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

"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

Straight flush

"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

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him." ― Napoleon Bonaparte

Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.

"I pray to start my day and finish it in prayer. I'm just thankful for everything, all the blessings in my life, trying to stay that way. I think that's the best way to start your day and finish your day. It keeps everything in perspective." ― Tim Tebow

"A God you understood would be less than yourself." ― Flannery O'Connor

"The journey is its own reward." — Homer

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." ― George Orwell

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

"I always plan for long-term; life to me is a never-ending chess match." ― James D. Wilson

"Tis action moves the world....in the game of chess, mind that: ye cannot leave your men to stand unmoving on the board and hope to win. A soldier must first step upon the battlefield if does mean to cross it." ― Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea

"It's an entire world of just 64 squares. I feel safe in it. I can control it; I can dominate it. And it's predictable. So, if I get hurt, I only have myself to blame." ― Walter Tevis, The Queen's Gambit

"In life, as in chess, it is always better to analyze one's motives and intentions." ― Vladimir Nabokov

"You cannot undermine police authority and then complain about rising crime." ― Thomas Paine

"Never play to win a pawn while your development is yet unfinished!" ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"Check your moves well, because it can cost one pawn or losing a lot of just from three moves!" ― Deyth Banger

"What is a weak pawn? A pawn that is exposed to attack and also difficult to defend is a weak pawn. There are several varieties: isolated, doubled, too advanced, retarded backward." ― Samuel Reshevsky, Art of Positional Play (Note: A weak pawn cannot be defended by another pawn; it's protection must come from a piece of the back rank that might rather be more aggressively active.)

"The game gives us a satisfaction that Life denies us. And for the Chess player, the success which crowns his work, the great dispeller of sorrows, is named 'combination'." ― Emanuel Lasker

"The move is there, but you must see it." ― Savielly Tartakower

"Of course, errors are not good for a chess game, but errors are unavoidable and in any case, a game without errors, or as they say 'flawless game' is colorless." ― Mikhail Tal

"Whereas a novice makes moves until he gets checkmated (proof), a Grand Master realizes 20 moves in advance that it's futile to continue playing (conceptualizing)." ― Bill Gaede

"Chess is not a game, it's a war." ― Joshua the poetic penguin

"The King in chess is indeed a symbol of unity and wholeness and the other pieces are not separate entities but rather parts of "the One Thing", as Campbell put it." ― Roumen Bezergianov, Character Education with Chess

"In chess, without the king, the other pieces would all be "dead", so their existence is supported by the king, but they need to serve the king with their capacity for action in order to have a good game." ― Roumen Bezergianov

"...That is my biography from the first day of my chess life to the present.

JOURNALIST. And your plans?
PLAYER. To play!"
― Mikhail Tal, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

"There had been a few times over the past year when she felt like this, with her mind not only dizzied but nearly terrified by the endlessness of chess." ― Walter Tevis, The Queen's Gambit

"Но человек существо легкомысленное и неблаговидное и, может быть, подобно шахматному игроку, любит только один процесс достижения цели, а не самую цель." ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground Russian

"But man is a frivolous and unseemly creature and, perhaps, like a chess player, loves only one process of achieving a goal, and not the goal itself." ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground English translation

"Le jeu dechec, say the French, n'est pas assez jeu: That is, chess games and others of the same importance, are not Spill, but a Study. Such may be presented to those who have nothing to order, and who fear, out of idleness, for the rust of Hiernen, but not industrious people who seek recreation in Spill and Company." ― Ludvig Holberg, Epistles

"To refer to the oft mooted question, "Which piece is stronger, the Bishop or the Knight?" it is clear that the value of the Bishop undergoes greater changes than that of the Knight." ― Emanuel Lasker

"An advantage could consist not only in a single important advantage but also in a multitude of insignificant advantages." ― Emanuel Lasker, "Lasker's Manual of Chess", p.464

"She had heard of the genetic code that could shape an eye or hand from passing proteins. Deoxyribonucleic acid. It contained the entire set of instructions for constructing a respiratory system and a digestive one, as well as the grip of an infant's hand. Chess was like that. The geometry of a position could be read and reread and not exhausted of possibility. You saw deeply into the layer of it, but there was another layer beyond that, and another, and another." ― Walter Tevis, The Queen's Gambit

"Truth derives its strength not so much from itself as from the brilliant contrast it makes with what is only apparently true. This applies especially to Chess, where it is often found that the profoundest moves do not much startle the imagination." ― Emanuel Lasker, Common Sense in Chess

"Chess, like love, is infectious at any age - Salo Flohr" ― Irving Chernev, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy

"Life is short, precious, and should not be wasted. Everyone has a chance at it. We're equals after all. There are no pawns, no kings, and no queens.
We're all humans and we all have the same value." ― Cristelle Comby, Blind Chess

"Life is a mysterious and witty intermingling of fate and events." ― Alexandra Kosteniuk

"Zugzwang. It's when you have no good moves. But you still have to move." ― Michael Chabon

"Everyone wants to be wanted and if all people wait for someone else to invest in them, the world will be stuck in an eternal stalemate: nobody moves and nobody wins." ― Laura L.

