why

will you explain?

why

can you give a reason?

why

do you have an answer?

why

i’d want to know!

why

they have to suffer!

why

they are persecuted!

why

they are hated!

why

they have to die!

C’est la vie

You Never Can Tell – Chuck Berry (1964)

It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
«C’est la vie», say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
But when Pierre found work, the little money comin’ worked out well
«C’est la vie», say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
«C’est la vie», say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They bought a souped-up jitney, ‘twas a cherry red ’53
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary
It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
«C’est la vie», say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band

Reservoir Songs

Big Kahuna 

Jumpin’ Jacks

The Farmers

Bizimkiler

Margot Cotten & Friends

Bruce Springsteen

Pulp Fiction

As the darkest night shone on Los Alamos

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Manhattan Project

International Day against Nuclear Tests 29 August

Atomic Bomb Blues – Homer Harris (1946)

It was early one morning when all the good work was done
It was early one morning when all the good work was done
And that big bird was loaded, with that awful atomic bomb

Wrote my baby, I was behind the risin’ sun
Wrote my baby, I was behind the risin’ sun
I told her, don’t be uneasy
Because I’m behind the atomic bomb

Nation after nation, was near and far away
Nation after nation, was near and far away
Well, they soon got the news
And there where they would stay

Over in East Japan, you know, they let down and cried
Over in East Japan, you know, they let down and cried
And poor Tojo, had to find a place to hide

Talkin’ World War III Blues – Bob Dylan (1963)

One time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walkin’ into World War Three
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said it was a bad dream
I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it none, though
Them old dreams are only in your head

I said, hold it, Doc, a World War passed through my brain
He said, nurse, get your pad, this boy’s insane
He grabbed my arm, I said ouch
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said, tell me about it

Well, the whole thing started at three o’clock fast
It was all over by quarter past
I was down in the sewer with some little lover
When I peeked out from a manhole cover
Wondering who turned the lights on

Well, I got up and walked around
And up and down the lonesome town
I stood a-wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road
It was a normal day

Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I gave a yell
Give me a string bean, I’m a hungry man
A shotgun fired and away I ran
I don’t blame them too much though
They didn’t know me

Down at the corner by a hot-dog stand
I seen a man, I said, ‘howdy friend’
I guess there’s just us two
He screamed a bit and away he flew
Thought I was a Communist

Well, I spied a girl and before she could leave
I said, let’s go and play Adam and Eve
I took her by the hand and my heart it was thumpin’
When she said, hey man, you crazy or sumpin’
You seen what happened last time they started

Well, I seen a Cadillac window uptown
And there was nobody aroun’
I got into the driver’s seat
And I drove down 42nd Street
In my Cadillac
Good car to drive after a war

Well, I remember seein’ some ad
So I turned on my Conelrad
But I didn’t pay my Con Ed bill
So the radio didn’t work so well
Turned on my record player
It was Rock-A-Day, Johnny singin’
Tell your Ma, tell your Pa
Our loves are gonna grow ooh-wah, ooh-wah

I was feelin’ kinda lonesome and blue
I needed somebody to talk to
So I called up the operator of time
Just to hear a voice of some kind
When you hear the beep
It will be three o’clock
She said that for over an hour
And I hung up

Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Sayin, Hey I’ve been havin’ the same old dreams
But mine was a little different you see
I dreamt that the only person left after the war was me
I didn’t see you around

Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody’s having them dreams
Everybody sees themselves walkin’ around with no one else
Half of the people can be part right all of the time
Some of the people can be all right part of the time
But all of the people can’t be all right all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours
I said that

The Sun Is Burning – Simon and Garfunkel (1964)

The sun is burning in the sky
Strands of clouds go slowly drifting by
In the park the lazy bees
Are joining in the flowers among the trees
And the sun burns in the sky

Now the sun is in the West
Little kids go home to take their rest
And the couples in the park
Are holding hands and waitin’ for the dark
And the sun is in the West

Now the sun is sinking low
Children playing know it’s time to go
High above a spot appears
A little blossom blooms and then draws near
And the sun is sinking low

Now the sun has come to earth
Shrouded in a mushroom cloud of death
Death comes in a blinding flash
Of hellish heat and leaves a smear of ash
And the sun has come to earth

Now the sun has disappeared
All is darkness, anger, pain and fear
Twisted sightless wrecks of men
Go groping on their knees and cry in pain
And the sun has disappeared

1999 – Prince (1982)

Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you
I only want you to have some fun

I was dreamin’ when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this mornin’
Could’ve sworn it was judgment day

The sky was all purple
There were people runnin’ everywhere
Tryin’ to run from the destruction
You know I didn’t even care

Say, say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999

I was dreaming’ when I wrote this
So sue me if I go too fast
Life is just a party
And parties weren’t meant to last

War is all around us
My mind says prepare to fight
So if I gotta die
I’m gonna listen to my body tonight, yeah

They say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999
Yeah, yeah

Let me tell ya something
If you didn’t come to party
Don’t bother knockin’ on my door
I got a lion in my pocket
And, baby, he’s ready to roar
Yeah, yeah

Everybody’s got a bomb
We could all die any day, aw
But before I’ll let that happen
I’ll dance my life away, oh-oh-oh

They say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
We’re runnin’ outta time
So tonight we gonna party like it’s 1999

Say it one more time
2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time, no, no
So, tonight we gonna, we gonna, whoa!

Alright, it’s 1999
You say it, 1999
1999
Oh, 1999
Don’t stop, don’t stop, say it one more time

2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
Yeah-yeah
So tonight, I’m gonna party like it’s 1999 (we gonna, whoa)

1999
Don’tcha wanna go (1999)
Don’tcha wanna go, oh (1999)
We could all die any day (1999)

I don’t wanna die
I’d rather dance my life away (1999)
Listen to what I’m tryin’ to say
Everybody, everybody said party

C’mon now, you said party
That’s right, everybody say (party)
You can’t run from the revelation, no (party)
Sing it for your nation, y’all (party)

Dreamin’ when youu’re singin’, baby say (party)
Telephone’s a-ringin’, mama now (party)
C’mon, c’mon, you say (party)
Everybody, do tell me (party)

Work it down to the ground
I say (party)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh (party)
Come on, take my body, baby (party)
That’s right, c’mon, sing me the song (party)
Yeah-yeah, oh, no no (party)

That’s right (party)
Got a lion in my pocket mama, say (party)
Oh, and he’s ready to roar (party)

Mommy
Why does everybody have a bomb?
Mommy
Why does everybody have a bomb?

Seconds – Canción de U2 (1983)

Takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh
It takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh, say bye bye
Where you going to now

Lightning flashes across the sky
East to west, do or die
Like a thief in the night
See the world by candlelight

Fall, rise and fall, rise and
Fall, rise and fall, rise and

In an apartment on Time Square
You can assemble them anywhere
Held to ransom, hell to pay
A revolution everyday
USSR, GDR, London, New York, Peking
It’s the puppets, it’s the puppets
Who pull the strings, yeh

Fall, rise and fall
Fall, rise and fall

Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye

It takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh
Push the button and pull the plug
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh

Fall, rise and fall
Fall, rise and fall

And they’re doing the atomic bomb
Do they know where the dance comes from
Yes they’re doing the atomic bomb
They want you to sing along
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye
Say goodbye

gamba – gambetto – gambett – gambito – gambit

gambit

«chess opening in which a pawn or piece is risked for advantage later,» 1650s, gambett, from Italian gambetto, literally «a tripping up» (as a trick in wrestling), from gamba «leg,» from Late Latin gamba «horse’s hock or leg» (see gambol (n.)).

Applied to chess openings in Spanish in 1561 by Ruy Lopez, who traced it to the Italian word, but the form in Spanish generally was gambito, which led to French gambit, which has influenced the English spelling of the word. The broader sense of «opening move meant to gain advantage» in English is recorded from 1855.

Resource: https://www.etymonline.com/word/gambit

Queen’s Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit is one of the oldest and most reputable 1.d4 openings for White. Unlike 1.e4 openings, the Queen’s Gambit usually evolves into a strategic game rather than an all-out tactical battle. Despite being around for centuries, this opening is still one of the cornerstones of every elite players’ repertoire. It’s also an excellent choice for beginners and intermediate players.

Source: https://www.chess.com/openings/Queens-Gambit

Walter Tevis  Was a Novelist. You Might Know His Books (Much) Better as Movies.

The wildly popular Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” has done for chess what Julia Child once did for French cooking. Chess set sales have skyrocketed; enrollment in online chess classes has surged. The series has been the subject of hundreds of articles and interviews. The novel that inspired the show, first published in 1983, has been on The New York Times’s trade paperback best-seller list for five weeks.

Yet little attention has been paid to Walter Tevis, the author whose creation has stirred all the commotion.

