Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Geoff Chandler

This Tuesday, Radio Scotland 1.15pm - 2.pm.

They are discussing the Lewis bits.

I have to give a 10 minute talk (that will get edited down to 4-5 minutes)
about the history of Chess and it's up to the interviewer if the Lewis
scam is mentioned. I don't get to confront the studio guests as I'm
getting my piece recorded on Monday night.

(To give the Acads time to prpepare their answers....) Wink

So I have 5 minutes to shatter the chess is boring myth. plug Scottish
Chess (and Rampant Chess) and convert the masses.

Am going to make notes over the weekend and run over it
with Keith on Sunday. Want to make a good job of this as we don't
get much media time.

Wish me luck and listen in if you can and then EVERYONE email
the station saying that was great, you never knew Chess was so interesting
can we have more Chess on the radio.

Alex McFarlane · King Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 413

Proves what we thought all along Geoff - you have the perfect face for radio!!!

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject:

I recorded my bit.

I got asked 10 questions I did manage to get a minor
anti Lewis pieces rant in but it will get edited out.

I mis-pronounced Keti's name when plugging Rampant Chess.

GN · King Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 415

I heard on BBC Scotland TV news this morning that experts now think the Lewis Chess Men are in fact dual purpose and were also used for some other game popular with the Vikings. Sadly, an interview with our resident expert did not follow.

AWIC · King Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 221

Jim Crawford · Bishop Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Edinburgh

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nshyv/The_Radio_Cafe_10_11_2009/
_________________
TIGHTLINES

JimWebster · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject:

The Radio show can be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00nshyv

Kasparov says a bit after 29:30, and "oor" Geoff follows him a couple of moves later.

(now there's a thought Chandler following Kasparov - haven't they got that the wrong way round?)

A Muir · King Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 489 Location: Dumbarton

Geoff
How annoyed are you on a scale of 1 to 10 ?
The most important things and the most interesting things you wanted to say are that they are not chess pieces and they were not found on Lewis.
This seems to be the only bit of your speech they edited out.
This was all done deliberately of course so as to give more credence to their "experts"

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:03 pm Post subject:

Hi Andy.

I never heard any of it as I was at work but the producer said they
were very interested in chasing up the facts that have been unearthed
but felt now was not the time because they needed to do their own research.

My bombshell that they are not pieces and not found on Lewis was
news to them. They are interested in taking this further.

It's now become accepted by most of BM they were not chess pieces
which was my main bug - the minutes from the Antiquaries of Scotland for
11th March 1833 make it clear they do not think they came from Lewis.

Further digging has revealed that when Sharp died (1851) Forrest
(the guy who claimed he got them from Lewis and sold them to the BM
because the Scottish lads would have nothing to do with him).

Sharp left no will so Forrest forged one leaving everything to him.
So we are dealing with a con man.
Just need to confirm it was the same Sharp who was invovled in
the first scam was the one who died in 1851.

Need to spend a week sifting through court caes for that period.
Love to find out what happened to Forrest. Only he knew how he
got hold of the pieces.
They is meant to be book written in late 1800's which confirms
the pieces never came from Lewis but finding this book is fruitless.

If pieces came from Lewis it looks like a priest found them whilst
his workers were digging a grave as church was built on pagen site.

Find the church and you will find more pieces.

The truth is much more interesting than the myth.

A Muir · King Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 489 Location: Dumbarton

Geoff

The Scotsman was founded in 1817.
What years have you been through the back copies ?
Can you view them online ?
Can you view them at their Edinburgh office ?

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

Hi Andy

You can view them on Micro film at the Edinburgh Library.

Spent hours (and Dave Archibald) looking for the original Edinburgh
Chess Club advert placed soemtime in 1822 - no joy.

Went through 1824-1828 looking at the reports on Edinburgh-London
match (often called the Scotland v England chess match).

One year after it finished a cow on Lewis put horn into a sandbank etc etc...

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Phil.

Minutes of the Edinburgh Chess Club dated 4th Nov 1822 clearly
lists expenses.

Hire of room, cost of candles and the placing of an advert in
the Scotsman. They had a whip around to pay him back.

So it did appear but we do not when it was placed.

Pieces were stolen/looted from a disturbed grave possibly as
ealry as 1826 when Forrest was first knocked back with his Bonnis
Prince Charlie treasure.

The Edinburgh v London match figures in The Scotman quite
a few times, when it ends and Edinburgh is rejoicing and William
Lewis writes his book....
......a cow on the Isle of Lewis sticks it's horns into sandbank......