"У нас есть шахматы с собой, Шекспир и Пушкин, с нас довольно." ― Vladimir Nabokov, Стихотворения Russian

"We have chess with us,
Shakespeare and Pushkin, we've had enough." English translation ― Vladimir Nabokov, Poems

"I put my hand on a bishop, my would-be assassin, and thought of my father's heights when he won, how he galloped around. The depths of his despair at losing, I expected, would be equal to the peaks. He'd mope about, his face fallen and miserable, his posture stooped as if his back ached. I took my hand from the piece and leaned back in deliberation." ― Rion Amilcar Scott, Insurrections: Stories

"We are men who find chess fascinating. Did you expect our lives to be secretly interesting?" ― Noah Boyd, Agent X

"Life is like a chess game. Every decision, just like every move, has consequences. Therefore, decide wisely!" ― Susan Polgar

"When people insult and disrespect you, the best revenge is to continue to win, and win, and win…." ― Susan Polgar

"The mind has no restrictions. The only restriction is what you believe you cannot do. So go ahead and challenge yourself to do one thing every day that scares you." ― Susan Polgar

"I keep on fighting as long as my opponent can make a mistake." ― Emanuel Lasker

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

* Basic Rules: https://thechessworld.com/basic-che...

* Common Checkmate Patterns:
http://gambiter.com/chess/Checkmate...

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

* Chess Links: http://www.chessdryad.com/links/ind...

* Chess in old newspapers: https://www.schach-chess.com/chess-...

* ChessCafe.com column, The Openings Explained: Abby Marshall

* Closed: Game Collection: Closed Sicilian Structures

* Carlsen: Game Collection: Move by Move - Carlsen (Lakdawala)

* A piece of cake: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/che...

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

* Danish treats: Game Collection: 200 Miniature Games of Chess - Du Mont (I)

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

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

* Fried Fox is awful: https://allchessopenings.blogspot.c...

* 10 Tips: https://www.uschess.org/index.php/L...

* 10 Crazy Gambits: https://www.chess.com/blog/yola6655...

* 25 Opening Traps: https://www.chess.com/blog/ChessLor...

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

* QGD D06: Queen's Gambit Declined (D06)

* Vienna 1903 KG games: Game Collection: Vienna 1903

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

* Best Games of 2018: Game Collection: Best Games of 2018

* Short Selection for White:
Game Collection: Repertoire for White

* Oskar plays 1e4: Oskar Oglaza

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

* List of gambits: https://detailedpedia.com/wiki-List...

* Unleash the Knight: https://cardclashgames.com/blog/che...

* French-Dutch-Bird: Game Collection: Opening repertoire key games

* KIA vs French Defense: Game Collection: KIA vs French Defense

* Gambits vs French Defense:
Game Collection: alapin gambit -alapin diemer gambit + reti gam

* GK: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* Glossary of Chess Terms: http://www.arkangles.com/kchess/glo...

* GPA: https://chesstier.com/grand-prix-at...

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

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

* Glossary: https://www.chess-poster.com/englis...

* How dumb is it? Game Collection: Diemer-Duhm Gambit

* IECC: https://www.chess-iecc.com/

* KP Beauties: Game Collection: Beautiful mates

* King Registration: https://www.kingregistration.com/to...

* Miniatures of the Champs: Game Collection: Champions miniature champions

* Artful Mates: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* Make a Stand: https://www.history.com/topics/amer...

* Malaguena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxD...

* MC Move-by-Move: Game Collection: Move by Move - Carlsen (Lakdawala)

* Brazil Nuts: Game Collection: 2...De7 !

* Notable Games: Game Collection: List of Notable Games (wiki)

* Neon Moon, smooth and easy: https://www.bing.com/search?q=Neon+...

* Lekhika Dhariyal Chess Ops: https://www.zupee.com/blog/category...

* Opening Names: https://allchessopenings.blogspot.c...

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

* Pie in the sky: https://www.old-mill.com/oldmill-re...