Tevis once pegged himself as “a good American writer of the second rank.” But Allan Scott, the screenwriter who first optioned “The Queen’s Gambit” in the 1980s, disagrees. Mr. Scott co-created and executive-produced the current Netflix show.

“I think very highly of Tevis,” he said in an email. “I think he was one of the best American writers of the 20th century. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ lays out a terrific story very simply. Child, mother killed, orphanage, touch of genius, addiction. It’s Dickensian.” (It took decades to bring the book to the screen, Mr. Scott said, because studios thought the subject of chess was a commercial dead-end.)

Born in 1928, Tevis wrote six novels, a surprising number of which made high-profile leaps to the screen: “The Hustler,” about a young pool shark played by Paul Newman; “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” starring David Bowie as a lonesome alien; and “The Color of Money,” a follow-up to “The Hustler,” which won Mr. Newman his first Oscar. Tevis’s 1980 science fiction book, “Mockingbird,” a commentary on humanity’s dwindling interest in reading, has long had a modest cult following.

Tevis was a family man who played board games and fished with his kids; a popular professor of writing and literature at Ohio University in Athens; a cat-lover and movie aficionado; and a talented amateur chess and pool player. He was pale and gangly; some of his students called him “Ichabod Crane.” He was also a three-pack-a-day smoker, a serious gambler and an alcoholic who made several suicide attempts. His fiction often plumbs his psyche, metaphorically.

“He’s the hero of all his own books,” said his son, Will Tevis, 66, before correcting himself: “He’s the antihero.”

Tevis considered his terrain to be the world of underdogs.

“I write about losers and loners,” he told this newspaper in 1983. “If there’s a common theme in my work, that’s it. I invented the phrase ‘born loser’ in ‘The Hustler.’ In one way or another I’m obsessed with the struggle between winning and losing.”

Tevis was born in San Francisco, into what he called a “feelingless, uptight” home. His parents moved to Kentucky when he was 10. Because young Walter had a heart condition, his parents left him behind in a convalescent home, where he spent months drugged on phenobarbital like Beth Harmon, the main character in “The Queen’s Gambit.” In an essay published in 1990, Tevis’s first wife, Jamie, wrote: “He never got over the scars of the early experience with narcotics.”

Tevis believed that early experience fueled his later alcoholism.

When he left California to rejoin his family, Tevis found his new environment bewildering. In a 1981 interview, he said that “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” about an alien who lands in Kentucky and can’t adjust to life on this planet, was “disguised autobiography.”

“[It] has to do with my having moved from what I thought was the city of light, San Francisco, when I was 11, to Lexington, Kentucky, where I went to a tough Appalachian school in the fifth grade and was beaten up regularly,” Tevis said. (Tevis gave the movie version of the book a C-plus, calling it confusing, but when he met David Bowie found him to be “a wonderful man.”)

The day he turned 17, Tevis joined the Navy. On a ship home from Okinawa, he met Hilary Knight, who went on to illustrate the Eloise books. The two connected instantly, Mr. Knight, now 94, recalled, because both were “total misfits.”

“We were two people in a dream world, though his was much more logical than mine,” Mr. Knight said. “The other crew paid little or no attention to us. They didn’t want to know these weirdos. Walter was too smart, and the ship was full of dumbbells. We had a great time laughing about everything.”

“The Hustler,” drawn from Tevis’s rough-and-tumble pool hall experiences before and after the war, came out in 1959, followed by “The Man Who Fell to Earth” in 1963. Then, Tevis published almost nothing until 1980. He and his wife, whom he met when they taught at the same high school, raised two children while Tevis was at Ohio University. He played chess and shot pool, often with his colleague Daniel Keyes, who wrote “Flowers for Algernon.” Tevis drank heavily and his marriage suffered. Even so, his children remember Tevis as a devoted parent.

His daughter, Julia McGory, 63, said that his kids had experienced some of “the sadness and complexities of our father,” but “never doubted how much he loved us and enjoyed being with us.”

In the mid-1970s, Tevis sobered up, partly with help from Alcoholics Anonymous. Deeply frustrated by his writer’s block, he got a divorce and decided to try his creative luck in Manhattan. He began a relationship with, and eventually married, Eleanora Walker, who worked for his agent. He reconnected with Mr. Knight: “We became great friends again,” Mr. Knight said.

