Compiled by mmzkr

"To have a knight planted in your game at K6 is worse than a rusty nail in your knee." ― Efim Bogoljubov

"Chess is all about stored pattern recognition. You are asking your brain to spot a face in the crowd that it has not seen." ― Sally Simpson

"Chess is life and every game is like a new life." ― Eduard Gufeld

"War is life multiplied by some number that no one has ever heard of." ― Sebastian Junger, War

Adams Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.d4)

Adelaide Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5)

Alapin Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3 h5)

Alapin Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3)

Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5)

Alekhine Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Be7 6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.N2g3 0-0 8.Be2 Nc6)

Allgaier Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5)

Andreaschek Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 e5 4.c3)

Anti-Meran Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5)

Anti-Moscow Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 dxc4 8.e4)

Balogh Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.e4 d6)

Basque Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.c3)

Belgrade Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5)

Bellon Gambit (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e4 4.Ng5 b5)

Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5)

Bertin (Three Pawns) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3 fxg3 6.0-0 gxh2+ 7.Kh1)

Bishop's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4)

Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4)

Blackburne Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nc3)

Blackmar–Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 – also (1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3)

Blumenfeld Counter Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5)

Blumenfeld Reversed Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.e3 c5 4.b4)

Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3)

Boehnke Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 e6 3. dxe6 Bxe6)

Brentano Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g5)

Breyer Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qf3)

Bronstein Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nc6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4)

Bryan Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 b5)

Bryan (Kieseritzky) CounterGambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 b5)

Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5)

Calabrian Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 f5)

Carrera (Basman) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qe2)

Catalan Queens Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3)

Charousek Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Qe2)

Chicago Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 Nxe5 4.d4)

Cochrane Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7)

Colorado Gambit (1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5)

Cunningham Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7)

Dada Gambit (1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.b4)

Danish Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3)

Danube Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d5 b5)

De Smet Gambit (1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 d6)

Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e4)

Diemer–Duhm Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c4)

Double Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7+)

Duras Gambit (Fred Defence) (1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Kf7)

Elephant Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5)

Englund Gambit (1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Qd5 f6 5.exf6 Nxf6)

Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4)

Evans Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 d5)

Fajarowicz Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4)

Falkbeer Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5)

Four Pawns Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4 Bxb4 4.f4 exf4 5.Nf3 Be7 6.d4 Bh4+ 7.g3 fxg3 8.0-0 gxh2+ 9.Kh1)

Franco-Hiva Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 f5)

Frankenstein–Dracula Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6)

French: Wing Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4)

Fried Liver Attack Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7)

From Gambit (1.f4 e5)

Fyfe Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.d4)

Gent Gambit (1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0 fxg3 6.hxg3)

Ghulam Khassim Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.d4)

Gianutio Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 f5)

Ginsburg Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bc4)

Godley Gambit (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Nf6)

Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3)

Greco Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.f4)

Grünfeld Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0)

Halasz Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.f4)

Halibut Gambit (1.c4 b5)

Halloween Gambit (Müller–Schultze) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5)

Hamppe–Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.Bc4 g4 6.0-0)

Hanstein Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.0-0)

Harksen Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.c4)

Herrstrom Gambit (1.Nf3 g5)

Hubsch Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 4.Bc4)

Icelandic Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6)

Italian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4)

Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7)

John Tracy Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Nf3)

Karpov Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5)

Kasparov Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 d5)

Keres Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nc3)

Khan Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 d5)

Kieseritzky Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5)

King's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4)

Kotrč–Mieses Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.b4)

Krejcik Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+)

Krol Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3)

Lasker Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c6 (or 4…g6) 5.f3)

Latvian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.g4)

Lewis Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4)

Lisitsin Gambit (1.Nf3 f5 2.e4)

Locock Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Ng5 h6 5.Nxf7)

Lopez Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5)

Lopez Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 Nf6 4.d3 Nc6 5.c3 Ne7 6.f4)

Lopez–Gianutio Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 f5)

Marshall Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e4)

McDonnell Double Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4 Bxb4 4.f4)

McDonnell Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Nc3)

Michel Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 c5)

Milner-Barry Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4)

Moller Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.d5)

Morphy Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3)

Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3)

Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0)

Nakhmanson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Nc3)

Nimzowitsch Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Qg4)

‘May your Departures equal your Landfalls!'

Orthoschnapp Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3)

Paris Gambit (1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0)

Petroff Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4)

Philidor Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.h4)

Philidor Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5)

Pierce Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4 g4 6.Bc4)

Poisoned Pawn (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2)

Polerio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4)

Ponziani Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 f5)

Ponziani Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4)

Portsmouth Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.b4)

Portuguese Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4)

Quade Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Nc3)

Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4)

Rasa–Studier Gambit (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3)

Relfsson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bb5)

Reti (Landstrasse) Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4)

Rice Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.0-0)

Rosentreter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4)

Ross Gambit – (1.Nf3 e5)

Rotary-Albany Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 b6)

Rousseau Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5)

Rubinstein Counter Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6)

Ryder Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qxf3)

Salvio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Ne5)

Schliemann (Jaenisch) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5)

Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4)

Sicilian Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.0-0)

Slav Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4)

Smith–Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3)

Sorensen Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4 5.Ne5)

Spanish Counter Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d5)

Spielmann Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e5 Nfd7 4.e6)

Stafford Gambit (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6)

Stamma Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.h4)

Staunton Gambit Deferred (1.d4 f5 2.c4 e6 3.e4)

Staunton Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4)

Steinitz Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4)

Steinitz Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5)

Sturm Gambit (1.f4 d5 2.c4)

Swiss Gambit (1.f4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4)