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

* Pawn Structures: Game Collection: Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide

* Pirc Defense, Classical: Game Collection: Pirc, Classical Variation

* QGD: Game Collection: QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

* Passive, but playable in the Russian Game: Game Collection: Alpha Russian (White)

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

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

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Reasonable book choices: https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell...

* <Rubinstein>: Game Collection: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces

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

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

* The Unthinkable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9z...

* Three-minute pastry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIa...

* Trappy game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gC...

* Tactical Games: Game Collection: Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Tactics

* Women: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/wom...

* Wikipedia on Computer Chess: Wikipedia article: Computer chess

* Will Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

* Wonders and Curiosities: Game Collection: Wonders and Curiosities of Chess (Chernev)

* Z Vol 105: Game Collection: 0ZeR0's collected games volume 105

* 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!

'A rising tide lifts all boats'

'Don't put the cart before the horse'

"Examine what is said, not who is speaking." ~ African Proverb

Nebraska: Bellevue
Established in: 1822

Bellevue is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Nebraska. It was first established as a trading post in 1822, and moved to its current location in 1835.

In 1822, a settlement was built by Joshua Pilcher, who was then the president of the Missouri Fur Company. It started as a fur trading post that was later known as Fontenelle's Post, after being run by Lucien Fontenelle. Eventually, French Canadian trappers named it Bellevue, inspired by the beautiful view of the bluffs over the Missouri River.

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

* World Chess Championship History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkO...

* Checkmate brevities: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

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

"He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates." ― George Orwell, 1984

Koala fingerprints are so close to humans' that they could taint crime scenes. Koalas might not seem to have a lot in common with us, but if you were to take a closer look at their hands, you'd see that they have fingerprints that are strikingly similar to those of humans.

In fact, they're so similar when it comes to the distinctive loops and arches, that in Australia, "police feared that criminal investigations may have been hampered by koala prints," according to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Any koalas who want to commit crimes would be wise to do so wearing gloves.

Patience is a virtue.

"Make peace with imperfection." ― Richard Carlson

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

Q: What do you call the lights on Noah's Ark?
A: Flood lights.

Q: What do you call a snobby criminal walking down the steps? A: A condescending con descending!

Q: What do you call a dollar frozen in a block of ice? A: Cold hard cash.

Q: What do you call a dead pine tree?
A: A nevergreen.

Q: What do you call a pencil that is broken?
A: Pointless.

Q: What do you call two birds in love?
A: Tweethearts!

Q: What do you call a sad coffee?
A: Depresso.

Q: What do you call a priest that becomes an attorney? A: Father-in-Law.

Q: What do you call a man with a toilet on his head? A: John.

On August 16th, 2022, Hans Niemann played against Magnus Carlsen as part of the 2022 Crypto Cup in a best-of-three chess match. After beating Carlsen in the first game, Niemann was approached by an interviewer asking about his strategy for the game, to which he responded, "The chess speaks for itself." A reupload of the brief interview was posted to YouTube by David Mays on August 16th, gathering nearly 40,000 views in two weeks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxe...

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

"Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people." ― Elizabeth Green

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." ― Andy (Tim Robbins), "The Shawshank Redemption"

Psalms 31:24 - Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

"Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like ‘Psychic Wins Lottery'?" — Jay Leno

Pair of aces

<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.>

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.

Jokers wild "Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong."― Winston Churchill

Kang said:
My brother taught me how to play at the age of 10. He brought me my first book, which was <Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess>.

"Grandmaster games are said to begin with novelty, which is the first move of the game that exits the book. It could be the fifth, it could be the thirty-fifth. We think about a chess game as beginning with move one and ending with checkmate. But this is not the case. The games begins when it gets out of book, and it end when it goes into book. And this is why Game 6 between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue didn't count...Tripping and falling into a well on your way to the field of battle is not the same thing as dying in it...Deep Blue is only itself out of book; prior to that it is nothing. Just the ghosts of the game itself." ― Brian Christian, The Most Human Human: What Talking with Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive

Fromper said:
<When my sister and I were kids, chess was one of several board games that our parents gave us. The set we had was one of those cheapy plastic sets with the instructions in the box top that didn't cover everything. That's how I learned how to move the pieces and what checkmate is, but it didn't cover things like castling, pawn promotion, en pessant, etc. I played a couple of times with that over the years, but never really seriously.

