Dr. Tarrasch, "The Game of Chess", english transl., London 1935, page 238: - "I expressly warn him the beginner against trying to learn by heart the following openings. A terrible thought! He must thoroughly assimilate THE PRINCIPLES and then, when he has played a game, he should study the application of those principles to the particular opening adopted. Thus he will discover the INNER SIGNIFICANCE of the various openings. This is the only correct way. CHESS CANNOT BE PLAYED FROM MEMORY but only with judgement and combinative ability."

Thank you Dr. Siggy!

"Unfortunately, many regard the critic as an enemy, instead of seeing him as a guide to the truth." ― Wilhelm Steinitz

"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 matter of vanity." ― Alexander Alekhine

"As a chess player one has to be able to control one's feelings, one has to be as cold as a machine." ― Levon Aronian

"Sometimes it happens that the computer's assessment is very abstract. It's correct, but it's not useful for a practical game. You have to prove the assessment with very strong moves and if you don't find all of these strong moves you may lose very quickly. For a computer this is not a problem, but for humans it is not so easy." ― Vassily Ivanchuk

"A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit." ― John Milton

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

"A sport, a struggle for results and a fight for prizes. I think that the discussion about "chess is science or chess is art" is already inappropriate. The purpose of modern chess is to reach a result." ― Alexander Morozevich

"No one man is superior to the game." ― A. Bartlett Giamatti, in reference to Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader banned for gambling.

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." ― Alexander Pope

"I consider Mr. Morphy the finest chess player who ever existed. He is far superior to any now living, and would doubtless have beaten Labourdonnais himself. In all his games with me, he has not only played, in every instance, the exact move, but the most exact. He never makes a mistake; but, if his adversary commits the slightest error, he is lost." ― Adolf Anderssen

"After white's reply to 1.e4 e5 with 2.f4 the game is in its last throes" ― Howard Staunton

"I have added these principles to the law: get the Knights into action before both Bishops are developed." ― Emanuel Lasker

"With opposite coloured bishops the attacking side has in effect an extra piece in the shape of his bishop." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"A pawn, when separated from his fellows, will seldom or never make a fortune." ― Francois-Andre Danican Philidor

"Be warned! From Satan's viewpoint you are a pawn in his game of cosmic chess." ― Adrian Rogers

"Pawns not only create the sketch for the whole painting, they are also the soil, the foundation, of any position." ― Anatoly Karpov

"The object of the state is always the same: to limit the individual, to tame him, to subordinate him, to subjugate him." ― Max Stirner

"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

"A Queen's sacrifice, even when fairly obvious, always rejoices the heart of the chess-lover." ― Savielly Tartakower

"Everyone makes mistakes. The wise are not people who never make mistakes, but those who forgive themselves and learn from their mistakes." ― Ajahn Brahm

"As a rule, so-called "positional" sacrifices are considered more difficult, and therefore more praise-worthy, than those which are based exclusively on an exact calculation of tactical possibilities." ― Alexander Alekhine

"It would be idle, and presumptuous, to wish to imitate the achievements of a Morphy or an Alekhine; but their methods and their manner of expressing themselves are within the reach of all." ― Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

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

"If the defender is forced to give up the center, then every possible attack follows almost of itself." ― Siegbert Tarrasch

"Erudition, like a bloodhound, is a charming thing when held firmly in leash, but it is not so attractive when turned loose upon a defenseless and unerudite public." ― Agnes Repplier

"If you watch it, you should watch it with other players and try to find moves, like it was before. Now on many sites you watch together with the computer and the pleasure is gone." ― Boris Gelfand

"I believe that Chess possesses a magic that is also a help in advanced age. A rheumatic knee is forgotten during a game of chess and other events can seem quite unimportant in comparison with a catastrophe on the chessboard." ― Vlastimil Hort

"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

"Having spent alarmingly large chunks of my life studying the white side of the Open Sicilian, I find myself asking, why did I bother?" ― Daniel J. King

"Apart from direct mistakes, there is nothing more ruinous than routine play, the aim of which is mechanical development." ― Alexey Suetin

"Not infrequently ... the theoretical is a synonym of the stereotyped. For the 'theoretical' in chess is nothing more than that which can be found in the textbooks and to which players try to conform because they cannot think up anything better or equal, anything original." ― Mikhail Chigorin

"The choice of opening, whether to aim for quiet or risky play, depends not only on the style of a player, but also on the disposition with which he sits down at the board." ― Efim Geller

"Despite the development of chess theory, there is much that remains secret and unexplored in chess." ― Vasily Smyslov

"No matter how much theory progresses, how radically styles change, chess play is inconceivable without tactics." ― Samuel Reshevsky

"Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous." ― Abdelkader El Djezairi

"Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." ― Abigail Adams

"When I was preparing for one term's work in the Botvinnik school I had to spend a lot of time on king and pawn endings. So when I came to a tricky position in my own games, I knew the winning method." ― Garry Kasparov

