tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273591632024-03-18T10:54:28.556+01:00Chess for All AgesMy place to say things about chess that I can't say in the other places where I say things about chess.Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comBlogger3717125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-894948703632819882024-03-17T17:47:00.005+01:002024-03-18T10:53:23.385+01:00Conceptual Artist and Surreal ArtistFlickr displays this photo in portrait format. The Royal Academy reference below displays the photo in landscape format, so I did the same. It's more economical in its use of space.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oc17.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=270><BR>
<A HREF="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dou_ble_you/53588519345/">Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí playing chess during filming for 'A Soft Self-Portrait', 1966</A><BR>
© Flickr user <I>dou_ble_you</I> under
<A HREF="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">Creative Commons</A>.<BR>
<P>
The title of the photo is also the description. I found another copy at
<A HREF="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/dali-duchamp">Dalí / Duchamp | Exhibition</A>
(royalacademy.org.uk; Royal Academy of Arts)
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Take another look at two artistic giants: father of conceptual art Marcel Duchamp, and larger-than-life Surrealist Salvador Dalí. This is the first exhibition to throw light on their surprising relationship and its influence on the work of both artists.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Marcel Duchamp is frequently seen on this blog. His previous appearance was
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2018/11/november-1968-on-cover.html">November 1968 'On the Cover'</A>
(November 2018; 'Marcel Duchamp died at 81 last October 1st, in Paris...').
<P>
I thought Salvador Dalí had also been seen, but a search on his surname returned, 'No posts matching the query: dali'. Through a bit of trickery I found
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-plural-of-pingu-is-pingus.html">The Plural of Pingu Is Pingus</A>
(July 2022), where his name is spelled 'Dalí' rather than 'Dali'. Accent purists take note.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-48092442167531065572024-03-11T17:05:00.001+01:002024-03-16T11:08:15.993+01:00Comic ScholarshipThe most recent post in the current Monday series on chess comics was
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/03/comics-scholarship-not-necessarily-chess.html">Comics Scholarship, Not Necessarily Chess</A>
(March 2024). At the end of the post I wrote,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
In the same Google search, the top result was <I>The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship</I> (comicsgrid.com).
[...]
I look forward to discovering the journal.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
That was then, but this is now. The first article in the journal is currently
<A HREF="https://www.comicsgrid.com/article/id/10250/">Labra | Caught Between Manga and the Graphic Novel: Two Cartoonists' Trajectories in Contemporary Argentinian "National Comics"</A>
(comicsgrid.com). The abstract started,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
What do Ignacio Minaverry and Ciro Berliac's trajectories say about comics in contemporary Argentina?
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Without reading any further, I decided to look for something more at my level -- absolute beginner in comics scholarship. I searched the catalog of articles on keyword 'comic' (clever, wasn't I), received a long list of titles covering subjects that were all over the map, and decided to read
<A HREF="https://www.comicsgrid.com/article/id/3607/">Berube | Context is Everything: A Review of Comics Studies: A Guidebook</A>
(ditto; mentions 'Doonsbury' [sic]). The abstract started,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
This article is a review of <I>Comics Studies: A Guidebook</I>, edited by Charles Hatfield and Bart Beaty (Rutgers University Press, 2020). This volume, ranging over the broad themes of Histories, Cultures, Forms, and Genres, provides an introduction to some of the major debates in comics studies.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Although this was more accessible than the first article, I still didn't advance very far on the learning curve. I decided that for my last attempt, I would look for something close to home, meaning Belgium, my adopted country. This time I chose
<A HREF="https://www.comicsgrid.com/article/id/3502/">Seago | The Ninth Art: A Review of Comics in French. The European Bande Dessinée in Context</A>
(ditto). The abstract started,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
This article reviews Laurence Grove's <I>Comics in French. The European Bande Dessinée in Context</I> (2010; 2013). The review argues that this book can be seen as a handbook, or almost as an encyclopaedic introduction to be consulted in small parts as and when needed.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Example sentence:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
There is much interesting material in this section: for example, the detailed discussion of the innovative role of the <I>Journal de Mickey</I> (1934) in redefining the BD and making it a commercial success allowing for artistic growth and innovation; a nuanced consideration of the ideological slant in collaborative journals such as <I>Le Téméraire</I> (1943–1944) while acknowledging their artistic verve, or the impact of censorship laws in 1949 preventing imported texts for children and creating a space which allowed for the creation of BD as a distinctive French art form.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This convinced me that I was fighting against the tide and wasn't going to get very far. What to do for this post? I went back to creating illustrations that involve chess.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oc11.jpg" WIDTH=335 HEIGHT=400><BR>
<B>'Tintin plays chess.'</B><BR>
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
<P>
Maybe I'll come back later to the 'Journal of Comics Scholarship'. History says that I probably won't.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-31544410257211147562024-03-10T17:25:00.002+01:002024-03-11T12:29:41.300+01:00Shiloh and Bros No.2I thought this video looked familiar and, sure enough, I had already featured 'HCIRL no.1' from the same Youtube channel in
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/06/bond-siblings-bond.html">Bond, Siblings Bond</A>
(June 2023). This second release was also good for more than a few laughs.
<P>
<iframe width="420" height="236" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DUaiSzhGZiI?si=edpeDr4pVT0vGXVH" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<BR>
<B>Human Chess In Real Life 2</B> (31:42) • '[Published on] Mar 1, 2024'
<P>
Everything I said in the no.1 post holds for this no.2 post, plus the channel has added another million subscribers. One of the top comments for no.2 said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
This channel has evolved. Once just a fun little family making jokes and having a laugh. Now, professional cinematography and a true story. Astounding.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
All that and chess, too. Kudos to all involved.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-83041367652242103462024-03-05T17:01:00.005+01:002024-03-08T10:07:01.750+01:00March 1974 & 1999 'On the Cover'This post marks the tenth anniversary of the first 'On the Cover' post, which was
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-1964-on-cover.html">March 1964 'On the Cover'</A>
(March 2014).
