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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| No move is a good move for the Guardian columnist 63 years in post | No move is a good move for the Guardian columnist 63 years in post |
| (30 days later) | |
| If chess column-writing were ranked, Leonard Barden would surely be grandest of grandmasters. He has written the Guardian’s column every week since September 1955. He has supplied a daily chess column to the Evening Standard since 1956 without a day missed except for Easter Fri/Mon, 25-26 December, and the Whitsun and August bank holidays. And since March 1974 he has written a chess column for the Financial Times weekly, except Christmas week. | If chess column-writing were ranked, Leonard Barden would surely be grandest of grandmasters. He has written the Guardian’s column every week since September 1955. He has supplied a daily chess column to the Evening Standard since 1956 without a day missed except for Easter Fri/Mon, 25-26 December, and the Whitsun and August bank holidays. And since March 1974 he has written a chess column for the Financial Times weekly, except Christmas week. |
| Intending to explore reasons for the strong international interest in the Guardian’s coverage of the recent chess world championship held in London, I emailed Barden partly to tap his knowledge. He courteously postponed – “I’ll reply late this evening, am rushed with deadlines right now.” | Intending to explore reasons for the strong international interest in the Guardian’s coverage of the recent chess world championship held in London, I emailed Barden partly to tap his knowledge. He courteously postponed – “I’ll reply late this evening, am rushed with deadlines right now.” |
| About half a million people around the world – notably in Europe, the US and India – were at times following the Guardian live blog of the 12 drawn matches and eventual tie-breaker victory of Norway’s Magnus Carlsen over Fabiano Caruana from the US. The online audience for Barden’s column quadrupled. | About half a million people around the world – notably in Europe, the US and India – were at times following the Guardian live blog of the 12 drawn matches and eventual tie-breaker victory of Norway’s Magnus Carlsen over Fabiano Caruana from the US. The online audience for Barden’s column quadrupled. |
| The Guardian’s sports editor, Will Woodward, says: “We liveblogged once in 2016 – the final, tie-break game – it did do very well (350k). This year, because of that, we started with liveblogging the first game, with an idea that we would liveblog the critical games and/or the last one if needed. The reaction to game one – over 300k – was such that we felt we should try and do every one. It involved a scramble ahead of the second game to sort this, and happily Bryan Armen Graham, our deputy sports editor in New York, who did the first one (and the only one in 2016), was able to do them all.” | The Guardian’s sports editor, Will Woodward, says: “We liveblogged once in 2016 – the final, tie-break game – it did do very well (350k). This year, because of that, we started with liveblogging the first game, with an idea that we would liveblog the critical games and/or the last one if needed. The reaction to game one – over 300k – was such that we felt we should try and do every one. It involved a scramble ahead of the second game to sort this, and happily Bryan Armen Graham, our deputy sports editor in New York, who did the first one (and the only one in 2016), was able to do them all.” |
| Woodward is still working out reasons for the popularity. “We are finding that a portion of our readers like to follow big events, rather than particular sports, wherever they come from – and this was the biggest event in chess. Carlsen himself is [a] pretty magnetic character and it looks like people feel pretty drawn to him. And there is no doubt that the amount of tech [that] chess experts and aficionados can bring to analysing the game in real time is pretty awesome now.” | Woodward is still working out reasons for the popularity. “We are finding that a portion of our readers like to follow big events, rather than particular sports, wherever they come from – and this was the biggest event in chess. Carlsen himself is [a] pretty magnetic character and it looks like people feel pretty drawn to him. And there is no doubt that the amount of tech [that] chess experts and aficionados can bring to analysing the game in real time is pretty awesome now.” |
| It seems only right to pay tribute to Barden’s sustained contribution. The sinews of newspapers are composed of his kind of commitment. The reliable regularity with which papers cover a diverse mix of life – not just the headline controversies – is an unremarked but important element of their value to society. | It seems only right to pay tribute to Barden’s sustained contribution. The sinews of newspapers are composed of his kind of commitment. The reliable regularity with which papers cover a diverse mix of life – not just the headline controversies – is an unremarked but important element of their value to society. |