I became somewhat of a "gamer" in high school, back when D&D was big in the 80's. The concept that there were books on chess strategy and people took it so seriously always fascinated me, but I didn't know where to start in looking into it, so it was a little intimidating, too. So I never got around to looking into it seriously until I was an adult. One day, I played a casual game of chess against a friend, and it reminded me of my earlier curiousity. Wanting to make sure I knew all the rules of the game and learn something about the strategy, I checked a local used bookstore and found an old copy of "An Invitation to Chess" by Chernev and Harkness for under $2, which is pretty much the 1948 version of Chess for Dummies. I started playing on the internet, eventually joined USCF, and the rest is history. --Fromper >

'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 Frogs Asking A King

A certain commonwealth aquatic,
Grown tired of order democratic,
By clamouring in the ears of Jove, effected
Its being to a monarch's power subjected.
Jove flung it down, at first, a king pacific.
Who nathless fell with such a splash terrific,
The marshy folks, a foolish race and timid,
Made breathless haste to get from him hid.
They dived into the mud beneath the water,
Or found among the reeds and rushes quarter.
And long it was they dared not see
The dreadful face of majesty,
Supposing that some monstrous frog
Had been sent down to rule the bog.
The king was really a log,
Whose gravity inspired with awe
The first that, from his hiding-place
Forth venturing, astonished, saw
The royal blockhead's face.
With trembling and with fear,
At last he drew quite near.
Another followed, and another yet,
Till quite a crowd at last were met;
Who, growing fast and strangely bolder,
Perched soon on the royal shoulder.
His gracious majesty kept still,
And let his people work their will.
Clack, clack! what din beset the ears of Jove?
"We want a king," the people said, "to move!"
The god straight sent them down a crane,
Who caught and slew them without measure,
And gulped their carcasses at pleasure;
Whereat the frogs more wofully complain.
"What! what!" great Jupiter replied;
"By your desires must I be tied?
Think you such government is bad?
You should have kept what first you had;
Which having blindly failed to do,
It had been prudent still for you
To let that former king suffice,
More meek and mild, if not so wise.
With this now make yourselves content,
Lest for your sins a worse be sent."

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

The Italian chess player Carlo Cozio (1715-1780) was a writer and theorist with an opening named after him. The Cozio Defense to the Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Game) is 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nge7.

* Line Opening selection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXr...

Max Lange (1832-1899) was a very successful German chess player and composer of chess problems. The opening 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 O–O Bc5 6 e5 is called the Max Lange Attack.

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

page 136 of Amy Lowell: Selected Poems edited by Honor Moore (New York, 2004):

Moonlight Striking upon a Chess-Board

I am so aching to write
That I could make a song out of a chess-board
And rhyme the intrigues of knights and bishops
And the hollow fate of a checkmated king.
I might have been a queen, but I lack the proper century; I might have been a poet, but where is the adventure to Explode me into flame.
Cousin Moon, our kinship is curiously demonstrated, For I, too, am a bright, cold corpse
Perpetually circling above a living world.
Our correspondent notes that in 1926, the year after her death, Amy Lowell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

She was a cousin of Robert Lowell, two of whose works were given on pages 67-68 of The Poetry of Chess edited by Andrew Waterman (London, 1981).

<In a park people come across a man playing chess against a dog. They are astonished and say:

"What a clever dog!"

But the man protests:

"No, no, he isn't that clever. I'm leading three games to one!">

The Old Man And His Sons

All power is feeble with dissension:
For this I quote the Phrygian slave.
If anything I add to his invention,
It is our manners to engrave,
And not from any envious wishes; –
I'm not so foolishly ambitious.
Phaedrus enriches often his story,
In quest – I doubt it not – of glory:
Such thoughts were idle in my breast.
An aged man, near going to his rest,
His gathered sons thus solemnly addressed:
"To break this bunch of arrows you may try;
And, first, the string that binds them I untie." The eldest, having tried with might and main,
Exclaimed, "This bundle I resign
To muscles sturdier than mine."
The second tried, and bowed himself in vain.
The youngest took them with the like success.
All were obliged their weakness to confess.
Unharmed the arrows passed from son to son;
Of all they did not break a single one.
"Weak fellows!" said their sire, "I now must show What in the case my feeble strength can do."
They laughed, and thought their father but in joke, Till, one by one, they saw the arrows broke.
"See, concord's power!" replied the sire; "as long As you in love agree, you will be strong.
I go, my sons, to join our fathers good;
Now promise me to live as brothers should,
And soothe by this your dying father's fears."
Each strictly promised with a flood of tears.
Their father took them by the hand, and died;
And soon the virtue of their vows was tried.
Their sire had left a large estate
Involved in lawsuits intricate;
Here seized a creditor, and there
A neighbour levied for a share.
At first the trio nobly bore
The brunt of all this legal war.
But short their friendship as It was rare.
Whom blood had joined – and small the wonder! – The force of interest drove asunder;
And, as is wont in such affairs,
Ambition, envy, were co-heirs.
In parcelling their sire's estate,
They quarrel, quibble, litigate,
Each aiming to supplant the other.
The judge, by turns, condemns each brother.
Their creditors make new assault,
Some pleading error, some default.
The sundered brothers disagree;
For counsel one, have counsels three.
All lose their wealth; and now their sorrows
Bring fresh to mind those broken arrows.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."
― Langston Hughes

Can you still daydream at night?
We know you have some great ideas for your nighttime dreaming. But if you're awake and trying to give your brain some suggestions for dream time, is it daydreaming or just backseat driving?

