These ten thrashing candidate games were nominated for the membership vote in 2017. Registered Members Vote Here:
Thematic Challenge Voting Page

Fredthebear recommends amateurs play similar aggressive openings and learn how to attack, Attack, ATTACK!! The openings in these ten games are full of fight!! (Grandmasters may know/reference the best line to play from the theoretical books, but your local opponents probably will not, or cannot not remember what they studied because there are so many, many openings and variations to sort through.) Knowing how to attack will make you a better DEFENDER because you know what the opponent is looking for to crack your own position. So, advance your central pawns, develop your minor pieces rapidly, seize the initiative and become a great attacker. Transpose this acquired knowledge to the defense of your own king! (The castled king usually beats the uncastled king.)

It's also vitally important to realize when an attack would be pre-mature; it needs more preparation to be successful. Premature attacks, often by a faulty sacrifice without sufficient follow up, perhaps just one or two pieces attacking instead of the necessary three or four, are a good way to beat yourself. The opponent does not have to be creative in most such cases. S/he just plays logically and repels your mistimed threats. The biggest chess upset Fredthebear has ever personally witnessed occurred when the master impatiently played a sacrifice that was unsound, and his weaker opponent found the best response, then had an easy game from there on by trading down.

"Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the welder, the doctor, and the environmentalist -- not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist." ― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

Beginners should read the simple but necessary "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" for dual lessons in attacking and defending the king. (It does not cover openings.) You must see the threats in time! Chess is a "take aim" game of Checks, Captures and Pawn Promotions, as well as THREATS to Check, Capture or Promote on the next move or two. Fischer's book is a basic puzzle book that will easily instruct beginners what to look for when the king is under attack.

"The Chess Tactics Workbook" by Al Woolum is quite useful for students, teachers and club players. The notes in the back also include 30 aggressive king pawn miniatures to jump start your opening play. Train with Woolum's workbook on a daily basis, solving perhaps 3-5 pages per day and replaying the miniature games often. These miniatures are good examples of how to attack swiftly after a misstep by the opponent! After a few months of daily dedication from cover-to-cover and again, it's time for the next challenge. Follow up with "1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners: The Tactics Workbook that Explains the Basic Concepts, Too" by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa. That's plenty to chew on for awhile. Of course, there are many good puzzle books worthy of study, but some might be too difficult and discouraging. Amateurs cannot be expected to solve the spectacular positions from grandmaster games that most puzzle books include. The book selections listed here will allow the reader to experience success through regular home studies at the appropriate level of difficulty.

"Question the answers, I repeated every class. Reevaluate your conclusions when the evidence changes." ― Craig M. Mullaney, The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education

The algebraic reprint of the classic "The Art of (the) Checkmate" by Renaud & Kahn is another step in the learning process, but quite necessary, entertaining and informative. The aspiring chess player must develop pattern recognition and strike swiftly when the opportunity rises! Seek to use tactics and combinations to attack (and defend) until you finish off your opponent! "A First Book of Morphy" by Frisco Del Rosario will certainly increase your attacking skills. The phenomenal Paul Morphy could really whip up an attack, sustain the initiative, and finalize!!

Fredthebear believes it is better for amateurs, club players to read a chess book that is a bit too easy as opposed to a complex, overwhelming chore. When your tournament rating rises above 2000, tackle catalogues that are more in-depth. Difficult chess books tend to have lots of text and only a few diagrams. The number of pages matters not.

"Maxim 18:
If the officers are leading from in front, watch out for an attack from the rear.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries" ― Howard Tayler

At the opposite end of the chess spectrum is the endgame. The great Capablanca would argue that endgame studies should come first, and rightfully so...begin with the end in mind. There are three phases to a typical chess game of 40 moves or longer: 1) The Opening ten moves or more - deploy ALL your minor pieces, 2) Middlegame tactics and positional strategies, and... 3) The Endgame after ten or fewer exchanges have occurred and there is no danger to the king.

Checkmate (as well as perpetual check and stalemate) can theoretically occur in any of the three phases but typically does not happen quickly unless one side makes multiple mistakes against a strong player. Thus, the term endgame is a stage far more encompassing than the term checkmate; it's not the same thing.