Tevis also regained his writerly mojo, finishing four more novels and a collection of short stories. He helped convince Paul Newman to star in the movie version of “The Color of Money.” He also wrote “The Queen’s Gambit” during those years. The writer Tobias Wolff called it an “overlooked masterpiece.”

“Tevis has a gift for vivid characterization and propulsive narratives,” Mr. Wolff said in an email. “His style is direct and efficient, never calling attention to itself; yet it grows in power through the course of a novel by its very naturalness.”

Describing young Beth learning a chess move in “The Queen’s Gambit,” Tevis wrote: “She decided not to take the offered pawn, to leave the tension on the board. She liked it like that. She liked the power of the pieces, exerted along files and diagonals. In the middle of the game, when the pieces were everywhere, the forces crisscrossing the board thrilled her. She brought out her king’s knight, feeling its power spread.”

More lyrically, as Beth sits bored in class, Tevis wrote that her “mind danced in awe to the geometric rococo of chess, rapt, enraptured, drawing in the grand permutations as they opened to her soul, and her soul opened to them.”

In the book, Beth is a harder-edged, less obviously triumphant character than in the Netflix series. Tevis once explained why he made the choice to portray a female chess champion. “Sometimes I was really more wrapped up in the idea of intelligence in women, for which I have an enormous respect and a kind of awe, more wrapped up in that even than the game of chess itself,” he said.

In a 1981 interview, Tevis said he’d realized in middle age that “life is worth living.” He hoped to write one book per year for the rest of his life. Just three years later, he died of lung cancer, at 56.

Tevis’s publishing career may not be over. His estate holds two unpublished children’s books, said Susan Schulman, the agent who represents it. “Gangster Cat” is the story of a New York City cat and his gang. “Turnip Island” is the story of a family who live on an island of nothing but mud.

“They are completely delightful,” Ms. Schulman said.

If he were still alive, Will Tevis said, his father would be “basking in glory right now. He had desires for the spotlight. He wanted to be known and noticed.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/books/walter-tevis-novelist-queens-gambit-netflix.html

The Queen’s Gambit (novel)

The Queen’s Gambit – Online – PDF

(Chapter 1)

“Will you teach me?”
Mr. Shaibel said nothing, did not even register the question with a
movement of his head. Distant voices from above were singing “Bringing
in the Sheaves.”
She waited for several minutes. Her voice almost broke with the effort of
her words, but she pushed them out, anyway: “I want to learn to play
chess.”

Mr. Shaibel reached out a fat hand to one of the larger black pieces,
picked it up deftly by its head and set it down on a square at the other side
of the board. He brought the hand back and folded his arms across his chest.
He still did not look at Beth. “I don’t play strangers.”
The flat voice had the effect of a slap in the face. Beth turned and left,
walking upstairs with the bad taste in her mouth.
“I’m not a stranger,” she said to him two days later. “I live here.” Behind
her head a small moth circled the bare bulb, and its pale shadow crossed the
board at regular intervals. “You can teach me. I already know some of it,
from watching.”
“Girls don’t play chess.” Mr. Shaibel’s voice was flat.
She steeled herself and took a step closer, pointing at, but not touching,
one of the cylindrical pieces that she had already labeled a cannon in her
imagination. “This one moves up and down or back and forth. All the way,
if there’s space to move in.”
Mr. Shaibel was silent for a while. Then he pointed at the one with what
looked like a slashed lemon on top. “And this one?”
Her heart leapt. “On the diagonals.”

Is The Queen’s Gambit (miniseries) a True Story? The ‘Real’ Beth Harmon Revealed

The Queen’s Gambit was a surprise smash for Netflix when it debuted on the platform in October 2020. In just four weeks, it became Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries ever and won itself a treasure trove of awards including 11 Primetime Emmys and 2 Golden Globes – one being Best Actress In a Miniseries or Television Film for the show’s main star Anya Taylor-Joy. The show’s success sent shockwaves throughout the chess community. Inspired by Beth’s story, people all over the globe discovered or rediscovered their love for one of the world’s oldest games. Demand for chess sets hit an all-time high (and came rather unexpected for the team here at Regency Chess!) According to US figures, in the three weeks following the show’s debut, unit sales of chess sets jumped 87% and chess book sales rose a whopping 603%. But is the Queen’s Gambit a true story?

Is The Queen’s Gambit Based On a True Story?