| Barden, born August 1929, passed time playing chess in air-raid shelters during the second world war. The Guardian’s then chess correspondent, Julius du Mont, lived nearby and Barden began to help with the column, checking proofs and contributing bits. After du Mont’s death, the column became his. | Barden, born August 1929, passed time playing chess in air-raid shelters during the second world war. The Guardian’s then chess correspondent, Julius du Mont, lived nearby and Barden began to help with the column, checking proofs and contributing bits. After du Mont’s death, the column became his. |
| Barden was 1954 British champion and an England international. Did the column help his game? Research, yes; practical side, no. During the world championship he would receive the moves from Moscow via Teletype at United Press International in Fleet Street, type the game score, deliver to the Guardian, check proofs at 11pm, and take the 12.30am home from Victoria station. | Barden was 1954 British champion and an England international. Did the column help his game? Research, yes; practical side, no. During the world championship he would receive the moves from Moscow via Teletype at United Press International in Fleet Street, type the game score, deliver to the Guardian, check proofs at 11pm, and take the 12.30am home from Victoria station. |
| He says: “It was even worse at the British championship, where I phoned daily reports during the 7-8.30pm adjournment and on at least one occasion lost my chance of the title through trying to write and phone my report, analyse my unfinished game, and snatch a bite to eat. So no, writing for the Guardian didn’t overall help my playing results.” | He says: “It was even worse at the British championship, where I phoned daily reports during the 7-8.30pm adjournment and on at least one occasion lost my chance of the title through trying to write and phone my report, analyse my unfinished game, and snatch a bite to eat. So no, writing for the Guardian didn’t overall help my playing results.” |
| Chess: Fabiano Caruana seeks to overtake Magnus Carlsen as world No 1 | Chess: Fabiano Caruana seeks to overtake Magnus Carlsen as world No 1 |
| Technology has made great changes. Barden wrote several well-received books on openings. “But now most of the opening systems I recommended 50 years ago would be condemned as unsound by the machines,” he notes, without rancour. “Internet chess makes it possible now to play 20 or more online blitz games a week (which I still do) without inconvenience, and this is a major reason for the growing popularity of chess at all levels.” In a blitz game, players have three to five minutes to make all their moves. | Technology has made great changes. Barden wrote several well-received books on openings. “But now most of the opening systems I recommended 50 years ago would be condemned as unsound by the machines,” he notes, without rancour. “Internet chess makes it possible now to play 20 or more online blitz games a week (which I still do) without inconvenience, and this is a major reason for the growing popularity of chess at all levels.” In a blitz game, players have three to five minutes to make all their moves. |
| Barden has played and known several world champions. What sets the great apart from the very good? “All had in different ways an air of authority and certainty about them, all had the knack in analysis of quickly spotting and evaluating the key moments in a game, and allied to this a quality of confidence in their own accurate and objective judgments.” | Barden has played and known several world champions. What sets the great apart from the very good? “All had in different ways an air of authority and certainty about them, all had the knack in analysis of quickly spotting and evaluating the key moments in a game, and allied to this a quality of confidence in their own accurate and objective judgments.” |
| To check my estimate of his total Guardian columns, I emailed the years multiplied by weeks per year: “63 x 52 = 3,276, less a few holidays presumably?” | To check my estimate of his total Guardian columns, I emailed the years multiplied by weeks per year: “63 x 52 = 3,276, less a few holidays presumably?” |
| Barden’s reply: “63 x 52 + 8 Sept – 9 Dec, as stated no deductions.” | Barden’s reply: “63 x 52 + 8 Sept – 9 Dec, as stated no deductions.” |
| Checkmate. | Checkmate. |
| • Amended 11 December 2018 to add the reference to Barden’s Financial Times column. Unaware of it, I hadn’t asked him about it during our initial exchange, and modestly he hadn’t mentioned it. After publication he remembered, and let me know, that the daily column for the Evening Standard takes a break for the Whitsun bank holiday too. | • Amended 11 December 2018 to add the reference to Barden’s Financial Times column. Unaware of it, I hadn’t asked him about it during our initial exchange, and modestly he hadn’t mentioned it. After publication he remembered, and let me know, that the daily column for the Evening Standard takes a break for the Whitsun bank holiday too. |
| • Paul Chadwick is the Guardian’s readers’ editor | • Paul Chadwick is the Guardian’s readers’ editor |
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