"Chess first of all teaches you to be objective." Source: "The Soviet School of Chess" Book by Alexander Kotov, p. 42, 2001.

"I am not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I'm just an entertainer." ― Elvis Presley

"When it comes to health, diet is the Queen, but exercise is the King." ― Jack LaLanne

"Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research." ― Carl Gustav Jung

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." ― Mother Teresa

"For both professionals and amateurs, chess is a game that sharpens the mind, tests human faculties and encourages healthy competition. It has captivated the attention of players and spectators world-wide and will continue to do so as long as competition and excellence challenge mankind." — President Gerald R. Ford

"Examine moves that smite! A good eye for smites is far more important than a knowledge of strategical principles." — C.J.S. Purdy

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

"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

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." ― Albert Einstein

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." ― John Lennon

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." ― Henry David Thoreau

"When you see a good move – WAIT! – look for a better one." ― Emanuel Lasker The Portuguese chess player and author Pedro Damiano (1480–1544) first wrote this in his book "Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti" published in Rome, Italy, in 1512.

"I've played a number of interesting novelties lately. Mostly that's because I haven't got a clue what I am doing in the opening." ― Nigel Short

"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

"I was brought up on the games of Capablanca and Nimzowitsch, and they became part of my chess flesh and blood." — Tigran Petrosian

"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 tactician knows what to do when there is something to do; whereas the strategian knows what to do when there is nothing to do." — Gerald Abrahams

"Capablanca didn't make separate moves - he was creating a chess picture. Nobody could compare with him in this." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Whether this advantage is theoretically sufficient to win or not does not worry Capablanca. He simply wins the ending. That is why he is Capablanca!" ― Max Euwe

"He (Capablanca) makes the game look easy. Art lies in the concealment of art." ― Philip W. Sergeant

"It's entirely possible that Capa could not imagine that there could be a better move than one he thought was good and he was usually right." ― Mike Franett

"Capablanca's games generally take the following course: he begins with a series of extremely fine prophylactic maneuvers, which neutralize his opponent's attempts to complicate the game; he then proceeds, slowly but surely, to set up an attacking position. This attacking position, after a series of simplifications, is transformed into a favorable endgame, which he conducts with matchless technique." ― Aaron Nimzowitsch

"What others could not see in a month's study, he (Capablanca) saw at a glance." ― Reuben Fine

"If the student forces himself to examine all moves that smite, however absurd they may look at first glance, he is on the way to becoming a master of tactics." — C.J.S. Purdy

"Capablanca invariably chose the right option, no matter how intricate the position." ― Garry Kasparov.

"He (Capablanca) had the totally undeserved reputation of being the greatest living endgame player. His trick was to keep his openings simple and then play with such brilliance that it was decided in the middle game before reaching the ending - even though his opponent didn't always know it. His almost complete lack of book knowledge forced him to push harder to squeeze the utmost out of every position." ― Bobby Fischer

Do not yell "dinner" until your knife is in the loaf. ~ Canadian proverb

Short Bill Wall miniatures

* Alapins: Game Collection: Alapin

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

* bazinga! http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/

* 101 Brevities: Game Collection: 7

* Basic tactics course using miniatures:
http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/x/FTP...

* Bowman's Beginner's Guide:
http://chess.jliptrap.us/BowmanBegi... Not perfect but dedicated, passionate.

* Bit Collection: Game Collection: Special Gambit Collection

* Bishop's Opening Miniatures: https://www.chessonly.com/bishop-op...

* Brilliant (and mostly famous)! Game Collection: Brilliant Miniatures

* Brutal Attacking Chess: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

* Blackburne strikes! games annotated by Blackburne

* Capablanca's Double Attack — having the initiative is important: https://lichess.org/study/tzrisL1R

* Checkmate Art: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

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

* Colle System: Game Collection: colle system

* 20 Various Italian Games: Game Collection: Italian Game

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

* The Italian Game, Classical: Game Collection: Giuco Piano

* Annotated Evans Gambits: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

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

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

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

* Diagrammed Checkmate Patterns: Game Collection: Checkmate: Checkmate Patterns

* Emre: https://chessdoctrine.com/chess-ope...

* Fidu-what? https://articles.smartasset.com/fin...

* Have a bite of Fred's burger:
https://www.thedaddest.com/trending...

* Knight Forks and Knight Mates: Game Collection: Knight Forks & Knight Mates

* 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

* Gallagher says: Game Collection: Winning With The King's Gambit - Joe Gallagher

* Giannis says: https://www.suffernchessclub.com/se...

* Golden Treasury of Chess (Wellmuth/Horowitz): Game Collection: Golden Treasury of Chess (Wellmuth/Horowitz)

* Greatest Hits: Game Collection: Mammoth Book-Greatest Games (Nunn/Burgess/Emms)

* GK: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* How to Play: https://www.ymimports.com/pages/how...

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

* Hans On French: Game Collection: French Defense

* Imagination: Game Collection: Imagination in Chess

* Internet harassment: https://security.berkeley.edu/educa...