"As a rule, pawn endings have a forced character, and they can be worked out conclusively." ― Mark Dvoretsky

"It is a gross overstatement, but in chess, it can be said I play against my opponent over the board and against myself on the clock." ― Viktor Korchnoi

"The fact that the 7 hours time control allows us to play a great deep game is not of great importance for mass-media." ― Alexei Shirov

"For me, each game is a new challenge, which has to be dealt with rationally and systematically. At that time, every other thought fades into oblivion." ― Viswanathan Anand

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand." ― Albert Einstein

"One bad move nullifies forty good ones."
― Israel Albert Horowitz

"It is a well-known phenomenon that the same amateur who can conduct the middle game quite creditably, is usually perfectly helpless in the end game. One of the principal requisites of good chess is the ability to treat both the middle and end game equally well." ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"My hard work and excellent training entitled me to be a better actress than some of my competitors." ― Pola Negri

"Endings of one rook and pawns are about the most common sort of endings arising on the chess board. Yet though they do occur so often, few have mastered them thoroughly. They are often of a very difficult nature, and sometimes while apparently very simple they are in reality extremely intricate." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Capablanca used to talk calmly and moderately about everything. However, when our conversation turned to the problems of the battle for the world championship, in front of me was a quite different person: an enraged lion, although with the fervour typical only of a southerner, with his temperamental patter, which made it hard to follow the torrent of his indignant exclamations and words." ― Alexander Koblencs

"A player is said to have the opposition when he can place his King directly in front of the adverse King, with only one square between them. This is often an important advantage in ending games." ― Howard Staunton

"A player can sometimes afford the luxury of an inaccurate move, or even a definite error, in the opening or middlegame without necessarily obtaining a lost position. In the endgame ... an error can be decisive, and we are rarely presented with a second chance." ― Paul Keres

"Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own citizens with guns." ― Benjamin Franklin

"The Soviet Union was an exception, but even there chess players were not rich. Only Fischer changed that." ― Boris Spassky

"Chess never has been and never can be aught but a recreation. It should not be indulged in to the detriment of other and more serious avocations - should not absorb or engross the thoughts of those who worship at its shrine, but should be kept in the background, and restrained within its proper province. As a mere game, a relaxation from the severe pursuits of life, it is deserving of high commendation." ― Paul Morphy

"Incidentally, when we're faced with a "prove or disprove," we're usually better off trying first to disprove with a counterexample, for two reasons: A disproof is potentially easier (we need just one counterexample); and nitpicking arouses our creative juices. Even if the given assertion is true, our search for a counterexample often leads to a proof, as soon as we see why a counterexample is impossible. Besides, it's healthy to be skeptical." ― Ronald Graham

"Attackers may sometimes regret bad movez, but it's much worse to forever regret an opportunity you allowed to pass you by." ― Garry Kasparov

"Even the laziest king flees wildly in the face of a double check." ― Aron Nimzowitzch

"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.

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

"Winning is about commitment, discipline, hard work, dedication, determination, courage and sometimes even luck!" ― Susan Polgar

"Every defeat is an opportunity to learn from our mistakes! Every victory is a confirmation of our hard work!" ― Susan Polgar

"A chess player uses his/her knowledge to prepare for next game while a passionate coach preparez for next generation!" ― Susan Polgar

French Proverb: "Ce n'est pas à un vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire la grimace." ― (There's no substitute for experience.)

* Annotated Games: Game Collection: Annotated Games

* Assorted good games: Game Collection: assorted Good games

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

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

* Best of the British: Game Collection: Best of the British

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

* Brilliant games: Game Collection: Brilliant games

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

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

* Chess Prehistory: Game Collection: Chess Prehistory

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

* Fire Baptisms: Game Collection: Fire Baptisms

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

* Famous brilliancies: Game Collection: brilliacies

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

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

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

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

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

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

* '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)

* Great Combinations: Game Collection: Combinations

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

* Exchange sacs: Game Collection: Exchange sacs - 1

* Reti Opening: 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

* Steinitz collection:
Game Collection: Steinitz Gambits

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

* Secrets no more: Game Collection: Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II

* favs: Game Collection: sapientdust's favorite games

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

* Variety pack: Game Collection: KID games

* Last Collection by Jaredfchess: Game Collection: LAST COLLECTION

St. Jude

This poem is dedicated to all
Caissa members who are the Silent Majority.

The Silent Majority

Spoke the silent pawn to the opposing queen:
Your master is a filthy man and also very mean.
He does naught but curse and foulmouth my gentle master. Your king ought to punish him real fast if not faster. because we are all tired of his filthy ranting and raving. We want to play chess which is our gift and inborn craving. But if he is allowed to continue to act like a filthy prick, we'll catch him and drown him in the cesspool with frick. Replied the queen smilingly though in a very loud voice: Fear not silent majority because that is also our choice. So it came about,that one could hear in the deep of night an inhuman scream of the filthy man who died slowly of fright.

