It may be hard to imagine nowadays, but there was a time that British trains were reputable.1 So when British rail launched an advertisement depicting its intercity service as a calm, soothing experience, it didn’t seem quaint at all. And they really do make it look nice and relaxing! While soft, background music is playing, we see a woman reading a newspaper, a couple playing card, someone reading a novel — and even an old man playing chess with his presumed grandson.
The man has a magnificent beard, a seat on a quiet train, and a willing chess partner, so he has more or less achieved everything he could hope for. Or has he? What if he has lost a piece somewhere? What if his king is completely exposed? What if somehow he ended up in a French defence position?
It’s hard to say, as we don’t see the position very clearly. Here’s my best attempt at a reconstruction, but it does not include the two final ranks nor white’s king’s side, as any attempt at reconstructing those:would be more an attempt at invention.2
I do fear the pawn is really on b1. From one angle, it is obvious the black bishop is on b4, and from another angle it is clear the pawn is three squares away from it.
The boy has just made a move somewhere on the king’s side; possibly Bf6, possibly Qf3. The old man gives him an inscrutable look,3 and we cut to a black bishop and a white knight sharing a sigh of contentment. Probably because this nightmare of a commercial is over now.
Realism: 0/5 There are no signs of realism here. People happy and quiet in a train that’s not too busy?! Surely this is science fiction!
Probable winner: Who knows? Not the British train traveller,3 that’s for sure.
1. [Then again, there was even a time that Belgian chess was reputable!] ↩
2. [And inventions have already been perfected by Bach.] ↩
3. [Although.with a higher resolution and a more convenient angle we could probably scrute it easily.] ↩
4. [The British trainee, I guess you’d call him.] ↩