The endgame arises after the opening and middlegame phases have played on without conclusion. The endgame focuses on creating and promoting a passed pawn to queen (or under promotion to a knight check and/or fork) and then delivering checkmate with the new piece. Replacing the far pawn with a new piece so late in the game on a mostly bare board adds overwhelming force.

"O it's Tommy this, and Tommy that, and Tommy 'ow's your soul/But it's thin red line of heroes when the drums begin to roll." ― Rudyard Kipling, Barrack Room Ballads & Departmental Ditties and Ballads

Yes, for a proper chess education the aspiring player absolutely must read some basic endgame chapters from introductory chess instruction books. Reserve these instructive books from your local library one by one, month after month. Sooner or later, every attacker meets a difficult foe that cannot be buffaloed. When your opponent is equal to the task of thwarting your attack in the opening and middlegame, you must shift gears to the proper endgame techniques.

Some algebraic notation books with instructive endgame chapters: - Beginning Chess/The Right Way to Play Chess by D.B. Pritchard - Chess Basics by David Levens
- Chess Made Easy by Milton L. Hanauer (out-of-print favorite) - Tips for Young Players by Matthew Sadler
- A World Champion's Guide to Chess by GM Susan Polgar & Paul Truong - Guide to Good Chess (12th printing) by C.J.S. Purdy - Chess/Win at Chess (Teach Yourself) by William R. Hartston - Learn Chess: A Complete Course by Alexander and Beach - Learn Chess in 40 Hours by Rudolph Teschner
- Chess Fundamentals (Re-printed Algebraic edition) by Jose Raul Capablanca. - Common Sense in Chess by Emanuel Lasker, New 21st Century Edition - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess (3rd edition) by Patrick Wolff - The Guide to Chess by Malcolm Pein
- Improve Your Chess in 7 Days by Gary Lane
- Win at Chess by Ron Curry
- Secrets of Practical Chess by John Nunn
- Chess Training by Nigel Povah
- Chess Strategy by Eduard Gufeld and Nikolai Kalienchenko - Tarrasch: The Game of Chess by Tarrasch 21st Century edition - Lasker's Manual of Chess by Emanuel Lasker 21st Century edition - My System by Nimzowitsch 21st Century edition

The books listed above contain endgame chapters with more information than typical beginner's books that show elementary checkmates of the lone king but little else. The above list is generally given in progressive difficulty, so start at/near the top. The Susan Polgar/Paul Truong guidebook has 30 instructive endgame positions to be memorized -- the minimal amount of understanding necessary, so advanced beginners and intermediates should not skip it. This is MUST KNOW stuff!

"I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any treat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within." ― Douglas MacArthur

There is no need to purchase these books. Students can request book reservations through the sharing interlibrary loan program. (First, you will need to provide proof of address and get your free library card in order to reserve materials.) Your local library may not carry many chess books on its shelves, but it can borrow them for you. Just be aware that many chess books have similar titles that might be confusing, so be sure to request the correct author.

Once you read chapter after chapter after chapter and know the fundamental endgame principles and positions by heart, read a couple endgame manuals dedicated entirely to the endgame. Re-read your endgame manuals once or twice every year. It will pay lasting dividends well worth your effort over the course of your chess career. The reader should purchase his favorite endgame manual to have it on hand at all times.

