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White to move and mate in 4. Not too hard.
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In sort of chessy, but more philosophical and sociological, news there is an interesting piece at ChessBase by Norwegian philosopher Rune Vik-Hansen about the prevailing movement in chess for faster time controls: Here’s a taste…
[…]
Most urgent seems to be the fear of falling behind the zeitgeist, the social development and that we have to adapt to the times we live in, because today everything goes so much faster than before, where elite players as well increasingly participate in rapid tournaments, eventually also with not insignificant cash prizes. Countless are the analogies, metaphors and parallels between ‘chess and life’, but how far should they be stretched?
Question: Is the statement that chess must follow the spirit of the times and social development a premise in an argument not yet made or the conclusion of an argument not yet made?
Beyond the parish pump of chess, unclear is why everything has to go so fast, where the chase after ever shorter chess games in many ways reflects the rest of society’s development, where some take interest in an ever higher pace, in fact, to such an extent that one is hardly present in one’s own life, not to mention others’. Has the ‘time crunch’ or ‘time squeeze’ finally caught up with chess? Who initiate(s) the bustle in the first instance? Who is the unmoved mover, in the words of Aristotle? What, then, is the aim of this eternal rush? Where to? What is the goal? The plan? Does the hustle and bustle serve a higher purpose?
Paradoxically, man as a species, as is well known, is going nowhere, but rather than making the best of our allotted time, we try to live our lives to the end as soon as possible!? Obviously, who comes first wins, but what was the prize again? In philosophy, on the other hand, the winner comes in last (Wittgenstein (1889-1951)).
[…]
I don’t think I’ll accept his premise in that last paragraph.
In any event, settle in and read the whole thing while enjoying a nice glass of wine from the traditional Benedictine monks of Le Barroux, who have revived the ancient vineyards of the Avignon Popes.
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Wittgenstein was a silly man, and appears to have missed the point. As has the philosophical tiro citing him. It’s not so much about where we’re going as what we miss when we become hyper-focused on only one facet of excellence. Quickness of intellect and application of prudence (and physical deftness) certainly do constitute no small aspect of areté.
However, there is a pleasantness about prolixity, and a genuine aesthetic value to slow action. I dare say this is lost on many… but perhaps especially so on chess aficionados: they tend to be very interested in the mechanics of things, rather than the aesthetic value. When I do play chess, I play it as a kind of “experience” rather than as a game, per se. And so it’s quite natural that those who are more enamored by the procedural aspect of the game would value a swift match.
1. Rxg5+ Kh8
2. Bd4+ f6
3. Bxf6+ Qg7
4. Bxg7#
Norwegian philosophers talking about Wittgenstein, lol. Skål!