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

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

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

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

* Nuremberg 1896: Nuremberg (1896)

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

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

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

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

* Pinch of... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU_...

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

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

* One Game Shy: Game Collection: 107 Great Chess Battles: 1939-45 Alekhine

* Oskar plays 1e4: Oskar Oglaza

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

* Ponziani Games: Game Collection: PONZIANI OPENING

* Qk traps: Game Collection: quick knockouts by traps

* Volo plays the KP faithfully: Volodymyr Onyshchuk

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Russian Ruys: Game Collection: Chess in the USSR 1945 - 72, Part 2 (Leach)

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

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* Sports Clichés: http://www.sportscliche.com/

* Sacs on f7/f2: Game Collection: Demolition of Pawn Structure: Sac on f7 (f2)

* 62 Masterpieces: Game Collection: Instructive Games (Chernev)

* 1947: USSR Championship (1947)

* Secrets of Combination: Game Collection: Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II

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

* Short Match: Game Collection: Match Short-Karjakin

* Sicilian Face Plants:
Game Collection: sicilian defense(opening traps)

* Steinitz: Game Collection: Steinitz Gambits

* Top Chessgames by ECO Code: http://schachsinn.de/gamelist.htm

* Chess History: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ch...

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 21st Century Masterpieces - First decade (2000)

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

* Pawn Instruction: http://www.logicalchess.com/learn/l...

* Petrosian's Best: Game Collection: P.H.Clarke: Petrosian's Best games

* Rare gambits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_r...

* Read The Planet Greenpawn - https://www.redhotpawn.com/

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

* Solitaire: Game Collection: Solitaire Chess by I. A. Horowitz

* Stunners: Game Collection: Stunners

* Top Chessgames by ECO Code: http://schachsinn.de/gamelist.htm

* Top Games by Year: Wikipedia article: List of chess games

* Terminology: https://www.angelfire.com/games5/ch...

* Trap the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmU...

* QGD: Game Collection: QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

* When to Trade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGa...

* UK: https://chesscircuit.substack.com/

* Wishful Thinking, Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlN...

* Zukertort System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcN...

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

WTHarvey:
There once was a website named WTHarvey,
Where chess puzzles did daily delay,
The brain-teasers so tough,
They made us all huff and puff,
But solving them brought us great satisfaction today.

There once was a website named WTHarvey
Where chess puzzles were quite aplenty
With knight and rook and pawn
You'll sharpen your brain with a yawn
And become a master of chess entry

There once was a site for chess fun,
Wtharvey.com was the chosen one,
With puzzles galore,
It'll keep you in store,
For hours of brain-teasing, none done.

There once was a website named WTHarvey,
Where chess puzzles were posted daily,
You'd solve them with glee,
And in victory,
You'd feel like a true chess prodigy!

"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

"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 measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens." ― Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President

Connecticut: Windsor
Established in: 1633

Settlers from Plymouth Colony built the first trading house in Windsor in 1633 on an expanse of land they bought from Native Americans who were living there. Windsor was Connecticut's first English settlement, with a perfect location on the water. Today, the city uses its "first town" status to create a historical atmosphere ideal for tourism.

* Chess History: https://www.uschesstrust.org/chess-...

* Chess History: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ch...

* Three Simple Chess Tips: https://www.premierchesscoaching.co...

* History of Chess: https://boldchess.com/history/

The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess, Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players by William Hartston William Hartson traces the development of the game from its Oriental origins to the present day through the lives of its greatest exponents - men like Howard Staunton, who transformed what had been a genteel pastime into a competitive science; the brilliant American Paul Morphy, who once played a dozen simultaneous games blindfold; the arrogant and certified insane Wilhelm Steinitz; the philosopher and mathematician Emanual Lasker; Bobby Fischer, perhaps the most brilliant and eccentric of them all; and many other highly gifted individuals. Hartson depicts all their colorful variety with a wealth of rare illustrations.

Format: Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN: 006015358X
ISBN13: 9780060153588
Release Date: January 1985
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 192 Pages
Weight: 1.80 lbs.

Eilfan ywmodryb dda
Meaning: A good aunt is a second mother

"I do not know how old I was when I learned to play chess. I could not have been older than eight, because I still have a chessboard on whose side my father inscribed, with a soldering iron, "Saša Hemon 1972." I loved the board more than chess—it was one of the first things I owned. Its materiality was enchanting to me: the smell of burnt wood that lingered long after my father had branded it; the rattle of the thickly varnished pieces inside, the smacking sound they made when I put them down, the board's hollow wooden echo. I can even recall the taste—the queen's tip was pleasantly suckable; the pawns' round heads, not unlike nipples, were sweet. The board is still at our place in Sarajevo, and, even if I haven't played a game on it in decades, it is still my most cherished possession, providing incontrovertible evidence that there once lived a boy who used to be me." ― Aleksandar Hemon, The Book of My Lives