For the first five years the posts showed the covers of the two leading American chess magazines of the 1960s.
<P>
The series changed direction in
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-1969-1994-on-cover.html">November 1969 & 1994 'On the Cover'</A>
(November 2019), shifting to the format showing both 50 and 25 years ago.
For last month's post, see
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-1974-1999-on-cover.html">February 1974 & 1999 'On the Cover'</A>
(February 2024).
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oc05.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=265><BR>
<B>Left:</B> '?'<BR>
<B>Right:</B> 'Troop Inspection (c) Jon F. Buckley'
<P>
<B><I>Chess Life & Review</I> (50 Years Ago)</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
No, this in not a tennis magazine. But R. Byrne and
Spassky did use the courts during their San Juan match.
See the games [inside]; full analysis next month.
Spassky photo by Betty Marshall; Byrne photo by Burt
Hochberg.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The 'full analysis next month', in the April 1974 CL&R, was by Lubosh Kavalek a member of Byrne's team in San Juan.
Once again, I'll quote the March 'The Editor's Page - News & Views' by Burt Hochberg for the full, contemporary picture of that cycle's Candidate matches. For the crosstables, see
<A HREF="https://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7375$cix.htm">1973-75 Candidates Matches</A>
(m-w.com).
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Ex-World Champion Boris Spassky took the first step towards challenging current Champion Fischer by defeating Robert Byrne in Puerto
Rico. Spassky won the third, fourth and sixth games, the other three
being drawn.
<BR><BR>
The second match to finish was Karpov's rout of Polugaevsky. The
match lasted eight games, Karpov winning the fourth, sixth and eighth,
with the others drawn. Now Karpov must play Spassky in April.
<BR><BR>
Soviet veteran Victor Korchnoi undoubtedly took great satisfaction
in his victory against Brazil's Henrique Mecking. This match, held in
Augusta, Ga., went 13 games. The Russian won games five and seven,
but Mecking scored in game 12. The young grandmaster's elation was
short-lived, however, as Korchnoi took game 13 and the match.
<BR><BR>
In the last match to finish, Petrosian defeated Portisch, three
wins to two. Petrosian had won games five and nine, but Portisch
caught up with wins in the 10th and 12th games. Then Petrosian won
the 13th. He will be faced with Korchnoi in April.
<BR><BR>
By the way, draws do not count in match scoring. The quarter-final
matches require three wins for match victory, the semi-finals (in April) require four wins, and the final match will go to the player who
first scores five wins. A match is won by the player who is leading
after a certain number of games (16 in the quarters, 20 in the semis,
24 in the finals), but if a tie exists after the game limit, the match
is decided by fervent praying, followed by tossing a coin.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Fifty years ago it was not acceptable to decide a match with a shorter time control than was used in the match games, i.e. rapid or blitz tiebreaks. Today it is the norm.
'Fervent praying', however, is still with us.
<P>
<B><I>Chess Life</I> (25 Years Ago)</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Okay, it's a stretch, I admit. But
when you read IM [now GM] Larry Kaufman's
article "The Evaluation of Material
Imbalances," you will see a connection to Jon Buckley's "Troop Inspection," our cover. The troops have
been inspected, evaluated, and promoted (for the most part), so that
you can make intelligent decisions
over the board.
•
© 1998 Jon F. Buckley
<BR><BR>
Don't overlook the report on the
Eastern Open. We're very lucky to
have two games annotated by GM
Lubomir Kavalek.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
A black and white version of the 1999 CL cover illustrated the Kaufman article. I once featured the ground breaking Kaufman analysis in a series on
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2013/02/practical-evaluation.html">Practical Evaluation</A>
(February 2013); see '2013-01-15: Kaufman's Material Imbalances * Kaufman 1999'
<P>
Buckley's artwork was also seen in
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-1973-1998-on-cover.html">August 1973 & 1998 'On the Cover'</A>
(August 2023). Will we see more in future 'On the Cover' posts?
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-33070304247125952482024-03-04T17:51:00.002+01:002024-03-06T10:55:29.226+01:00Comics Scholarship, Not Necessarily ChessWobbling on with this weekly, Monday series, the previous post was
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/chess-comics-grids-and-panels.html">Chess Comics - Grids and Panels</A>
(February 2024). At the end of that post, I gave myself a direction:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
How should I use the different grids to create a more interesting series of pages? I really have no idea.
[...]
Maybe I should spend some time on this subject.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
As usual, the time I used was spent badly and I have only the following composite image to show for it. The left, colored portion is an excuse to use another AI generated image on this chess blog.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oc04.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=305><BR>
<B>Left:</B> 'comic artist draws chess';
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)<BR>
<B>Right:</B> Google search on 'comic grid' -> 'People also ask'
<P>
The right, B&W portion is an example of my favorite section in Google search results, the 'People also ask' section. It's a great way to get up to speed quickly on any subject. The first question, 'What do you call comic squares?', is answered,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
A panel is an individual frame, or single drawing, in the multiple-panel sequence of a comic strip or comic book, as well as a graphic novel.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The same answer leads to
<A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panel_(comics)">Panel : comics</A>
(wikipedia.org), which opens Pandora's box on the subject of comics, whether short or long or in-between.
See, for example, Wikipedia's ensuing page on the 'graphic novel'.
