6 Pirc/Lion/Czech Highlights

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Kibitzing

6 Pirc/Lion/Czech Highlights
Compiled by fredthebear

This collection was compiled by GumboGambit. Chessmaster contributed 16 Lion games as well. Thank you GumboGambit and Chessmaster! Regrouping has taken place.

Victories by Black playing Pirc versions (1.d6 2. Nf6). These would include Mainline/Modern (g6, Bg7), Lion (e5, Nd7), and Czech (c6), variations.

For the most part, the opposition is either GM-level or similar skill level to that of Black. Fischer, Karpov and Kasparov are among the victims. This is to show that the system can work even against strong competition.

* Black ...d6 Resources: Game Collection: 1...d6. A very interesting opening with no name

* Old Indian by Day, Old Indian at Night:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Roger that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

"The only way to change anything in Russia is a revolution" ― Daniil Dubov https://en.chessbase.com/post/dubov...

Never judge a book by it's cover.

"What is the object of playing a gambit opening? To acquire a reputation of being a dashing player at the cost of losing a game." — Siegbert Tarrasch

"Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart. Don't be concerned about whether people are watching you or criticizing you. The chances are that they aren't paying any attention to you. It's your attention to yourself that is so stultifying. But you have to disregard yourself as completely as possible. If you fail the first time then you'll just have to try harder the second time. After all, there's no real reason why you should fail. Just stop thinking about yourself." — Eleanor Roosevelt

"It doesn't require much for misfortune to strike in the King's Gambit, one incautious move, and Black can be on the edge of the abyss." — Anatoly Karpov

Without technique it is impossible to reach the top in chess, and therefore we all try to borrow from Capablanca his wonderful, subtle technique. - Mikhail Tal

It was impossible to win against Capablanca; against Alekhine it was impossible to play. – Paul Keres

Whereas Anderssen and Chigorin looked for accidental positions, Capablanca is guided by the logicality of strong positions. He values only that which is well-founded: solidity of position, pressure on a weak point, he does not trust the accidental, even if it be a problem-like mate, at the required moment he discovers and carries out subtle and far-sighted combinations... - Emanuel Lasker

"My passions were all gathered together like fingers that made a fist. Drive is considered aggression today; I knew it then as purpose." ― Bette Davis

"Chess is a sport. The main object in the game of chess remains the achievement of victory." ― Max Euwe

"It is a profound mistake to imagine that the art of combination depends only on natural talent, and that it cannot be learned." ― Richard Reti

"The most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move." ― David Bronstein

"In chess, as in life, a man is his own most dangerous opponent." — Vasily Smyslov

"Old habits die hard, especially for soldiers." ― Jocelyn Murray, The Roman General: A Novel

"The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal." — Criss Jami

Thank you whiteshark!

* Caviar: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Online safety: https://www.entrepreneur.com/scienc...

* Philidor's Legacy: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I2Xm...

Bearly Thinking: https://www.etsy.com/listing/972054...

The thought crossed my gentle mind that CGs needs some additional avatar variance of figures like Emory and Andrew Tate, Tani Adewumi, James Black Jr., Ambakisye Osayaba, Tom "Murph" Murphy, and Pontus Carlsson, Taahir Levi, Praggy and Pentala Harikrishna, Nihal Sarin, Adhiban Baskaran, Manuel Aaron, and Juan Carlos González Zamora, María Teresa Mora Iturralde, Daniela De la Parra, Alejandra Guerrero Rodríguez, Azarya Jodi Setyaki, Medina Warda Aulia, Errol Tiwari, Elshan Moradiabadi, Joey Razo, Collette McGruder, Diamond Shakoor, Phiona Mutesi, Jessica Hyatt, Jean-Pierre and Koneru Humpy, Tania Sachdev, Rout Padmini and Hou Yifan and Zhao Xue, Medhat Moheb, Yao Ming and Awonder Liang, Jeffery Xiong and Liem Le, Li Chao and the like. Our avatars are rather lily silly; not everybody looks like Smith, Jones, Thomas, or Mikhail.

On the other hand, we definitely need some redheads too (Anna Rudolf, Isla Fisher, Jude Acers, Prince Harry, Ed Sheeran)!! I'd say at least a dozen redheads, some with and without beards. Some Canadians too!

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

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

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

* Everlasting L4U: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jNMN... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ObeV...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZuGb...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pruD...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qQxO...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T21_...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zako...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9nvJ...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dSom...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7U_C...

