Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-7-2017

For once … 

For once, last night … ?

I didn’t actually watch a TV show.

Ahem!

I have to admit to having had the day off, yesterday.

Which … went … very … 

Slowly … 

And actually had me thinking an early night was a good idea.

Which — for once — was rather nice!

Not that I’m feeling any less tired … 

But there you go … !

~≈Ÿ≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* put in her answers: scoring ten out of ten in the process.   The day ALSO saw Olga† looking in to say ‘¡Ola!’

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) Ram Baran Yadav was named as President: on 21st July, 2008.   President of where?

Q2) The HMS Hermes returned to the UK on 21st July, 1982.   It had led a British task-force that had been where?

Q3) The James-Younger Gang — led by Jesse James — committed its first successful train robbery on 21st July.   Of which year?

Q4) Which country got partitioned into northern and southern halves: on 21st July, 1954?

Q5) Finally … the first human to set foot on the moon, did so at 02:56 GMT, on the 21st July, 1969.   Who was he?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) Today is World Chess Day.   Chess is played on a board made up of how many squares?
A1) Sixty-four.   (64.)

Q2) How many pieces are there, at the start of a game of chess?
A2) Thirty-two.   (32.)

Q3) How many pieces does each player start with?
A3) Sixteen.   (16.)

Q4) Each player has eight … what?
A4) Pawns.

Q5) Those pieces are usually black … or what?
A5) White.

Q6) Kings can move in any direction.   How many square at a time, can a king move?
A6) One.

Q7) Swapping the positions of the king and a rook is called what: wrangling, crowing or castling?
A7) Castling.

Q8) Which piece moves diagonally?
A8) The bishop.   (I’m not necessarily going to accept ‘pawn,’ here: as pawns only capture diagonally.)

Q9) If the king — the key piece — is threatened with capture, this is known as what: check, cheque or checkers?
A9) Check.

Q10) Finally … A player loses a game of Chess, if his king cannot avoid capture.   This is known as … what?
A10) Checkmate.   (Supposedly, it comes from the Persian term, ‘Sham mat’: ‘the king’s dead!’)

I’ll leave you with a tune … 

And a thought …

“Ever since the Reformation, there’s a sense in which the road to atheism was paved not with science, but with religious intentions.”
Jonathan Miller, born 21st July, 1934.

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        You know, I honestly didn’t think of it, Debbi: even though I use that “We’re all pawns, me dear,” line from Arrival in one of the Teaser intros!   What CAN I tell you, Debbi?   Apart from “Enjoy Thud!”?   (Sir Terry actually came up with a board-game for it: called Thud.   I’ve got a copy, somewhere: it’s based on a chess-like Norse game.)

†        Oh, I know what you mean, THERE, Olga!   I’ve quite a pile, myself!   But Man in the High Castle appeals: I’ve read the book, many years ago, and have always liked alternative history.   (Apparently, the guys behind Game of Thrones have a alternative history series on the go: it’s causing a stink, already …)