Final position ..in Chess.

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85_PorsheTurbo

There was a news story lately posted on U.S.chess, toward which I was directed by a miracle. The text described an honored member of Marshal Chess Club NY passing away, spending last days of his life with the clear aim to completely immerse himself in chess, accompanied by the author of the article. 

 

"I visited him in his hospital room almost daily after I got off from work, and, as with most hospitals, there is not much for two chess players to do, other than play chess. Soon, I started bringing in score sheets of my old games, my proudest games, and my most disappointing losses. He seemed to love combing through every single game without any condescension to me despite how blunderous some of the games were."

 

"Ilye was ultimately discharged from the hospital over to a hospice facility. With each of my subsequent visits to him at his hospice room it was clear his energy level and endurance was fading. I received regular voice messages from him on my cell phone asking me if I wanted to come by so he could teach me more chess. His wife, Cecilia, began contacting me more frequently to visit him to play chess, describing that he seemed to become unengaged and confused unless he was playing chess. Indeed, while in hospice, whenever I walked into his room our greetings became more and more distant. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure if he even remembered my face. But one thing was always consistent: whenever I began to unroll my chessboard and stand up the pieces – his eyes dilated, and he would quickly find strength to pull himself up. His wife told me when he is not playing chess, she was always more scared his life might slip away during this time. By now, Ilye did not care to talk much during my last few games with him. He always simply wanted to play or analyze." - https://new.uschess.org/news/im-ilye-figler-1947-2018/  Interesting motive.

A story so close to many heavy practitioners. People who know a thing or two about chess, somehow find the environment of ´64 suitable for their own death.  

There was an episode entitled "The Schizoid Man" in the Star-Trek TNG series season two. The plot was describing a cybernetics scientist so in love in his field of interest, that in face of terminal illness he eventually decided to perform an attempt of the risky, pioneering procedure of transferring his mind directly into to the cybernetic net of the visiting android.

The main thing of interest in the light of what´s described is the result of your own transfer into the final position of a chess game. The ultimate (static) position if you wish, where you could reflect YOURSELF using a chess pattern. 

The moment we are taking for it is NOW - the tool - a chessboard, along with the pieces - the breath is the last one - and it is a with life.

 

Only the first attempt is considered legit. All rest would be a disturbing fluctuation. The legal position is preferred. But not enforced. It is just more difficult. 

JFSebastianKnight

Chess & Death is a ponderous theme. 

To my knowledge, Ingmar Bergman's film, 'The 7th Seal', is the most famous and almost 'constitutive' reference for the theme (for modern times, at least).

There, something very interesting can be found about the Final Position Riddle.

 

Another famous and founding reference is Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner'.

This one is 'inspired' to an older science fiction novel by Philip Dick with the beautiful title: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'.

'Blade Runner' features (and arguably creates) that thematic triangle between Artificial Intelligence, Chess and... Death, you were hinting at in the comment you recently wrote for Captain Roaring Pawn's article about AlphaZero:

https://www.chess.com/blog/RoaringPawn/with-alphazero-and-its-inventor-demis-hassabis-chess-is-celebrating-its-own-demise

 

Obviously, the point of the Triangle is that, much like Death is... appears to be destined to win all of its simultaneous games, so apparently will the Computer. 

 

However, I am not sure this can be defined as a 'pleasing' and 'artistically' valid final solution for chess.

85_PorsheTurbo

Death appears to be destined to win all of its simultaneous games, so apparently will the Computer. -Hahah, Death would be proud.


I´ve listened to the audiobook of Phillip K. Dicks´ book not that long ago. This triangle theme you´ve connected has definitely rung a bell. Still covered in haze though.. As the story´s atmosphere itself was for me. -It was the main character's general attitude, and his wives, that portrayed a kind of agreed human concession to the force: of commanding circumstances spread wide above their heads, throughout the entire sky. (the sky consist "the future")

Can I count on your attempt at the topics main diagram? bk.png

(The positions´ nature is not expected to be any kind of a concluding state inside the game´s course. The themes - infinite. Such as us.)


Btw. This Bergman´s movie looks ...necessary. 

RoaringPawn

Death. Can picture say something about it? Can't find thousand words here

And Life. While we discuss Death, we need to bring into consideration what's on the opposite pole. Or it is a duality, instead?

85_PorsheTurbo

@Roaring, -yeah. Good remark. I would like to consider the potential position in a diagram wanted here actually a mark of life, left in a dead form. Nothing comes after it.

And look, nobody wants to give it a try. Even for fun. We are so serious about death. It almost holds us in its crippling grip already. 💀💀

JFSebastianKnight

85_PorsheTurbo

Ok, lol. Should I record the actual piece layout on the board as your ´outgoing´?

JFSebastianKnight

no unfortunately I suspect that someone may have meddled with the position muddled it up 

85_PorsheTurbo

Too bad, That is definitely one interesting approach. Whoever was there to manipulate those pieces.... got something big on his mind.

RoaringPawn

Here's a position of imminent (one move away), ultimate, chess ten-fold-check death

Reichhelm, 1882

JFSebastianKnight

Ce5++++++++++ ...and all the Kings are checkmated

85_PorsheTurbo

The arrival of the 4th Horsemen.. hmm.. Cavaliere di scacchi, you say.

"When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come and see!” I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." - Revelation 6:7-8

Maybe it was actually the Lion. @Roaring, you are talking mass scale. Let it be for you. My thanks. The courage must have came from the lion.

RoaringPawn

On a mass scale it is called a massacre.

And lions, tigers, whatever are not what they used to be

https://twitter.com/i/status/1073995525551284226

85_PorsheTurbo

Lol, an early attempt to conquer. 

I must emphasize though, whether you chosen this position consciously, or not. Whether you arranged it, or came with a template representation - it stands as a reflection of YOU. The rule applies here: No turn, and back, No going forward. So you (we) potentially have something to ponder about. @RoaringPawn

In fact, same thing must go for @bumiputra