No… but kind of. The character of Beth Harmon and her story is fictional. It came from the mind of writer Walter Tevis (1928 – 1984) way back in 1983 when the novel ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ was first published. At the time of release, there was fervent speculation on the inspiration for Beth Harmon. In a New York Times interview, Tevis denied that Beth was based on anyone in the chess community and considered ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ to be his ‘tribute to brainy women’. That’s not to say the show isn’t infused with real-life elements. Chess experts have praised the quality of the playing and have noted that many of Beth’s moves have even been modelled off of famous contests.

But what about Beth herself?

Beth & Bobby

Tevis was a keen chess player himself. In the acknowledgements of The Queen’s Gambit, the author mentions how he was inspired by the chess greats of the time, notably the Grandmasters Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, and Anatoly Karpov. Tevis writes: 

“The superb chess of Grandmasters Robert Fischer, Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov has been a source of delight to players like myself for years. Since The Queen’s Gambit is a work of fiction, however, it seemed prudent to omit them from the cast of characters, if only to prevent contradiction of the record.”

Of all the chess legends who inspire Beth’s character and career, it’s Fischer who had the most obvious influence. Both had a difficult start in life and would become self-sufficient teens. Although Fischer didn’t grow up in an orphanage, he and his sister were raised by their single mother – who was homeless at the time of Bobby’s birth – and was shuttled to different schools as his mother sought ways to support her young family. Career-wise, there are also notable similarities. Both Fischer and Beth won the U.S. Championship whilst still in their teens (in the same year, 1967, no less.) Beth would have been 18 while Fischer became the youngest ever U.S. Champion at 14 years and 10 months. The last match we see Beth play is against the USSR’s Borgov in Moscow. The contest closely imitates Fischer’s 1972 ‘Match of the Century’ against Boris Spassky, also from the USSR. What’s more, both Fischer and Beth took time to learn Russian to prepare for their quest for chess greatness. That’s where the similarities end. Although Bobby Fischer had his demons (that would be a whole other article!) the reclusive Grandmaster isn’t known to have struggled with drugs or alcohol addiction. 

Who influenced Beth’s addiction struggles?

Beth’s addiction to the fictional drug xanzolam, after being introduced to it as a child in an orphanage, is an important theme throughout the novel and series – and rather than a chess great, her issues with narcotics were inspired by non-other than her creator himself. In the 1983 New York Times article, Tevis admits to mixing a certain part of his background to form the Beth character. He says:

”When I was young, I was diagnosed as having a rheumatic heart and given heavy drug doses in a hospital. That’s where Beth’s drug dependency comes from in the novel.” 

Tevis goes on to explain how cathartic it was to express this difficult experience through Beth:

“Writing about her was purgative. There was some pain – I did a lot of dreaming while writing that part of the story. But artistically, I didn’t allow myself to be self-indulgent.”

The endgame

Although a work of fiction, The Queen’s Gambit is littered with real-life elements and inspiration from the greats of chess. This ‘true feel’ has no doubt helped the show and its stars enjoy the enormous success it has achieved.  While we wait (and hope!) for season two, we have time to reflect on Beth’s journey and improve our own chess game!

Source: https://www.regencychess.co.uk/blog/2022/06/is-the-queens-gambit-a-true-story/#:~:text=Is%20The%20Queen’s%20Gambit%20Based,Queen’s%20Gambit’%20was%20first%20published.

The Queen’s Gambit May Not Be a True Story, But the Chess Matches Are Very Real

he Queen’s Gambit has all the makings of a true story—a scrappy, once-in-a-generation prodigy, a meteoric rise from orphanage rags to designer riches, a globe-trotting historical setting, and a stunning triumph over adversity. But if you’re looking to Beth Harmon, the brilliant chess champion at the heart of the series, and hoping to find her real-life counterpart, you can expect to come up short. As it turns out, there’s no real-life Beth Harmon, by that name or another name.

That said, the show isn’t entirely imagined. Based on the same-titled 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, an American novelist and passionate amateur chess enthusiast, The Queen’s Gambit draws inspiration from the insular world of competitive chess, circa the 1950s and 1960s. That also explains why the search for a season two is fruitless. Though Beth herself is fictional, Tevis was inspired by the extraordinary talents of Grandmasters Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, and Anatoly Karpov, whose chess games he described as “a source of delight to players like myself for years.”

Tevis sketched the character of Beth with an eye toward the remarkable accomplishments of the era’s most notable Grandmasters, but he also looked inward, informing her battle with drug addiction through elements of his own story, telling The New York Times, «I was born in San Francisco. When I was young, I was diagnosed as having a rheumatic heart and given heavy drug doses in a hospital. That’s where Beth’s drug dependency comes from in the novel. Writing about her was purgative. There was some pain—I did a lot of dreaming while writing that part of the story. But artistically, I didn’t allow myself to be self-indulgent.»