Reuben Fine can show you the not-so-easy way. Sign up for free and you can read books for free: https://archive.org/details/chessea...

* CFN: https://www.youtube.com/@CFNChannel

Galatians 6:7 in the Bible "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."

'Ashes to ashes dust to dust

"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!" ― John Adams

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

Translation:

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

"You need to realize something if you are ever to succeed at chess,' she said, as if Nora had nothing bigger to think about. ‘And the thing you need to realize is this: the game is never over until it is over. It isn't over if there is a single pawn still on the board. If one side is down to a pawn and a king, and the other side has every player, there is still a game. And even if you were a pawn – maybe we all are – then you should remember that a pawn is the most magical piece of all. It might look small and ordinary but it isn't. Because a pawn is never just a pawn. A pawn is a queen-in-waiting. All you need to do is find a way to keep moving forward. One square after another. And you can get to the other side and unlock all kinds of power.'

Mrs. Elm"
― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

Bughouse Rules

Bughouse is an outrageously fun team game in which one partner plays White and the other plays Black. As a player captures an opponent's piece, that captured piece is passed to the partner. The partner can either make a regular chess move, or place any one of the pieces passed by the partner anywhere on the board! (well, almost anywhere - there are certain rules to follow that we go over in class). To add to the excitement, Bughouse is played with clocks at a quick pace (5 minutes) and players are allowed to TALK!! In fact, you have to talk in order to effectively communicate strategies with your partner. Of course, your opponents might overhear you and plan their counter strategy. So you could whisper, or even talk in secret codes! But you can't hide captured pieces - they have to stay out in the open where everyone can see them. Not fair pulling a rook out from under your beard! These rules and others are contained in he official USCF Bughouse Rules 5th Edition, which will be posted on the walls for Bughouse events. It was interesting to note, during Grandmaster Nigel Davies' recent instructional clinics, that he greatly encouraged Bughouse as a tool for developing the imagination.

IMPORTANT! Because of the high level of noise, Bughouse will be played only on pre-advertised Bughouse tournament days (normally around Halloween, plus or minus a week, and sometimes at other times during the year).

BUGHOUSE RULES (adapted from http://raleighchessacademy.com/wp-c... )

1. Number of Players - There are exactly two players on a team; they are called 'team members,' 'partners' or 'pardners' (Texas only). No substitutions of players are allowed at any time during the tournament. Ya dances with the pardner what brought ya. A Tournament can have many competing teams.

2. Bughouse Game - A 'Bughouse Game' matches one team member against one opponent, and the other team member against that opponent's partner. Play is conducted by the four players on two regulation chess boards, each starting from the normal chess starting position, with white moving first and each using a chess clock (digital takes precedence over analog). One partner plays White; the other Black. The first checkmate or time forfeit on either board ends the Game. If either partner on a team wins their board, then their team wins the Game. Just as in regular chess, there are multiple Games (rounds) per tournament.

3. Colors - For each Game, the team decides which partner is to play white and which is to play black. Once a Game is started, partners may not switch boards (and although you can always give advice to your partner, you cannot touch your partner's pieces).

4. Time control - The time control is Game in 5 minutes. Use 2 second delay when possible.

5. Bring a clock- Each team is responsible for providing a clock. If a team does not have a clock and their opponents do have a clock, the team without a clock forfeits. If neither team has a clock then both teams forfeit.

6. Completion of Move - If a player's hand has released a piece then that move cannot be changed, unless it is an illegal move. A move is not Completed until the piece is released AND the clock is pressed. If the clock has not been pressed then the opponent may not move (this is under review)

8. Illegal moves lose, if they are caught before the next move is made. I. If an opponent makes a move and starts the opponent's clock, they have forfeited the right to claim that illegal move. II. Before play begins both players should inspect the position of the pieces and the setting of the clock, since once each side has made a move all claims for correcting either are null and void. The only exception is if one or both players have more than five minutes on their clock, then the tournament director may reduce the time accordingly. III. Illegal moves, unnoticed by both players, cannot be corrected afterwards, nor can they become the basis for later making an illegal move claim. If the King and Queen are set up incorrectly when the game begins, then you may castle short on the queen side and castle long on the kingside. Once each side has made a move, incorrect setups must stay.

