Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile
Jonathan Rowson

@jonathan_rowson

Chess Grandmaster & 3-time British champion. Author. This is now a chess account. For philosophy, Perspectiva etc, see my Substack, The Joyous Struggle 🙏

ID: 337149339

linkhttps://substack.com/@jonathanrowson calendar_today17-07-2011 14:56:12

38,38K Tweet

13,13K Followers

5,5K Following

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

At this time of year, when we all wish each other happiness, it seems timely to share my New York Times opinion piece from five years ago called: *We don’t actually want to be happy* nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opi…

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Sad news on Robert Huebner, chess grandmaster & linguist, and my teammate in the Bundesliga. I wrote to him about the etymology of “gumption” and received a wonderful reply. I also remember when he told me, with glee, he was translating Homer’s Odyssey into Finnish. RIP 🙏

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Is the increasingly widespread EE wifi provision in the UK having the perverse effect of leading people to use more data? The wifi doesn’t always work but interferes, so I turn off wifi but I forget to turn it on at home/office and use more data than I otherwise would. Just me?

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

It's strange to watch modern #chess as a (more or less) retired Grandmaster. Yesterday's Pragg vs. Sarana game had bizarre moments. 8.Be2 followed by 9.Bd3 is so subtle as to be suspicious, and 13...g4? is a strategic mistake I would not expect of a 2270, never mind a 2670. 🙀

Garry Kasparov (@kasparov63) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Zelensky is a wartime leader watching his people suffer and die under Russian attacks every day. To be lectured and lied to by Trump and Vance, as they defend the war criminal dictator committing these atrocities, is unimaginable agony. An everlasting shame for America.

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Here's how I saw it: 1 Why not? Both underpromoted 8 pawns 2 Maybe not. To promote, a pawn must bypass its opposing pawn; meaning captures 3. 20 knights! 16 Ps + 4 Ns are involved 4 16 promotions required, but only 10 remaining pieces are 'edible' 5 The answer is probably no. 🤔

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Alas, AI indicates that the answer is yes. It is geometrically possible because even though there are only ten 'edible' pieces, enough captures can create two passed pawns, and that can be arranged. It's definitely not normal though!

Alastair McIntosh (@alastairmci) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Important and widely relevant on the mass demonstrations in Serbia, from Jonathan Rowson : "What do all these people want? The real demand is terrifying for those in power: "Can you please ensure that our institutions work as they are supposed to?" jonathanrowson.substack.com/p/whats-happen…

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

I took Vishnu(9) for a junior session at The Mind Sports Centre in London and was pleasantly surprised by their selection of vintage books. I may have bought a few… Who could resist Larsen’s invitation?

I took Vishnu(9) for a junior session at The Mind Sports Centre in London and was pleasantly surprised by their selection of vintage books. 

I may have bought a few…

Who could resist Larsen’s invitation?
Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Nearing the end of a holiday in St Ives, Cornwall, England. The chess set is mostly for Vishnu(9) but I confess it still makes me happy to look at it.

Nearing the end of a holiday in St Ives, Cornwall, England. The chess set is mostly for Vishnu(9) but I confess it still makes me happy to look at it.
Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Doing some tidying up. I came upon this gift I received last year. The bubbly was a thank you for two impromptu analysis sessions to a crowd of fifty or so at The London Junior Chess Championship. The note made me feel seen and appreciated and very glad to have gifted my time.

Doing some tidying up.

I came upon this gift I received last year. The bubbly was a thank you for two impromptu analysis sessions to a crowd of fifty or so at The London Junior Chess Championship. 

The note made me feel seen and appreciated and very glad to have gifted my time.
Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

“In a world that can seem shallow, chess meets a longing for depth. In a world that can feel lonely and confusing, chess offers the experience of shared meaning and mattering. In a world of shrill whataboutery, chess offers rule-bound intellectual clarity” open.substack.com/pub/grandmaste…

Jonathan Rowson (@jonathan_rowson) 's Twitter Profile Photo

I took Vishnu(9) & friend to a chess camp near Brompton Cemetery earlier today. I remembered that there is a famous chess player there - Johannes Zukertort (28.Qb4!!) - so we paid homage. Kudos to Stuart Conquest for his work in 2012 that led to restoring the gravestone.

I took Vishnu(9) & friend to a chess camp near Brompton Cemetery earlier today. I remembered that there is a famous chess player there - Johannes Zukertort (28.Qb4!!) - so we paid homage. 

Kudos to <a href="/stuthefox/">Stuart Conquest</a> for his work in 2012 that led to restoring the gravestone.