Riddle Question: What day is two days before the day immediately following the day three days before the day two days after the day immediately before Friday?

There are three types of people in the world:
Those who can count and those who can't.

Riddle Answer: Tuesday – the day before Friday is Thursday. Two days after that is Saturday. Three days before that is Wednesday. The day immediately following that is Thursday, Two days before that is Tuesday, so the final and correct answer is Tuesday.

"Double, double toil and trouble" has become something of a clichéd quote in relation to witches. It pops up frequently in cartoons and shows, usually as some incantation during a witch's spell. Therefore, it feels appropriate that it was used in the Harry Potter franchise as the students of Hogwarts sing a song with these lyrics in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While the origins of the quote do indeed harken back to witches, it is actually from <Macbeth> with the Harry Potter song being a word-to-word version of a portion of the Three Witches' ill-fated prophecy.

<"Every time I coach people, I <emphasize> the following key concepts:

^Develop your pieces at the beginning of the game (Extremely underrated by beginners)

^Control the center (Chess pieces control a lot more squares from the center of the board)

^Make sure your king is safer than the opponent's

Every opening in chess is based on these fundamental principles. Thus, if you can understand such concepts and put them into practice, your chess strength will skyrocket!" ― IM Luis Torres>

> Protect your pieces. Loose Pieces Drop Off. Your middlegame position generally tends to be in good standing as long as you have a grip on the center, the king is castled and rooks connected, your pieces are active, and you don't drop material. Know all the possible ways of responding to a threat of capture.<

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

* Steinitz Attack: Game Collection: STEINITZ ATTACK

* Submit a PGN: https://www.chessgames.com/nodejs/u...

* Tactical Mix: Game Collection: mastering Tactical ideas by minev

* The Best of... Game Collection: World Champions' Best Games

* Fischer's Brilliance: https://www.chesspuzzler.com/Histor...

* Fischer Random: https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

* FM Schiller disagrees: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Play whatever you like: Opening Explorer

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

<A Burnt Ship
By John Donne (1572-1631)

Out of a fired ship, which by no way
But drowning could be rescued from the flame,
Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came
Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay;
So all were lost, which in the ship were found,
They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd.>

Chessgames.com will be unavailable August 28, 2023 from 1:00AM through 1:30AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Did you hear about the Italian chef who died?
He pasta-way.

The Cloud
By Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.

I sift the snow on the mountains below,
And their great pines groan aghast;
And all the night 'tis my pillow white,
While I sleep in the arms of the blast.
Sublime on the towers of my skiey bowers,
Lightning my pilot sits;
In a cavern under is fettered the thunder,
It struggles and howls at fits;
Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me,
Lured by the love of the genii that move
In the depths of the purple sea;
Over the rills, and the crags, and the hills,
Over the lakes and the plains,
Wherever he dream, under mountain or stream,
The Spirit he loves remains;
And I all the while bask in Heaven's blue smile, Whilst he is dissolving in rains.

The sanguine Sunrise, with his meteor eyes,
And his burning plumes outspread,
Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,
When the morning star shines dead;
As on the jag of a mountain crag,
Which an earthquake rocks and swings,
An eagle alit one moment may sit
In the light of its golden wings.
And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath, Its ardours of rest and of love,
And the crimson pall of eve may fall
From the depth of Heaven above,
With wings folded I rest, on mine aëry nest,
As still as a brooding dove.

That orbèd maiden with white fire laden,
Whom mortals call the Moon,
Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-like floor,
By the midnight breezes strewn;
And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,
Which only the angels hear,
May have broken the woof of my tent's thin roof, The stars peep behind her and peer;
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,
Like a swarm of golden bees,
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,
Till calm the rivers, lakes, and seas,
Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high, Are each paved with the moon and these.

I bind the Sun's throne with a burning zone,
And the Moon's with a girdle of pearl;
The volcanoes are dim, and the stars reel and swim, When the whirlwinds my banner unfurl.
From cape to cape, with a bridge-like shape,
Over a torrent sea,
Sunbeam-proof, I hang like a roof,
The mountains its columns be.
The triumphal arch through which I march
With hurricane, fire, and snow,
When the Powers of the air are chained to my chair, Is the million-coloured bow;
The sphere-fire above its soft colours wove,
While the moist Earth was laughing below.

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores; I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb, I arise and unbuild it again.

According to Chessmetrics, 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

Q: What do you call a can opener that doesn't work? A can't opener!

Forcing moves: <The great Australian correspondence champion and teacher Cecil Purdy advised: In every position look at all checks and captures, and jump-mates, jump-checks, and jump-captures.

'Jump-moves' -- are moves that would be possible if an obstructing piece were removed.