Introductory endgame manuals for the intermediate and club player include: - Easy Endgame Strategies by Bill Robertie (2 "Basic" books in 1.) - Pandolfini's Chess Challenges: 111 Winning Endgames by Bruce Pandolfini. This is a crafty pocket puzzle book. - Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Muller. Good information is good information; it's not just for kids. - End Games in Chess by Theo Schuster. Small, cheap, good! - Pandolfini's Endgame Course by Bruce Pandolfini. One lesson per page. Insert bookmark and solve one crease per day, every day and review yesterday's crease. That's 4 lessons on 4 pages in 8-12 minutes per day; you'll slowly but systematically work your way through the entire book by season's end. You read a snip of it every day like the Bible. - Improve Your Endgame Play by Glenn Flear. Intermediates will like this book. His other endgame books are way more advanced and would follow down below this list. - Endgame Play by Chris Ward. He's a fine all-around author! - Concise Chess Endings by Neil McDonald. FTB prefers McD's smaller series over the Seirawan series. - Winning Chess Endings by Yasser Seirawan. His popular series is a bit too expensive, but the information is good. - Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge (3rd Edition) by Yuri Averbakh - Chess Endgame Quiz by GM Larry Evans. Evans was an American champion and underappreciated author who helped Bobby Fischer. - Capablanca's Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games by Irving Chernev. This was written in Descriptive notation. FTB just had to mention it!! - 100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player by Jesus de la Villa. Don't judge a book by its cover, but the title fits the book this time. - Essential Chess Endings: The tournament player's guide by James Howell. Some folks swear by this book as their EG bible. - Endgame Challenge by Lou Hayes. One more self-test before the "practical" EG books. You're a talented EG player by now. - Practical Chess End Games Hardcover – 1972 by David Hooper - Practical Endgame Tips by Edmar Mednis (Q & A edition is fine.) - Practical Endgame Play by Neil McDonald
- Practical Chess Endings by Paul Keres. This classic is more advanced, but covers the basics too. It is a standalone from start to finish that can make you a master in the endgame! - Lars Bo Hansen, Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy

Endgame knowledge is stable, lasting and somewhat universally applied to multiple arrangements. It does not change with popularity like openings do. The endgame has its own specific concepts and principles. General endgame factors include king advancement vs. restriction, pawn majorities, outside passed pawn, square of the pawn, rook pawn exceptions, the wrong-colored bishop, blockade, connected passed pawns, pawn breakthroughs, control of the promotion square, diagonal and distant opposition, triangulation, shouldering, fortress, waiting moves, zugzwang, sacrifices to allow/prevent promotion, B vs. N, opposite colored bishops, minors vs. R, building a bridge, Q vs. R, and various drawing methods (blunders waiting to happen) re-occur often. Once you gain conceptual understanding, it is a chess skill that will apply over and over and over in your evenly matched games as material forces dwindle. Even when behind on material, your endgame knowledge may help draw a position that was otherwise lost, saving you half-a-point in the standings. After all, a scheming draw is way better than a loss.

"America's finest - our men and women in uniform, are a force for good throughout the world, and that is nothing to apologize for." ― Sarah Palin

Experience has shown that the weakest aspect of the typical American chess player is his/her endgame fundamentals. Certain principles and techniques are unique to the endgame. Dedicated students of the endgame can seize a significant advantage late in the game to conclude a hard-fought battle! It's like having an extra gear to pull ahead at the finish line of a close race.

The art of exchange is not discussed much in some chess books, but the lasting impact of an apparently "equal" trade can be crucial to the flow and eventual outcome of the game. An understanding of superior endgame positions will factor in for wiser decision-making when trade opportunities arise in the middle game. Each exchange brings the endgame closer. If ol' Fredthebear has no sound attack, he knows how to simplify the position and drag the younger hot shot tacticians out to deep water in the endgame where a simple, wasteful, harmless looking pawn move can give away a free square or fatal tempo. A mistake in the endgame often has permanent consequences (cannot be corrected) on the path to defeat.

In the meantime, thrust those central pawns forward, bring out your minor pieces, prepare to castle and play aggressively in the opening...attack, Attack, ATTACK!! (Attack IF you have a lead in piece development and the opponent has a weakness.)

* There are intelligent endgame chapters and manuals written in the older descriptive notation which FTB learned from that are not in these lists simply because of the notation. (Many modern-day students won't read descriptive notation, but they should. It's merely jargon shorthand... "Pawn to king's four" is on the king's original file, etc.) Descriptive books by I.A. Horowitz and Frank J. Marshall put FTB on the right path to chess success in the endgame! Two similar, versatile descriptive books worthy of mention are 1) Chess the Easy Way by Reuben Fine, and 2) The MacMillan Handbook of Chess by Horowitz & Reinfeld. Both give 10 tips on the Opening, Middlegame, and Endgame. Their equal is one of the most undervalued, virtually forgotten chess books: Chess Made Simple by Milton L. Hanauer. If every chess book would cut to the chase like Mr. Hanauer's book (which has its own lists), there would not be so many chess books!

