Entertainment desk
< October 30	<< Sep \| October \| Nov >>	November 1 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

October 31[edit]

Chess sacrifices[edit]

Often in legendary games, such as the Immortal Game, the initial sacrifice gives the player a better position and initiative, but does not by itself win the game. The win also depends on subsequent good moves or even inaccuracies by the opponent. Are there examples of games where a high-profile player made a "brilliant" sacrifice but then the opponent used their superior material to regain advantage and win? --Qnowledge (talk) 04:52, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Qnowledge: This game collection at chessgames.com looks promising. Double sharp (talk) 10:04, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. Failed sacrifices must be very rare if only 4 such instances are contained in a database of over 964,000 games, although admittedly not all of them were played by top-level players. --Qnowledge (talk) 16:17, 6 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Qnowledge: Well, it is an unofficial collection by a user of the site, so I cannot exclude the possibility that there are others. If it is a real lack of frequency, then it may be partly because two things are being asked by your question: first a not-quite-accurate sacrifice must be played, and then the opponent must defang it. If we consider "brilliant" sacrifices that only worked in practice (theoretically they shouldn't have), then there are some more, e.g. Timman vs Ivkov or Jonasson vs Angantysson. Double sharp (talk) 19:30, 6 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Torture Garden piano music[edit]

What music does the murderous piano play after it pushed Barbara Ewing out of a window in Torture Garden? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 18:41, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Never seen it, but according to this blog the piano plays Chopin's Funeral March while pushing Barbara Ewing out. --Antiquary (talk) 19:35, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

It does, but then, as passers-by gather around the shattered body of its victim, it starts playing something lighter. DuncanHill (talk) 19:38, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I was wondering how you could have failed to recognize the Funeral March. -- Antiquary (talk) 21:55, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

DuncanHill Might you have a clip for reference? Maineartists (talk) 22:15, 31 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

[1] --Lambiam 11:21, 1 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Er, that's the trailer for the movie, but I doubt that's the music Duncan is looking for since it's mostly the aforementioned funeral march. Matt Deres (talk) 14:27, 1 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I downloaded the movie and tried Shazam, but it couldn't identify it. It struggles with reading music through earphones though. Matt Deres (talk) 14:37, 1 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I loaded it onto my laptop to play it through speakers, but Shazam still fails. I'm not sure exactly how Shazam works, but it might be failing because the music is not a formal recording; it appears to be played on screen. If the actor (or stand-in) was literally playing "live to tape", the algorithm might not recognize it. It's a shame I'm essentially tone deaf and have no hope of identifying it or transcribing it for others. I suppose I could do a short vid on my phone and email it to someone. Matt Deres (talk) 14:50, 1 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I could have a go. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:14, 1 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

The music is the central section, or Trio, from Chopin's Funeral March. The piece is in standard ABA form: The March, then the Trio, then the March is repeated. It would do you a world of good to listen to the whole piece; or, indeed, the whole Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor of which the Funeral March is the 3rd movement. Very spooky and enigmatic music. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 23:34, 2 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@JackofOz: Many thanks - I don't think I've ever heard more than the March before. DuncanHill (talk) 08:28, 4 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

You must get out more. :) -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 08:51, 4 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]