The Oak and the Reed

The oak one day addressed the reed:
"To you ungenerous indeed
Has nature been, my humble friend,
With weakness aye obliged to bend.
The smallest bird that flits in air
Is quite too much for you to bear;
The slightest wind that wreathes the lake
Your ever-trembling head does shake.
The while, my towering form
Dares with the mountain top
The solar blaze to stop,
And wrestle with the storm.
What seems to you the blast of death,
To me is but a zephyr's breath.
Beneath my branches had you grown,
That spread far round their friendly bower,
Less suffering would your life have known,
Defended from the tempest's power.
Unhappily you oftenest show
In open air your slender form,
Along the marshes wet and low,
That fringe the kingdom of the storm.
To you, declare I must,
Dame Nature seems unjust."
Then modestly replied the reed:
"Your pity, sir, is kind indeed,
But wholly needless for my sake.
The wildest wind that ever blew
Is safe to me compared with you.
I bend, indeed, but never break.
Thus far, I own, the hurricane
Has beat your sturdy back in vain;
But wait the end." Just at the word,
The tempest's hollow voice was heard.
The North sent forth her fiercest child,
Dark, jagged, pitiless, and wild.
The oak, erect, endured the blow;
The reed bowed gracefully and low.
But, gathering up its strength once more,
In greater fury than before,
The savage blast
Overthrew, at last,
That proud, old, sky-encircled head,
Whose feet entwined the empire of the dead!

Chess Life is an active monthly magazine and is the official publication of the United States Chess Federation. <Chess Life> is advertised as the "most widely read chess magazine in the world," and reaches more than a quarter of a million readers each month.

Chess Life focuses on American chess players and tournaments, instruction, human interest, and US Chess governance matters. The United States Chess Federation also publishes Chess Life Kids, a bimonthly publication covering the same subjects aimed at a younger audience.

Publication of <Chess Life> started in 1946 as a bi-weekly newspaper, usually eight or twelve pages long. In 1961, Frank Brady converted Chess Life to a monthly magazine. In 1969, <Chess Life> merged with Chess Review, the other leading U.S. chess magazine. The magazine was published under the title Chess Life & Review starting with the November 1969 issue until 1980 when it returned to its original title <Chess Life>.

The Night Sky's Serenade

In the night sky, the stars serenade,

Their light piercing the darkness, a blade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

Silent and serene, the night's parade,

A celestial spectacle, never to fade.

In the night sky, the stars serenade.

The universe's secrets, in the open laid,

Under the starlight, fears evade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

Night's symphony, a tranquil serenade,

In its rhythm, our dreams are made.

In the night sky, the stars serenade.

From dusk till dawn, in darkness wade,

Under the night sky, hopes cascade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

So, let us cherish the night's shade,

And in its beauty, let us wade.

In the night sky, the stars serenade,

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

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 sandwich wasn't a marketing creation but one of convenience. The Earl of Sandwich put together the first of its kind as he needed something quick and easy to eat while gambling!

<<<Fundamental Chess Principles> according to CJS Purdy>

On Combinations

One simultaneous double threat is better than a great many successive single threats. That is the main lesson of chess. A double threat is a combination of two threats. (pg. 31)

A combination (threat plus restraint or threat plus obstruction) may be called a "net". It is the most important kind of combination because every mate, without exception, is a "net". (pg. 32)

Watch out for pieces of limited mobility, especially pieces without retreat. Remember that one retreat may not be enough.(pg. 32 / 33)

On Tied Pieces

An important rule for avoiding a trap is this:
Where feasible, avoid using a piece to defend something that is attacked. Either protect the attaced unit with a pawn or move it away. (pg. 34)

A knight is the worst defender because he cannot possibly maintain the defense if forced to move. (pg. 34)

The best protector is a pawn - for three reasons:

There is no possibility of it being attacked by a unit of lesser value; It is a complete defense against any piece bigger than the one attacked; above all, a menial task is suited to it, whereas a piece used for defending one particular thing is wasting its talents. (pg. 35)

If you must use pieces to protect something, perhaps because it cannot move away, try to use one more than necessary! You are then free to moe any one of the protectors; not a single one is absolutely tied to its defensive task. (pg. 35)

On Position Play

Position play is the art of improving your position in small ways when no sound combination is possible. (pg. 40)

One can say that an endgame has arrived when neither side has more pieces than the equivalent of Queen plus pawn (with of course, the Kings, who are always with us). (pg. 41)

Combinations are of primary importance, position play of secondary importance. (pg. 41)

Pages refer to where content can be found on Guide to Good Chess.> Posted by Chessbuzz

* Time Controls: https://gamesmadesimple.com/chess-t...