"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy." ― John F. Kennedy

* Nowhere did FTB suggest that you read ALL these books. Just pick a few from each group. Don't leave the endgame chapters until you're completely comfortable with that material. You should be able to look at the diagrams a second or third time and visualize the finishing moves. It should become rather routine, ordinary for your thought process so you're eager to confidently steer games toward the endgame when your attack is stalled. One day, you might come to appreciate the middlegame Minority Attack on the queenside (outside passer) as much as the king hunt.

"Civilians are like beans; you buy 'em as needed for any job which merely requires skill and savvy. But you can't buy fighting spirit."
― Robert A. Heinlein

* Yes, FTB deliberately left out the books of two well-known authors who target amateurs because the material in their other books is not reliable, and one has a belittling, sour puss tone toward amateur players that he attempts to profit from. It turns out the IM was not as smart as he thought he was. (Now FTB is sounding like the IM.) Vanity is not appealing. Always be humble and kind, modest and helpful, honest and trustworthy, respectful and responsible, for we are but a speck of sand in time.

* Endgame Workshop by Bruce Pandolfini probably belongs on this page. The positions given in a Pandolfini book are always worthwhile in a fundamental sense. Have you read his ABC's of Chess? It goes deeper than the ABCs.

* John Nunn is a fine endgame author for strong, experienced players. Lev Alburt material book after book seems good, but FTB has not read the entire series through. If you're not winning local chess tournaments, you're probably not ready for all their (Nunn/Alburt) material. FTB has no complaints about their introductory books which are too thorough, dense for some tastes, making such a fine read for advanced beginners and intermediates. Again, it's better to read a chess book that is a bit too easy rather than one that is too challenging, discouraging. The idea is to read reputable books in a short amount of time (one or two weeks) so it can do your chess brain some good! However, sooner or later you have to step up your studies and tackle meatier material if you want to increase your understanding of the finer details.

"There were many, many times thereafter that Don regretted having enlisted - but so has every man who ever volunteered for military service." ― Robert A. Heinlein, Between Planets

* Alas, heed Lasker's observation: "More chess games are lost by not applying what you already know, than by what you don't know." (FTB is paraphrasing, but it's real close to the original quote.)

"Heroism doesn't always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history. Sometimes a chicken can save a man's life." ― Mary Roach, Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War

* Understand that misprint typos occur in every chess book. A wrong letter or number can cause confusion because it gives the appearance of being in order but does not make sense. Recognize that your frustration might mean that you're simply wrong -- something was overlooked, OR there might be a typographical error throwing you off-course. Sometimes a piece is missing from the diagram, or placed on the wrong square. Sometimes Black has a defensive resource (such as declining the sacrifice) that the author did not consider, so the author is partially wrong. When you come across a position that seems absolutely unsolvable, think for another minute or two. Look at each and every unit again. Where all can it go? It helps to identify all the absolute pins on board that limit mobility. Is there a discovered attack that establishes a check, lineal cut-off, or pin? Is castling still possible? Did you consider every possible legal move, including the ones that seem to be foolish giveaways? If the position still appears not possible, look up the correct solution in the back. Don't make it torcher on yourself! Stop, and look up the answer! Either you get it, or you don't, but keep moving along; it's no big deal as long as you gave it an honest effort. Sometimes you will be able to identify an occasional mistake in the book -- which gives you a new sense of chess confidence! Write a (?) beside the diagram as an indicator that something seems amiss. When FTB thinks he's found a better move than the actual solution given, he writes the move in the answer notes. The next time you read the book, the position in question might make sense, or it might truly be a typographical error that you've come across. All chess books contain a few errors here and there. Don't make yourself miserable in pursuit of correctness and come to hate the book for it. Just mark the typo and move along.

"The participation of women in some armies in the world is in reality only symbolic. The talk about the role of Zionist women in fighting with the combat units of the enemy in the war of 5 June 1967 was intended more as propaganda than anything real or substantial. It was calculated to intensify and compound the adverse psychological effects of the war by exploiting the backward outlook of large sections of Arab society and their role in the community. The intention was to achieve adverse psychological effects by saying to Arabs that they were defeated, in 1967, by women." ― Saddam Hussein, The Revolution and Woman in Iraq

A New England June
by Bliss Carman

These things I remember

Of New England June,

Like a vivid day-dream

In the azure noon,

While one haunting figure

Strays through every scene,

Like the soul of beauty

Through her lost demesne.