<P>
In the same Google search, the top result was
<A HREF="https://www.comicsgrid.com/">The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship</A>
(comicsgrid.com). If, like me, you have a STEM education, you might think the phrase 'Comics Scholarship' is an oxymoron. Nothing could be further from the truth and I look forward to discovering the journal.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-91280231066173416942024-03-03T17:34:00.003+01:002024-03-04T11:40:53.774+01:00Polgar Plus Seirawan GT NakamuraA few months ago, also for the long-running series
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ebay-chess-items-by-price.html">Top eBay Chess Items by Price</A>
(March 2010), we saw
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/11/chess-rookie-card.html">Chess Rookie Card</A>
(November 2023). I recorded the basic info for that auction as,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The item pictured below was titled 'Hikaru Nakamura #390 American Chess Equipment Ultimate Card Auto'. It sold for around $500, 'Best offer accepted'.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
For this month's post we have two more cards in the series, both pictured below. The titles of the auctions are large enough to be readable, but I'll copy them here for the benefit of the search engines:-
<UL>
<LI>Susan Polgar #390 American Chess Equipment Ultimate Card Auto - NM
<LI>Yasser Seirawan #256 American Chess Equipment Ultimate Card Auto - NM
</UL>
<P>
As you can see, the Polgar card sold for
$299.00 'or Best Offer'
and the Seirawan card for
<STRIKE>$299.00</STRIKE> 'Best offer accepted'.
Since the cards were displayed one over the other in a list sorted by descending price, I suppose they sold for close to the same amount.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oc03.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=280>
<P>
The description for the Polgar card added,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
This is an extremely rare American Chess Equipment card. The card is hand-numbered and signed by Grandmaster Susan Polgar.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The Seirawan card had identical text -- other than the name -- as did the earlier Nakamura card, so I suppose all three cards were from the same seller. The various abbreviations used in the auction were explained in the Nakamura post and I won't repeat them here.
<P>
In that previous post I wondered about the original selling price of the Nakamura card. Thanks to an anonymous comment I was informed, 'The Hikaru cost $8.00 at the time' along with a URL to the original product page.
I'll leave it to interested parties to locate the two cards mentioned on this current post.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-15089217965683848082024-02-29T17:09:00.001+01:002024-03-03T11:11:53.164+01:00Yahoo Zombies Want ChessI ended last month's Yahoos post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/rip-yahoos.html">RIP Yahoos</A>
(January 2024), saying,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
After three years the Google Yahoos also ran out of steam: <I>Yahoos Set a New Low</I> (December 2023; 'So many problems, so little time.'). It's time to let them sleep in peace.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
But what if they don't want to sleep in peace?
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob29.jpg" WIDTH=335 HEIGHT=400><BR>
<B>'Zombies play chess.'</B><BR>
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
<P>
Looks like I better rethink the whole thing.
<P>
[Yahoos (mainstream news stories about chess) are derived from Google News top-100 (or so) stories from the past month.]
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-11004647826315221712024-02-26T17:30:00.009+01:002024-02-28T11:38:02.260+01:00Chess Comics - Grids and PanelsLast week's post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/first-adventures-in-ai-comics.html">First Adventures in AI Comics</A>
(February 2024), discussed some of the challenges using AI Comic software. One of my paragraphs mentioned,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The 2 x 2 format of each page is somewhat monotonous. The free version of the software, which is the version I've been using, offers four different formats of which 2 x 2 is the simplest. Since they can be interchanged easily, I could experiment with the other formats, but there's a significant constraint. There is no control over what part of the story is shown in the individual panels -- four panels in the example of the 2 x 2 format -- that make up the page.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
I went back to the first comic page in the series,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-chess-village.html">The Chess Village</A>
(January 2024), copied the prompt I used to make the image shown in the post, and re-entered the prompt into the software. The following composite image shows the result.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob26.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=470><BR>
Four views of <B>'The Chess Village'</B>
<P>
The UL image (upper left) shows the second use of the original prompt. The result is not at all the same as the image displayed in the original post. The AI software almost never gives the same result twice, which would duplicate the multiple images (aka 'panels') that constitute a page.
<P>
After creating the UL image, I changed the format (aka 'grid'; the 2 x 2 format is grid number 0 in the AI Comic software) for each of the other three grids (numbered 1 to 3). This resulted in the UR, LL, and LR (lower right) pages, shown in numerical sequence.
<P>
The UR page is not at all the same as the UL page; all four panels have changed. The LL page reuses two UR panels, although in different sizes, and the LR page reuses all four UR panels in the same positions. The software created the page as soon as I had clicked the choice of the new grid.
<P>
How should I use the different grids to create a more interesting series of pages? I really have no idea, plus there is still the issue of 'no control over what part of the story is shown in the individual panels'.
Except for some interest when I was an undergraduate student -- mainly to avoid studying for exams -- I've never been much of a comic connoisseur. Maybe I should spend some time on this subject.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-50165507236640459252024-02-19T17:33:00.001+01:002024-02-21T10:36:46.586+01:00First Adventures in AI ComicsLast week's Monday post was the last in a series of six posts in an experiment using the 'AI Comic' software. The six posts each featured an image picturing part of the story, corresponding to one page in the comic. The six images are reproduced below.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob19.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=340><BR>
<B>A Chess Village and Its Wizard</B>
<P>
The six posts corresponding to each page/image are linked here:-
<UL>
<LI>
<B>1st - </B>
2024-01-08:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-chess-village.html">The Chess Village</A>
<LI>
<B>2nd - </B>
2024-01-15:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-village-wizard.html">The Village Wizard</A>
<LI>
<B>3rd - </B>
2024-01-22:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-wizard-as-professor.html">The Wizard as Professor</A>
<LI>
<B>4th - </B>
2024-01-29:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-ai-generator.html">The AI Generator</A>
<LI>
<B>5th - </B>
2024-02-05:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-wizards-assistant.html">The Wizard's Assistant</A>
<LI>
<B>6th - </B>
2024-02-12:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-assistants-girlfriend.html">The Assistant's Girlfriend</A>
</UL>
<P>
Having spent some time manipulating the comic software, I've made plenty of observations on its possibilities and its limitations.