* 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

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

* Ponziani Games: Game Collection: PONZIANI OPENING

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

* Volo plays the KP faithfully: Volodymyr Onyshchuk

* 20 Various Italian Games: Game Collection: Italian Game

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

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

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

* GK: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

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

* Hans On French: Game Collection: French Defense

* Alapins: Game Collection: Alapin

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

* Only in blitz (and not in public!): Opening Explorer

* Online safety: https://www.entrepreneur.com/scienc...

* Flip the Finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWH...

"Once in a lobby of the Hall of Columns of the Trade Union Center in Moscow a group of masters were analyzing an ending. They could not find the right way to go about things and there was a lot of arguing about it. Suddenly Capablanca came into the room. He was always find of walking about when it was his opponent's turn to move. Learning the reason for the dispute the Cuban bent down to the position, said 'Si, si,' and suddenly redistributed the pieces all over the board to show what the correct formation was for the side trying to win. I haven't exaggerated. Don Jose literally pushed the pieces around the board without making moves. He just put them in fresh positions where he thought they were needed. Suddenly everything became clear. The correct scheme of things had been set up and now the win was easy. We were delighted by Capablanca's mastery." ― Alexander Kotov

"Capablanca had that art which hides art to an overwhelming degree." ― Harry Golombek

"I have known many chess players, but only one chess genius, Capablanca." ― Emanuel Lasker

"I think Capablanca had the greatest natural talent." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Funny, funny Jude (The Man in the Red Beret). You play with little pieces all day long, and you know what? You'll live to be an old, old man someday. And here I am." — Janis Joplin

Jude Acers set a Guinness World Record for playing 117 people in simultaneous chess games on April 21, 1973 at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, Oregon. On July 2-3, 1976 Jude played 179 opponents at Mid Isle Plaza (Broadway Plaza) in Long Island, New York for another Guinness record.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Maximo wrote:

My Forking Knight's Mare
Gracefully over the squares, as a blonde or a brunette, she makes moves that not even a queen can imitate. Always active and taking the initiative,
she likes to fork.
She does it across the board,
taking with ease not only pawns, but also kings, and a bad bishop or two.
Sometimes she feels like making
quiet moves,
at other times, she adopts romantic moods,
and makes great sacrifices.
But, being hers a zero-sum game,
she often forks just out of spite.
An expert at prophylaxis, she can be a swindler, and utter threats,
skewering men to make some gains.
Playing with her risks a conundrum,
and also catching Kotov's syndrome.
Nonetheless, despite having been trampled
by her strutting ways
my trust in her remains,
unwavering,
until the endgame.

"Chess is played with the mind and not with the hands." ― Renaud & Kahn

"Chess is a terrific way for kids to build self-image and self-esteem." ― Saudin Robovic

"Chess is a sport. The main object in the game of chess remains the achievement of victory." ― Max Euwe

"Life is like a chess. If you lose your queen, you will probably lose the game." ― Being Caballero

"In chess, as in life, a man is his own most dangerous opponent." — Vasily Smyslov

"If you wish to succeed, you must brave the risk of failure." — Garry Kasparov

"You win some, you lose some, you wreck some." — Dale Earnhardt

"In life, unlike chess the game continues after checkmate." ― Isaac Asimov

<The Fooles Mate

Black Kings Biſhops pawne one houſe.
White Kings pawne one houſe.
Black kings knights pawne two houſes
White Queen gives Mate at the contrary kings Rookes fourth houſe> — Beale, The Royall Game of Chesse-Play

Beale's example can be paraphrased in modern terms where White always moves first, algebraic notation is used, and Black delivers the fastest possible mate after each player makes two moves: 1.f3 e6 2.g4 Qh4#

There are eight distinct ways in which Fool's Mate can be reached in two moves. White may alternate the order of f- and g-pawn moves, Black may play either e6 or e5, and White may move their f-pawn to f3 or f4.

"Chess is life in miniature. Chess is a struggle, chess battles." — Garry Kasparov

"Sometimes in life, and in chess, you must take one step back to take two steps forward." — IM Levy Rozman, GothamChess

So much, much, much better to be an incurable optimist than deceitful and untrustworthy.

"Don't blow your own trumpet." — Australian Proverb

Old Russian Proverb: "Scythe over a stone." (Нашла коса на камень.) The force came over a stronger force.