Gardens full of roses

And peonies a-blow

In the dewy morning,

Row on stately row,

Spreading their gay patterns,

Crimson, pied and cream,

Like some gorgeous fresco

Or an Eastern dream.

Nets of waving sunlight

Falling through the trees;

Fields of gold-white daisies

Rippling in the breeze:

Lazy lifting groundswells,

Breaking green as jade

On the lilac beaches,

Where the shore-birds wade.

Orchards full of blossom,

Where the bob-white calls

And the honeysuckle

Climbs the old gray walls;

Groves of silver birches,

Beds of roadside fern,

In the stone-fenced pasture

At the river's turn.

Out of every picture

Still she comes to me

With the morning freshness

Of the summer sea, —

A glory in her bearing,

A sea-light in her eyes,

As if she could not forget

The spell of Paradise.

Thrushes in the deep woods,

With their golden themes,

Fluting like the choirs

At the birth of dreams.

Fireflies in the meadows

At the gate of Night,

With their fairy lanterns

Twinkling soft and bright.

Ah, not in the roses,

Nor the azure noon,

Nor the thrushes' music,

Lies the soul of June.

It is something finer,

More unfading far,

Than the primrose evening

And the silver star;

Something of the rapture

My beloved had,

When she made the morning

Radiant and glad,—

Something of her gracious

Ecstasy of mien,

That still haunts the twilight,

Loving though unseen.

When the ghostly moonlight

Walks my garden ground,

Like a leisurely patrol

On his nightly round,

These things I remember

Of the long ago,

While the slumbrous roses

Neither care nor know.

<Voyage of the Heart
A voyage not just of maps and charts,
But a journey of the heart.
Where every wave and every tide,
Brings stories of the ocean wide.>

"There is no jewel in the world comparable to learning; no learning so excellent both for Prince and subject, as knowledge of laws; and no knowledge of any laws so necessary for all estates and for all causes, concerning goods, lands or life, as the common laws of England." ― Sir Edward Coke

"Without integrity and honor, having everything means nothing." ― Robin Sharma

"I am no longer cursed by poverty because I took possession of my own mind, and that mind has yielded me every material thing I want, and much more than I need. But this power of mind is a universal one, available to the humblest person as it is to the greatest." ― Andrew Carnegie

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us." ― Winston S. Churchill

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." ― Edmund Burke was an Irish statesman, philosopher, and writer who lived from 1729 to 1797

"It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." ― Edmund Burke was an Irish statesman, philosopher, and writer who lived from 1729 to 1797

"If you're playing with the best, you just rise up to that level." ― Tony Goldwyn

"There is nothing that disgusts a man like getting beaten at chess by a woman." ― Charles Dudley Warner

"No one ever won a chess game by betting on each move. Sometimes you have to move backward to get a step forward." ― Amar Gopal Bose

"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well." ― Jack London

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." ― Jesus Christ

"Life is like a game in which God shuffles the cards, the devil deals them and we have to play the trumps." ― Yugoslavian Proverb

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." ― William Shakespeare

"In life, as in chess, forethought wins." ― Charles Buxton

"What we play is life." ― Louis Armstrong

<Sea of Dreams
On waves of dreams, sailors ride,
With hopes as vast as the ocean wide.
Each journey unique, a tale to tell,
In the heart of the sea, where wonders dwell.>

"As long as I can focus on enjoying what I'm doing, having fun, I know I'll play well." ― Steffi Graf

Capablanca was among the greatest of chess players, but not because of his endgame. His trick was to keep his openings simple, and then play with such brilliance in the middlegame that the game was decided - even though his opponent didn't always know it - before they arrived at the ending. ― Robert Fischer

The ideal in chess can only be a collective image, but in my opinion it is Capablanca who most closely approaches this... His book was the first chess book that I studied from cover to cover. Of course, his ideas influenced me. ― Anatoly Karpov

With his death, we have lost a very great chess genius who's like we shall never see again. ― Alexander Alekhine (on Capablanca)

Alekhine was the rock-thrower, Capablanca the man who made it all seem easy. ― Hans Ree

Fig trees eat wasps by forcing them inside the fruit. A fig tree tricks a certain species of wasps to pollinate it, sending it down a small passage in the fruit where its wings are ripped off, after which it is digested by enzymes.