9. Passing pieces - When a piece is captured, the captured piece is passed to the partner only after the move is completed (opponent's clock is started).

10. Placing or moving pieces- A player has the option of either moving one of their pieces on their board or placing a piece their teammate has captured and passed to them. I. A captured piece may be placed on any unoccupied square on the board, with the exception that a pawn may not be placed on the first or last rank. II. Pieces may be placed to create or interpose check or checkmate. (under review - some variants do not allow "drop mates") III. A promoted pawn, which has been captured, reverts to a pawn and not the promoted piece.

11. Displaying captured pieces- A player may not attempt to hide pieces captured by their partner from the opponent. The first attempt will be a warning and the second attempt will result in forfeiture of the game.

12. Communicating allowed- Partners may verbally communicate throughout a game. It is legal for one partner to make move suggestions to the other partner. It is illegal and grounds for forfeiting the match if one partner physically moves one of their partner's pieces.

13. Clock Hand- Each player must push the clock button with the same hand they use to move their pieces. Exception: only during castling may a player use both hands. When capturing only one hand may be used. The first infraction will get a warning, the second a one minute penalty and the third will result in the loss of the game.

14. Touching a Clock- Except for pushing the clock button neither player should touch the clock except: I. To straighten it; II. If either player knocks over the clock his opponent gets one minute added to their clock; III. If your opponent's clock does not begin you may push their side down and repunch your side; however, if this procedure is unsatisfactory, please call for a director; IV. Each player must always be allowed to push the clock after their move is made. Neither player should keep their hand on or hover over the clock.

15. Define a win- A game is won by the player: I. who has mated their opponent's king; II. If the checking piece is not a knight or is not in contact (on an adjacent square) with the defending king and the defending player does not have any material to block the check, the defending player may wait until his or her partner supplies a piece provided their time does not run out. III. whose opponent resigns; IV. whose opponent's flag falls first, at any time before the game is otherwise ended, provided he/she points it out and neutralizes the clock while their own flag is still up; V. who, after an illegal move, takes the opponent's king or stops the clock; VI. an illegal move doesn't negate a player's right to claim on time, provided he/she does so prior to their opponent's claim of an illegal move. If the claims are simultaneous, the player who made the illegal move loses.

16. Defining a draw- A game is a draw: I. By agreement between the teams during the game only. II. If the flag of one player falls after the flag of the other player has already fallen and a win has not been claimed, unless either side mates before noticing both flags down. Announced checkmate nullifies any later time claims.

17. Replacing pieces- If a player accidentally displaces one or more pieces, he shall replace them on his own time. If it is necessary, his opponent may start the opponent's clock without making a move in order to make sure that the culprit uses his own time while replacing the pieces. Finally, it is unsportsmanlike to knock over any pieces then punch the clock. For the first offense the player will get a warning (unless this causes his flag to fall, in which case the opponent will get one extra minute added to his clock). For a second offense a one minute add-on for the opponent will be imposed. For a third offense the offender shall forfeit the game. Thereafter, the tournament director may use other penalties or expel a player from the event for repeated offenses.

18. Dispute between players - In case of a dispute either player may stop both clocks while the tournament director is being summoned. In any unclear situation the tournament director will consider the testimony of both players and any reliable witnesses before rendering his decision. If a player wishes to appeal the decision of a tournament director, the player must first appeal to the section chief then, if necessary, the player may appeal to the Chief floor director, whose decision in all cases is final.

19. TD touching the clock - The tournament director shall not pick up the clock; except in the case of a dispute.

20. Observer conduct - Spectators and players of another match are not to speak or otherwise interfere in a game. If a spectator interferes in any way, such as by calling attention to the flag fall or an illegal move, the tournament director may cancel the game and rule that a new game be played in its stead, and he may also expel the offending party from the playing room. The tournament director should also be silent about illegal moves, flag falls, etc. (unless there is an agreement with the players, before the game, to call them) as this is entirely the responsibility of the players.

21. Replacing a promoted pawn - If a player promotes a pawn they must leave the pawn on the board and clearly indicate to their opponent to what piece the pawn is being promoted too. The promoted pawn will be laid on it's side to indicate that it is a promoted pawn (MCS&C local rule - to prevent later disagreements about what piece the pawn was promoted to, and to avoid pawns annoyingly rolling about and off the board, a spare piece quickly found from another set should be used and placed in the normal upright position, an upside down rook still signifying a queen. The argument against this is nuclear proliferation of Queens, but I don't think it is a strong argument).