"Continuing to play the victim is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Blaming others for your station in life will indeed make you a victim but the perpetrator will be your own self, not life or those around you." — Bobby Darnell

<"Sestrilla, hafelina
Jue amourasestrilla
Awou jue selaviena
En patre jue

Translation:

Beloved one, little cat
I love you for all time
In this time
And all others">
― Christine Feehan

"One of the supreme paradoxes of baseball, and all sports, is that the harder you try to throw a pitch or hit a ball or accomplish something, the smaller your chances are for success. You get the best results not when you apply superhuman effort but when you let the game flow organically and allow yourself to be fully present. You'll often hear scouts say of a great prospect, "The game comes slow to him." It means the prospect is skilled and poised enough to let the game unfold in its own time, paying no attention to the angst or urgency or doubt, funneling all awareness to the athletic task at hand." — R.A. Dickey

<<<Tips to calm down> Here are some helpful, actionable tips you can try the next time you need to calm down.>

1. Breathe
"Breathing is the number one and most effective technique for reducing anger and anxiety quickly," says Scott Dehorty, LCSW-C, of Delphi Behavioral Health.

When you're anxious or angry, you tend to take quick, shallow breaths. Dehorty says this sends a message to your brain, causing a positive feedback loop reinforcing your fight-or-flight response. That's why taking long, deep calming breaths disrupts that loop and helps you calm down.

There are various breathing techniques to help you calm down. One is three-part breathing. Three-part breathing requires you to take one deep breath in and then exhale fully while paying attention to your body.

Once you get comfortable with deep breathing, you can change the ratio of inhalation and exhalation to 1:2 (you slow down your exhalation so that it's twice as long as your inhalation).

Practice these techniques while calm so you know how to do them when you're anxious.

2. Admit that you're anxious or angry
Allow yourself to say that you're anxious or angry. When you label how you're feeling and allow yourself to express it, the anxiety and anger you're experiencing may decrease.

3. Challenge your thoughts
Part of being anxious or angry is having irrational thoughts that don't necessarily make sense. These thoughts are often the "worse-case scenario." You might find yourself caught in the "what if" cycle, which can cause you to sabotage a lot of things in your life.

When you experience one of these thoughts, stop and ask yourself the following questions:

Is this likely to happen?
Is this a rational thought?
Has this ever happened to me before?
What's the worst that can happen? Can I handle that?
After you go through the questions, it's time to reframe your thinking. Instead of "I can't walk across that bridge. What if there's an earthquake, and it falls into the water?" tell yourself: "There are people that walk across that bridge every day, and it has never fallen into the water."

4. Release the anxiety or anger
Dehorty recommends getting the emotional energy out with exercise. "Go for a walk or run. Engaging in some physical activity releases serotonin to help you calm down and feel better."

However, you should avoid physical activity that includes the expression of anger, such as punching walls or screaming.

"This has been shown to increase feelings of anger, as it reinforces the emotions because you end up feeling good as the result of being angry," Dehorty explains.

5. Visualize yourself calm
This tip requires you to practice the breathing techniques you've learned. After taking a few deep breaths, close your eyes and picture yourself calm. See your body relaxed, and imagine yourself working through a stressful or anxiety-causing situation by staying calm and focused.

By creating a mental picture of what it looks like to stay calm, you can refer back to that image when you're anxious.

6. Think it through
Have a mantra to use in critical situations. Just make sure it's one that you find helpful. Dehorty says it can be, "Will this matter to me this time next week?" or "How important is this?" or "Am I going to allow this person/situation to steal my peace?"

This allows the thinking to shift focus, and you can "reality test" the situation.

"When we're anxious or angry, we become hyper-focused on the cause, and rational thoughts leave our mind. These mantras give us an opportunity to allow rational thought to come back and lead to a better outcome," Dehorty explains.

7. Change your focus
Leave the situation, look in another direction, walk out of the room, or go outside.

Dehorty recommends this exercise so you have time for better decision making. "We don't do our best thinking when anxious or angry; we engage in survival thinking. This is fine if our life is really in danger, but if it isn't life threatening, we want our best thinking, not survival instincts," he adds.

8. Have a centering object
When you're anxious or angry, so much of your energy is being spent on irrational thoughts. When you're calm, find a "centering object" such as a small stuffed animal, a polished rock you keep in your pocket, or a locket you wear around your neck.