* Fool's Mate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oR...

* 1st Chess Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVp...

* 1st Chess Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuw...

* 1st Chess Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIM...

* Smith-Morra Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOZ...

* Two Great Attackers: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* Ladder Checkmate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXz...

* Anderssen - Steinitz Match: Anderssen - Steinitz (1866)

* Amazing talent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2V...

* Analog clocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZY...

* A10 King Hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H0...

* Opening Tactics 4B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS...

* Top 3 Easiest Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbP...

* Top 5 En Passant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWA...

* Ten famous checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z-...

* Top 10 plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxB...

* 12-year-old PM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhG...

* 15-year-old BF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jc...

* 15 facts? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVg...

* Vienna 1903 KG games: Game Collection: Vienna 1903

* One of Pandolfini's Best: Game Collection: Solitaire Chess by Bruce Pandolfini

* Basic tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10I...

* Beauty Prize: Game Collection: Les Prix de Beauté aux Echecs (I)

* Bishop pair checkmate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPY...

* Bad Bishops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7w...

* Bad habits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubu...

* Body language: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0fUg...

* Brutal Attacking Chess: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

* Brilliancies: Game Collection: brilliacies

* CG Biography: Aryan Tari

* Radmilla Cody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2...

* Chessmaster Games: Game Collection: Chessmaster '86

* C11 French, Steinitz, Boleslavsky variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUO...

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

* Italian Games: Game Collection: Italian Game

* Italian, Giuoco Piano by Alexander Petroff (not his Russian Game): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhL...

* Crazies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAM...

* Cross-check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih6...

* Crush the Sicilian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jf...

* C-K Examples: Game Collection: Caro Kann Lines

* C21-C22 miniatures: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Danish Gambits: Game Collection: Danish Gambit Games 1-0

* Dance partner: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HpPP...

* Del's: Game Collection: Del's hidden gems

* Don't forget...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAi...

* DYI bubbles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGT...

* Elo Rating System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLX...

* Everything? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igd...

* En Passant Mate: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...

* Frank Marshall - Edward Lasker 1923 Match:
Game Collection: Marshall -- Ed. Lasker 1923 match

* Chess in old newspapers: https://www.schach-chess.com/chess-...

* Fastest checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMe...

* It's a Fake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz2...

* Glossary P: https://www.peoriachess.com/Glossar...

* Aggressive Gambits: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* Against strange openings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3p...

* Game changer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKL...

* Hans On French: Game Collection: French Defense

* Happy Days! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slv...

* How to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydn...

* How to play chess! http://www.serverchess.com/play.htm...

* How to play by the rules: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydn...

* How to play your first moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mb...

* How to play the center fork trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms4...

* How to castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dL...

* How to play against the Vienna Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVS...

* How to find tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4c...

* How to attack the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liq...

* How to play touch-move OTB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPM...

* How to trap pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaz...

* How to beat the London system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DU...

* How to simplify: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fk...

* How to blunder less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tis...

* How to break out of jail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gs...

* How to defend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIq...

* How to draw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neb...

* How to draw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDg...

* How to play the C-K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE5...

* How to calculate deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaU...

* How to create a plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMu...

* How to exchange sacrifice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYG...

* How to convert EG advantages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91L...

* How dumb is it? Game Collection: Diemer-Duhm Gambit

* How to play the Englund Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCK...

* How to spot Knight forks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB6...

* How to play fast chess reasonably: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xi...

* How to play the French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6b...

* How to combine your pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyj...

* How Fischer beat the French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr5...

* How to give back material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYd...

* How to play the Kitchen Sink Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qky...

* How to surprise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzq...

* How to play the Scandinavian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMS...

* How to trick 'em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtR...

* How to win: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_z...

* How to win in 12 moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP7...

* How to lose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpL...

* How to squeeze like Karpov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eM...

* How high? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M2...

* 1.h4?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mva...

* h-file attacks: Game Collection: h-file Attacks, some Greek Gifts by Fredthebear

* Humans are smarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d42...

* Imagination: Game Collection: Imagination in Chess

* Immortal Games: Game Collection: Immortal games

* Javed's way: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

* Kostya Tszyu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0n...

* King to King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5R...

