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Date: 30 Apr 2005 22:36:35
From: Lee Harris
Subject: No Chess on TV?
There seems to be a million poker programmes on TV now (UK), but no chess.
There used to be a chess program with Bill Hartston??? on BBC, that was
great as a kid, they really made it interesting.
Is there any chess on TV at all any more? How about DVDs of matches, with in
depth commentary aimed at beginners or otherwise?






 
Date: 01 May 2005 07:10:14
From: Tim_Gluckman
Subject: Re: No Chess on TV?

Lee Harris wrote:
> There seems to be a million poker programmes on TV now (UK), but no
chess.
> There used to be a chess program with Bill Hartston??? on BBC, that
was
> great as a kid, they really made it interesting.
> Is there any chess on TV at all any more? How about DVDs of matches,
with in
> depth commentary aimed at beginners or otherwise?

There is a very good chess video in German published by WDR which is
like a regional BBC in Germany. Even if you can't make much of the
lingo, you can watch the games. Hort is the expert commentator along
with the flowery tongued Helmut Pfleger.
I wrote to the latter and told him that I enjoyed the chess on TV and
he replied unfortunately the programmers do not favour chess at the
moment. There is usually coverage of the Dortmund tourney or world
champ matches

Tim Jake Gluckman
Cologne, Germany



 
Date: 30 Apr 2005 19:06:17
From: Pete
Subject: Re: No Chess on TV?

Lee Harris wrote:
> There seems to be a million poker programmes on TV now (UK), but no
chess.
> There used to be a chess program with Bill Hartston??? on BBC, that
was
> great as a kid, they really made it interesting.
> Is there any chess on TV at all any more? How about DVDs of matches,
with in
> depth commentary aimed at beginners or otherwise?

I thought about that some time ago when I saw some poker on TV (here in
USA). I would love to see chess on TV, but I dont see it
happening.....maybe if there was gambling involed, Budweiser could make
the scene, and they could host a few has-been celebrity matches. None
of that will (hopefully) ever happen to chess, so I think television
networks will remain uninterested. It would be more likely in the UK;
in the US it is out of the question. Cowboys dont play chess.



 
Date: 30 Apr 2005 15:49:21
From: Mark Houlsby
Subject: Re: No Chess on TV?
>There seems to be a million poker programmes on TV now (UK), but no
chess.

Right, sadly, poker and snooker. Perhaps if chess was renamed chessker,
the networks (or at least a digital or satellite channel) might take
notice :-/

>There used to be a chess program with Bill Hartston??? on BBC, that
was
great as a kid, they really made it interesting.

Hartston was in a number of programmes, but I'm guessing that you're
thinking of BBC2's "The Master Game", which featured many top GMs (of
course, Bill is "only" an IM).

>Is there any chess on TV at all any more?

Not to my certain knowledge.

>How about DVDs of matches, with in
depth commentary aimed at beginners or otherwise?

Not sure about matches, but there is a number of instructional DVDs, by
GM Roman Dzindzichashvili (a long series devoted to various topics), GM
Susan Polgar (5 DVDs now, another 5 to follow at some point), GM Yasser
Seirawan... Not sure about beginners' DVDs though.

I suggest that after the bank holiday you could contact
www.chessdirect.co.uk or www.chesscenter.com (whichever, if either, you
prefer).