Tell yourself that you're going to touch this object when you're experiencing anxiety or frustration. This centers you and helps calm your thoughts. For example, if you're at work and your boss is making you anxious, gently rub the locket around your neck.

9. Relax your body
When you're anxious or angry, it can feel like every muscle in your body is tense (and they probably are). Practicing progressive muscle relaxation can help you calm down and center yourself.

To do this, lie down on the floor with your arms out by your side. Make sure your feet aren't crossed and your hands aren't in fists. Start at your toes and tell yourself to release them. Slowly move up your body, telling yourself to release each part of your body until you get to your head.

10. Drop your shoulders
If your body is tense, there's a good chance your posture will suffer. Sit up tall, take a deep breath, and drop your shoulders. To do this, you can focus on bringing your shoulder blades together and then down. This pulls your shoulders down. Take a few deep breaths.

You can do this several times a day.

11. Identify pressure points to calm anger and anxiety Going for a massage or getting acupuncture is a wonderful way to manage anxiety and anger. But it's not always easy to find time in your day to make it happen. The good news is, you can do acupressure on yourself for instant anxiety relief.

This method involves putting pressure with your fingers or your hand at certain points of the body. The pressure releases the tension and relaxes your body.

One area to start with is the point where the inside of your wrist forms a crease with your hand. Press your thumb on this area for two minutes. This can help relieve tension.

12. Get some fresh air
The temperature and air circulation in a room can increase your anxiety or anger. If you're feeling tense and the space you're in is hot and stuffy, this could trigger a panic attack.

Remove yourself from that environment as soon as possible and go outside — even if it's just for a few minutes.

Not only will the fresh air help calm you down, but also the change of scenery can sometimes interrupt your anxious or angry thought process.

13. Fuel your body
Being hangry never helps. If you're hungry or not properly hydrated, many relaxation techniques won't work. That's why it's important to slow down and get something to eat — even if it's just a small snack.

Try nibbling on some dark chocolate. ResearchTrusted Source shows it can help boost brain health and reduce stress.

Wash it down with a cup of green tea and honey. Studies show green tea can help reduce the body's stress response. Research has found that honey can help relieve anxiety.

14. Chew gum
Chewing on a piece of gum can help reduce anxiety (and even boost mood and productivity). In fact, research shows people who chew gum regularly are typically less stressed than non-gum chewers.

15. Listen to music
The next time you feel your anxiety level cranking up, grab some headphones and tune in to your favorite music. Listening to music can have a very calming effect on your body and mind.

16. Dance it out
Get moving to your favorite tunes. Dancing has traditionally been used as a healing art. ResearchTrusted Source shows it's a great way to combat depression and anxiety and increase quality of life.

17. Watch funny videos
Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Research has found that laughing provides therapeutic benefits and can help relieve stress and improve mood and quality of life. Do a quick internet search to find funny videos for an instant mood boost.

18. Write it down
If you're too angry or anxious to talk about it, grab a journal and write out your thoughts. Don't worry about complete sentences or punctuation — just write. Writing helps you get negative thoughts out of your head.

19. Squeeze a stress ball
When you're feeling stress come on, try interacting with a stress-relief toy. Options include:

stress ball
magnetic balls
sculpting clay
puzzles
Rubik's cube
fidget spinner

20. Try aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, or the use of essential oils, may help alleviate stress and anxiety and boost mood. Those commonly used in aromatherapy include:

bergamot
cedarwood
chamomile
geranium
ginger
lavender
lemon
tea tree
Add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser, or mix it with a carrier oil (like coconut oil) and apply to your skin for quick relief.

21. Seek social support
Venting to a trusted friend, family member, or coworker can do wonders. Even if you don't have time for a full play-by-play phone call, a quick text exchange can help you let it all out and help you feel heard.

Bonus points if you engage with a funny friend who can help you laugh for added stress relief.

22. Spend time with a pet
Interacting with your favorite furry friend can decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and lower blood pressure. Quality time with a pet can also help you feel less alone and boost your overall mood.>

"....his countrymen, Kolisch and Steinitz, are greatly indebted for their later success to their having enjoyed early opportunities of practicing with the departed amateur whose death is also greatly deplored amongst all who knew him personally." — Wilhelm Steinitz, regarding Karl Hamppe

The first appearance of the (John) Cochrane gambit against Petrov's defense C42 was in the year 1848 against an Indian master Mohishunder Bannerjee.