This bit of advice comes from a book by GM Andrew Soltis -- it's called "The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess" (Batsford, 2008) -- 288 chess maxims and a short (1 page) bit of explanation and annotated example.>

Chessgames.com will be unavailable August 28, 2023 from 1:00AM through 1:30AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

An Irish Blessing:

May we all feel…
happy and contented,
healthy and strong,
safe and protected
and living with ease…

~

Ever wanted to be able to clean your ears with your tongue? Then you'd probably fancy being a giraffe. They're able to do this thanks to having tongues which are around 21 inches long!

Question: What is the only number spelled out in English that has the same number of letters as its value? Answer: Four

Concrete-like structures began to appear for the first time in northern Jordan and southern Syria regions around 6500 B.C.E. Comprised of rough composite mixed with fluid cement, concrete is the most widely used man-made material. The mix hardens over time, making a sturdy, strong structural foundation. However, when it's still wet, the material is very easy to manipulate into different shapes.

Question: The U.S.A. $10,000 bill was last printed in 1945 and is the largest denomination ever in public circulation; whose portrait appeared on it? Answer: Salmon P. Chase – Secretary of the Treasury

Giraffes have unique markings. They are like our own fingerprints in that no two giraffes will ever have the same markings.

Tilt

The Cat and the Old Rat

A story-writer of our sort
Historifies, in short,
Of one that may be reckoned
A Rodilard the Second, –
The Alexander of the cats,
The Attila, the scourge of rats,
Whose fierce and whiskered head
Among the latter spread,
A league around, its dread;
Who seemed, indeed, determined
The world should be unvermined.
The planks with props more false than slim,
The tempting heaps of poisoned meal,
The traps of wire and traps of steel,
Were only play compared with him.
At length, so sadly were they scared.
The rats and mice no longer dared
To show their thievish faces
Outside their hiding-places,
Thus shunning all pursuit; whereat
Our crafty General Cat
Contrived to hang himself, as dead,
Beside the wall with downward head,
Resisting gravitation's laws
By clinging with his hinder claws
To some small bit of string.
The rats esteemed the thing
A judgment for some naughty deed,
Some thievish snatch,
Or ugly scratch;
And thought their foe had got his meed
By being hung indeed.
With hope elated all
Of laughing at his funeral,
They thrust their noses out in air;
And now to show their heads they dare;
Now dodging back, now venturing more;
At last on the larder's store
They fall to filching, as of yore.
A scanty feast enjoyed these shallows;
Down dropped the hung one from his gallows,
And of the hindmost caught.
"Some other tricks to me are known,"
Said he, while tearing bone from bone,
"By long experience taught;
The point is settled, free from doubt,
That from your holes you shall come out."
His threat as good as prophecy
Was proved by Mr. Mildandsly;
For, putting on a mealy robe,
He squatted in an open tub,
And held his purring and his breath; –
Out came the vermin to their death.
On this occasion, one old stager,
A rat as grey as any badger,
Who had in battle lost his tail,
Abstained from smelling at the meal;
And cried, far off, "Ah! General Cat,
I much suspect a heap like that;
Your meal is not the thing, perhaps,
For one who knows somewhat of traps;
Should you a sack of meal become,
I had let you be, and stay at home."

Well said, I think, and prudently,
By one who knew distrust to be
The parent of security.

'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

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

Q: Why was the King only a foot tall?
A: Because he was the ruler.

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

Rundown

George Henry Thomas Is An Unsung Hero Of The Civil War After serving in the Mexican-American War, <George Henry Thomas> remained as a Southern Unionist in the US Army during the American Civil War. He served as a general and was one of the lead commanders in the Western Theater. During the war, he never lost a battle starting with his first victory at Mill Springs.

George Henry Thomas won several decisive victories throughout the war, even saving the Union Army, earning the nickname "the Rock of Chickamauga." Although he was undefeated during the war, his refusal to promote his legacy led him to be overshadowed by generals such as Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.

Trolling is cyberbullying. The troll should be banned from the website for good.

Internet trollz are people who want to provoke and upset others online for their own amusement. Here's how to spot the signz that someone is a troll, and how to handle them.

What Are Internet Trollz?
If you've been on the internet for any period of time, you've likely run into a troll at some point. An internet troll is someone who makes intentionally inflammatory, rude, or upsetting statements online to elicit strong emotional responses in people or to steer the conversation off-topic. They can come in many forms. Most trolls do this for their own amusement, but other forms of trolling are done to push a specific agenda.

Trollz have existed in folklore and fantasy literature for centuries, but online trolling has been around for as long as the internet has existed. The earliest known usage of the term can be traced back to the 1990s on early online message boards. Back then, it was a way for users to confuse new members by repeatedly posting an inside joke. It's since turned into a much more malicious activity.