Chessgames.com will be unavailable March 12, 2023 from 2:00AM through 4:00AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

An old-timer is one who remembers when it cost more to run a car than to park it. — Unknown

An old-timer is someone who can remember when a naughty child was taken to the woodshed instead of to a psychiatrist. — David Greenberg

Most young dealers of the Silicon Chip Era regard a reference library as merely a waste of space. Old Timers on the West Coast seem to retain a fondness for reference books that goes beyond the practical. Everything there is to know about a given volume may be only a click away, but there are still a few of us who'd rather have the book than the click. A bookman's love of books is a love of books, not merely of the information in them. — Larry Mcmurtry

The day you become old is the day you're not looking for new experiences anymore. — Billie Joe Armstrong

Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will say either: "I wish I had" or "I'm glad I did". — Zig Ziglar

You must do the things you think you cannot do. — Eleanor Roosevelt

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. — Norman Vincent Peale

<<"The Paradoxical Commandments>

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway."> ― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council

Al certainly offers no proof whatsoever that ratings inflation has NOT occurred. He's just arguing for the sake of bitching, his mission in life, a common angry lib who accomplishes nothing of value to others.

FTB asks again, other than Anand, what regular opponents of Carlsen will go down in history as dominant legends of classical chess? GMs Nepomniachtchi, Andreikin, Fedoseev, Giri, Baburin, etc. are hardly in the class of Petrosian, Polugaevsky, Averbakh, Spassky, Bronstein, Korchnoi, Karpov, etc. https://chesspert.com/46-best-chess...

The next generation of stars that Carlsen ducked at the 86th edition of Tata Steel 2024 just might reach legendary status someday: https://www.chess.com/news/view/11-...

The "Wimbledon of Chess" will be without Magnus Carlsen again in 2025: https://kingdomofchess.com/tata-ste... Maintaining sobriety for 13 rounds might be too much to ask these nights. Of course, that didn't stop some of the Russian greats, did it? https://news-pravda.com/usa/2024/12...

It seems clear enough that Fischer and Kasparov faced many legends. Ratings aside, their competition at the top of the leaderboards was stiffer.

Lambda makes good points:

RE: Kasparov Magnus Carlsen (kibitz #87753)

RE: Karpov Magnus Carlsen (kibitz #87755)

Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the former five-time World Chess Champion, reigning four-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and reigning six-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Arguably the fourth or fifth best chess player of all time (Morphy, Capablanca, Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov, etc.), Carlsen has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE world chess rankings since 1 July 2011 and trails only Garry Kasparov in time spent as the highest-rated player in the world. His peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history. Carlsen also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak at the elite level in classical chess.

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.

Q: How do poets say hello?
A: "Hey, haven't we metaphor?"

Thank you Qindarka!

Q: What do you call a cow jumping on a trampoline? A: A milkshake.

<<Page 166 of The Personality of Chess by <I.A. Horowitz and P.L. Rothenberg> (New York, 1963) gave ‘a hitherto unpublished limerick-acrostic:>

Caissa, the goddess of Chess,
Has this task, no more and no less;
Every game, match and damn bit,
Sicilian and gambit
She must ever be ready to bless.>

"Chess is the gymnasium of the mind." — Blasie Pascal

"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.

In God we trust; all others pay cash. ~ American Proverb

Trusting in wealth is like looking for feathers on turtles. ~ Senegalese Proverb

The Man and the Wooden God

A pagan kept a god of wood, –
A sort that never hears,
Though furnished well with ears, –
From which he hoped for wondrous good.
The idol cost the board of three;
So much enriched was he
With vows and offerings vain,
With bullocks garlanded and slain:
No idol ever had, as that,
A kitchen quite so full and fat.
But all this worship at his shrine
Brought not from this same block divine
Inheritance, or hidden mine,
Or luck at play, or any favour.
Nay, more, if any storm whatever
Brewed trouble here or there,
The man was sure to have his share,
And suffer in his purse,
Although the god fared none the worse.
At last, by sheer impatience bold,
The man a crowbar seizes,
His idol breaks in pieces,
And finds it richly stuffed with gold.
"How's this? Have I devoutly treated,"
Says he, "your godship, to be cheated?
Now leave my house, and go your way,
And search for altars where you may.
You're like those natures, dull and gross,
From, which comes nothing but by blows;
The more I gave, the less I got;
I'll now be rich, and you may rot."

Nehemiah 8:10
Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our Lord. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord is your strength!

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

"You must play boldly to win." ― Arnold Palmer

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." ― Billie Jean King

Fred Wellmuth was a strong amateur from California

Sir, if you could beat me, I would know you. – Jose Raul Capablanca (to an unknown player who had rejected Capablanca's offer of queen odds, on the grounds that Capablanca didn't know him, and might lose)

Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

<Pastime with good company I love and shall, until I die.
Grudge who list, but none deny!
So God be pleased, thus live will I.>
― Henry VIII of England

Lichess has all the same basic offerings as Chess.com: a large community, many game types, tutorials, puzzles, and livestreams. The site has a simple appearance, and it seems built to get you where you want to go in as few clicks as possible. You can create an account, but if you're not concerned with tracking your games and finding other players at your level, there's no need to log in. Just fire up a new game, try some puzzles, or watch a chess streamer play three-minute games while listening to techno and chatting with the comments section.

