Tuesday 22 September 2009

Quote Of The Day

Just for the sheer incongruity; this popped up halfway through the Guardian's live-blogging of a speed chess match between Karpov and Kasparov, two former world champions. A genuine clash of the intellectual titans. Apparently, though, chess fans are so smart and refined that they can watch one display of attack and counter even as they themselves participate in another:

The discussion continues on Chess OK as to whether or not pizza "is gay".
On an related note, I have decided to count chess as a sport, rather than a wargame, because no-one to my knowledge has ever broadcast a wargaming encounter, and also in an attempt to water down the concept of sport until it no longer has any meaning, and everyone gives up on it. Join the struggle, my friends!

5 comments:

Garathon said...

"...because no-one to my knowledge has ever broadcast a wargaming encounter..."

Other than the Channel 4 series "Game of War", of course...

SpaceSquid said...

Ah! That's a good point, though if I'm thinking of the right show, that was a computer wargame. I should have said "tabletop wargame".

Garathon said...

My first thought was to mention "Time Commanders" (which was based on a computer wargame that used a pre-release version of the "Rome: Total War" engine from Creative Assembly - is that what you're thinking of?) but I didn't because I did take it as read that you meant "tabletop wargame".

In fact, "Game of War" was a 'Kriegspiel' type game run by Paddy Griffith for Channel 4 in the late 1990s. The rules were (so it was claimed) based on those used at Sandhurst. Angela Rippon presented the show and various military experts and commentators formed the teams (including, in one game, Richard Holmes). If I recall correctly, the debates within the teams as to strategy were interesting but the presentation was low budget and unimaginative and for some reason they decided to use plastic counters rather than finely painted miniatures, making the visuals uninspiring.

Garathon said...

Through the power of Google, I found:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/paddygriffith/other.htm

SpaceSquid said...

Ah, yes, I was indeed thinking of Time Commanders.

And now you mention it, I remember seeing an episode of Game of War. Should have remembered that, though I too found it less than engaging.