While Beth herself is a fictional character, the unforgettable games she plays are not. Many are based on real-life competitions, like the match in which she defeats Harry Beltik for the Kentucky State Champion title, which is derived from a 1955 game played in Riga, Latvia. The final showdown of the series, in which she faces off against Russian champion Vasily Borgov, was played in Biel, Switzerland in 1993. Among the most surprising real life matches pulled into the series is Beth’s final game of speed chess against Benny Watts, which was played at the Paris Opera in 1858.

To ensure the verisimilitude of these games and this insular world, The Queen’s Gambit worked with Bruce Pandolfini, a chess champion largely considered to be the United States’ most distinguished teacher of chess. Pandolfini coached numerous champions to prominence during the 20th century, making him the perfect choice to teach cast members how to play the game. Through Pandolfini, the show was able to consult with Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players of all time and a former child prodigy himself.

“[Kasparov] had so much to give on a personal level about what it’s like to be seven or ten years old and a genius, taken out of regular circumstances and having your life changed—family dynamics, the KGB, going to tournaments,” said executive producer William Holberg. “That was gold for us.”

Though Beth herself may not be real, her uphill battle against the sexism inherent in the world of competitive chess is all too accurate. Early in the series, we see tournament organizers sneer at a teenage Beth, attempting to dissuade her from competing. In her first match at the Kentucky State Championship, Beth is pitted against the only other female competitor, who explains that women must compete against one another before they are allowed to compete against men. This sexist attitude was ubiquitous at the time, reaching even and especially the upper echelons of the sport, with chess’s leading luminaries insisting that women would never scale the same heights as men. In a 1963 interview, Fischer said that female players were “terrible,” with the likely explanation being that “they are not so smart.” In 1966, the U.S. Women’s Championship prize was $600, while the male victor of the U.S. Championship was paid ten times that sum at $6000. To this day, that pay disparity remains unchanged, with male champions continuing to take home ten times the prize money awarded to women.

Until the 1986 World Chess Championship, when Susan Polgar fought to qualify and to remove the word “men’s” from the title, the championship was open only to male competitors. More than three decades later, only one woman has ever competed for the championship title: Judit Polgar, widely considered the best female player ever to play the game, who, in 2005, competed valiantly but failed to take the top prize.

To this day, competitive chess remains largely segregated by gender, with women disproportionately outnumbered everywhere from the world stage to high school chess clubs. As recently as 2018, just 14 percent of US Chess Federation players were women—which may seem a low number, but was in fact a record high. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time U.S. Women’s Chess Champion and the women’s program director at the U.S. Chess Federation, sees a bright future for women in chess, albeit one threatened by a familiar strain of sexism.

“There’s that combination of getting lots of positive attention and opportunities because you’re one of the few females in the game, whereas there’s also the negativity of trolls and scrutiny and overall questioning of whether girls and women belong,” Shahade said. “I think there are two parts to the world. [One] part is very excited to see girls and women play. And then there’s also some undercurrents of resentment. Especially as chess moves online, there are a lot of nasty comments written about girls and women.”

Though The Queen’s Gambit doesn’t pull punches in depicting Beth’s struggles to overcome the sport’s inherent sexism, it also posits that a female champion could be embraced around the world, with Beth beloved by passionate fans everywhere from Paris to Moscow. In writing the novel, Tevis envisioned a brighter future for chess, one where respect could be afforded to female players and equality could rule the day.

“I consider The Queen’s Gambit a tribute to brainy women,” Tevis said. “I like Beth for her bravery and intelligence. In the past, many women have had to hide their brains, but not today.»

Beth’s story may be a fiction, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t real women taking up her mandate to dominate the sport. In fact, there are currently 37 women ranked as Grandmasters, and there’s no telling how many more are in the making. Sure, there’s no “real Beth Harmon” now, but likely she’s out there—maybe even training in an orphanage basement with a janitor, just preparing to knock everyone out.

Source: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a34587786/the-queens-gambit-beth-harmon-true-story/

checkmate

20 Interesting Facts About the History of Chess

Fact 1: The History of Chess Extends Back Nearly 1500 Years

The game that we currently know as chess has experienced a truly fascinating history that extends back nearly 1500 years. The earliest version of chess developed in India in the 6th Century CE and was known as Chaturanga. From there, the game spread to Persia and soon became popular across the Islamic world. After this, chess spread into Europe and continued to develop. The game that we know today had finally evolved into what can more or less be called its current form by around the year 1500 CE.