Greer County ~ Lyrics

Tom Hight is my name, an old bachelor I am,
You'll find me out West in the country of fame,
You'll find me out West on an elegant plain,
And starving to death on my government claim.
Hurrah for Greer County!
The land of the free,
The land of the bed-bug,
Grass-hopper and flea;
I'll sing of its praises
And tell of its fame,
While starving to death
On my government claim.
My house is built of natural sod,
Its walls are erected according to hod;
Its roof has no pitch but is level and plain,
I always get wet if it happens to rain.
How happy am I on my government claim,
I've nothing to lose, and nothing to gain;
I've nothing to eat, I've nothing to wear,--
From nothing to nothing is the hardest fare.
How happy am I when I crawl into bed,--
A rattlesnake hisses a tune at my head,
A gay little centipede, all without fear,
Crawls over my pillow and into my ear.
Now all you claim holders, I hope you will stay
And chew your hard tack till you're toothless and gray; But for myself, I'll no longer remain
To starve like a dog on my government claim.
My clothes are all ragged as my language is rough, My bread is corn dodgers, both solid and tough;
But yet I am happy, and live at my ease
On sorghum molasses, bacon, and cheese.
Good-bye to Greer County where blizzards arise,
Where the sun never sinks and a flea never dies, And the wind never ceases but always remains
Till it starves us all out on our government claims. Farewell to Greer County, farewell to the West,
I'll travel back East to the girl I love best,
I'll travel back to Texas and marry me a wife,
And quit corn bread for the rest of my life.
Fredthebear is glad to me married!

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

Feb-09-12
ray keene: nimzos best endgames
v lasker zurich 1934
v spielmann carlsbad 1929
v lundin stockholm 1934
v maroczy bled 1931
v henneberger winterthur 1931
v thomas frankfurt 1930
v sultan khan liege 1930
v marshall berlin 1928
v reti berlin 1928
v alehine ny 1927
v tchigorin carlsbad 1907
and for a joke entry duras v nimzo san sebastian 1912 !!

A quote from the link: https://www.libertarianism.org/what...

"Modern day politicians on the left and right sometimes pay lip service to these ideas, but in practice they reject them. Legislation is all about imposing an order from above, rather than letting one emerge from below. And in creating their schemes, politicians all too often fail to give citizens their due as people, treating them as pawns and running roughshod over their rights to decide and plan for themselves."

Q: What do you call a key that opens the door on Thanksgiving? A: A turkey.

Q: What do you call a cheese that doesn't belong to you? A: Nacho cheese!

Q: What do you call a cow that plays a musical instrument? A: A moosician.

Q: What do you call shorts that clouds wear?
A: Thunderwear.

Q: What do you call milk that gets anything it wants? A: Spoiled milk.

Q: What do you call a dog magician?
A: A labracadabrador.

Q: What do you call a funny mountain?
A: Hill-arious.

Q: What do you call a cute door?
A: Adorable.

Work hard, but smart. Avoid burnout; stop to smell the flowers along the way. Stay humble. Plan ahead for rainy days.

Success is a beautiful thing. But unbridled by humility, it can also be an ugly, selfish, all-consuming endeavor. Here are some important reminders to stay humble as you progress on your path:

Never forget your roots.

Never forget the sacrifices others made on your behalf.

Never forget how hard you worked to get where you are today.

Never forget to say thank you.

Never forget that everything comes at a price.

Never forget to stop and appreciate how far you've come.

Never forget that who you are is so much greater than what you do.

Never forget to pay it forward.

Never forget that it's not always about you.

Remember these and you will be golden.

"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

Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

A fathom is 6 feet (1.8 meters).

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

There are more TV sets in the US than there are people in the UK.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." ~ Portuguese Proverb

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

Ye Jiangchuan has won the Chinese Chess Championship seven times.

Matthew 17:20 Our faith can move mountains.

Other people's wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool. ~ Nigerian Proverb

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean Proverb

Ingratitude is sooner or later fatal to its author. ~ Twi Proverb

"A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger." ~ Philip Sidney

"At any rate, the principles of a noble manner of life and the ethics of the nobility now take on the clear and uncompromising form known to us from the chivalric epic and lyric. We often find the new members of a privileged group to be more rigorous in their attitude to questions of class etiquette than the born representatives of the group; they are more clearly conscious of the ideas which hold the particular group together and distinguish it from other groups than are men who grew up in those ideas. This is a well-known and often-repeated feature of social history; the novus homo is always inclined to over-compensate for his sense of inferiority and to emphasize the moral qualifications required for the privileges which he enjoys. In the present case, too, we find that the knights who have risen from the ranks of the retainers are stricter and more intolerant in matters of honour than the old aristocrats by birth. What seems to the latter a matter of course, something that could hardly be otherwise than what it is, appears to the newly ennobled an achievement and a problem. The feeling of belonging to the governing class, one of which the old nobility had scarcely been conscious, is for them a great new experience. Where the old-style aristocrat acts instinctively and makes no pretensions about it, the knight finds himself faced with a special task of difficulty, an opportunity for heroic action, a need to surpass himself—in fact to do something extraordinary and unnatural. In matters in which a born grand seigneur takes no trouble to distinguish himself from the rest of mankind, the new knight requires of his peers that they should at all costs show themselves different from ordinary mortals." ― Arnold Hauser, The Social History of Art, Volume 1: From Prehistoric Times to the Middle Ages

After the French Revolution of 1789 selling sour wine was considered against national interest and the merchant was promptly executed.