* King's Indian Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr5...

* King Pawn Theory and Practice: Game Collection: Chess Openings: Theory and Practice, Section 1

* Surprise Knockouts: Game Collection: quick knockouts of greats

* King's Gambit start-up: Game Collection: Batsford's MCO 14 King's Gambit

* King Bishop's Gambit: Game Collection: rajat21's kings gambit

* KG Video: Game Collection: Foxy Openings - King's Gambit

* GM Gallagher is an author:
Game Collection: 0

* Uncommon KP Gambits: Game Collection: Unusual Gambits

* Volo plays the KP faithfully: Volodymyr Onyshchuk

* LG - White wins: Game Collection: Latvian Gambit-White wins

* The Lion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgI...

* Lasker's Manual: Game Collection: Manual of Chess (Lasker)

* Mona Lisa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJi...

* Nelson Mandela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj0...

* Collection assembled by Fredthebear.

* Miniatures: Game Collection: 200 Miniature Games of Chess - Du Mont (III)

* Mosquitoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKu...

* Most common tactic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgA...

* Magic rubbers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=001...

* Masaka kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRm...

* Mountain Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st9...

* Names and Places: Game Collection: Named Mates

* Nuremberg 1896: Nuremberg (1896)

* Nunn's Chess Course: Game Collection: Lasker JNCC

* NM Alice Lee's palace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO5...

* New 7 wonders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcH...

* No more fraction confusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hG...

* Opening Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZm...

* Old P-K4 Miniatures: Game Collection: Games for Classes

* Top 5 Attacking Principles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9v... me part of my chess flesh and blood. - Tigran Petrosian

* Become a Predator at the Chessboard: https://www.chesstactics.org/

* Monday Puzzles: Game Collection: Monday Puzzles, 2011-2017

* POTD 2023: Game Collection: Puzzle of the Day 2023

* Popeye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZ...

* Poisoned Pawn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGV...

* Ponziani Games: Game Collection: PONZIANI OPENING

* Pawn Promotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGI...

* Pressure Points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnh...

* Queen puzzles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfQ...

* Queen puzzles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfQ...

* QGD: https://www.modern-chess.com/chess-...

* Chess Records: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/record...

* Reach 1800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrK...

* Katar's Repertoire: Game Collection: An Opium Repertoire for White

* 5 Ruy Lopez traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_...

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Rook endgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkM...

* Kasparov talks Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l_...

* Smothered Mate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxJ...

* Sacrificing your bishop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_t...

Sea's Serenade
A serenade of waves and wind,
A melody that's ever been.
In every sailor's heart it plays,
A song of seas, of olden days.

* Stafford Gambit tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9...

* Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iDUA...

* Sidewalk playin': https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

* Scandinavian Miniatures: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Seven Minutes: French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRU...

* Sicilian Alapins: Game Collection: Alapin

* GK Sicilians: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* Sicilian Trix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2V...

* Slime recipes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_V...

* Save the endgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGz...

* Terms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6b...

* Tartakower Defense: https://www.chess.com/blog/MatBobul...

* TIP: Click on the e8 square to see a computer engine analysis of the position.

* Triangulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH3...

* Top 5 Bishop Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wX...

* 5 Pawn endings U must know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdU...

* Uni Knot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xu...

* Ultimate K&P endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jab...

* Underpromotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvW...

* UnderStanding: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dfvi...

* Psychic Uri Geller? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3v...

* Best Walkoffs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBt...

* Wedgie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNG...

* When to not castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cto...

* Women defend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbF...

* World Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTz...

* Yaz vs Tiant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oci...

* Zwischenzug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U9...

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

* Mr. Harvey's Puzzle Challenge: https://wtharvey.com/

Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it. — Voltaire

Je ne suis pas d'accord avec ce que vous dites, mais je d‚fendrai jusqu'... la mort le droit que vous avez de le dire/ I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. — Voltaire

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too. — Voltaire

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us — Voltaire

Give me the patience for the small things of life, courage for the great trials of life. Help me to do my best each day and then go to sleep knowing God is awake. — Voltaire

Have you seen Elmo, Big Bird, Count von Count, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Grover, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, and Oscar the Grouch?