One of the first observations was that the dialog balloons, e.g. the 2nd & 3rd pages' UR panel (upper right), contain gibberish text that can't be changed easily.
They might look nice, but that's the whole story.
<P>
The 2 x 2 format of each page is somewhat monotonous.
The free version of the software, which is the version I've been using, offers four different formats of which 2 x 2 is the simplest.
Since they can be interchanged easily, I could experiment with the other formats, but there's a significant constraint.
There is no control over what part of the story is shown in the individual panels -- four panels in the example of the 2 x 2 format -- that make up the page.
<P>
Perhaps the biggest drawback is the lack of built-in continuity for the individual elements and characters of the comic. The Wizard sort of looks the same on each page, but there are significant differences that a real artist would not have allowed.
The color of the Wizard's hat, for example, changes constantly.
<P>
In the 4th page's LL panel (lower left), there are two wizards. In the 5th page's LL panel, the Wizard's assistant is wearing the hat. In the 6th page's LR panel, there are two assistants, both with the same color hair as his girlfriend. And so on.
<P>
For each of the six posts I produced many images on the theme of the post and chose the one that I liked the best. I could have copied the best panels from different trials and pasted them into a new 2 x 2 format, but that would have required more time than I wanted to spend on the experiment.
My main objective was to produce relevant artwork that I'm unable to do myself, and this is what happened. Sometimes the AI software gave me an idea that I hadn't thought of myself, which might be the most valuable contribution of the software.
<P>
These first six pages are an introduction to the themes that I would like to use in subsequent stories. I'm curious to see where the series will take me.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-51382300757154750652024-02-18T17:50:00.002+01:002024-02-20T10:12:02.146+01:00Chess Jeudi GrasIt took me some time to figure out what is shown in this photo. The title ('Chess') didn't help much and the description was missing.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob18.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=290><BR>
<A HREF="https://www.flickr.com/photos/skooksie/53520068633/">Chess</A>
© Flickr user <I>skooksie</I> under
<A HREF="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">Creative Commons</A>.<BR>
<P>
The first useful identifying text said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
This photo is in 1 album
•
Mardi Gras 2024
•
444 items
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
OK, I got it. It's a night time shot of a <I>Mardi Gras</I> float with a big hand on the top of the float and a chess game on the side. There are a few people standing on the float and other people milling around it.
<P>
It reminded me of another post from a few years back,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2018/02/chess-mardi-gras.html">Chess Mardi Gras</A>
(February 2018). That photo was from Nice, France and had a link to another <I>Mardi Gras</I> photo from Lisbon, Portugal. Where was today's photo taken? The tags for the photo said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Mardi Gras
•
Carnival
•
Parade
•
St Charles Avenue
•
Krewe of Babylon
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Two of those tags lead us to
<A HREF="https://www.neworleans.com/plan/streets/saint-charles-avenue/">St. Charles Avenue - New Orleans Streets to Visit</A>
(neworleans.com). Another one leads to
<A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Babylon">Knights of Babylon</A>
(wikipedia.org), which starts,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The Knights of Babylon parade on Jeudi Gras, the Thursday night prior to Mardi Gras. The Knights of Babylon Parade rolls annually on its traditional Uptown New Orleans parade route. Babylon is always the first parade on this evening, leading the way for the other Thursday parades, and blazing the trail for Carnival weekend festivities
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<I>Jeudi Gras?</I> Literally, 'Fat Thursday'? I didn't even know that was a thing. I just love where the little game of chess takes me.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-90708523582782746072024-02-12T17:37:00.003+01:002024-02-14T14:40:43.555+01:00The Assistant's GirlfriendA Monday post means it's time for another installment in our weekly AI chess comic series. In the previous episode,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-wizards-assistant.html">The Wizard's Assistant</A>
(February 2024), we learned,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The Wizard and his assistant meet at least once a day and generally discuss the latest challenges facing the chess world.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This is the sixth and last installment of the introduction to the series.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob12.jpg" WIDTH= HEIGHT=>
<P>
The Wizard's assistant is often accompanied by his longtime girlfriend, who is herself a keen chess player. Some say the girlfriend is the Wizard's niece, although no outsider has been able to decipher the family tree.
The girlfriend plays third board on a chess team sponsored by the Wizard. The team is composed of players with some personal connection to the Wizard.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-23754330263927816922024-02-11T17:28:00.001+01:002024-02-12T12:34:02.465+01:00Chess History, Math, and ArtSome chess history, some chess math. If this video had nothing more than that, I wouldn't have selected it for this month's featured video. The hook for me was the sequence of 17 chess images, all appearing to be AI-generated.
<P>
<iframe width="420" height="236" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Ns8nH25Kqg?si=a3s9a4S1Tm0lgR3R" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><BR>
<B>Chess: The Game of Infinite Possibilities</B> (9:08) • '[Published on] Feb 7, 2024'
<P>
The description explains,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Dive into the captivating world of chess, a game that transcends time and technology. In this enlightening video, we embark on a journey through the history of chess, exploring its ancient origins and the evolution that has made it a timeless test of strategy and intellect. Witness the legendary games that have shaped its course and the grandmasters who have left their indelible mark on this intellectual battlefield.