Trolling is distinct from other forms of cyberbullying or harassment. It is normally not targeted towards any one person and relies on other people paying attention and becoming provoked. Trolling exists on many online platforms, from small private group chats to the biggest social media websites. Here's a list of places online where you're likely to see online trolls:

Anonymous online forums: Places like removed to prevent more trolling are prime real-estate for online trolls. Because there's no way of tracing who someone is, trolls can post very inflammatory content without repercussion. This is especially true if the forum has lax or inactive moderation. Twitter: Twitter also has the option to be anonymous, and has become a hotbed for internet trolls. Frequent Twitter trolling methods involve hijacking popular hashtags and mentioning popular Twitter personalities to gain attention from their followers.

Comment sections: The comment sections of places such as YouTube and news websites are also popular areas for trolls to feed. You'll find a lot of obvious trolling here, and they frequently generate a lot of responses from angry readers or viewers.

You'll find trollz anywhere online, including on Facebook and on online dating sites. They're unfortunately pretty common.

Signs Someone Is Trolling
It can sometimes become difficult to tell the difference between a troll and someone who just genuinely wants to argue about a topic. However, here are a few tell-tale signs that someone is actively trolling.

Off-topic remarkz: Completely going off-topic from the subject at hand. This is done to annoy and disrupt other posters.

Refusal to acknowledge evidence: Even when presented with hard, cold factz, they ignore this and pretend like they never saw it.

Dismissive, condescending tone: An early indicator of a troll was that they would ask an angry responder, "Why you mad, bro?" This is a method done to provoke someone even more, as a way of dismissing their argument altogether. Use of unrelated images or memes: They reply to others with memes, images, and gifs. This is especially true if done in response to a very long text post. Seeming obliviousness: They seem oblivious that most people are in disagreement with them. Also, trolls rarely get mad or provoked. The list above is by no means definitive. There are a lot of other ways to identify that someone is trolling. Generally, if someone seems disingenuous, uninterested in a real discussion, and provocative on purpose, they're likely an internet troll.

How Should I Handle Them?
A "Danger: Do not feed the troll" sign on a computer keyboard.

The most classic adage regarding trolling is, "Don't feed the trollz." Trollz seek out emotional responses and find provocation amusing, so replying to them or attempting to debate them will only make them troll more. By ignoring a troll completely, they will likely become frustrated and go somewhere else on the internet.

You should try your best not to take anything trollz say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember these people spend countless unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They're not worth your time of day.

If a troll becomes spammy or begins to clog up a thread, you can also opt to report them to the site's moderation team. Depending on the website, there's a chance nothing happens, but you should do your part to actively dissuade them from trolling on that platform. If your report is successful, the troll may be temporarily suspended or their account might be banned entirely.

California and Alaska each have eight national parks. Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range of Denali National Park is the highest point in the USA national parks at 20,302 feet.

Riddle Question: People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?

According to statistics, the average American spends roughly 17,600 minutes behind the wheel annually. That's equivalent to over 293 hours or nearly 12 days!

Riddle Answer: Money

Tourists can visit two USA national parks in a day going to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. They are just 10 miles apart in northern Wyoming.

If you're American when you go in the bathroom… … and American when you come out, what are you in the bathroom?

European.

The Oracle and the Atheist

That man his Maker can deceive,
Is monstrous folly to believe.
The labyrinthine mazes of the heart
Are open to His eyes in every part.
Whatever one may do, or think, or feel,
From Him no darkness can the thing conceal.
A pagan once, of graceless heart and hollow,
Whose faith in gods, I'm apprehensive,
Was quite as real as expensive.
Consulted, at his shrine, the god Apollo.
"Is what I hold alive, or not?"
Said he, – a sparrow having brought,
Prepared to wring its neck, or let it fly,
As need might be, to give the god the lie.
Apollo saw the trick,
And answered quick,
"Dead or alive, show me your sparrow,
And cease to set for me a trap
Which can but cause yourself mishap.
I see afar, and far I shoot my arrow."

"Zeitnot" is German for "time pressure."

"....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

"My kingdom for a horse!"
Mel Brooks' satirical retelling of Robin Hood's folklore is filled with references to classical literature, particularly that of Shakespeare. For instance, people throw their ears at Robin Hood, after he delivers the famous Julius Caesar's line, "Lend me your ear". A more dramatic moment occurs when the vigilante swims to England all the way from Jerusalem. Without offering any context, he exclaims "My kingdom for a horse!" The randomness makes the scene funny but avid readers of the Bard would know that this dialogue is actually taken from Act 5, Scene 4 of <Richard III>. In the play, the titular protagonist desperately searches for his horse on a battlefield when he loses the creature. The line is meant to be an exaggeration by the hero that he would give anything to have a horse in that moment. However, it makes for a funny setup in Robin Hood: Men in Tights as, shortly after saying this, Robin discovers his kingdom has been taken away.

"Risk" by Anais Nin

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

"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

Question: What's the brightest star in the sky? Answer: Sirius – also known as the Dog Star or Sirius A, Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky. The star is outshone only by several planets and the International Space Station.