For 3000 years, until 1883, hemp was the world's largest agricultural crop, from which the majority of fabric, soap, paper, medicines, and oils were produced.

Ken, Barbie's boyfriend, debuted in 1961. Unfortunately, they split up on Valentine's Day 2004.

The term "Blue Chip" comes from the color of the poker chip with the highest value, blue.

It is scientifically possible to die from drinking too much water. It's important to stay hydrated to keep our bodies functioning well. However, too much water can also be fatal. When a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes, they can die from water intoxication and hyponatremia. In fact, forced water intake is even a known torture method.

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.

At least 23 players have become grandmasters before they turned 15 years old.

Bobby Fischer held the record for youngest grandmaster for 33 years after he became a GM at 15-and-half years old in 1958. Judit Polgar beat Fischer's record in 1991 by earning her GM title at 15 years and almost 5 months. Since Polgar, plenty of chess players have become grandmasters at astonishingly young ages.

Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin once held the record for the youngest grandmaster in chess history in 2003 at 12 years old and 7 months. This record lasted 19 years. Karjakin has been World Rapid Champion (2012), and World Blitz Champion (2016). Karjakin lost his bid for the World Chess Championship to reigning champion Magnus Carlsen in November 2016.

Abhimanyu Mishra of the United States of America broke Karjakin's record in 2021 by more than two months in age. Misha became a GM at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.

The youngest woman to ever become a full grandmaster is China's Hou Yifan, who earned the GM title at age 14 years and 6 months. Hou Yifan has won the Women's World Chess Championship title four times. Her victories came in the years 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2016.

Easier said than done. ~ Canadian proverb

A 5th-grader accidentally created a new molecule in 2012. During a class activity, 10-year-old Clara Lazen presented her teacher with a randomly constructed molecule diagram. Instead of dismissing it, Mr. Kenneth Boer took a photo and sent it to a chemist for analysis. Turns out, it was a new, explosive molecule called Tetranitratoxycarbon.

Checkmate by treecards

In front of the king,
white moves his pawn.
The opponent begins,
with a sign and yawn.

White Bishop from C,
moves to F five.
Followed by adrenaline,
Queen is more than alive.

Black moves his pawn,
foolishly to B four.
It looks tragically close,
to the end of his war.

The white Queen glides,
elegantly to the right side.
Shocks her opponent,
and rips out his pride.

It was a beautifully executed,
and efficient checkmate.
Opponent lacked caution,
and now rest with his fate.

This wonderful game,
that we all call chess.
Your odds are reduced,
each time you guess.

Remember to follow,
your strategy and tact.
When you see opportunity,
make sure you act.

At the end of the day,
hope you enjoy.
Many sweet games,
it's much more than a toy.

Since the reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen was born, 31 new sovereign nation states were created. Carlsen was born on November 30, 1990. In July 2011, Carlsen was the top chess player in the world, with a rating of 2821.

According to the list at About.com, 31 current and former nation states were formed since that date, many of them sprouting from lands held by the former Soviet Union. (Obviously dated information, but still interesting.)

The names of all the continents end with the letter they start with.

The Lion Grown Old

A lion, mourning, in his age, the wane
Of might once dreaded through his wild domain,
Was mocked, at last, on his throne,
By subjects of his own,
Strong through his weakness grown.
The horse his head saluted with a kick;
The wolf snapped at his royal hide;
The ox, too, gored him in the side;
The unhappy lion, sad and sick,
Could hardly growl, he was so weak.
In uncomplaining, stoic pride,
He waited for the hour of fate,
Till the ass approached his gate;
Whereat, "This is too much," he says;
"I willingly would yield my breath;
But, ah! your kick is double death!"

"The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of chess, in which we have points to gain, and competition or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or want of it. By playing at chess then, we may learn: First, Foresight; Second, Circumspection; Third, Caution; And lastly, We learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources." — Benjamin Franklin, 1779

<<H.T. Bland. On page 207 of the December 1929 American Chess Bulletin he exalted the challenger in that year's world championship match:>

Bravo ‘Bogol', you've shown pluck.
One and all we wish you luck.
Gee, some thought you'd barged between
Other players who'd have been
Less likely straightaway to lose
Just as friend Alekhine might choose;
Undaunted, ‘Bogol', you went in
Believing you'd a chance to win.
Or failing that, to make a fight,
Which you are doing as we write.>

Don't trust the smile of your opponent. ~ Babylonian Proverb

Trust me, but look to thyself. ~ Irish Proverb

Trust in God, but tie your camel. ~ Saudi Arabian Proverb

Don't trust your wife until she has borne you ten sons. ~ Chinese Proverb

If someone puts their trust in you, don't sever it. ~ Lebanese Proverb

Trust your best friend as you would your worst enemy. ~ Mexican Proverb

<<<Mountain Monarch> The <bear> as a symbol of strength and nobility in the mountains is the focus of this poem.>

On the mountain high, a monarch reigns,

A bear of strength, in its domains.

