Ah yes Dom! :) Well, in that case in lieu of further explanation I too, along with Jess, would be very proud to host it as the prologue to my Profile for 2009. You're welcome for the compliments having tried to express it only as it felt to me personally and that's what materialized! :) Thanks too for the explanation of how your 'quote' came about. ;)

<Although if you saw my subsequent post you'll know that I'm trying to give up combinations - or what passes for combinations round here - and play as boringly as possible.>

I am worried about <JFQ>, she did say anything to you about taking an extended break from C.G.?

She must be really ill not to post at all...

Or maybe she has discovered a love of poker instead?

But, yeah, I bet the kids in his school came up with great jokes about Dick Flame and the Hot Roosters ...

I always wondered about the pronunciation of that you know!

Every time I come to your place I learn something new <Dom>!

And no, I haven't had an email from <JFQ> recently I'm afraid.

But this is a <long> time to be so afflicted by a flu that you cannot even post on a website!?

I hope she hasn't had to go to hospital or something drastic like that.

I'm quite confident she'll be back when she wants to- and can.

Just crossing my fingers here in case something unfortunate *did* happen.

But I am full of confidence Jess is pretty much OK - and will be back.

arghhhhhh

sorry everyone they forced me to attend <communist re-training camp seminar> even though I was still sick with the flu.

I learned many new things, but I don't recall any of them now.

This never would have happened in the old British empire.

Mrs. Sniff-Billingsley

I will attempt a comeback this afternoon, to answer mail and catch up on "back issues" of Frogspawn and other worthy publications.

I haven't been able to look at a chess piece for over a month now. I'm thinking of getting back into the swing of things by purchasing another chess set, as opposed to actually studying, working, or playing games.

Then I will put the new set under my pillow, and it will seep into my brain as I sleep.

<Frogspawn> in <Breaking Good News Sensation Shock>!

<You Jess> -- *Great* to see you croaking back into action, yer maj. Though, as <Blessed Niels The Quite Wise, Really> - not to be confused with <Saint Deffi the Wise> or <Black D-m, the Wickedest Man in Ireland> - so sagely pointed out, you are free.

Free to come, free to go, free to let advanced Korean bacteriological shock troops dance a jig on your system.

Have a good *seep*, now.

PS. Apart from these horrid flu things, the <January Blues> are doing the rounds. I seriously considered giving up chess, on account of being stupid.

Just wait till <Easter Bunratty Tournament of the Stars> weekend...

That's this weekend right?

Well said <Dom>!

hehe

Will you be employing the English again?

You have had plenty of time to digest Karpov's (not so) helpful book on it!

Maybe he got distracted by all that oil he supposedly found under his land...

Apparently he is worth an estimated $2 billion!?!

It's my local tournament -- held in the university campus, about three minutes walk from here. Maybe this explains why I always do badly. It was a Mulcahy result that made me give up chess way back in 1989; and next time I entered, in 2008, I dropped about 100 ELO points.

It's one big open, so in theory I should munch on a few rabbits and then play the strong guys. In actuality, I blunder against a rabbit or two, get stuck in the lower part of the draw, and finish on 50% having played nobody but bunny rabbits.

My latest trend is quick losses as white -- caused by playing the opening well, getting a distinct advantage, and assuming that this entitles me to win on the spot. So I make a couple of insane attacking moves, overlook the refutation, and find I'm a rook down. Then I resign.

So I have to learn patience, basically. Squeeze 'em slowly till the nuts crack, and all that. Stop leaping the firearm.

In postmortems, I find that my opponents are usually getting quite worried, and can't believe their luck when I go gonzo. They spend 30 mins checking it isn't a fiendish trap.

HAHAHAHA

Maybe you should try altering your body language as well during the critical point of the game <Dom>! Exploit their fears, and just sit there smiling devilishly! They may just play it safe then!

I lose. Either way, I lose. Great frame of mind for a chess tournament, ain't it?

Maybe other people will have it too: annual depressives weekend out. The teenagers will be worrying about their spots, and the older folk will be hoping they remember to feed their shoelaces and tie the cat.

I can't say I have had a similar problem myself, quite the opposite in fact. I'm greedy for material, unless I can see a clear as day reason why I cannot take the pawn (anything more valuable is already off the board in a shot! hehe) then I just snap it off and <dam the consequences>!

<With my new experimental policy, I won't even have to calculate. Just look dangerous and wait for mistakes.>

haha

When you say <dangerous>, are we talking tattoos and body piercings or just a certain Kasparovian intensity? Because I think only one works at the chess board...before you ink up.

Why not take the easy option and just make sure you <smell> of something nauseating and faintly creepy, that is what most of the Open Tournament players will be doing (intentionally or not) anyway!

hahaha

You know who I mean, the ones who look like they were expecting a bowl of soup rather than a chessboard on the table!

But strange stuff happens in Hastings. The venue used to be notorious -- chess on one floor, a kids' pantomime matinee on the floor above. Apparently Ray Keene, mystified by the sheer volume of yells and foot-stamps, attended the panto to check it out -- such, at least, was his excuse -- and found the clowns were urging the kids to stamp louder for the chess players.

It's British educational theory. Training for football hooligans.

More Froggy news? Well, Flossie Frog -- you remember Flossie? The one who kept asking "Would Kramnik's bum look big in this?" -- she had a successful spawning.

haha...that is quite a disturbing mental image there...

too many horror movies in my subconscious no doubt.

But at least it gives Kramnik an excuse not to have to play more chess!

Just think, if he had beaten Anand, he would promptly have continued his world reign with 6 months off!

hahaha

Even if what they're thinking is total garbage, it's still utterly compelling total garbage. For them.

One guy I knew used to slowly remove one black leather glove, unstrap a large and lethal-looking knife from some part of his body, unsheathe the blade, and leave the knife - a six-inch bowie knife - beside the board during the game, sharp end aimed at opponent.

Augmented body language, I guess. These days he'd just get arrested.

I was regarded as a definite eccentric for wearing dark glasses indoors all year round. I still am, but now it's deranged-old-fart rather than far-out-dude. But I don't think any of it ever impacted on a game.

You played chess with Crocodile Dundee!?

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/i... 'Call that a knife?'

hahaha

< but now it's deranged-old-fart rather than far-out-dude>

Maybe you can use this to your advantage, wear your trouser backwards and they will get a strong suspicion you are senile (either that or cruising for some sort of diabolical back rank action) and try to squash you!

<One day I'll turn up in *anorak drag* and really shock 'em.>

<Bowie Knife> "Boys Keep Swinging"

A local player brings a miniature cannon to the board, pointing it right at the opponent during play. It was especially satisfying to defeat him.