Do you know what color you're going to play?

The previous year, I'd got away with a move-order trick vs Tony Miles. Wish I still had the score. He was opening 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3 in sequence, and I got a 1.d4. After 1...e6, he sort of shrugged 'why not'-style, and went for a French with 2.e4 ... and we got into a little-known line, 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.Nd2 b6.

A few years later Miles wrote about this move, saying he'd come to the conclusion that 4.exd5 is best, as it crosses both of Black's ideas - the ...Ba6 LSB exchange and the riskier ...Bb7 line. But I'm pretty sure he hadn't seen it before our game, and he went for a direct refutation via moves like Bb5+ and Ne5. Which doesn't work: White gets pushed back.

Then around move 14 I played a combination 'winning' his Queen for Rook, Bishop and Knight. White should be winning on material, but it wasn't so easy: I had compensation. Another ten moves or so and he offered a draw.

The Mondo case was more chastening. I arrived late, but they let me play, and Ray suggested playing a few moves 'to catch up'. Off we blitzed: 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c5 ... and suddenly I was 8 or 10 moves into a Benoni - not a wise choice.

I've played in occasional public simuls by non-GMs. I beat a guy in London, taking on all comers outside the Kasparov-Karpov match. And a couple of years ago I lost a game in Copenhagen under similar circs.

Nigel? I expect it'll be a French. My alternative repertoire includes 1...g6 and 1...Nc6, but such things, like Nigel, sharpened their teeth on the English weekend circuit in the 70s.

And there isn't a line in existence that he doesn't know well, so I'll try something solid. Possibly.

It's good, actually. It leaves no room for anyone to doubt that the vicious brain-dead seething hate-filled ... but *cuddly*, if you like tattoos ... slimy little rat will be eliminated from the site.

Like yesterday, but hopefully more correctly, I keep thinking that may have been done already - ceegee have a policy of not announcing bans, so they could have done it and not told.

One could speculate as to how it got to be so hate-filled ... rogered by an intellectual? Endlessly resentful of those who can handle social intercourse ("Talk", Len) without always blundering? Frankly, I don't care. Not remotely innarested. Just want it gone.

How did it stumble in here in the first place, though? Didn't anyone explain that forums, though part of a wider public space, were conventionally regarded as semi-private? One does not simply arrive and insult the natives. Nor stalk the ones who bite back.

Nah, pointless. Supererogatory. ("Over your head", Len)

I've made this point to Daniel. If he's still there. We might as well start on the meta-question of fixing the system because Lemming is most certainly finito now.

He's done it again chez CG. I imagine the number of whistles blown is getting rather big. Maybe that's behind this mysterious dysfunction?

Who can work with all that parp-parp tooting?

This 'crime' I 'done', btw, is apparently the kind that doesn't get me any heavy friends. Musta been some segregation unit thing.

There's been at least one more deletion, perhaps two. I think I sounded mildly peeved last time I dropped a line to HQ.

It does sound like it would be very likely to be abused just that way. Currently the party *being talked about* is at least the one to make the decision not to see the spew.

Well, anyway, this was "fun" - <Dom> don't miss the culinary discussion at my place btw... (you too, Len, don't feel left out...) ... but I'm getting bored with it. Short attention span.

So let's have a quick French?

[Event "FICS rated blitz game"]
[Date "2011.01.28"]
[White "AnnieK"]
[Black "NN"]
[WhiteElo "1482"]
[BlackElo "1179"]
[TimeControl "600+0"]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 a6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. a3 Qb6 7. b4 cxd4 8. cxd4 a5 9. b5 Na7 10. a4 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Ne7 12. Bxb4 axb4 13. Bd3 O-O 14. Nbd2 Qc7 15. Rc1 Qb8 16. O-O f6 17. exf6 Rxf6 18. Qb3 Rh6 19. Qxb4 Nf5 20. Bxf5 exf5 21. Qe7 Re6 22. Qd8+ Kf7 23. Ng5+ Kg6 24. Nxe6 Bxe6 25. Qh4 Qf8 26. Nf3 Qb4 27. Ne5# 1-0

OK, nothing educational here, rilly. I suppose it was just that with all that empty space around his K, he never realized he was in danger of mate. But at least it has a ♘e5 - and # at that.

<I have a new system, but I'm damned - as it were - if I'm broadcasting it.>

Against Short? Poor Short. You're attacking him again? ;)

I once was in france doing work for a humanitarian organisation.14 days with beautifull people from the whole world , the weather was excellent,though a bit hot.Yet something was missing.And I could not figure out what it was.Untill one sunny morning, some workingmates and me took a trip to the countryside.And here it was : a curved old road !...

And then it dawned on me : The daily town (Rochefort) was constructed for military purposes and it was all streets and roads and what have you crossing each other in "nice" 90 grades angels (degree?-dont know the right word)again and again and then again. And I tell you,experiencing this old curvy road imidatdly told me how much I need curves.As opposed to rigid angels.-------- As if the ocean was flat,not to talk about feemales ;),music, and so on.

To me your language and perspectives are filled with curves.That I dont understand everyhting you write may even be a charm extra !

I think I do the same in my language and I am aware that it sometimes can be provocative - but I take the chance and stay convinced that the world need curves.

[Event "TCh-FRA Nat1 GpB"]
[Site "Montpellier FRA"]
[Date "2004.04.02"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Schmitt, Andre"]
[Black "Short, Nigel D"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "2267"]
[BlackElo "2702"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2004.01.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f3 Be7 10. Be3 b5 11. g4 h6 12. a3 Rb8 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. h4 a5 15. Ne2 Qc7 16. Nd4 b4 17. axb4 axb4 18. Qe2 d5 19. Bg1 Rb6 20. Qe3 dxe4 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. Qxb6 Qxb6 23. Bxb6 exf3 24. Bc4 e5 25. Rhg1 Rf8 26. g5 Nd7 27. Be3 hxg5 28. Bxg5 f2 29. Rg3 Bc5 30. Be2 Rf5 31. Be3 Bxe3+ 32. Rxe3 Kf7 33. c3 1/2-1/2

I *have* listened to music made in the last ten years, but even the best of it tends to remind me of earlier stuff.

Your first language is Dansk? I'm slowly working through an old book by Bjorn Nielsen, Nimzowitsch: Danmarks Skaklaerer, but my Danish is poor despite many visits.

Those 90 degree things might be angles rather than angels ... though it can be hard to tell. There's an old story about an ancient emperor or pope who saw some captive barbarians in Rome, and was struck by their physical beauty. He asked who they were, and was told 'Angles'. He replied "They are not Angles, but angels" -- "Non Angli, sed angeli".

Ah. Pope Gregorius, circa 600 CE.