<BR><BR>
We delve into the mind-boggling mathematics and probabilities that underpin the game, unveiling the sheer infinite possibilities that lie within each move. Discover how the advent of artificial intelligence has challenged and expanded the horizons of chess, pushing the boundaries of human versus machine. From the mystique of ancient strategies to the cutting-edge algorithms of AI, this video is a tribute to the enduring fascination with chess, inviting you to explore the endless wonders of this ultimate game of minds.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
At around 4:30, the narrator mentions Boris 'Spass-Sky', rhymes with 'Pass-Pie'. Is the narration also AI-generated? The voice sounds human enough, but the monotonous delivery makes me wonder. From YouTube's 'Science Compass' channel, I hope I find the time to watch another video from the same channel.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-81888236094988133992024-02-08T17:36:00.009+01:002024-02-11T11:46:41.176+01:00February 1974 & 1999 'On the Cover'The previous 'On the Cover' post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-1974-1999-on-cover.html">January 1974 & 1999 'On the Cover'</A>
(January 2024), had several twists on the World Championships of 50 and 25 years ago. In the current post, we return to important events of national interest.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob08.jpg" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=265><BR>
<B>Left:</B> '?'<BR>
<B>Right:</B> 'EuroDisney and the World Rapids for Kids'
<P>
<B><I>Chess Life & Review</I> (50 Years Ago)</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
James Tarjan, winner of the American
Open in California.
Carl Budd's story is [inside]. Photo by
Paula Muller.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The Carl Budd story was titled, 'Tarjan Wins American Open', and identified Budd as 'President, Santa Monica Bay Chess Club'. After five paragraphs about the organizational challenges presented by the event ('403 players, 137 in the Open section and 266 in the Amateur'), the report continued,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The new American Open Champion is James Tarjan, a
popular master from Sherman Oaks, California, who now calls
Berkeley home. He earned his fine victory by defeating strong
competition, including GM Larry Evans and IM Anthony Saidy, After the seventh round, Tarjan
was a half point ahead of former California State Champion
Kim Commons and needed only a draw to clinch the title,
which he achieved. His final score of 7.5-0.5 was worth the
first prize of $1.000.
<BR><BR>
Tarjan. one of America's fastest-rising stars, is 21. In
1965, at the age of 13. he played in his first American Open,
winning a junior trophy. Top prizes eluded him until this year.
In the 1970 American Open he tied for second with Walter
Browne. In 1972 he tied for second with four others. But
then, at the National Open in Las Vegas earlier this year, he
tied for first with Browne and Laszlo Szabo (though Browne
took the title on tiebreaking points). He performed very well
in the West Coast Invitational, coming in second, and then
finished fourth in the strong U.S. Championship in El Paso.
Just one month before the American Open, he indicated his
latest playing form by winning the Capps Memorial in the
Bay Area.
<BR><BR>
He will be seeking an international title in 1974 and has
already had his first IM result at the Chicago Invitational
tournament played after the American Open. Later in the
year he will be going to Holland and Spain in furtherance
of his ambition.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
I included these details because GM Tarjan has been mentioned before on this blog, but was never featured as the top finisher. See, for example, the 1973 National Open in
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/05/may-1973-1998-on-cover.html">May 1973 & 1998 'On the Cover'</A>
(May 2023).
<P>
<B><I>Chess Life</I> (25 Years Ago)</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
"Can you be in Paris tomorrow?"
asked Jami Anson, senior art director of Chess Life. Although it sounds romantic --
Paris/Chess/Disneyland -- I know
from experience that a working trip
is quite different from a pleasure
trip. After deciding to go, I knew I
wanted to get something unique for
the cover, like my April '98 cover of
Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono. Here is
the result. Exclusively for the readers
of Chess Life -- the current FIDE
World Chess Champion, Anatoly Karpov, with Asuka Nakamura, playing
the one and only (French!) Mickey
Mouse.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The reporting on the event started with 'Adventures in Fantasyland' by FM Aviv Friedman, who explained,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Once a year FIDE, with the
help of the French Federation, holds its
World Rapid Championship for Boys and
Girls Under 14 at the EuroDisney Theme
Park in Paris. Does that sound a bit
amazing to those who have often read
about the usual, army-style youth championships, with bad conditions, poor
food and nothing to do? Well, it is as
good as it sounds! It really can't be much
more fun that that.
This year, between the 15th and the
18th of November, 157 players from 55(!)
countries all flocked to EuroDisney on
the outskirts of Paris, to combine chess
and fun.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The reporting continued with 'Disney's World Rapid Chess Championship -- for Kids' by Brian Killigrew. His report included two pages of color photos, an interview titled, 'Anatoly Karpov Speaks', and another interview with Pierre Sissman, Disney Executive VP (Europe).
See also the previous post
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2015/10/karpov-at-disney.html">Karpov at Disney</A>
(October 2015).
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-70519455469878500532024-02-05T17:26:00.005+01:002024-02-08T10:32:52.121+01:00The Wizard's AssistantIn the previous installment of our weekly chess comic series,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-ai-generator.html">The AI Generator</A>
(January 2024), we learned,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The Wizard can use his patented AI techniques to generate animals, mainly foxes, who play chess.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This is the fifth installment of the series.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob05.jpg" WIDTH= HEIGHT=>
<P>
The Wizard needs help for his chess activities, which mainly focus on support for the chess community -- local, regional, national, and international. He has an assistant, a much younger man, who lives in a cottage on the mansion grounds. The Wizard and his assistant meet at least once a day and often take meals together. They generally discuss the latest challenges facing the chess world, but also tackle the AI side of current events.