Q: What kind of tea did the American colonist want? A: Liberty

Question: What's the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard? Answer: Graveyards are attached to churches while cemeteries are stand-alone.

Patty Loveless "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends..."
The Twilight Saga: New Moon / Romeo & Juliet
Like many other romantic films, The Twilight Saga: New Moon also uses quotes from <Romeo & Juliet> to depict the tumultuous romance shared between the ancient Edward Cullen and young human Bella Swan. In fact, the film opens with this monologue from the classic tragedy. It is unsurprising as countless stories of forbidden romance have taken inspiration and paid homage to Shakespeare's famous doomed love story. In the case of Twilight, the rival families can be replaced by vampires and humans and the unconventional romance that blooms between a couple like Edward and Bella. In the original source, Friar Lawrence says these lines to Romeo warning him of the dangers of loving a girl from a rival family. Romeo, however, believes that he would still get joy even if he could meet Juliet for just one moment. In the case of Twilight, the rival families can be replaced by vampires and humans and the unconventional romance that blooms between a couple like Edward and Bella.

<Five Preliminary Endgame Rules according to CJS Purdy

1. Before even beginning to think of making a passed pawn, put all your pieces into as good positions as possible.

2. Avoid pawn-moves while you are getting your pieces well positioned because pawn-moves create lasting weaknesses and thus make your task harder.

3. Try to free your position from weaknesses; and if possible, make it hard for the opponent to do likewise.

4. When trying to win, keep pawns on both wings. When trying to draw, play to eliminate all the pawns on one wing. With pawns on one wing only, a pawn plus is usually insufficient for a win.

5. If you are a pawn up or more, exchange pieces (not pawns) wherever you can do so without losing in position.

Exception: do not rush an exchange that will leave you with a single bishop running on the opposite color to the enemy's single bishop. Also, refrain from exchanging if it will give your opponent two bishops against bishop and knight. Posted by Chessbuzz>

Never let your feet run faster than your shoes. ~ Scottish Proverb

* 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.

Take care of your pennies and your dollars will take care of themselves. ~ Scottish Proverb

The Lion and the Rat

To show to all your kindness, it behoves:
There's none so small but you his aid may need.
I quote two fables for this weighty creed,
Which either of them fully proves.
From underneath the sward
A rat, quite off his guard,
Popped out between a lion's paws.
The beast of royal bearing
Showed what a lion was
The creature's life by sparing –
A kindness well repaid;
For, little as you would have thought
His majesty would ever need his aid,
It proved full soon
A precious boon.
Forth issuing from his forest glen,
T" explore the haunts of men,
In lion net his majesty was caught,
From which his strength and rage
Served not to disengage.
The rat ran up, with grateful glee,
Gnawed off a rope, and set him free.

By time and toil we sever
What strength and rage could never.

<Atterdag: Geoff - are you a descendant of Wordsworth?: There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more. :-)

Sally Simpson: Hi Atterdag,
This is my tribute to Wordsworth. (Daffodils.)

I wandered lonely as a pawn,
o'er a field coloured brown and cream,
When suddenly I ran out of squares
and discovered I was now a Queen.>

"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

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Isolated pawns require a very expensive therapy, for keeping them alive.

The science of repetition is clear: consistent practice is essential to mastering any skill. The 10,000-Hour Rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, states that achieving world-class expertise in any field requires roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. While this number may vary depending on the individual, the principle remains true: mastery requires time and effort focused on meaningful activities.

Chessgames.com will be unavailable January 16, 2024 from 12:15PM through 12:45PM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The swastika was known across the world from ancient times. The swastika's earliest appearance in Europe was in what became Ukraine. But as a symbol of religious significance, it was known throughout Eurasia. It became a significant religious icon in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It was sacred to the Greeks and the Romans. Early Christian churches used the icon in both the Eastern and Roman branches. It can be found in floor mosaics, ceilings, friezes, stained glass windows, artwork, and altars in churches of the Gothic period. The nobility in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland, used the symbol in their coats of arms and as decorative flourishes in their great houses. In the Nordic regions, the symbol was indicative of Thor's hammer. It still decorates the elephants at Carlsberg's in Copenhagen.

Ancient North American Indian tribes also used the swastika as symbol from the Passamaquoddy in Maine to the Navajo in the southwest. How the swastika spread around the world, in virtually every portion of the world, remains a mystery, as the symbol has no equivalent in nature nor the night sky. Since its use by the Nazi Party in Germany it has been banned from being displayed publicly in both Germany and Austria, and its use even for scholarly purposes is subject to restrictions. Around the world, the swastika is still displayed, sometimes as a symbol of hate, and in others, with the religious significance it has always conveyed.

The longest official chess game lasted 20 hours and included 269 moves.

Chess is a required school subject in Armenia.

The rook piece is named from the Persian word "ruhkh," meaning "chariot".

