Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:46 pm Post subject: Chess Survey - This is Terrible.

Hi.

Been planning this off and on for months.

On another forum it was suggested that if you took a poll of 100 non-players
and asked them to name 3 chess players it would be Karpov, Fischer and Kasparov.

Today I carried out a poll on 18 people.
I did it in the queue at the Post Office whilst I posting off stuff
I sold on ebay.

(Only 18? you will see why in a minute).

I asked them to name 3 famous chess players and if I got 3
I was going to ask them the name of the current British Champion.

18 people polled.

Nobody could think of any chess player at all. I gave up.

One guy said "Checkov" (he's the Russian lad in Star Trek).

I am going out again tomorrow.
This time I am hitting the Edinburgh University.
Surely I'll find someone there who can give me one name.

You guys reading this at work - please take 2 -3 minutes and ask
your colleagues to name 3 famous chess players.

Post results here.

ie. (hopefully)

Fischer 2
Karpov 1
None 3 (three people asked could not give any).

PS:
Just asked my wife and son to name three.

(they live in a house with chess books everywhere - 2 chess sets
permanently set up - chess pictures, statues, trophies, t-shirts...)

They gave me three each - the poll is rolling.

Wife: Tal, Korchnoi and Kasparov.
Son: Short Kasparov and Fischer.

Ask your wives.
(a few will say my name in their sleep but that does count) Smile

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:21 am Post subject:

Have some lads on another site (RHP) doing the surevey as well.

I've got one for Chigorin!

Fischer leading, will post full results on The Corner.

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:42 pm Post subject:

Come on lads.

What's a matter, no work mates, no friends?

Ask the next non-player you see to name 3 famous chess players,
post reults here - the other sites are going along - Fischer leads.

Geoff

admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

Ok Geoff I tried

2 identical answers

Kasparov and Deep Blue.

andyburnett · King Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 249

Just asked my girlfriend: "Name 3 famous chess-players".
Her reply: "Andrew Burnett, Walter Burnett and Garry Kasparov!"
I like the order she chose Wink

Then she added: "Oh, and Karpov". And finally, not realising why I was asking, she said (and this is true) "There's that guy Geoff Chandler from your online stuff" Very Happy

AWIC · King Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 221

I've asked 12 people so far - here are the results:

Kasparov 5
Short 3
Karpov 2
Fischer 2
Deep Blue 1
AWIC 3
Andrew Green 1
Harry Golombek 1
Jonathan Grant 1
That other Russian bloke, name begins with a K 2
The 2 Ks 1
Chekov 1
None 13 (4 people couldn't name any, and 1 could only name 2)

(None of the people who could name 3 could name the British Champion)

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:

Cheers lads.

Deep Blue - ha ha ha.

Soon it will be Fritz12 and Rybka....

University gave me more though I did get another Checkov!!

8 no shows.

AWIC · King Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 221

I've edited my post above to take account of more extensive polling...

Geoff Chandler · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject:

Caught it - cheers.

POLL CLOSED - have new Corner posted in the wee hours.

Thanks everyone