En Frogge!!

Horrible! Period. (for 2700+)

heh.

Well I should say so! I hardly need an invitation or reminder to emulate <Browning's Grammarian>.

Pedantry Ahoy! (free association version).

OK. <right/left>.

<Robespierre's> group, <Le Montagne>-- called the Mountain cuz they insisted on sitting way up high in the cheap seats in the <senat>-- prolly felt "superior" up there---

Sat furthest to the "left" from the perspective of someone facing the gallery from the center of the room.

<Le Montagne> held the most "radical" ideas on democracy-- chicks should vote, one person = one vote- a universal franchise.

HOWEVER.

When <Le Montagne> managed to gain control of the government, they started a <cult of reason> and even worshipped statues of "reason."

This was parodied in the <South Park> episode when future atheists start killing each other because they insist that "their reason" is the <one true version>.

More confusion-- "Left" or "liberal" thinking from the 17th century on <Locke> was quite "libertarian"-- small government, unfettered market-- and these ideas were appropriated later by political conservatives.

Your 18th century <conservative> (Edmund Burke) thought capitalism was "crass" and that, paternalistically, the job of the elite was to care for the great unwashed and to set an example for "noble behavior."

IE- respect for God, King, Country.

so the modern <Conservatives> married <Burke> to <Locke> (even though these thinkers were mortal intellectual enemies, based on their writings) in an unholy alliance in which:

<Family Values> was married to <unfettered market capitalism>.

Now, throw in <guns for all> and you've got your political snapshot of comtemporary America, where nobody cares about the poor and if you are gay and try to marry your girl/boyfriend someone will shoot you.

Well really!

Your 3...Nf6 was unusual, but not bad. It's essentially the same idea as the Nimzowitsch Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6) where Black, in true Hypermodern style, invites White to chase the knight with 3.e5 -- one line runs 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 (or 4...Nxc3).

Nimzo played this around 1910 against, I think, Spielmann, and wrote later how his "dear old companion in arms" stared suspiciously at the e-pawn and the knight for a long time, before declining the advance. This game in turn influenced the development of Alekhine's Defence, which Alekhine stole from somebody else.

But such moves had been played earlier. I recall a 19th century game -- possibly Steinitz vs Paulsen -- that began the same way yours did. One point of difference to the Nimzo is that the f-pawn is en prise after 1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5, so that must be dealt with before Nc3 can be played. I think the Steinitz game went 5.g3 (I know, I shoulda checked it, but if I'm right I enjoy showing off, and if I'm wrong it's just typical innit?)

These days Black usually plays ...g6 and a sort of Dragonesque structure against the Grand Prix. It can easily morph into a Closed Sicilian (2.Nc3) - a line Spassky used to play as white.

<Dom>, you are blatantly showing off, chatting up, and flirting with Jeffica!

Can't be bad!

<Jeffica> ... and a *rather* piquant little Tarrasch, which I hope you'll enjoy: Azmaiparashvili vs Lputian, 1980

Everything up to move 16 had already been played in a game in 1909 (!) -- 16.e3 was an attempt to improve on that. It didn't.

<<Niels> Shurrup, you.> Sorry... I find that hard...

<16.e3 was an attempt to improve on that. It didn't.> Could "it didn't" - be replaced by: "It failed." (?)

(attempt -- failed // improve on ... -- it didn't -- both correct?)

<Could "it didn't" - be replaced by: "It failed." (?)>

Yes. The only real difference, I think, is that "it failed" is more self-contained, while "it didn't" points back to the previous sentence ...

As we know, if everyone writing LOL actually laughed out loud, the Earth would fall out of its orbit and spiral into the sun. Which might not be a bad idea. Nevertheless, in our unceasing quest for alternative ways to - heh - indicate humour (*raised eyebrow*) we present:

<Talk about the front part of your legs below the knee and above the ankle devouring white meal of dried and hulled corn kernels! >

(grit-eating shins)

I once told him that I'd liked a film of his. He replied something like "Good, I like it when people like my films - I like it more than when they do not like my films."

(In my book, an emoticon is a prisoner appearing before the parole board.)

Thanks so much for your comments on my game!! ROFL

I will go through them carefully on the weekend.

FYI, IMO, My teaching duties are heavy and thank God my POS PC has no SNAFUS lately. LMAO