Many read this column online, many read it in print. Could anyone have “envisioned” the progress of technology today even 25 years ago (1987), the year between when my daughter and son were born? So, someone from 1987 would hardly know tournament or club chess either, seeing 25 years ago few knew that electronic chess timers would almost completely replace analog ones, computerized pairings and scorekeeping would nearly replace many of the duties of humans, and computer apps would revolutionize the definition of cheating, let alone eliminate most any adjournment of human games, not to mention playing chess games online!
The Wikipedia free encyclopedia’s “Glossary of chess,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/glossary_of_chess, is now a must read for serious students of the game and hobby, and, it’s roughly three dozen pages (constantly growing) from “Absolute pin” to “Zwischenzug.” How widely known is this glossary? Wide enough to gain a sort of “spoof” this week on www.businessinsider.com/chess-terms, titled “12 Chess Terms That Every Journalist Needs to Know.” This is mainly focused on copy editors and headline writers throughout journalism, including sports, who have used chess terms they do not seem to truly understand. You are sure to get a holiday laugh from this one, or a number of other recent stories archived on www.chesscafe.com, the Cape Cod “eye on the chess world.”
New weeknight events will greet the New Year this coming week in Fitchburg and Waltham. The long running tradition of the Boylston Chess Club Open House and day-long tourney in Somerville on Tuesday and the 3rd Spiegel Cup Scholastic Qualifer at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols Upper School in Cambridge on Saturday, have full details at www.masschess.org. Worcester’s Thursday night event details can be found at www.chesspals.com.
Results of the Metrowest CC’s Holiday Cheer event in Natick and details of the Jan. 8 start of their next Tuesday weeknight event can be found at www.metrowestchess.org. Even with the three-round format, the event drew a respectable 61 players.
Correction from last week: R. Scudder Smith, publisher of the Newtown Bee since 1973, was misidentified as Scidder by this writer. We were informed, however, that a rather hefty in-kind donation of top line chess equipment from a Connecticut business will be coming soon to Newtown in memory of both former Bee chess writer Ben McCready and the 26 shooting victims. Stay tuned for details.
Source: http://www.telegram.com/
Excellent!