22. Replacement clock - Only a tournament director may determine if a clock is defective and change clocks.

23. Player behavior - Excessive banging of pieces or clock will not be tolerated and the offending player may be penalized with loss of time (Director discretion)

24. Insufficient Losing Chances- Insufficient losing chances claims cannot be made in Bughouse games.

25. Rules Not Covered Above - The Official Rules of Chess, 5th edition, shall be used to resolve any situation not covered by these rules.

Question: In terms of production volume, what is the most popular fruit in the world? Answer: Tomato – yes, tomato is a fruit.

Giraffes give birth while standing up. Their babies must drop more than five feet (1.5 meters) to the ground as they're born.

Question: Who is the oldest man to win People Magazine's sexiest man alive? Answer: Sean Connery – 59.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." ― Nora Ephr

"The Seven Social Sins are:

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.

From a sermon given by Frederick Lewis Donaldson in Westminster Abbey, London, on March 20, 1925." ― Frederick Lewis Donaldson

* 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"

Old Russian Proverb: "Measure seven times, cut once. (Семь раз отмерь — один отрежь.)" Be careful before you do something that cannot be changed.

"I'm 58 years old and I just went through 8 back surgeries. They started cutting on me in February 2009, and I was basically bed ridden for almost two years. I got a real dose of reality that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything." — Hulk Hogan

'Don't let the cat out of the bag'

'Don't shut the stable door after the horse has bolted'

'Don't throw good money after bad'

'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'

InkHarted wrote:

Checkmate.
I started off as an equal
I have everything that they do
my life was one and the same as my foe
childish battles of lesser
I won baring cost of a little
but as time outgrew my conscience
I found that the pieces were moving against me
with time my company reduced
they left one by one
all in time forgetting me
my castles collapsed
my religion dissuaded
my protectors in hiding
I could not run anymore
I have been cornered to a wall
as the queen left silently
without saying goodbye
I could not live any longer
she was most precious to me
I could not win without her by my side
so the king knelt down and died.

"Everyone should know how to play chess." — José Raúl Capablanca

Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

'Finders keepers, losers weepers'
No, turn it over to Lost and Found.

Drive sober or get pulled over.

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

Once I asked Pillsbury whether he used any formula for castling. He said his rule was absolute and vital: castle because you will or because you must; but not because you can.' — W.E. Napier (1881-1952)

Snow White & the Huntsman by Evan Daugherty

"Who will you be when faced with the end?
The end of a kingdom,
The end of good men,
Will you run?
Will you hide?
Or will you hunt down evil with a venomous pride?

Rise to the ashes,
Rise to the winter sky,
Rise to the calling,
Make heard the battle cry.
Let it scream from the mountains
From the forest to the chapel,
Because death is a hungry mouth
And you are the apple.

So who will you be when faced with the end?
When the vultures are circling
And the shadows descend
Will you cower?
Or will you fight?
Is your heart made of glass?
Or a pure Snow White?"
― Lily Blake, Snow White & the Huntsman

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.

<"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?

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

"Fancy what a game of chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning; if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain also about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. You might be the longest-headed of deductive reasoners, and yet you might be beaten by your own pawns. You would be especially likely to be beaten, if you depended arrogantly on your mathematical imagination, and regarded your passionate pieces with contempt. Yet this imaginary chess is easy compared with the game a man has to play against his fellow-men with other fellow-men for his instruments." ― George Eliot, Felix Holt: The Radical

An Irish Blessing:

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

~

Mar-07-13 Abdel Irada: In case anyone wonders who Kermit Norris is/was, he's an expert in Santa Cruz against whom I used to play a great deal of blitz. His specialty, when a particularly complex position arose (especially in his pet Owen's Defense), was to lean forward, fix his opponent with a scowl and a withering stare, and say, in a deep and solemn tone, "Chicken parts!"

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

"There are more adventures on a chessboard than on all the seas of the world." ― Pierre Mac Orlan

'Ashes to ashes dust to dust

<Sarah wrote:

checkmate
It's like we're playing chess.
Moving strategically, testing boundaries,
all while watching each other's expression.

We all know how this games ends…
The queen destroys you and steals your heart.>

- It is estimated that over 600 million people play chess online and around the world.

- Magnus Carlsen of Norway was replaced by Ding Liren of China as the current world chess champion.

