Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Jim Stevenson · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:28 pm Post subject:

Re: my comments above about being cheesed off with the 'mysterious rook move' saga (Rc7???): Although I stick by my original post about accurate reporting, (If something is too good / bad to be believable, why not check it first before publishing!) I acknowledge and thank the BCM editor for kindly correcting the negative impression caused.

I think what really irritated me was when even my sister, who hasn't pushed a pawn in about twenty years, called me to say what a donkey the Scotsman made me out to be, ( my real moves are more than adequate for that impression. Laughing

). and questioned whether the position given could be correct...

John Saunders · Pawn Joined: 03 Nov 2009 Posts: 1 Location: London

Jim Stevenson · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:40 am Post subject:

John,

I don't particularly want to get into an argument about this. I would agree with you that deciphering game scores is a thankless task for even the most diligent volunteer. ( You generously passed over the issue of illegible handwriting). Indeed it seems unlikely that this can ever be satisfactorily resolved while players still record game scores manually. But a best effort is better than nothing.

However it is quite another, and more important issue, how journalists decide to use this raw data. Especially when they decide to highlight the data to a worldwide audience, and put their own spin upon it.

Leaving generalities aside, if we look at the specific Scotsman article, it is just a pathetic waste of an opportunity to do some accurate, positive reporting. As I said, even my sister who hasn't played chess in twenty odd years and would certainly have a grade below fide 1200 if she did, still spotted straight away that the position was absurd. ( Is e7+ really worth an article?). Actually, in my humble opinion, and in the context of Scotland at the ETC, the game itself was quite interesting and may even have merited inclusion in such an newspaper column, but perhaps that would be asking too much....

So the net effect is to treat someone doing their best as an incompetent fool, and to highlight it in a national newspaper. Thanks very much. Let's just imagine that say it was a game of Topalov's, Aronian's or Mickey Adams. I suggest a more rigourous check would be done before publishing comments. But for a 2100 Scotsman, why bother to spend time checking things when you can have a cheap laugh at his expense? Then to see this repeated in such a prestigious institution as the BCM. Two lines about Scotland's performance and it has to include such nonsense.

I am not a professional journalist, I am a finance professional. And I can assure you that whilst I may occasionally be uncertain about the best way to manage my employers assets, when it comes to giving advice or producing a report, such a standard of work would lead to instant dismissal and punitive legal action.

Anyway to finish on a more positive note, I always enjoy the BCM and think it is a fine magazine. And congratulations to the Welsh on a fine performance, even though they would probably admit their lucky escape against Scotland was a big turning point for both teams.