Noble in stride, in the wild it claims,

In the peaks, its spirit flames.

Surveying lands, with a watchful eye,

In its kingdom, under the sky.

Mountain monarch, in freedom's song,

In its rule, it belongs.

Majesty in fur, a ruler so grand,

In the mountains, its command.

Mountain monarch, with power's arc,

In its realm, the bear's mark.>

Hungry love doesn't last. ~ Venezuelan Proverbs

A monkey, even dressed in silk is still a monkey. ~ Venezuelan Proverbs

A good friend will fit you like ring to finger. ~ Venezuelan Proverbs

The Bat and the Two Weasels

A blundering bat once stuck her head
Into a wakeful weasel's bed;
Whereat the mistress of the house,
A deadly foe of rats and mice,
Was making ready in a trice
To eat the stranger as a mouse.
"What! do you dare," she said, "to creep in
The very bed I sometimes sleep in,
Now, after all the provocation
I have suffered from your thievish nation?
Are you not really a mouse,
That gnawing pest of every house,
Your special aim to do the cheese ill?
Ay, that you are, or I'm no weasel."
"I beg your pardon," said the bat;
"My kind is very far from that.
What! I a mouse! Who told you such a lie?
Why, ma'am, I am a bird;
And, if you doubt my word,
Just see the wings with which I fly.
Long live the mice that cleave the sky!"
These reasons had so fair a show,
The weasel let the creature go.

By some strange fancy led,
The same wise blunderhead,
But two or three days later,
Had chosen for her rest
Another weasel's nest,
This last, of birds a special hater.
New peril brought this step absurd;
Without a moment's thought or puzzle,
Dame weasel oped her peaked muzzle
To eat the intruder as a bird.
"Hold! do not wrong me," cried the bat;
"I'm truly no such thing as that.
Your eyesight strange conclusions gathers.
What makes a bird, I pray? Its feathers.
I'm cousin of the mice and rats.
Great Jupiter confound the cats!"
The bat, by such adroit replying,
Twice saved herself from dying.

And many a human stranger
Thus turns his coat in danger;
And sings, as suits, wherever he goes,
"God save the king!" – or "save his foes!'

There are 16 FIDE member federations that are not members of the United Nations.

Some of them are countries that are part of larger nation states, like Scotland, Wales, and England in the United Kingdom. All three countries are separately part of FIDE, but are represented together in the United Nations.

Others, like Puerto Rico, are unincorporated territory of a larger nation state, but with a distinct culture, heritage, history, and chess federation.

<<<High Flight> BY JOHN GILLESPIE MAGEE JR.>

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air ....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark nor ever eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.>

Bless Us, O Lord
Traditional Catholic Prayer

Bless us, O Lord,

And these Thy gifts

Which we are about to receive,

Through Thy bounty

Through Christ our Lord we pray.
Amen.

"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

"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

One of the greatest paleontologists did not go to school. Mary Anning contributed greatly to paleontology, finding many major marine fossils throughout her life. However, Anning did not have the best upbringing. She was born in a family of 10 siblings, but only 2 reached adulthood, including her. She did not attend formal schooling, and yet she became one of the great names in science.

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

You can't catch skunks with mice. ~ Canadian proverb

* Riddle-e-dee: https://chessimprover.com/chess-rid...

Racing Riddle:
If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Fredthebear created this collection.

Riddle Answer: You would be in the 2nd place. You thought first place, right? Well, you passed the guy in second place, not first.

‘May your Departures equal your Landfalls!'

Event "Rated Bullet game"
Site "https://lichess.org/nlrrOnSO"
Date "2021.12.14"
White "taskampomou"
Black "Isaykin_Artem"
Result "1-0"
WhiteElo "2206"
BlackElo "2361"
UTCDate "2022.10.29"
UTCTime "17:07:34"
Variant "Standard"
ECO "C01"
Opening "French Defense: Exchange Variation, Monte Carlo Variation" Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Remote_Chess_..." Source "https://lichess.org/study/XbHbOKiN/..." Orientation "white"

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Re8+ 9. Be3 Ng4 10. O-O Nxe3 11. fxe3 Rxe3 12. Bxf7+ Kxf7 13. Ne5+ Kg8 14. Qb3+ Kh8 15. Nf7+ Kg8 16. Nxd8+ Kh8 17. Nf7+ Kg8 18. Nh6+ Kh8 19. Qg8# 1-0 White wins. 1-0

"The player who plays best in a tournament never wins first. He finishes second behind the guy with the most luck." ― Savielly Tartakower

"Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter." ― Winston S. Churchill

On March 7, 1942 Jose Capablanca suffered a stroke at the Manhattan Chess Club while watching a skittles game. He died on March 8, 1942 at Mount Sinai hospital, the same hospital that Emanuel Lasker died in a year earlier. He was the shortest lived world champion, dieing at age 53 years, 109 days. He was buried with full honors in Havana. General Batista, President of Cuba, took personal charge of the funeral arrangements.

