Compiled by Fredthebear

It's the land of the C40's: Queen's Pawn Countergambit (Elephant Gambit, Maroczy Gambit).

* Here's an overview: http://gambiter.com/chess/openings/...

* White wins sorted by reply: Game Collection: Latvian Gambit-White wins

* Here's 30+ Black victories: Game Collection: Latvian gambit victories

* Bilguer Variation: Game Collection: C40 Latvian Gambit II

* Which third move? https://everipedia.org/Latvian_Gambit

* Find a third move: Opening Explorer

* My killer chess secret - it's not what you might think: https://www.loavesanddishes.net/old...

* Blog: https://siderite.dev/blog/the-latvi...

* The are exceptions: https://academicchess.com/worksheet...

<There are distinct situations where a bishop is preferred (over a knight). For example, two bishops are better than two knights or one of each. Steven Mayer, the author of Bishop Versus Knight, contends, "A pair of bishops is usually considered to be worth six points, but common sense suggests that a pair of active bishops (that are very involved in the formation) must be accorded a value of almost nine under some circumstances." This is especially true if the player can plant the bishops in the center of the board, as two bishops working in tandem can span up to 26 squares and have the capacity to touch every square.

Bishops are also preferable to knights when queens have been exchanged because, Grandmaster Sergey Erenburg, who is ranked 11th in the U.S., explains, "Bishops and rooks complement each other, and when well-coordinated, act as a queen." Conversely, a knight is the preferred minor piece when the queen survives until the late-middlegame or the endgame. Mayer explains, "The queen and knight are able to work together smoothly and create a greater number of threats than the queen and bishop."

When forced to say one is better than the other, most anoint the bishop. Mayer concludes, "I think it's true that the bishops are better than the knights in a wider variety of positions than the knights are better than the bishops."

He continues, "Of course, I'm not sure this does us much good, as we only get to play one position at a time.">

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

Thank you SciTech.

* by Dreamcircus
Latvian Gambit
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 f5!?

Also known as the Greco Counter-Gambit, this rather shocking move is an attempt by Black to grab the initiative and lead the game quickly into unknown territory, much like its cousin the Elephant Gambit. It can be quite effective, especially against an unprepared player, and over the years has accumulated quite a body of theory as it undergoes sporadic revivals. It takes the form of a King's Gambit with colours reversed, and therefore with White enjoying an extra move when compared to normal King's Gambit lines. This makes it very dangerous for Black, with one slip often costing the game.

White's main options are whether to capture one of the offered pawns, or stick to development.

3.exf5
This is regarded as the main line. White accepts Black's challenge, capturing the gambit pawn on f5. A typical continuation is: 3...e4
4.Ne5 Nf6
5.Be2 d6
6.Bh5+ Ke7
7.Nf7 Qe8
A complex tactical position arises, in which Black has lost the right to castle, but in return has obtained a strange and complex position in which a White player who does not know his theory can easily go astray.

An interesting and not well-known way to decline the gambit is give on Garry Kasparov's chess home page: 3.Nc3!? Usually the gambit is declined by 3.Bc4!? 3...fxe4
4.Nxe5 Qf6
5.Ng4 Qg6
6.Nd5! White seems to be doing well here, with threats of Nxc7+ which are difficult to deal with.

The Latvian Gambit is not currently regarded as sound enough for a grandmaster to play in a serious match, but it makes frequent appearances at lower-ranked tournaments.

Links
* http://www.kasparov.f2s.com/latvian...
An excellent resource on the Latvian Gambit can be found at the home page of an enthusiastic amateur called Marek Trokenheim: http://www.algonet.se/~marek/lg-toc...

* Blog: https://siderite.dev/blog/the-latvi...

"God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with." — Billy Graham

"I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right." — Billy Graham

* Riddle-dee-xp: https://www.briddles.com/riddles/ch...

"Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy." ― Norman Vincent Peale

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

"We made too many wrong mistakes." ― Yogi Berra, 18-time American League All-Star

This poem is dedicated to all Caissa members
who do not believe in dragging a game on and on.