Fact 2: The Second Book Printed in the English Language Was on the Subject of Chess

William Claxton’s 1476 book entitled The Game and Playe of Chesse holds the distinction of being the second work that was printed and published in the English language. Claxton was also the printer behind the release of The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye. This was the first book that was ever printed in English.

Given the fact that Gutenberg’s moveable type printing method only originated in 1439 in Germany, Claxton’s initial offerings in the English language take on a new level of significance. It is another one of those fascinating facts that is associated with the game of chess.

Fact 3: The Modern Chessboard Dates to 1090

Though the earliest form of chess dates back to 6th Century India, the game itself has undergone many transformations since that time. The game board itself has seen many different changes over the years as chess has passed through different cultures across the world.

One of the key elements that brought us closer to the game we know today is the arrival of what we can consider the first modern chessboard. This chessboard with light and dark squares that alternate made its first appearance in Europe in the year 1090.

Fact 4: It Took 269 Moves to Conclude the Longest Every Official Chess Game

In 1989, Ivan Nikolic and Goran Arsovic engaged in what became the longest ever chess game played in an officiated tournament. This game was played in Belgrade, Serbia. After 269 moves, the game finally ended in a draw.

Fact 5: Chess Playing Computers Have Defeated Some of the World’s Top Human Players

Chess-playing computers have made quite an impact on the game in recent decades. These computers, with names such as Deep Blue, Deep Fritz, and Hydra, have compiled wins over some of the world’s most respected Grandmasters such as Gary Kasparov, Veselin Topalov, and Alexander Khalifman, among others.

Fact 6: The Longest Possible Chess Game Is Nearly 8,850 Moves Long

The longest possible chess game involves thousands of potential moves. Though some sources claim that the longest possible game is 5,949 moves, others have calculated that it is as much as 8,848 moves. Regardless of which one of these calculations you choose to believe, the number of moves for the longest possible chess game is truly impressive.

Fact 7: The Total Number of Possible Chess Games Is Mind-Blowing

The number of possible chess games is truly mind-blowing. Famed American mathematician Claude Shannon came up with a figure, commonly referred to as the Shannon Number, of 10 to the power of 111 to as much as 10 to the power of 123. This number represents the total number of moves that are possible in chess. Perhaps even more shocking is the fact that this number is likely to be greater than the total number of atoms in the universe.

Fact 8: The Queen Was Not Always The Strongest Player on the Chess Board

Though it is a point of fact that the queen is the strongest player in the modern game of chess, this was not always the case. It was during the reign of Spain’s Queen Isabella that the queen on the chessboard took up her current position as the strongest player in the game.

Prior to this change in the late 15th century, when Isabella rose to become Europe’s most powerful woman, the queen was only able to move a single square at a time. It was Isabella’s rise to power that inspired the rule change that allowed for the queen to move in all directions!

Fact 9: There Are Some Chess Masters Who Can Successfully Play the Game Blindfolded

Blindfold chess might sound like a novelty but it is actually a skill that only high-level players can truly master. In blindfold chess, the players involved do not see the positions of the pieces. They are also not allowed to touch them. The moves are instead communicated using accepted chess terminology.

Blindfold chess is a practice that forces players to remember the positions of all the pieces by memory. Grandmasters such as Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik are particularly notable for their skill in blindfold chess.

Fact 10: Russia Has Produced More Chess Grandmasters Than Any Other Country

It isn’t exactly a secret that chess is one of the most popular games in Russia. Beyond this, Russia has produced many of the world’s best players. The world chess rankings always include many players from Russia. The country has also produced more Chess Grandmasters than any other with a current total of 227.

Fact 11: The Concept of Checkmate Has Persian Origins

The concept of checkmate in chess stems from the game’s history in the Islamic world. It stems from the Persian term shh mt which translates to the king is helpless, the king is left unable to escape, or the king is frozen. It is this word that evolved into the current term of checkmate.

Fact 12: The Term Rookie Derives From the Game of Chess

The term rookie is used to describe a first-year player on a sports team. It is also used to describe pretty much anyone who is new whether it is a team, activity, or job. One of the fascinating facts about the term rookie is that it derives from the rook in chess. This is due to the fact that the rook is usually the last piece to go into action.