The assistant is not an AI admirer and has strong doubts about the nefarious side of the technology.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-67343051664605663662024-02-04T17:30:00.001+01:002024-02-06T12:33:13.640+01:00A Goat Says, 'It's Chess Not Checkers'The best items featured on
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ebay-chess-items-by-price.html">Top eBay Chess Items by Price</A>
(March 2010) are those that lead to other avenues of inquiry: 'What is this?' and 'What is that?'
The item pictured below was titled 'Piggybanx Tom Brady Refractor 1/1 Chess Not Checkers Patriots'. It sold 'Pre-Owned' for $600.00 or 'Best Offer'.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob04.jpg" WIDTH=265 HEIGHT=400>
<P>
The description of the item added only,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Piggybanx Tom Brady 1/1 Refractor. It is missing one screw for the box; it came that way. Otherwise a very nice card.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
'Tom Brady' is easy enough, especially if you follow American football. In
<A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady">Tom Brady</A>
(wikipedia.org), Wikipedia informs,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
'Piggybanx' leads to
<A HREF="https://www.instagram.com/piggy_banx/?hl=en">piggybanx</A>
(@piggy_banx; instagram.com). The cards on display there mostly use the same style header as on the Tom Brady card. The page explains itself as:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Pop Culture Inspired Concept Art
•
Medium: Cards
•
Rarest in the World.
No Commissions. No Customs.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
As for '1/1 Refractor', Wikipedia comes to the rescue again. In
<A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractor_card">Refractor card</A>
(wikipedia.org), we learn,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
A Refractor Card is a trading card that has a reflective coating and displays a rainbow when held at a specific angle. They are parallels of base set issues and were introduced with the release of the 1993 Topps "Baseball's Finest" set.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Later on the same page, we find,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The rarest refractor variant is called the "SuperFractor". It is a card that has a production run of just 1 and is serial numbered 1/1.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The phrase that ties the eBay item to this blog is 'Chess Not Checkers'. The page
<A HREF="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10098917-tom-brady-doubles-down-on-nfl-criticism-way-more-checkers-now-than-it-is-chess">Tom Brady Doubles Down on NFL Criticism: 'Way More Checkers Now Than It Is Chess'</A>
(bleacherreport.com), quotes something that Brady said in November 2023:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
I think the pro game is reflecting more of what the college game is, as opposed to the college game reflecting what the pro game is. We're asking pro players to play college football, and that's the biggest difference I see. This is way more checkers now than it is chess.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
If you look carefully at the card, you'll see that the White pieces are checker, not chess, pieces. On top of that, there's a goat hanging from Brady's neck. As we all know by now, GOAT stands for 'Greatest Of All Time', which echoes Wikipedia's 'greatest quarterback of all time'.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-19284976981727833682024-02-01T17:32:00.004+01:002024-02-04T10:36:04.383+01:00Breaking the 3700 BarrierThe post from earlier this week,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-ai-generator.html">The AI Generator</A>
(January 2024), was no.3700 on this blog, which means it's time for another 'Breaking the Barrier' post.
In the previous post for the series,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/04/breaking-3600-barrier.html">Breaking the 3600 Barrier</A>
(April 2023), I wrote,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Getting back to the 'CCRL Blitz Rating List' there are currently 17 engines rated over 3600. Based on that same list, it looks like we're already good for a 'Breaking 3700' post seven months (or so) from now, which should have at least two engines.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Make that nine months -- because I'm slowing down -- and let's have a look at the latest CCRL rating list.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-ob01.gif" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=265><BR>
<A HREF="http://computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/404/">CCRL Blitz Rating List (Feb 2024)</A><BR>
(computerchess.org.uk/ccrl)
<P>
Now we have
one engine over 3800 (Stockfish 16),
15 engines over 3700, and (not shown)
11 engines over 3600.
It looks statistically strange to have more engines rated 3700 than 3600, but that's what the numbers say.
See you a year from now for the '3800 Barrier' -- unless my slowdown grinds to a halt.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-10090830375096483182024-01-30T17:15:00.018+01:002024-02-02T11:25:05.778+01:00RIP YahoosThe series of posts centered on the Yahoo family began inauspiciously with
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2008/04/chess-and-peanuts.html">Chess and Peanuts</A>
(April 2008; Yahoo article 'Writing for Peanuts'). They continued irregularly whenever a Yahoo.com news feed highlighted a story that had something to do with chess.
<P>
Starting with
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2017/11/october-yahoos.html">October Yahoos</A>
(October 2017), the Yahoos appeared monthly through
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2020/12/a-yahoo-backstory.html">A Yahoo Backstory</A>
(December 2020). Those were wonderful days for the Yahoos -- Covid and Netflix ensured a steady stream of mainstream chess stories.