Waste not want not. ~ Canadian proverb

Drive sober or get pulled over.

"For surely of all the drugs in the world, chess must be the most permanently pleasurable." — Assiac

Chessgames.com will be unavailable September 10, 2024 from 2:30PM through 3:00PM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Jun-01-23 thegoodanarchist: Here are 16 traits of God, from the link: https://churchsource.com/blogs/mini...

<1. Independence: God is self-existent; ... and he cannot be dependent on anything or anyone else.

2. Immutability: God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today, and forever...

3. Eternal: God always exists, not being bound by time. He has no beginning; God has always existed. He has no end; God will always exist...

4. Spirituality/Invisibility: God is an invisible, spiritual being, not composed of any material element...

5. Omnipresence: God is present everywhere, not being bound by space. Furthermore, it is not as though part of God is present in one place and another part in another place. Rather, God is present everywhere with his whole being at the same time. (wrap your head around that one, folks!)

6. Omnipotence: God is all-powerful. He is able to do everything that is fitting for him as God to do...

7. Omniscience: God is all-knowing. He fully knows himself, the past, the present, the future, the decisions and actions of his creatures, all actual things, and all possible things. God does not grow in knowledge by learning new things.

8. Wisdom: God always wills the highest purposes and the proper means to achieve those purposes for his own glory and his people's blessing...

9. Truthfulness and Faithfulness: God always tells the truth and always fulfills his promises. Indeed, he cannot lie and cannot be unfaithful to his word.

10. Love: God always gives of himself. Love eternally characterizes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From this trinitarian love flows the creation of the world, <which God continues to love even when it is hostile toward him.>...

11. Goodness/Grace/Mercy/Patience: God is kind and benevolent. He is good in and of himself, and all his ways in creation, providence, and salvation are good. In grace, God expresses his goodness to people who deserve condemnation. In mercy, God expresses his goodness to people who are distressed. In patience, God expresses his goodness by withholding punishment.

12. Holiness: God is both exalted above creation and absolutely morally pure... Because of his moral holiness, God is completely pure and uncorrupted by sin.

13. Righteousness/Justice: God is upright in himself and in his ways. God himself is absolutely righteous and acts in ways that are perfect. He is just in establishing moral standards, requiring conformity to them, and judging people's obedience and disobedience.

14. Jealousy: God is protective of his honor. Because he alone is God, only he is worthy of ultimate allegiance...

15. Wrath: God intensely hates sin and is ready to punish it fully. Because he is holy, God cannot approve anything that is not perfectly holy. Because he is righteous, God metes out punishment against anything that violates his right standards.

16. Glory: God is infinitely beautiful because of who he is....>

For more details, click the link.

Another pearl of wisdom Dumbledore delivers to Harry Potter comes after defeating Tom Riddle and the basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry has felt disconnected from his fellow students, due to many believing him to be the Heir of Slytherin. Concerned that he should be in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor, Harry tells Dumbledore the only reason he is in Gryffindor is that he didn't want to be in Slytherin, to which Dumbledore responds:

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Dumbledore teaches Harry why his choice is important, and why it makes him just as true a Gryffindor as any other. Both houses can foster his abilities, but only one of the two houses could properly represent his choices.

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.

All Hallows moon, witches soon. ~ Canadian proverb

<<<The Wind> Cat Stevens>
* https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul
Where I'll end up, well, I think only God really knows

I've sat upon the setting sun
But never, never, never, never
I never wanted water once
No never, never, never

I listen to my words but they fall far below
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go

I've swam upon the devil's lake
But never, never, never, never
I'll never make the same mistake
No, never, never, never>

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 (The Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defense)

Then 3.d4 (Ponziani's Gambit) and some variation thereafter. Wikipedia shows that the following are closely related:

* 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (Center Game, by transposition)

* 3...exd4 4.Nf3 (Urusov Gambit)

o 4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nc6 (Max Lange Attack, by transposition)

o 4...Nc6 (Two Knights Defense, by transposition)

o 4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 (Urusov Gambit Accepted)

"You can't hold with the hare and run with the hounds."

"A roaring lion kills no game." ~ African Proverb

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

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ― Howard Thurman

'A stitch in time saves nine'

Z is for Zipper (to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Zipper starts with letter Z,
Letter Z, letter Z,
Zipper starts with Letter Z,
/z/, /z/, /z/, /z/!

The Boat 274

This Bill Wall collection was originally 449 games, but the devil-may-care CGs operator hacked it to pieces like so many of Fredthebear's collections.