There are 400 possible moves after each move played in a single game of chess.

"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.--Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd!"
― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Riddle of the Day:
Mary's mother had four children: April, May and June.

What's the name of the fourth child?

Thank you, Qindarka!

Answer to the Riddle of the Day above:
The name of the fourth child is Mary.

Proof of Ratings Inflation:
A criminal named Claude Bloodgood managed to achieve the second highest rating in the USA at the time through either scamming the system or (as he states it) simply playing the only opposition he was allowed. Since he was in prison for life, the only opponents available to him were other inmates, several of whom he had taught to play. As well as playing correspondence games, he was far and away the strongest chess player within the prison system and as such his rating continued to rise.

It reached such a level that had he not been incarcerated, he would have to have been invited to the highest-level chess tournament in the country at the time. Bloodgood insisted he had not cheated his rating in any way and instead pointed out that the current system was prone to exploitation in circumstances like his own.

The ratings system was altered to account for situations like his. Bloodgood died in 2004, still behind bars.

Chessgames.com will be unavailable Friday, February 17, 2023 from 11AM through 11:30AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The Night
BY HENRY VAUGHAN
John 3.2

Through that pure virgin shrine,
That sacred veil drawn o'er Thy glorious noon, That men might look and live, as glowworms shine, And face the moon,
Wise Nicodemus saw such light
As made him know his God by night.

Most blest believer he!
Who in that land of darkness and blind eyes
Thy long-expected healing wings could see,
When Thou didst rise!
And, what can never more be done,
Did at midnight speak with the Sun!

O who will tell me where
He found Thee at that dead and silent hour?
What hallowed solitary ground did bear
So rare a flower,
Within whose sacred leaves did lie
The fulness of the Deity?

No mercy-seat of gold,
No dead and dusty cherub, nor carved stone,
But His own living works did my Lord hold
And lodge alone;
Where trees and herbs did watch and peep
And wonder, while the Jews did sleep.

Dear night! this world's defeat;
The stop to busy fools; care's check and curb; The day of spirits; my soul's calm retreat
Which none disturb!
Christ's progress, and His prayer time;
The hours to which high heaven doth chime;

God's silent, searching flight;
When my Lord's head is filled with dew, and all His locks are wet with the clear drops of night; His still, soft call;
His knocking time; the soul's dumb watch,
When spirits their fair kindred catch.

Were all my loud, evil days
Calm and unhaunted as is thy dark tent,
Whose peace but by some angel's wing or voice
Is seldom rent,
Then I in heaven all the long year
Would keep, and never wander here.

But living where the sun
Doth all things wake, and where all mix and tire Themselves and others, I consent and run
To every mire,
And by this world's ill-guiding light,
Err more than I can do by night.

There is in God, some say,
A deep but dazzling darkness, as men here
Say it is late and dusky, because they
See not all clear.
O for that night! where I in Him
Might live invisible and dim!

Chess Question: What is the maximum number of captures that any chess unit can make in a game?

Coral reefs are called the rain forests of the sea and enjoy an extraordinarily biologically diverse ecosystem, providing food and shelter to millions of species like fish, sponges, sea anemones, bryozoans, worms, sea stars, crustaceans, and snails, to name a few. The three primary categories of coral reefs are atoll reefs in the Indo-pacific, barrier reefs that parallel land, and fringing reefs which physically attach to the shore or close to it.

Chess Answer: 15 by the K, Q, R, or N. 14 by the B. 6 by the pawn.

Dinner Prayer Hymn
Traditional Hymn

Lord, bless this food and grant that we

May thankful for thy mercies be;

Teach us to know by whom we're fed;

Bless us with Christ, the living bread.

Lord, make us thankful for our food,

Bless us with faith in Jesus' blood;

With bread of life our souls supply,

That we may live with Christ on high.
Amen.

ALFAVE: https://chessmood.com/forum/main-ch...

Australia Chess: https://theconversation.com/the-que...

Stop Blundering: https://chessmood.com/blog/stop-blu...

C.J.S. Purdy writes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...

The Grandmaster's Mind: https://www.chess.com/blog/GMBethHa...

Play now: https://lichess.org/

Tata Steel 2025: https://tatasteelchess.com/en

What does it take (Judit Polgar and Hou Yifan): https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w3cs...