<P>
As was inevitable, the stories inspired by Covid and Netflix dried up. The Yahoos morphed into
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-database-of-yahoos.html">A Database of Yahoos</A>
(January 2021), based on common criteria:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Yahoos (mainstream news stories about chess) are derived from Google News top-100 (or so) stories from the past month.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
After three years the Google Yahoos also ran out of steam:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/12/yahoos-set-new-low.html">Yahoos Set a New Low</A>
(December 2023; 'So many problems, so little time.'). It's time to let them sleep in peace.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-37345131387295198892024-01-29T17:35:00.006+01:002024-01-31T10:40:21.602+01:00The AI GeneratorIn the previous installment of our weekly comic series,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-wizard-as-professor.html">The Wizard as Professor</A>
(January 2024), we learned that the Wizard has more interests than just playing chess. I noted,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The village wizard [...] holds a patent on an important technique used to generate life-like forms in plasma.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This is the fourth installment.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa29.jpg" WIDTH=335 HEIGHT=400>
<P>
The Wizard can use his patented AI techniques to generate the personae of chess players from the past. Since this practice is frowned upon by the general public and even outlawed in certain jurisdictions, he confines his experiments to generating animals, mainly foxes, who play chess.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
<P ALIGN=CENTER>***
<P>
For more chess playing foxes, see
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/12/foxy-christmas-chess.html">Foxy Christmas Chess</A>
(December 2023).
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-26266167948596023772024-01-22T17:20:00.001+01:002024-01-24T11:22:03.862+01:00The Wizard as ProfessorIn the first installment of this weekly comic series we introduced a chess village and its villagers. Then we introduced
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-village-wizard.html">The Village Wizard</A>
(January 2024), where I observed,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Some say that the villagers' interest in chess stems from the presence of an unusual man who arrived in the village at some time in the recent past.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This is the third installment.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa22.jpg" WIDTH= HEIGHT=>
<P>
The village wizard is a retired professor of computer science who taught AI at a top-notch engineering college.
He holds a patent on an important technique used to generate life-like forms in plasma.
The patent has made him a wealthy man.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-28904681229228209552024-01-21T17:17:00.001+01:002024-01-23T07:19:36.287+01:00Consider the Message, Not the ChessFor this month's Flickr favorite, my short list had eight photos. Four of the eight were AI generated images and two were from the annual Tata tournament in Wijk aan Zee. Given my weakness for AI images, guess what I chose for this post?
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa21.jpg" WIDTH=345 HEIGHT=400><BR>
<B>Top:</B>
<A HREF="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ai_universe/53434638171/">Strategische Finanzplanung: Schachspiel mit goldenen Bullen und bronzenen Bärenfiguren</A><BR>
<B>Bottom:</B>
<A HREF="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ai_universe/53438421042/">Human vs AI playing Chess</A><BR>
<B>Both:</B>
© Flickr user <I>Kostenlose Bilder mit KI</I> under
<A HREF="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">Creative Commons</A>.<BR>
<P>
The title of the top photo translates to
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Strategic financial planning: Chess game with golden bulls and bronze bear figures
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Bulls and bears, got it! The Flickr user name translated to 'Free images with AI'. How did we get from KI to AI? My German - English dictionary translates 'artificial' as 'künstlich'. The word 'künstlich' translates as 'artificial' or 'synthetic'. KI/AI, got it!
<P>
I've also been dabbling with AI chess images, last seen in
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-village-wizard.html">The Village Wizard</A>
(January 2024). In looking at hundreds of images, I can't remember seeing a realistic chess set.
In the top image, the board looks like it's 7x6. In the bottom image, it looks like 10x8, with two White Queens on the left and two Black Kings on the right.
And what is that piece lying on its side in the foreground of the bottom image? Better concentrate on the overall messages of the two images and not on their chess details.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-65647756854605781892024-01-18T17:04:00.005+01:002024-01-21T11:10:05.148+01:00Players under the FIDE FlagIn a recent post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/fide-rating-list-january-2024.html">FIDE Rating List - January 2024</A>
(January 2024), I wondered where to go next with the data. I decided,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
One idea is to look at the doubling of players under the FIDE flag ('FID'). To get started, here are counts of 'FID' players for the past five years:-<BR>
<BR>
2020 : 252<BR>
2021 : 254<BR>
2022 : 263<BR>
2023 : 527<BR>
2024 : 798
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Those numbers total 2094 players, of which 507 were rated 2000 or above. Of course, some of those players were listed as 'FID' for all five years, but I'll come back to that a bit later.
<P>
The key to detecting federation transfers is the FIDE ID, a unique code given to all chess players tracked by FIDE.
A few years ago, I documented these codes on a page titled
<A HREF="https://www.mark-weeks.com/aboutcom/mw15b16.htm">FIDE Country and Federation Codes - 'unofficial'</A>
(m-w.com; 'Last updated 2015-03-02'). The FIDE ID is shown in the last column of the table on that page.
At the bottom of the page are references to blog posts that documented the creation of the page.
<P>
Each federation assigns codes to new players using the federation's FIDE ID as the first two or three digits of the player's unique FIDE ID, which is typically seven or eight digits. That means the player's last five digits are assigned autonomously by the federation, perhaps disconnected from any central FIDE database.
<P>
When I worked out the codes for the various federations in 2015, there were no FIDE IDs longer than eight digits. Now there are many codes with nine digits. It appears that FIDE assigns those codes when a new player -- previously unknown to FIDE and having no federation -- starts playing on the FIDE Online Arena (FOA).
I eliminated 'FID' players with nine digit codes from the total of 2094 'FID' players counted earlier and arrived at new counts for the five years:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
2020 : 164<BR>
2021 : 166<BR>
2022 : 166<BR>
2023 : 394<BR>
2024 : 636
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
That totals 1526 players. I then counted the number of times each player appeared on the lists over the five years. I counted exactly 700 players distributed as follows:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
5 : 144<BR>
4 : 11<BR>
3 : 9<BR>
2 : 199<BR>
1 : 337
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
In other words, there were 144 players who were on the lists for each of the five years and there were 337 players who were on a list for only one year. Of those 337 players, 291 were on the 2024 list (released in January 2024, covering activity in 2023) and 82 were titled players (GM, IM, etc.).