The Pawn Who Had to Go

The little pawn screamed: "I cannot hold it anymore, get me a pot or I will do exactly what I did before." Everybody laughed with the exception of the opposing king who guessed what was on the mind of this filthy thing. But nobody had time to fetch a pot or even a plastic bag They were too busy to ensure that the game became a drag. The guys in white kept running back and forth but no change. The guys in black stayed also within the very same range. Suddenly the unhappy pawn who had screamed for a pot, did a weird little dance while moving up one slot. Now standing near the king he simply pulled his pants down and peed straight up against the king's beautiful crown.

* Organized Steinitz collection:
Game Collection: Steinitz Gambits

Compiled by Fredthebear
Legendary gambiteer of the Ohio Valley

* Classic games by great players: Game Collection: Guinness Book - Chess Grandmasters (Hartston)

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

* 610_Back rank mating tactics: Game Collection: 610_Back rank mating tactics

* Impact of Genius: 500 years of Grandmaster Chess: Game Collection: Impact of Genius : 500 years of Grandmaster Ches

* Chess Prehistory Compiled by Joe Stanley: Game Collection: Chess Prehistory

* Best (Old) Games of All Time: Game Collection: Best Games of All Time

* 'Great Brilliancy Prize Games of the Chess Masters' by Fred Reinfeld: Game Collection: 0

* bengalcat47's favorite games of famous masters: Game Collection: bengalcat47's favorite games

* Mil y Una Partidas 1914-1931: Game Collection: Mil y Una Partidas 1914-1931

* Fire Baptisms Compiled by Nasruddin Hodja: Game Collection: Fire Baptisms

* maxruen's favorite games III: Game Collection: maxruen's favorite games III

* some famous brilliancies: Game Collection: brilliacies

* Brilliant games Compiled by madhatter5: Game Collection: Brilliant games

* The Fireside Book of Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld: Game Collection: Fireside Book of Chess

* 'Chess Praxis' by Aron Nimzowitsch: Game Collection: Chess Praxis (Nimzowitsch)

* '500 Master Games of Chess' by Savielly Tartakower and Julius Du Mont: Game Collection: 500 Master Games of Chess

* Great Combinations Compiled by wwall: Game Collection: Combinations

* Middlegame Combinations by Peter Romanovsky: Game Collection: Middlegame Combinations by Peter Romanovsky

* Exchange sacs – 1 Compiled by obrit: Game Collection: Exchange sacs - 1

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

* Ne5 Holler of a Tree in Fredthebear Country: Game Collection: Ne5 Holler of a Tree in Fredthebear Country

* 'The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games' by Graham Burgess, John Nunn and John Emms. New expanded edition-now with 125 games. Game Collection: Mammoth Book-Greatest Games (Nunn/Burgess/Emms)

* Best of the British Compiled by Timothy Glenn Forney: Game Collection: Best of the British

* The Best Chess Games (part 2): Game Collection: The Best Chess Games (part 2)

* Annotated Games: Game Collection: Annotated Games

* sapientdust's favorite games: Game Collection: sapientdust's favorite games

* shakman's favorite games – 2: Game Collection: shakman's favorite games - 2

* Reti Opening Compiled by KingG: Game Collection: Reti Opening

* Veliki majstori saha 16 RETI (Slavko Petrovic): Game Collection: Veliki majstori saha 16 RETI (Petrovic)

* Richard Réti's Best Games by Golombek: Game Collection: Richard Réti's Best Games by Golombek

* ray keene's favorite games: Game Collection: ray keene's favorite games

* (Variety Pack) Compiled by Nova: Game Collection: KID games

* JonathanJ's favorite games 4: Game Collection: JonathanJ's favorite games 4

* jorundte's favorite games: Game Collection: jorundte's favorite games

* elmubarak: my fav games: Game Collection: elmubarak: my fav games

* assorted Good games Compiled by rbaglini: Game Collection: assorted Good games

* Golden Treasury of Chess (Wellmuth/Horowitz): Game Collection: 0

* LAST COLLECTION Compiled by Jaredfchess: Game Collection: LAST COLLECTION

"Chess first of all teaches you to be objective." – Alexander Alekhine

"Among a great many other things that chess teaches you is to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good. It trains you to think before grabbing and to think just as objectively when you're in trouble." -- Stanley Kubrick