"Sorry don't get it done, Dude!" — John Wayne, Rio Bravo

"Gossip is the devil's telephone. Best to just hang up." — Moira Rose

pages 24-25 of The Year Book of the United States Chess Federation 1944 (Chicago, 1945), which published ‘Brave Heart', Anthony Santasiere's tribute to Frank J. Marshall. Written in August 1942 for Marshall's 65th birthday, it began:

Brave Heart –
We salute you!
Knowing neither gain nor loss,
Nor fear, nor hate –;
But only this –
To fight – to fight –
And to love.

Santasiere then gushes on in a similar vein for another 40 lines or so, and we pick up the encomium for its final verse:

For this – dear Frank –
We thank you.
For this – dear Frank –
We love you!
Brave heart –
Brave heart –
We love you!

The Wolf Accusing The Fox Before The Monkey

A wolf, affirming his belief
That he had suffered by a thief,
Brought up his neighbour fox –
Of whom it was by all confessed,
His character was not the best –
To fill the prisoner's box.
As judge between these vermin,
A monkey graced the ermine;
And truly other gifts of Themis
Did scarcely seem his;
For while each party plead his cause,
Appealing boldly to the laws,
And much the question vexed,
Our monkey sat perplexed.
Their words and wrath expended,
Their strife at length was ended;
When, by their malice taught,
The judge this judgment brought:
"Your characters, my friends, I long have known, As on this trial clearly shown;
And hence I fine you both – the grounds at large To state would little profit –
You wolf, in short, as bringing groundless charge, You fox, as guilty of it."

Come at it right or wrong, the judge opined
No other than a villain could be fined.

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

The Three Kings By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day, For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell, And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast, And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.

"Of the child that is born," said Baltasar, "Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews."

And the people answered, "You ask in vain;
We know of no King but Herod the Great!"
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, "Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new king."

So they rode away; and the star stood still,
The only one in the grey of morn;
Yes, it stopped—it stood still of its own free will, Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was born.

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard, Through the silent street, till their horses turned And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard; But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred, And only a light in the stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little child in the manger lay,
The child, that would be king one day
Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body's burying.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone,
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David's throne.

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.

The first chess legend, called the wheat and chessboard problem, illustrates the power of exponential growth.

The first chess movie, called Chess Fever, was a silent comedy released in 1925 in the Soviet Union.

The word checkmate comes from the Persian phrase shah mat, meaning "the king is helpless".

The Lion Beaten By The Man

A picture once was shown,
In which one man, alone,
On the ground had thrown
A lion fully grown.
Much gloried at the sight the rabble.
A lion thus rebuked their babble:
"That you have got the victory there,
There is no contradiction.
But, gentles, possibly you are
The dupes of easy fiction:
Had we the art of making pictures,
Perhaps our champion had beat yours!"

Fools look to tomorrow. Wise men use tonight. ~ Scottish Proverb

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." ― Denis Waitley

Amanda Kay wrote:

Checkmate
You were my knight
Shining armor
Chess board was our home
Queen's fondness you garnered
A kiss sweeter than honeycomb

Q: What do you call someone who draws funny pictures of cars? A: A car-toonist.

Q: What do you call a magician on a plane?
A: A flying sorcerer.

Q: What do you call fruit playing the guitar?
A: A jam session.

Q: What do you call the shoes that all spies wear? A: Sneakers.

Q: What do you call something you can serve, but never eat? A: A volleyball.

Q: What did the alien say to the garden?
A: Take me to your weeder.

Q: What do you call a skeleton who went out in freezing temperatures? A: A numb skull.

Q: What do you call a farm that grows bad jokes? A: Corny.

* Pawn Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUq...

* Crafty Endgame Trainer: https://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-...

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, "Don Quixote"

Cajun: Joie de vivre (Jhwa da veev) – Joy of living.

"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." ― William Faulkner

"Sometimes in life, and in chess, you must take one step back to take two steps forward." — IM Levy Rozman, GothamChess

So much, much, much better to be an incurable optimist than deceitful and untrustworthy.

Old Russian Proverb: "Scythe over a stone." (Нашла коса на камень.) The force came over a stronger force.

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." ― Leonardo da Vinci

"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.

French Proverb: "Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard." ― (Nothing should be left to chance.)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Isaiah 66:24
24 "And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'

<chess writer and poet Henry Thomas Bland.

