The ultimate chess game
Some say Tuesday's presidential election was decided on Sunday when the Washington
DC American football team lost. For the past 16 straight elections, when the
Washington Redskins lose their last home game before an election, the incumbent
President loses. On Sunday they lost to something called the Green Bay Packers,
so clearly we will have President Kerry in 24 hours. Call us superstitious,
but that method can't be any less bizarre than the American electoral college
system.
One of the dozens of annoying cliches during this campaign was calling
the election "chess versus checkers." Kerry, the intellectual elitist
who loves complex problems and pondering deeply over subtleties. Bush, the simple,
plainspoken and decisive everyman. There is some derivative truth to this analogy
when you look at the electoral map. Checkers (draughts) has always been most
popular in the American South and Midwest, both Bush strongholds. Kerry will
sweep the North-east, where most American chessplayers reside.
On the other hand, we take this metaphor as something of an insult to checkers
players. The game is far more complicated than most people think, and American
checkers legend Marion Tinsley certainly deserves better than to be grouped
with a man who cannot pronounce "nuclear." We've always thought of
George W as a tic-tac-toe man for sure. Maybe this will change when checkers
is finally solved by our friend Jonathan Schaeffer.
Now we have even more insight into the race for "leader of the free world,"
thanks to the hastily formed Chessplayers for Kerry. Though they are
disguised in this photo for fear of Ashcroftian reprisal, we have nevertheless
identified these ringleader/analysts. They are none other than three-quarters
of the silver medal-winning US women's Olympiad team. (After all, gold is for
Republicans.)
Chessplayers for Kerry? Silver medallists Jennifer Shahade, Anna Zatonskih,
Irina Krush. Photo by French-speaking Canadian Pascal Charbonneau, a de facto
subversive.
They bring us this exclusive score and analysis of a game between President
Bush and John Kerry. You can replay and download the game here.
| George W.,Bush - Kerry,John [A00]
Election 2004
Chessbase presents a super rare, until now secret chess game
between George W. Bush and John Kerry. The thrust and analysis of the
game is totally fair and balanced. (sponsored by Chessplayers for Kerry)
Comments by the players are in quotation marks.
1.h4 1...e6 2.h5 d6 3.Rh4 Qxh4 4.a4 Nf6 5.a5 Ng8
"The difference between the president and I is that while he makes
irrevocable pawn moves, I correct myself when I have moved my knight to
the wrong square. Which is worse?"
6.Ra4 Qxa4 (D1) G.W's highly
unusual twin tower sacrifice has left his position in shambles. After
recognizing the tragic loss, his formidable team of seconds seize the
opportunity to begin an unprecedented attack (relayed to Bush via hidden
wire), which they call "Operation Cowboy"
7.Nc3
Qd4 8.b3 c6 9.Na4
In his comments to his unusual knight maneuver, Bush says : "My
army is in mortal danger from the Rook on a8. We cannot wait for the Rook
to explode, destroying our entire army instantly, but must immediately
begin preemptive measures."
9...Nh6 10.Nb6 axb6 11.axb6 (D2)
"Did I make a mistake in the last couple moves? I don't think so...If
I had to do it all over again, i wouldn't change a thing."- G.W.
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11...Ng8
12.Nf3 Qg4 13.d3 Nf6 14.e4 Nbd7
(ed note- Here Karl Rove placed a rook on h4 when Kerry wasn't looking,
thus trapping the black queen.)
15.Rh4!!?? Be7 16.Rxg4 Nxg4 17.Ke2 (D3)
"Time to develop my King! Screw the little people."
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17...0-0
18.d4 e5! Starting to play like a President.
19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Kd3 Nc5+ 21.Kc4 Be6+ 22.Kb4 Nxe4+ 23.Qd6 Bxd6# 0-1
(D4)
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And
John Kerry wins!
(Fox news contests Kerry's victory, failing to acknowledge checks delivered
by black pieces.)
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