When dinosaurs ruled the chessboard | thearticle

I am frequently called upon to deliver post-prandial speeches at social chess gatherings, such as the traditional annual Varsity match at the Royal Automobile Club between the student teams

from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Here I must declare an interest, in that my Alma Mater is Trinity College Cambridge, where in my final year I shared a landing and bathroom

with H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (now of course H.M. King Charles III). A line which always goes down well in my speeches is my initial declaration that I am a survivor from the Cretaceous

period (circa 65 million years ago). Indeed, this appears to be coming increasingly true, as chess moves inexorably, and with increasing rapidity, away from the game that I used to play in

aeons past. First of all, for serious competitions, the old mechanical clocks, which one had to punch after completing a move, were replaced by the new electronic version. Then extra time

was introduced, based on the bayomi model from the oriental Mind Sports of Shogi and Wei Chi, otherwise known as Go. Next, adjournments were abolished, in deference to the dangers posed by

computer analysis of adjourned games. A further innovation, which I fear is catching on, is the introduction of chess 960/varied baseline/Fischer random/shuffle chess; a development I regard

as a most heinous heresy. Covid-19 has been responsible for the next seismic shift away from chess as I knew it, as chess transfers decisively online, with regular elite tournaments,

massive million dollar prize funds, hyper rapid time controls and Armageddon finishes (where a draw counts as a Black win). Concomitant with such developments, which also embraced an online

Olympiad two years ago, are massive audiences, said to be in the many millions of viewers, all prepared to pay for the privilege of watching their heroes and heroines online in real time,

with expert commentary, supplied by such illuminati as Grandmasters Daniel King, Maurice Ashley and Anna Rudolf, to name but a few. Of the various deviant forms of chess which I fear are

gaining both ground and credence in modern times, Shuffle chess is perhaps the most heinous. It was popularised by that quintessential demon, Heresiarch and obliterator of his fans’

expectations (and desecrator of their loyalty), Bobby Fischer. In my opinion, players being permitted to arrange their pieces at random at the start of the game, represents a feeble echo of

the harmony, beauty and balance of the orthodox initial chess array.  It is fuelled by disinclination to master opening theory and bolstered by the endorsement conferred through Fischer.

Respectable status, encouraging it to become confused with real thing, has been further acquired by means of the lure of “_all corrupting gold_”, as Shakespeare puts it in _Richard III_.

Players of the calibre of Grandmaster Wesley So and even the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen have been tempted to dignify it with their presence, in tournaments where the abomination

prevails. One such was the 9XL event in St. Louis, held in the second week of September, 2021, where a monetary fund of $150,000 was at stake, with Leinier Dominguez winning first prize and

$37,500, ahead of an illustrious field, which included Garry Kasparov, Fabiano Caruana and Lev Aronian. What can be the justification for shuffle chess, when the possible permutations of

chess proper are so enormous — 10 to the power of 120, as I pointed out in my column Dr Siegbert Tarrasch and his search for meaning?If one is bored with chess, then why not venture on some

of the entrancing oriental alternatives, such as Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), or Shogi (Japanese Chess)? In Shogi, the excitement is intensified by the fact that all pieces, even when captured,

can re-enter the fray, but for the opposing side. Once one heresy takes root, the pestilence spreads. In Dortmund, the former scene of many a fine clash of classical chess, a match was

staged in July last year between two ex-World Champions, Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, where castling was prohibited. One might as well enfeeble the game of cricket by abolishing

the ability to hit a ball for six. If these ex-Champions desired to challenge their minds in a different game, might they not have reverted to the authentic game of Shatranj, that

pre-Renaissance, pre-castling ancestor of chess? Shatranj has its own immense subtleties, as revealed in the games and puzzles, from the cultured Baghdad Caliphate, of As Suli (880–946 AD),

Al Lajlaj (900–970 AD), and Al Adli (circa 840 AD) who was the original _Aliyat, _or Grandmaster. I have another radical suggestion. If top players truly feel that they need to stretch the

boundaries of conventional chess, they could take up the Grant Chess of King Alfonso the wise, with its extended board and unusual pieces (such as the Rhinoceros) or even the Great Chess of

Tamburlaine  with its even larger board and even more variegated complement of fell beasts, such as sea monsters , camels, giraffes and elephants. Rather than bow to the arbitrary whims of

the late Bobby Fischer who, at the height of his powers, did not even deign to defend his hard won title, they might well exercise the little grey cells against the spirit and inventions of

the medieval Iberian king, or the Mongol world conquering warlord and his Court favourite, Ali al Shatranji, Ali the chessplayer, otherwise known as the legendary Aladdin of the Pantomime.

This week, a game of mine from the time when Tyrannosaurus Rex still stalked the planet, games could be adjourned, mechanical clocks were still in use and absolutely nobody followed our

games on the Internet. Our game this week features big beasts hungry for material, contesting space advantages, and with every move, a struggle for the initiative. When the primeval dust

settles, there can be only one victor. Raymond Keene vs. Jonathan Mestel Meanwhile, a feature of the new chess environment which has recently taken centre stage, within the context of the

great shift online, is the accusation of multiple cheating in all directions,  which are swirling around. Chess.com have just published their 72 page report claiming that Niemann has

“likely” cheated online on over 100 occasions. As I argued here two weeks ago, the evidence so far does not amount to proof and this report is not conclusive either. I am further puzzled

that Chess.com, who claim that their online cheating detection software is infallible, did not rumble Niemann’s alleged cheating before the now alleged total of 100 plus dubious games had

been reached. I remain unconvinced, but watch this space for the latest on the unfolding drama. _Raymond Keene’s latest book “Fifty Shades of Ray: Chess in the year of the Coronavirus”,

containing some of his best pieces from TheArticle, is now available from _ Blackwell’s _._ A MESSAGE FROM THEARTICLE _We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle.

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