- The first appearance of the (John) Cochrane gambit against Petrov's defense C42 was in the year 1848 against an Indian master Mohish under 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

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

The Bear and the Amateur Gardener

A certain mountain bear, unlicked and rude,
By fate confined within a lonely wood,
A new Bellerophon, whose life,
Knew neither comrade, friend, nor wife, –
Became insane; for reason, as we term it,
Dwells never long with any hermit.
It's good to mix in good society,
Obeying rules of due propriety;
And better yet to be alone;
But both are ills when overdone.
No animal had business where
All grimly dwelt our hermit bear;
Hence, bearish as he was, he grew
Heart-sick, and longed for something new.
While he to sadness was addicted,
An aged man, not far from there,
Was by the same disease afflicted.
A garden was his favourite care, –
Sweet Flora's priesthood, light and fair,
And eke Pomona's – ripe and red
The presents that her fingers shed.
These two employments, true, are sweet
When made so by some friend discreet.
The gardens, gaily as they look,
Talk not, (except in this my book;)
So, tiring of the deaf and dumb,
Our man one morning left his home
Some company to seek,
That had the power to speak. –
The bear, with thoughts the same,
Down from his mountain came;
And in a solitary place,
They met each other, face to face.
It would have made the boldest tremble;
What did our man? To play the Gascon
The safest seemed. He put the mask on,
His fear contriving to dissemble.
The bear, unused to compliment,
Growled bluntly, but with good intent,
"Come home with me." The man replied:
"Sir Bear, my lodgings, nearer by,
In yonder garden you may spy,
Where, if you'll honour me the while,
We'll break our fast in rural style.
I have fruits and milk, – unworthy fare,
It may be, for a wealthy bear;
But then I offer what I have."
The bear accepts, with visage grave,
But not unpleased; and on their way,
They grow familiar, friendly, gay.
Arrived, you see them, side by side,
As if their friendship had been tried.
To a companion so absurd,
Blank solitude were well preferred,
Yet, as the bear scarce spoke a word,
The man was left quite at his leisure
To trim his garden at his pleasure.
Sir Bruin hunted – always brought
His friend whatever game he caught;
But chiefly aimed at driving flies –
Those hold and shameless parasites,
That vex us with their ceaseless bites –
From off our gardener's face and eyes.
One day, while, stretched on the ground
The old man lay, in sleep profound,
A fly that buzz'd around his nose, –
And bit it sometimes, I suppose, –
Put Bruin sadly to his trumps.
At last, determined, up he jumps;
"I'll stop your noisy buzzing now,"
Says he; "I know precisely how."
No sooner said than done.
He seized a paving-stone;
And by his modus operandi
Did both the fly and man die.

A foolish friend may cause more woe
Than could, indeed, the wisest foe.

A bear walks into a bar and says, "Give me a whiskey and … cola." "Why the big pause?" asks the bartender. The bear shrugged. "I'm not sure; I was born with them."

Around the World
Riddle Question: What travels around the world but stays in one spot?

FACTRETRIEVER: Even though dragonflies have six legs, they cannot walk.

Riddle Answer: A stamp.

In 2016, a Michigan-based priest named Gerald Johnson suffered a heart attack. He says he had a near-death experience that sent him somewhere he never thought he'd visit: Hell.

Johnson says that immediately after his heart attack in February 2016, his spirit left his physical body and went down to hell, entering through "the very center of the Earth." Though he says "the things I saw there are indescribable," he did his best.

Johnson claims he saw a man walking on all fours like a dog and getting burned from head to toe:

"His eyes were bulging and worse than that: He was wearing chains on his neck. He was like a hellhound. There was a demon holding the chains."

<Jonathan Moya wrote:
The King's Rumination

Befuddled with thought
the king sought the oracle.

"Count the sands,
calculate the seas,"
she said.

Of the king's future,
she spoke nothing.

Henceforth he
contented only
in his nightmares.>

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." — Ralph Marston

"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.

Three-of-a-kind

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

"There are more adventures on a chessboard than on all the seas of the world." ― Pierre Mac Orlan

"You can only get good at chess if you love the game." ― Bobby Fischer

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

pl zev225 bye the dawn's early Miller lite calld Marco Zukrbrg 4all ride buttr MZ free usd2 ansr a call From's Gambit prison #. He aint stoopid lika stoneware defence. Analytics say go fourth. Fly coach nsrtd da jumbo porch pckage buttr wuz calld 4all penal tea So day kkd da FG nstd.

<"May the sun bring you energy by day,

May the moon softly restore you by night,

May the rain wash away your worries,

May the breeze blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world

and know its beauty all the days of your life.">

Apache Blessing

"I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive." — Goyahkla a.k.a. Geronimo (1829-1909), a POW for 23 years