'The ultimate test of cerebral fitness'
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has split the Russian chess world
Thoughts for the day
I mentioned yesterday that FIDE, the governing body for chess, said no official competitions or events would be held in Russia or Belarus in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
That Russian competitors, many of who have cozy relationships with Vladimir Putin, have come under scrutiny worldwide is something I have covered quite a bit in this space. It is particularly evident for U.S. readers in hockey, where the story surrounding Alex Ovechkin has gone from his historic pursuit of Wayne Gretzky to the fact that he has traditionally been a strong supporter of the Russian leader.
But there is something unique about chess, a sport long intertwined with Russia, finding itself torn over the invasion. A Wall Street Journal article looks at that in detail. The governing body is based in Russia, its head a former Russian Deputy Prime Minister. Russian chess grandmaster and former champion Garry Kasparov is a vocal Putin critic. Another former champion, Anatoly Karpov, voted for the invasion as an elected member of the Duma.
Few images evoke the Cold War-like chess. The chessboard symbolizes the world, leaders and spymasters moving the pieces, a grand strategy unfolding. The opening of the James Bond film “From Russia With Love” solidifies that image, the plot unfolding like a chess match, the plan instigated by the Czech grandmaster Kronsteen.
The battle between East and West played out in real life, as well. When Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky, it had the same impact as the “Miracle on Ice” — the American defeating the Soviets at their own game.
Heck, there was even a Cold War musical “Chess” about a love triangle between two grandmasters, one American and one Soviet. The musical is best known today for a song that got a lot of radio airplay — who could forget “One Night in Bangkok?”
With Putin’s goal of reestablishing the old Russian borders that existed prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall now in motion, it is easy to evoke memories of the Cold War, making the split in the Russian chess world almost poetic.
The Six
No. 1
Russian forces seized Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Friday. A fire in a training building at the plant that had the world on edge overnight was reported as extinguished and officials said the facility was safe. Meanwhile, fighting continued to intensify as the war entered its second week, Reuters reports.
No. 2
RT America is no more. Oliver Darcy reports a memo obtained by CNN said the Russian state-funded network would cease production and lay off most of its staff, a move the production company behind the network sees as permanent, a result of “unforeseen business interruption events." The pro-Putin network had been dropped from a number of platforms this week.
No. 3
The Wall Street Journal has an exclusive excerpt from former Attorney General William Barr’s new memoir recalling the beginning of the end of his time with the Trump Administration. Obviously told from the former A.G.’s point of view, it must be taken with a grain of salt, but for those who enjoy a look “behind the curtain,” this is a fascinating read.
No. 4
A restructuring at Ford will separate its electric and gas/diesel vehicles into separate divisions. Electric vehicles will come under Ford Model e, while traditionally-powered vehicles will fall under Ford Blue. According to Autoweek, the move was inspired in part by the success of the smaller teams that developed the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup.
No. 5
Hundreds of truckers are meeting up in my backyard today as protest convoys from New England and California join before making their way to the D.C.-area this weekend in a show of protest against pandemic-related government mandates.
No. 6
ESPN’s Buster Olney has an interesting analysis on How MLB, MLBPA must get their priorities straight as lockout looms over their sport. It’s an objective piece. Refreshing, given so many sports reporters seem to be in the players’ pockets in this mess.
Quote of the Day
“You do not have to wear those masks. I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything and we’ve gotta stop with this COVID theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.” — Gov. Ron DeSantis to students at the University of South Florida Wednesday.
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About
Christopher Six is a passionate advocate of community journalism with more than 30 years in the media, corporate communications and marketing. An award-winning designer, columnist, illustrator, photographer and newsroom leader, he is a respected voice in journalism ethics. A veteran reporter, he has created and taught news writing seminars for community colleges and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
Editor’s Note
Pick Six is published most Mondays-Fridays. Sharing of stories does not equal endorsement, however, personal thoughts and commentary on those stories are 100 percent my own.