[Goanet-News] The Chess Master Paradox (Dr Michael Lobo

[Goanet Reader]

The Chess Master Paradox

Dr Michael Lobo
dr.michael.l...@gmail.com

We've just been through the 14th of July -- the National Day
of France.  Also known as Bastille Day, it marks the
anniversary of the date of the Storming of the Bastille in
1789 that sparked off the French Revolution and eventually
led France to adopt a new form of constitutional government.

In an article I wrote on this date three years ago --
entitled 'Focus on France' -- I invited responses in French
from those members of this forum who were acquainted with the
language.  I added that there was a time when almost all
members of a forum such as this would probably have possessed
a working knowledge of French.

  From the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century,
  French was the world's premier language for the
  next two centuries -- the language of international
  diplomacy.  However, over the course of the 20th
  century, English gradually acquired predominance --
  initially because of the spread of the British
  Empire and, in the post World War II era, because
  of the worldwide influence of the United States.
  As English is now the premier language of computers
  and the Internet, almost all young people around
  the world have some basic knowledge of it -- but
  even if English is now the world's 'Numero Uno',
  the French language still carries great prestige.

During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Paris was in many
ways the cultural capital of the world.  It was also the
centre of the world of chess.  Chess in 18th and 19th century
Paris was centred around the Café de la Regence.  This café
was a major meeting point for European chess enthusiasts in
the 18th and 19th centuries, so much so that the leading
player at this café was to all intents and purposes the
European champion -- and, as chess outside Europe was
virtually non-existent, the champion of the world.

From about 1750 to about 1850, the world's strongest players
-- including Sire de Legal, Francois Philidor, Alexandre
Deschapelles, Charles Mahe de LaBourdonnais, and Pierre de
Saint-Amant -- were all Parisians.

After 1850 Paris gradually lost its position of pre-eminence
in the world of chess, but in the course of the 19th century
at least three strong international tournaments were held
there -- in 1867, 1878, and 1900.  All three were held in
conjunction with world fairs that were taking place in the
city at about the same time.

  Paris also has the distinction of hosting the first
  chess Olympiad -- in 1924, in conjunction with the
  Summer Olympics, which were being held in Paris
  that year.  The chess Olympiad was won by
  Czechoslovakia, with Hungary in second place.  At
  the end of the event, 15 delegates from different
  countries signed an act creating the Federation
  Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) with Dr Alexander
  Rueb of Holland as president.

This year -- 2022 -- almost a century after the first chess
Olympiad was held, the privilege of hosting the World Chess
Olympiad has been accorded to India.  The event is due to be
held in the temple town of Mahabalipuram from July 28 to
August 10.

I have entitled this article 'The Chess Master Paradox' for a
reason that will become clear as we proceed.

The term 'master' in reference to world-class chess players
probably dates back to the 19th century (though it was not in
formal use).  The term 'grandmaster' historically referred to
the head of one of the military orders of knighthood such as
the Hospitallers and Templars, or to the heads of fraternal
organizations such as Freemasons.

It was in the year 1914 that Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
conferred the term 'grandmaster' to five chess masters who
qualified for the final round of a very strong international
tournament that was held at St Petersburg that year.
Emmanuel Lasker (then world champion), Jose Capablanca,
Alexander Alekhine, Siegbert Tarrasch, and Frank Marshall
were the first officially proclaimed grandmasters of chess.

This is indeed in keeping with the aura of the word
'grandmaster'.  It really ought to be an honour almost
commensurate to that of a Nobel Prize in a scientific
discipline.

  Tsar Nicholas II and his entire family were
  executed in the Russian Revolution of 1918.  The
  term 'grandmaster' then went into disuse and it was
  revived only in 1950 by the Federation
  Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), which had now
  taken over the organization of the world
  championship.

When introduced by FIDE in 1950, the title of 'grandmaster'
was awarded to World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik and 14
others, all of whom were deemed as potential candidates for
the world title. It was also bestowed on 12 other living
players who, though past their prime, were recognized as
having been world class at their peak.

[Goanet-News] Goa: A majority government's dubious artifice :: Had it gone through, the split would have further shaken citizen faith in the electoral process and demoralised Congress for the LS polls

[Frederick Noronha]

Read more at:
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/goa-a-majority-governments-dubious-artifice-1126543.html


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