Another example of his way with words is the start of ‘Internal Fires', a poem published on page 57 of the March 1930 American Chess Bulletin:

I used to play chess with the dearest old chap,
Whom naught could upset whatever might hap.
He'd oft lose a game he might well have won
But made no excuse for what he had done.
If a piece he o'erlooked and got it snapped up He took it quite calmly and ne'er ‘cut up rough'.>

'Ask no questions and hear no lies

* The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy by Irving Chernev - https://lichess.org/study/KMMrJvE1

* Legendary: Game Collection: The 12 Legendary Games of the Century

* Knight Power: https://fmochess.com/the-power-of-t...

'Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer

The Words Of Socrates

A house was built by Socrates
That failed the public taste to please.
Some blamed the inside; some, the out; and all
Agreed that the apartments were too small.
Such rooms for him, the greatest sage of Greece!

"I ask," said he, "no greater bliss
Than real friends to fill even this."
And reason had good Socrates
To think his house too large for these.
A crowd to be your friends will claim,
Till some unhandsome test you bring.
There's nothing plentier than the name;
There's nothing rarer than the thing.

Fools look to tomorrow. Wise men use tonight. ~ Scottish Proverb

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Be slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him. ~ Scottish Proverb

Modern
Korchnoi vs Azmaiparashvili, 1996
(B06) Robatsch, 32 moves, 0-1
Mainline Bayonet Attack Be2, h4, 0-0-0
Sax vs H Kestler, 1974
(B07) Pirc, 27 moves, 0-1
Mainline Chinese Variation Be2, g4-g5
V Kovacevic vs Seirawan, 1980
(B07) Pirc, 33 moves, 0-1
Mainline vs Bg2, Ne2 Unclosed
M Bjelajac vs A Planinc, 1977
(B07) Pirc, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline Bg2, Ne2 vs Black Double Fianchetto
Milov vs V Beim, 1991
(B07) Pirc, 28 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Szabo vs Pirc, 1962
(B07) Pirc, 56 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Blatny vs Jansa, 1986
(B07) Pirc, 36 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
A Gavrilov vs Tseshkovsky, 2001
(B07) Pirc, 21 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Ganguly vs Azmaiparashvili, 2004
(B07) Pirc, 29 moves, 0-1
Unorthodox
Gelfand vs Azmaiparashvili, 2001
(B07) Pirc, 41 moves, 0-1
Modern
S Garcia Martinez vs A Planinc, 1973
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 42 moves, 0-1
Mainline
A Beliavsky vs V Beim, 1998
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 43 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Huebner vs V Beim, 1998
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 90 moves, 0-1
Mainline
R Toran vs Pirc, 1954
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 33 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Karpov vs Azmaiparashvili, 1983
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Razuvaev vs Azmaiparashvili, 1985
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 40 moves, 0-1
Mainline
M Illescas vs Azmaiparashvili, 1989
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 42 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Gligoric vs Azmaiparashvili, 1989
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 46 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Petursson vs Tseshkovsky, 1989
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 35 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Lobron vs Seirawan, 1981
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 42 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Ljubojevic vs Timman, 1978
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 26 moves, 0-1
Mainline
A Beliavsky vs Timman, 1988
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Sutovsky vs Z Tan, 2014
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 48 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Fischer vs Korchnoi, 1962
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 33 moves, 0-1
Mainline
A Beliavsky vs Anand, 1991
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 28 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Ljubojevic vs S Marangunic, 1977
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 37 moves, 0-1
Mainline
R Fontaine vs M Leski, 1997
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 57 moves, 0-1
Lion's Jaw Destroys White
