The Chess Test

 We Were All Wrong. About piece values and how much each piece is worth. We were all taught these values when we were children, or when we first learned the game. Because it has now revealed to be a guess. According to Alpha Zero in a paper published in 2020, the pieces in classical chess are worth as follows: Pawn = 1 Knight = 3.05 Bishop = 3.33 Rook =5.63 Queen =9.5 So the whole Bishop worth 3, Knight worth 3, Rook worth 5 etc was guessing but it was good guessing and not far off, if the computer evaluation is anything to go by. Clearly a lot depends on the situation on the board. A bishop flourishes in an open position. They are mobile and can cover more territory than knights. Knights by contrast are fascinating pieces, for me they are the most interesting chess pieces of all. There is something mysterious about them, the way they can jump over other pieces. But the data is clear now. Whatever your preference, it is clear that bishops are just better, if admittedly not by a hug...

 When we consider The Godfather films, it is important to understand the context. The writer Mario Puzo fought against the Germans in the second world war. In that sense Michael Corleone mirrors his own experience, as that character has come back from fighting for the allies, at the start of the film. He seems an innocent figure. But does his subsequent journey into darkness shadow that of Adolf Hitler, and does the writer leave subtle hints along the way to suggest as much? Not that Puzo himself or Coppola have ever implied or said that this is the case. This is entirely my theory, and based on shaky evidence I must admit:  In the first film, the main baddie is called Barzini. You can get Nazi from his name.  In the second film, the main baddie is called Hyman Roth, and he's Jewish, and just as Jew's are the main target of Hitler's ire and hatred, Roth becomes a focal figure of hate for Michael. Roth betrays Michael early in the film, and Michael eventually gives the ord...

 Endgames from the FIDE Grand Swiss. Developments at the FIDE Grand Swiss currently taking place in Uzbekistan, show once again that knowledge of the endgame is so important if you want to make progress in chess. White thought for 16 minutes here, which at least shows that he realized the importance of the decision, but still went wrong with Bxf6?? When Bc1! which have enabled him to hold. Which just goes to show that however strong you are, calculating these endgames can be extremely difficult, especially when under the pressure of ticking clock and determined opponent. The mistake in Shankland-Firouzja was no less significant. Shankland went wrong here with bxa5?? which lost to ... bx5 Kd4 Kf3! when presumably what the American overlooked, that when black queens on h1, it will come with check.  Instead of taking on a5, then Ke2! holds. One of the main points if Ke2! ... Ke4 b5! ... d4 cxd4 ... Kxd4 Kf3! and if the black king goes to take the a-pawn, then the white king will ...