Johnnie Crack And Flossie Snail
by Dylan Thomas

Johnnie Crack and Flossie Snail
Kept their baby in a milking pail
Flossie Snail and Johnnie Crack
One would pull it out and one would put it back.

O it's my turn now said Flossie Snail
To take the baby from the milking pail
And it's my turn now said Johnnie Crack
To smack it on the head and put it back.

Johnnie Crack and Flossie Snail
Kept their baby in a milking pail
One would put it back and one would pull it out
And all it had to drink was ale and stout
For Johnnie Crack and Flossie Snail
Always use to say that stout and ale
Was good for a baby in a milking pail.

St. Luke

A game of chess, even played by dilettantes, is an austere metaphor of life and a struggle for life, and the chess player's virtues—reason, memory, and invention—are the virtues of every thinking man. The stern rule of chess, according to which a piece that was touched must be moved and it is not permissible to redo a move of which one repents, reproduces the inexorability of the choices of the living. When your king, as a result of your inexperience, lack of attention, imprudence, or the opponent's superiority, is ever more closely threatened … cornered and finally transfixed, you cannot fail to perceive a symbolic shadow beyond the chess board. You are living a death; it is your death, and at the same time it is a death for which you are guilty. —Primo Levi, "The Irritable Chess Players"

"The first place you need to look is the last place you saw it." — Digger Manes, Moonshiners

"The journey is its own reward." — Homer

Riddle Question: I'm a mobile fortress; straight is my path. When it comes to castling, I'm part of the craft. What am I?

The Beslan School Siege remains one of the most tragic events in recent history. On September 1, 2004, armed terrorists took over 1,100 people hostage, including 777 children, at School Number One in Beslan, Russia. This horrific event lasted three days and ended in a devastating firefight. The siege resulted in the deaths of 334 hostages, 186 of whom were children. The attackers demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. The crisis highlighted severe security lapses and led to significant changes in Russian counter-terrorism policies.

Riddle Answer: Rook

The Two Bulls and the Frog

Two bulls engaged in shocking battle,
Both for a certain heifer's sake,
And lordship over certain cattle,
A frog began to groan and quake.
"But what is this to you?"
Inquired another of the croaking crew.
"Why, sister, don't you see,
The end of this will be,
That one of these big brutes will yield,
And then be exiled from the field?
No more permitted on the grass to feed,
He'll forage through our marsh, on rush and reed; And while he eats or chews the cud,
Will trample on us in the mud.
Alas! to think how frogs must suffer
By means of this proud lady heifer!"
This fear was not without good sense.
One bull was beat, and much to their expense;
For, quick retreating to their reedy bower,
He trod on twenty of them in an hour.

Of little folks it often has been the fate
To suffer for the follies of the great.

Chessgames.com will be unavailable March 13, 2025 from 12:00PM through 12:20PM ET for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Q: What kind of ship has two mates but no captain?

A: A relationship.

My Wage
by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.

"Bears are not companions of men, but children of God." — Charles Muir

"Clever bears think of everything." — Randal Case

"Bears project a mighty physical presence and a capacity for action. They are smart—something that often becomes apparent the moment you come face-to-face with one." — Charles Fergus

This poem is dedicated to all Caissa members who strive to checkmate their opponents.

The Aroused Bishop

Whispered the pawn to the curious knight
You jump one square up and two to the right
On the diagonal where our queen lays in wait.
I will move up from b-seven to b- eight.
On the opposite side, no, no screamed the queen
Realizing she should have been heard not seen.
Because there, only hidden partially by the walls She saw him standing juggling his little balls.
The bishop so aroused by all of this inter-play
Could not, no he could not help but howlingly say: Oh, oh sweet queen you are mine for the take
While your checkmated king will burn at the stake.

According to Chessmetrics, Emanuel Lasker was #1 for longer than anyone else in history: 292 different months between June 1890 and December 1926. That's a timespan of 36 1/2 years, in which Lasker was #1 for a total of 24 years and 4 months. Lasker was 55 years old when he won New York 1924.

"Just because you know stuff doesn't mean you are smart... You have to know how to use that information." ― Josh Keller

"Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

"Whatever you are doing in the game of life, give it all you've got." — Norman Vincent Peale

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." — Ralph Marston

"A wise man never knows all; only a fool knows everything." — African Proverb

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