Fact 13: Playing Chess Can Help to Improve the Player’s Memory

Chess is certainly a lot of fun to play which is one of the primary benefits of Chess in and of itself. Beyond this, chess has also been shown to have the additional benefit of improving memory ability for those who play it. This is due to the fact that memory skills are such a key aspect of chess success.

Fact 14: Prior to 1561, Castling Required Two Moves

Though castling is one of the most important moves in chess, it did not start to evolve toward its current form until 1561. Before that year, castling in Chess was two separate moves as opposed to the single move that we know today.

Fact 15: The Longest Reigning World Chess Champion Held His Title for 27 Years

The longest reigning World Chess Champion in history was German chess player and mathematician Emanuel Lasker. He held the title of world champion for an incredible 27 years from 1894 until 1921.

Fact 16: Sandglasses Were Used Before the Invention of the Chess Clock

The world’s first chess clock was invented by England’s Thomas Bright Wilson in 1883. Prior to Wilson’s invention, the role of the chess clock was filled with sandglasses.

Fact 17: The Very First Folding Chess Board Dates to the 12th Century

Folding chessboards add a great deal of convenience when it comes to storing one’s game set between uses. Though it might come as a bit of a surprise, the first folding chessboard was invented by a priest in 1125 CE.

Fact 18: The First Chess Game Between Earth and Space Was Played in 1970

On the 9th of June in 1970, Russian cosmonauts Vitaly Sevastyanov and Andrian Nikolayev took some time away from their duties during a space flight. They did this so that they could play a chess game against players back on earth. Their opponents on earth were Nikolai Kamanin and Viktor Gorbatko.

Fact 19: The Youngest Ever World Chess Champion Was 17 Years Old

In 2021, Uzbek Chess Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov became the youngest ever Chess World Champion at the age of just 17. He accomplished this feat by winning the 2021 World Rapid Chess Championships.

Fact 20: The Sport of Chess Boxing Is a Real Thing

You might not normally associate the sport of boxing and the game of chess. Though this seems reasonable enough, the truth is that chess boxing is a real sport and it is gaining in popularity. It is a sport that includes alternating rounds of chess and boxing. There are even official sanctioning bodies for the sport such as Chess Boxing Global.

Source: https://www.chessjournal.com/facts-about-the-history-of-chess/

Garry Kasparov versus Deep Thought (1989)

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

The Luzhin Defense (2000)

Bobby Fischer against the world (2011)

Brooklyn Castle (2012)

Lifef of a King (2013)

The Dark Horse (2014)

Pawn Sacrifice (2014)

Magnus (2016)

Queen Of Katwe (2016)

Critical Thinking (2020)

The Queen’s ́s gambit (2020)

The World Champion (2021)

Chess (Musical 1986)

Lucio versus Goliat

Lucio Urtubia

La revolución por el tejado – Autobiografía (PDF)

Lucio, el anarquista irreductible – Bernard Thomas (PDF)

rtve Documental

Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour

Barcarolle – Les Contes d’Hoffmann – Jacques Offenbach

Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour
Souris à nos ivresses
Nuit plus douce que le jour
Ô belle nuit d’amour

Le temps fuit, et sans retour
Emporte nos tendresses
Loin de cet heureux séjour
Le temps fuit sans retour

Zéphyrs embrasés
Z-nous vos caresses
Zéphyrs embrasés
Donnez-nous vos baisers
Vos baisers, vos baisers, ah

Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour
Souris à nos ivresses
Nuit plus douce que le jour
Ô belle nuit d’amour

Belle nuit d’amour
Souris à nos ivresses
Nuit d’amour (ô belle nuit)
Ô nuit d’amour

ONEnity

even in hard times

share with people

with love in your eyes

from your heart

a smile

Smile – Nat King Cole

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near

That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Sam played it in 1942

As Time Goes By

You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss.
A sigh is just a sigh;

The fundamental things apply,
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo, they still say I love you,
On that you can rely;

No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs never out of date,
Hearts full of passion jealousy and hate,

Woman needs man, and man must have his mate,
That no one can deny.
It’s still the same old story, a fight for love and glory,
A case of do or die,
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Dooley Wilson

Billi Holiday

Frank Sinatra

Harry Nilsson

Sammy Davis Jr

Bryan Ferry

Osaka Jazz Channel

Kirk Whalum and Kandace Springs

Gilles Blandin

Manhattan Jazz Orchestra

Casablanca