<P>
<B>Next stop:</B>
Which federations were responsible for those 82 titled players before they became 'FID' players? When I tackle this question, I'll have to keep in mind the European privacy laws that also apply to any chess player who changed federations.
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-43619089171425821932024-01-15T17:11:00.002+01:002024-01-24T11:01:14.593+01:00The Village WizardA week ago I started a new Monday series requiring two artistic talents which I lack completely: story telling and illustrating. In that post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-chess-village.html">The Chess Village</A>
(January 2024), I wrote,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
The story starts in the Catskill mountains, in a village where almost everyone plays chess.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
This is the second installment.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa15.jpg" WIDTH=335 HEIGHT=400>
<P>
Some say that the villagers' interest in chess stems from the presence of an unusual man who arrived in the village at some time in the recent past.
He has two distinguishing characteristics that everyone notices wherever he goes -- he wears a pointed hat and a cloak.
For this reason the villagers call him the 'Wizard'.
He lives in a mansion on the edge of the village.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-85350242097698937142024-01-14T17:36:00.001+01:002024-01-17T12:38:55.487+01:00Man City and MagnusFrom Youtube's 'Man City' (Manchester City) channel. For an introduction to the team, see
<A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_City_F.C.">Manchester City F.C.</A>
(wikipedia.org; 'This article is about the men's football club').
<P>
<iframe width="420" height="236" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S7aRMLJYHqo?si=5WI37UztmLLCjoNt" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><BR>
<B>When Geniuses Meet | Pep meets Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen</B> (11:54) • '[Published on] Dec 12, 2023'
<P>
The description said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
A must-watch encounter between two tactical geniuses, our manager Pep Guardiola sits down with Magnus Carlsen to talk their Greatest Moves.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The first of more than 1600 comments said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
As a chess and football fan, I see this as an absolute win.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
I have to agree, even though I'm not a huge football [soccer] fan. While I was preparing the post on my local PC, I received the message:
'Video unavailable : Watch on YouTube'.
Will it be available after it's posted?
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-23073674976677091642024-01-09T17:58:00.013+01:002024-01-14T12:07:50.156+01:00FIDE Rating List - January 2024A new year means a look at the first FIDE rating list of the year. I've been doing this for so many years that I repeated that first sentence from last year without consciously copying it. Even better, I have a reliable checklist to follow.
<P>
1) Identify last year's post:
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/01/fide-rating-list-january-2023.html">FIDE Rating List - January 2023</A>
(January 2023).
<P>
2) Identify the source of the FIDE data:
<A HREF="https://ratings.fide.com/download_lists.phtml">FIDE Ratings Download</A>
(ratings.fide.com).
<BLOCKQUOTE>
STANDARD<BR>
TXT format (31 Dec 2023, Sz: 9.77 MB)
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
3) Compare some basic counts over the past few years. Going back to the start of 2020 gives pre-covid 19 as a reference point.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
2024: >440K players; >265K marked inactive<BR>
2023: >405K players; >253K marked inactive<BR>
2022: >377K players; >228K marked inactive<BR>
2021: >362K players; >174K marked inactive<BR>
2020: >354K players; >181K marked inactive<BR>
[...]
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
4) Analyze changes in players per federation.
The upper chart shows two new federations
(Grenada and Niger).
No federation had a name change, giving FIDE exactly 200 federations.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa09.gif" WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=590>
<P>
The lower charts show federations with the largest increase in number of players (left) and the largest percentage increase (right; for federations with at least 100 players at the start of 2023). In last year's post I noted,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Mexico ('MEX') and Bangladesh ('BAN') are on both charts.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Copy that for Mexico, then add China ('CHN') and Philippines ('PHI'). Bangladesh missed being included this year by only two places on the left chart.
<P>
5) Identify ideas for a followup post. In last year's only followup post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2023/01/fide-rating-list-active-players.html">FIDE Rating List - Active Players</A>
(January 2023), I remembered an idea from 2022:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
One idea is to look at the doubling of players under the FIDE flag ('FID'), as calculated on the right [chart]. This must be a consequence of the war in Ukraine, but should be confirmed.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Will I manage to do it in 2024? To get started, here are counts of 'FID' players for the past five years:-
<BLOCKQUOTE>
2020 : 252<BR>
2021 : 254<BR>
2022 : 263<BR>
2023 : 527<BR>
2024 : 798
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Yes, this confirms that there has been a substantial increase during the past two years. What more can we learn from the rating lists about this?
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27359163.post-16979942741427670302024-01-08T17:20:00.008+01:002024-01-11T12:26:11.147+01:00The Chess VillageFor the past month I've been using one post per week to explore <I>AI Comics</I> (*). In the previous post,
<A HREF="https://chessforallages.blogspot.com/2024/01/father-time-and-new-year-baby.html">Father Time and the New Year Baby</A>
(January 2024), I wrote,
<BLOCKQUOTE>
After a month experimenting with this technology, it's time to carry the idea one step further.
•
Next: The chess village.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
A 'step further' means to develop a complete story using <I>AI Comics</I> to illustrate the story. The story is mine; the illustrations are <I>AI Comics</I>. This post is the first installment.
<P ALIGN=CENTER>
<IMG SRC="https://www.mark-weeks.com/cfaa/cfa-oa08.jpg" WIDTH=335 HEIGHT=400>
<P>
The story starts in the Catskill mountains, in a village where almost everyone plays chess. The village square is a chess board and on an average day, when the weather is good, any number of villagers gather there to play games of chess with each other.
<P>
(*)
Images:
<A HREF="https://aicomicfactory.com/">AI Comic Factory</A>
(aicomicfactory.com)
Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com0