"Unlike other games in which lucre is the end and aim, chess recommends itself to the wise by the fact that its mimic battles are fought for no prize but honor. It is eminently and emphatically the philosopher's game." ― Paul Morphy

"Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings." ― Jean de La Bruyère

"Out of difficulties, grow miracles" ― Jean de La Bruyère

"Not to be able to bear with all bad-tempered people with whom the world is crowded, shows that a man has not a good temper himself." ― Jean de La Bruyère

"The same principle leads us to neglect a man of merit that induces us to admire a fool." ― Jean de La Bruyère

"A wise man is cured of ambition by ambition itself; his aim is so exalted that riches, office, fortune, and favor cannot satisfy him." ― Jean de La Bruyère

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." ― Will Rogers

"Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was." ― Will Rogers

"Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else." ― Will Rogers

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." ― Will Rogers

"The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board." ― Simon Williams

* Weird is what you're not used to: https://chessentials.com/weird-ches...

limerick, entitled ‘The Solver's Plight' was by ‘A.J.F.' A.J. Fink and was published on page 22 of Chess Potpourri by Alfred C. Klahre (Middletown, 1931):

There was a man from Vancouver
Who tried to solve a two-mover;
But the boob, he said, ‘"Gee",
I can't find the "Kee",
No matter HOW I manouvre.'

"He who sees the face does not see the heart." – Portuguese Proverb

"Those who do not risk, do not benefit."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Here it is done, here it is paid."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Each monkey to its own branch."
– Portuguese Proverb

"To a good listener, half a word is enough"
– Portuguese Proverb

"The lie has short legs."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
– Portuguese Proverb

"One bird in the hand is more worthy than two flying birds." – Portuguese Proverb

"As you make your bed, so you must lie on it." – Portuguese Proverb

"Those who play with fire will get burnt."
– Portuguese Proverb

"A golden bit does not make the horse any better." – Portuguese Proverb

"Faint heart never won fair lady."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Charity begins at home."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Experience is the mother of wisdom."
– Portuguese Proverb

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder."
– Portuguese Quote

"Hunger is the best seasoning."
– Portuguese Quote

"Our union makes us stronger."
– Portuguese Quote

"Passed waters can't move the mills."
– Portuguese Quote

"An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains." – Portuguese Quote

"Love is friendship set on fire."
– Portuguese Quote

"The one who kneeled, must pray."
– Portuguese Quote

"Necessity makes the frog jump."
– Portuguese Quote

"Hope is the last one to die."
– Portuguese Quote

Toast to friendship:

‘Here's to Tall Ships,
Here's to Small Ships,
Here's to all the Ships at Sea.
But the best Ships are Friendships,
Here's to You and Me!'

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

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

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

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

"My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world." — Billy Graham

"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

This poem is dedicated to Harris my chessplayer friend and literary commentator.

Chess The Final Metaphor

It was in a cesspool behind the place of his cousin Nick

That in this pool of sewage, was born the freak called frick.

On dark nights he hysterically wailed in his pool of slimy mess:

"Oh why oh why, can't I play the game that humans call chess"?

As the morning sun rose, begged the queen of the mighty king:

Sire, can you not order the death of this awful filthy thing"?

Wisely he replied: "no, I'll let frick live forever in distress

While he must watch others enjoy themselves playing chess."

* Danill Dubov is the one true pirate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUU...

* Riddle-ziggy-bean: https://www.briddles.com/riddles/ch...

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

"Never reply to an anonymous letter." ― Yogi Berra, MLB Hall of Fame catcher

"Even Napoleon had his Watergate."
― Yogi Berra, 10-time World Series champion

Weiord Funn:
8two After Columbia Zan Francoppa pagan ideology Zajogin free papal map to Zaza Varkondzhova for zborris63 outr space, force, time, andrew j...son K safety. All at once... upon ah tyme thair wuz ah doubting Thomas George Jefferson on ah TV show called Barnaby Jones who u shoe ally ate hiz lhunch sat Mel's Diner southside of Dallass sandy two Cheers four Norm happy hour by hour As the World Turns. Hiz wi-fi's cuKing wuz dat bad but Nissan Lamont respect full he ate zit with mucho longitude sand gratitude, knot Celsius sand Fahrenheit. Did u think i meant The Science Guy Lombardo sand duh Boston Popcorns?! Ifn u r goin two players enter Texas u kneed a fiddle sticks hand stonez Indy band-aid won't cure heartburn or range-faced sunstroke butt NY Knicks himselfish shaving points to blot dah bleeepin. What ah site two sea.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Interrupting cow.

Interrupting c–

MOO!

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, approximately 3000 miles (4850 km) in diameter, hardly larger than the moon. Despite being the smallest, it's extremely dense. In fact, it's the second densest planet after Earth. It's also the closest planet to the sun, making it dangerous to explore. Mercury is 48 million miles from the earth.

Proverbs 14:29-35

29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered * exalts folly.

30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.

31 He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32 The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing, But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35 The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

"There just isn't enough televised chess." — David Letterman

"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

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

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

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

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.

Z is for Zookeeper (to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?")

Oh do you know the zookeeper,
The zookeeper, the zookeeper?
Oh, do you know the zookeeper
Who works down at the zoo?

Zirconium Zr 40 91.22 1.4

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.

Mendelevium Md 101 (258) 1.3

.o,o.

16 yellow #2 pencilz

Sing it Frankie! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiI...

Q: Why did the cow cross the road?
A: To get to the udder side.