T Hillarp Persson vs Azmaiparashvili, 2003
(B07) Pirc, 23 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
M P Dreyer vs A F Ker, 1983
(B07) Pirc, 38 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
T Rahman vs D Norwood, 1990
(B07) Pirc, 29 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
V Priehoda vs K Mokry, 1993
(B07) Pirc, 73 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
C Thomson vs Speelman, 1993
(B07) Pirc, 57 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
M Heidenfeld vs N Mitkov, 2001
(B07) Pirc, 45 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
G Golovchenko vs O Biti, 2001
(B07) Pirc, 63 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
E Schmittdiel vs Ftacnik, 2004
(B07) Pirc, 44 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
I Gromova vs M Klinova, 2007
(B07) Pirc, 25 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
C Natsidis vs Z Jovanovic, 2007
(B07) Pirc, 59 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
A Kireev vs A Moskalenko, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 57 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
E Moradiabadi vs T Markowski, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 41 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
J Regam vs Lenderman, 2011
(B07) Pirc, 27 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
M Cuhra vs J Pribyl, 2012
(B07) Pirc, 67 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
A Necevski vs M Lazic, 2013
(B07) Pirc, 31 moves, 0-1
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B07) 0-1
R Swinkels vs R Pruijssers, 2013
(B07) Pirc, 43 moves, 0-1
Lion (Exchange)
Robson vs T Gelashvili, 2013
(B07) Pirc, 37 moves, 0-1
Lion
A Lastin vs Azmaiparashvili, 2004
(B07) Pirc, 53 moves, 0-1
Lion
J Polgar vs Azmaiparashvili, 2003
(C41) Philidor Defense, 41 moves, 0-1
Lion
C Balogh vs Azmaiparashvili, 2008
(C41) Philidor Defense, 30 moves, 0-1
Lion
Larsen vs J Barendregt, 1959
(C41) Philidor Defense, 23 moves, 0-1
Lion
Velimirovic vs A Planinc, 1972
(C41) Philidor Defense, 27 moves, 0-1
Lion
Velimirovic vs V Komliakov, 1995
(C41) Philidor Defense, 29 moves, 0-1
Lion
Movsesian vs S Berezjuk, 1995
(C41) Philidor Defense, 36 moves, 0-1
Lion
L Mkrtchian vs T Gelashvili, 2001
(C41) Philidor Defense, 33 moves, 0-1
Lion
K Haznedaroglu vs T Gelashvili, 2002
(C41) Philidor Defense, 33 moves, 0-1
Lion
M Al Sayed vs Jobava, 2003
(C41) Philidor Defense, 11 moves, 0-1
Lion
R Felgaer vs Jobava, 2004
(C41) Philidor Defense, 42 moves, 0-1
Lion
Kudrin vs H Hamdouchi, 2004
(C41) Philidor Defense, 42 moves, 0-1
Lion
K Asrian vs D Bocharov, 2007
(C41) Philidor Defense, 27 moves, 0-1
Lion
N Kosintseva vs D Bocharov, 2009
(C41) Philidor Defense, 36 moves, 0-1
Lion
R Felgaer vs A Strikovic, 2005
(C41) Philidor Defense, 43 moves, 0-1
Lion
Z Zhang vs C S Matamoros Franco, 2008
(C41) Philidor Defense, 32 moves, 0-1
Lion
P Smirnov vs S Zablotsky, 2009
(C41) Philidor Defense, 19 moves, 0-1
Lion
Motylev vs Navara, 2009
(C41) Philidor Defense, 30 moves, 0-1
Lion
Swiercz vs V Kunin, 2009
(C41) Philidor Defense, 30 moves, 0-1
Lion
Pelletier vs A Hauchard, 2010
(C41) Philidor Defense, 36 moves, 0-1
Lion
D Daulyte-Cornette vs S Milliet, 2011
(C41) Philidor Defense, 30 moves, 0-1
Czech
Averbakh vs Simagin, 1952
(B07) Pirc, 43 moves, 0-1
Czech
Kasparov vs F Holzke, 1988
(B07) Pirc, 30 moves, 0-1
Czech
E Mortensen vs G Titov, 1992
(B07) Pirc, 27 moves, 0-1
Czech
A Sokolov vs Bologan, 1991
(B07) Pirc, 32 moves, 0-1
Czech
Browne vs Benjamin, 1994
(B07) Pirc, 28 moves, 0-1
Lion (Queenswap)
A Beliavsky vs Adams, 1992
(B07) Pirc, 37 moves, 0-1
Czech
Kotronias vs Adams, 1993
(B07) Pirc, 32 moves, 0-1
Czech
Topalov vs Adams, 1994
(B07) Pirc, 36 moves, 0-1
Czech
Leko vs Adams, 1996
(B07) Pirc, 38 moves, 0-1
Czech
M Leon Hoyos vs V Akobian, 2008
(B07) Pirc, 39 moves, 0-1
Czech
V Bhat vs V Akobian, 2006
(B07) Pirc, 52 moves, 0-1
Czech
M Sebag vs A Iliopoulos, 2003
(B07) Pirc, 31 moves, 0-1
Czech
A Zapata vs A Young, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 27 moves, 0-1
Czech
B Socko vs Z Pakleza, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 40 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Balashov vs E Torre, 1988
(B07) Pirc, 30 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Tal vs E Torre, 1987
(B07) Pirc, 65 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
J Xie vs E Torre, 1992
