentric psychopath. how about a chess hero for a change.