Tarrasch Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.dxc5 d4 6.Na4 b5)

Tartakower (Lesser Bishop's) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Be2)

Tartakower (Fischer) Gambit (1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4)

Tennison Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.Nf3)

Tolush–Geller Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5)

Triple Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7)

Tumbleweed Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Kf2)

Two Knights' Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5)

Urusov Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4)

Urusov (Ponziani) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3)

Van Weersel Attack (1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Qb3)

Vienna Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4)

Villemson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.d4)

Von Hennig–Schara Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4)

Vukovic Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Bc5)

Wagner Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.e4)

Ware Gambit (1.a4 e5 2.a5 d5 3.e3 f5 4.a6)

White Gambit (1.c4 d5 2.b3 dxc4 3.bxc4 Qd4 4.Nc3)

Wild Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+)

Wilkes-Barre/Traxler Variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5)

Williams Gambit (1.f4 d5 2.e4)

Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4)

Wing Gambit Deferred (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 (or 2…e6) 3.b4)

Wing Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4)

Wing Gambit Delayed (1.e4 c5 2.a3 Nc6 (or 2…e6) 3. b4)

Zollner Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.Be3 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 9.f4 Qb6 10.e5)

* For White: Game Collection: MKD's Sicilian Defense White

* For Black: Game Collection: MKD's Sicilian Defense Black

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

"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

"I will not hide the fact that I love to hear the spectators react after a sacrifice of a piece or pawn." – Mikhail Tal

"Tal develops all his pieces in the center and then sacrifices them somewhere." – David Bronstein

"There are two kinds of sacrifices; correct ones and mine." – Mikhail Tal

"Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine." – Mikhail Tal

"First, how to sac my queen, then rook, then bishop, then knight, then pawns." – Mikhail Tal (on what he thinks about after his opponent moves)

"Even after losing four games in a row to him I still consider his play unsound. He is always on the lookout for some spectacular sacrifice, that one shot, that dramatic breakthrough to give him the win." – Bobby Fischer (on Tal)

"They compare me with Lasker, which is an exaggerated honor. Lasker made mistakes in every game and I only in every second one!" – Mikhail Tal

"Tal was a fearless fighter. Nobody could successfully accomplish so many incorrect maneuvers! He simply smashed his opponents." – Bent Larsen

"Tal's genius consists of posing his opponents with tempting ways to go wrong." – Larry Evans

"I was surprised by his ability to figure out complex variations. Then the way he sets out the game; he was not interested in the objectivity of the position, whether it's better or worse, he only needed room for his pieces. All you do then is figure out variations which are extremely difficult. He was tactically outplaying me and I made mistakes." – Mikhail Botvinnik (on Tal)

"I realized that you cannot tackle him if the pieces are mobile and active. I played closed positions in which Tal could gain no advantage. Tal had no positional understanding for closed games." – Mikhail Botvinnik (on their '61 rematch)

"If Tal would learn to program himself properly, then it would become quite impossible to play against him." – Mikhail Botvinnik

"Botvinnik's right! When he says such things, then he's right. Usually, I prefer not to study chess but to play it. For me chess is more an art than a science. It's been said that Alekhine and I played similar chess, except that he studied more. Yes, perhaps, but I have to say that he played, too." – Mikhail Tal

"When I lost the title to Botvinnik, chess could be played quietly again!" – Mikhail Tal

"Mother, I have just become Ex-World Champion." – Mikhail Tal (on returning home after losing the '61 rematch to Botvinnik)

"I did not take the tournament too seriously. I walked around the pressroom, smoked a few cigarettes and sacrificed some pieces. I am waiting until next year when I can become a new ex-world champion." – Mikhail Tal (on the '88 World Blitz Championship, which he won)

"It's funny, but many people don't understand why I draw so many games nowadays. They think my style must have changed but this is not the case at all. The answer to this drawing disease is that my favorite squares are e6, f7, g7 and h7 and everyone now knows this. They protect these squares not once but four times!" – Mikhail Tal

The Stag Seeing Himself In The Water

Beside a placid, crystal flood,
A stag admired the branching wood
That high on his forehead stood,
But gave his Maker little thanks
For what he called his spindle shanks.
"What limbs are these for such a head! –
So mean and slim!" with grief he said.
"My glorious heads overtops
The branches of the copse;
My legs are my disgrace."
As thus he talked, a bloodhound gave him chase.
To save his life he flew
Where forests thickest grew.
His horns, – pernicious ornament! –
Arresting him wherever he went,
Did unavailing render
What else, in such a strife,
Had saved his precious life –
His legs, as fleet as slender.
Obliged to yield, he cursed the gear
Which nature gave him every year.

Too much the beautiful we prize;
The useful, often, we despise:
Yet oft, as happened to the stag,
The former does to ruin drag.

A Windsong by Ray Paquette (1984):

As you set sail for new horizons
May a brisk fair wind be with you
May your journey provide that mixture of
Joy, contentment, love and excitement
That gives rise to zestful anticipation
Of new adventures together.
May you cheerfully weather
the unavoidable storms together
And steer as clear of all obstacles
As the currents allow
May God Bless and keep you
Bon Voyage

* Opening Tree: https://www.shredderchess.com/onlin...

"Many have become chess masters, no one has become the master of chess." ― Siegbert Tarrasch

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight." — The Revenant

Zdanovs split Zelinsky, Yuri Zhuravliov