(B07) Pirc, 44 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Karpov vs Gipslis, 1972
(B07) Pirc, 35 moves, 0-1
Modern/Czech
Sutovsky vs M Annaberdiyev, 2002
(B07) Pirc, 36 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
M Godena vs E Torre, 2002
(B07) Pirc, 37 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
H Ni vs Ponomariov, 1999
(B07) Pirc, 40 moves, 0-1
Modern / Czech
Ivanchuk vs Mamedyarov, 2008
(B07) Pirc, 35 moves, 0-1
Czech Def (B06) 1-0 Nxf7 starts a rumble about the countryside
Tal vs Simagin, 1956
(B07) Pirc, 45 moves, 1-0
Mainline
Onischuk vs Ponomariov, 1998
(B07) Pirc, 39 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Gavrikov vs E Torre, 1988
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Harikrishna vs M Gurevich, 2008
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 31 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Shirov vs A Strikovic, 1992
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 35 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Bologan vs Ponomariov, 1999
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 35 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Oll vs M Gurevich, 1987
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 34 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Anand vs M Gurevich, 1991
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 30 moves, 0-1
´The Christmas Tree Variation´
M Basman vs Tal, 1974
(A02) Bird's Opening, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Mainline
Tal vs M Fuller, 1974
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 30 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Anand vs S Bell, 1988
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 46 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Short vs Speelman, 1988
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 40 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Kramnik vs Morozevich, 2005
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Bronstein vs S Conquest, 1996
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 19 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Karjakin vs T L Petrosian, 2007
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 26 moves, 0-1
Modern
Sutovsky vs Ivanchuk, 2011
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 36 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Tiviakov vs D Gurevich, 1999
(B07) Pirc, 33 moves, 0-1
Lion (Queenswap)
de Firmian vs E Ubilava, 1989
(B07) Pirc, 29 moves, 0-1
Lion (Queenswap)
P Acs vs D Rogozenco, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 27 moves, 0-1
Unorthodox
Timman vs Hodgson, 1996
(B07) Pirc, 38 moves, 0-1
Lion
Petrosian vs Goltsman, 1964
(B07) Pirc, 45 moves, 0-1
Lion
Aronian vs Svidler, 2009
(B07) Pirc, 48 moves, 0-1
Modern
Adams vs Svidler, 1995
(B07) Pirc, 43 moves, 0-1
Lion
A Ivanov vs G Kacheishvili, 1998
(B07) Pirc, 36 moves, 0-1
Lion / Modern
Kosteniuk vs A Stojanovic, 2010
(B07) Pirc, 42 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Caruana vs Ivanchuk, 2009
(B07) Pirc, 41 moves, 0-1
Mainline
V Gashimov vs Ivanchuk, 2012
(B07) Pirc, 35 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Geller vs Vasiukov, 1968
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 33 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Karpov vs N Carr, 1984
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 38 moves, 0-1
Mainline
Boleslavsky vs Bondarevsky, 1941
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 27 moves, 0-1
Modern
I A Zaitsev vs Gipslis, 1992
(B00) Uncommon King's Pawn Opening, 31 moves, 0-1
Lion/Philidor Defense (A00) 1-0 Bxf7+ sac then bone in throat
E Reinhardt vs Reiss, 1934
(B00) Uncommon King's Pawn Opening, 10 moves, 1-0
Pawns or Pieces
E Alekseev vs Dubov, 2015
(B06) Robatsch, 44 moves, 0-1
Czech Defense (B06) 0-1 No cookies and milk
L Christiansen vs E Mortensen, 1988
(B07) Pirc, 59 moves, 0-1
King's English Variation. Troger Defense (A21) 1/2-1/2 Active
L Czech vs M Weil, 1995
(A21) English, 29 moves, 1/2-1/2
Unusual and surprising. N trumps P on the side w/ initiative.
J Nogueiras vs M Gongora, 2001
(A21) English, 84 moves, 1-0
Old Indian Def. Czech Var w/Nc3 (A53) 0-1 Rook show stopper!!!
V Mikenas vs Bronstein, 1965
(A53) Old Indian, 24 moves, 0-1
Old Indian Defense: Normal (A55) 1-0 Notes by 4 GMs!
Rubinstein vs A Nimzowitsch, 1912
(A55) Old Indian, Main line, 50 moves, 1-0
125 games

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