"Chess helps you to concentrate, improve your logic. It teaches you to play by the rules, take responsibility for your actions, how to problem solve in an uncertain environment." – Garry Kasparov

"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"To avoid losing a piece, many a person has lost the game." – 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

The Use Of Knowledge

Between two citizens
A controversy grew.
The one was poor, but much he knew:
The other, rich, with little sense,
Claimed that, in point of excellence,
The merely wise should bow the knee
To all such moneyed men as he.
The merely fools, he should have said;
For why should wealth hold up its head,
When merit from its side has fled?
"My friend," said Bloated-purse,
To his reverse,
"You think yourself considerable.
Pray, tell me, do you keep a table?
What comes of this incessant reading,
In point of lodging, clothing, feeding?
It gives one, true, the highest chamber,
One coat for June and for December,
His shadow for his sole attendant,
And hunger always in the ascendant.
What profits he his country, too,
Who scarcely ever spends a sou –
Will, haply, be a public charge?
Who profits more the state at large,
Than he whose luxuries dispense
Among the people wealth immense?
We set the streams of life a-flowing;
We set all sorts of trades a-going.
The spinner, weaver, sewer, vender,
And many a wearer, fair and tender,
All live and flourish on the spender –
As do, indeed, the reverend rooks
Who waste their time in making books."
These words, so full of impudence,
Received their proper recompense.
The man of letters held his peace,
Though much he might have said with ease.
A war avenged him soon and well;
In it their common city fell.
Both fled abroad; the ignorant,
By fortune thus brought down to want,
Was treated everywhere with scorn,
And roamed about, a wretch forlorn;
Whereas the scholar, everywhere,
Was nourished by the public care.

Let fools the studious despise;
There's nothing lost by being wise.

Question: Which US President was the only bachelor when he was in office? Answer: James Buchanan

Question: On which planet is a year longer than a day? Answer: Venus has the longest day of any planet in our solar system. Venus is unusual because it spins the opposite direction of Earth and most other planets and it's extremely slow. It takes about 243 Earth days to spin around just once. Because it's so close to the sun, a year goes by fast. Therefore, a day on Venus is nearly 20 Earth days longer than its year.

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1807-1882

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

"There are good ships, and there are wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, and may they always be." — Anonymous

"Life is what you make it: If you snooze, you lose; and if you snore, you lose more." — Phyllis George

Galatians 6:7 in the Bible "Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

"those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is often cited as originating in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde written in 1385.

"Friend, you don't have to earn God's love or try harder. You're precious in His sight, covered by the priceless blood of Jesus, and indwelt by His Holy Spirit. Don't hide your heart or fear you're not good enough for Him to care for you. Accept His love, obey Him, and allow Him to keep you in His wonderful freedom." — Charles F. Stanley

from the simpleton poet:

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.

Chess is creative.
And a journey too.

Good in the morning.
Or just before bed.

Play cheater_1, with engine.
Or OTB, all in your head.

"It's not how you start that matters, it's how you finish."

"Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." — Francis Bacon

The cat's play is the mouse's death. ~ German Proverb

"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground." ― Theodore Roosevelt

Ah, St. Marher, 1225:
"And te tide and te time þat tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet."

2pry Zeitnot Zshaa-Tichondrius - 601 Disc Priest 226 Ilvl - 27750 RBG zek247 dint undrstnd Ziyatdinov's planto ignore the LSB on deck of the carrier.

"Debt is dumb. Cash is king." — Dave Ramsey

A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets, and the discipline continues into the modern day, where jesters perform at historical-themed events.

During the Middle Ages, jesters are often thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern. Their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume. Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, and storytelling, but many also employed acrobatics, juggling, telling jokes (such as puns, stereotypes, and imitation), and performing magic tricks. Much of the entertainment was performed in a comic style. Many jesters made contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences.

Silence is the best reply to a fool. ― Joker

Always Remember, the beginning is the hardest part. ― Joker

Did you hear about the mathematician who's afraid of negative numbers? He'll stop at nothing to avoid them.

Praseodymium Pr 59 140.908 1.1

.oo.