So he took a long time on his next move. Wasted his time, in other words.

I had open lines and a very good look at his uncastled King.

So I finished development and got his king to move and he was almost stark naked there in the center.

I created a mating net, a real bind on his king, and thought holy cow I"m going to win.

But then I saw that he could save his entire position, break the mating net and unleash the latent power of his queen simply by moving Re8.

My heart sank.

However, he did not see this move.

Consequently, three moves later he was forced to give back his Queen to prevent mate, and he resigned.

So that's the story minus the dang game score, which I will try my hardest to find at work.

I won this game because of psychology, not sound moves.

He did not remain calm enough to find his saving move, and he probably had better than he played before that opportunity as well.

But he didn't find it.

He was a human under time pressure and I squashed him like a bug.

AWHOOGA.

Even though I don't drink, and also don't know how to find the <Beer> forum, I shall now look for it to have a <virtual beer> by myself cuz all my friends are asleep cuz I'm in freaking Korea for some reason.

OK see you all when you wake up.

Oh don't forget to click on that link I posted that <CC> found and <Joe> told me about.

It is fascinating and bears some dicussion and analysis.

HE PLAYED B6 of course, not b3.

Yes what a great movie eh?

I just got back from the <beer> forum where I had a <virtual beer>.

funny, it didn't taste like much.

AWHOOGA.

You'll be pleased to know that Aronofsky has 2 projects lined up for 2008 and 2009, though not written by him, but another one is planned off his hand, after that...

<I think it would have been better as a 14 hour TV series so there'd be time to develop all the ideas.> Agree 100%

I just had a scare there.

I started this post and my screen started mysterioulsy closing from the right margin.

Luckily, I realized in time that my right arm was pressing on my mouse!!

I'm thinking of writing an "expose" travelogue piece about expatriate English teachers in Korea.

Though I'm not sure there's any market for such a work.

Good grief most of these people are running away from some heinous problem they have at home.

Also, their thinly disguised, or sometimes not at all disguised, contempt for Korean culture is rather startling.

It's all well and good to write film treatments, but good luck getting anyone to look at them.

Take a few examples: Sylvester Stallone won the Oscar with Rocky, seemingly out of nowhere.

But not so. As a porno actor in New York, he knew almost everyone in the legitimate film business. So of course they looked at his script.

Same with <What's his name>, the <Almost FAmous> guy.

His first screenplay apparently out of nowhere, but he had tons of film contacts already due to his writing for <Rolling Stone> magazine-- and that was a gig he got only because he personally knew <Lester Bangs> of <Creem> magazine.

I think you should ask that woman out.

What do you have to lose?

Better consult with <Lars> first though.

It's always good to get a dog's opinion on these matters, I find.

You'll be pleased to know my "chess confidence" has returned and I just finished an epic 3 hour game which I managed to win despite hanging my bishop (miscalculating move order in my line).

I had actually calculated the line correctly, and when I saw it would work, and be winning in fact, I promptly forgot the key first move in the sequence: getting my dang DSB out of en prise (with tempo) by attacking his queen.

Oh well. I managed to triumph anyhoo.

I'm afraid I can't relate much to people who don't love chess.

I mean really.

You are truly a special friend.

Let's not forget <Chess>, of all things, as a "saving grace" as well.

<Chess> is so much more than a "game", though what it is exactly, i couldn't begin to say...

All I know is that after a real tough game, win or lose, I feel better.

I never think about anything except the game, and I like to play looong games.

So not worrying or thinking about "yourself", whoever that might be, for several hours in a row functions as a particularly satisfying kind of "meditation," I figgers.

Call me crazy!!

Have you read my EMU?

Since coming to Korea, for whatever reason, my game has been raised another notch.

What I like best about this, I think, is that my "number" gets me games with very, very strong players now.

By "strong," I mean players who will sac the exchange etc. and actually know what they are doing.

So I'm finally playing with people who can play kind of like the famous GM games I study every night with <Daniel King> on <Youtube>.

Example, the game I just won-- the guy sacced his knight on my kingside before I could castle for a VICIOUS attack-- I had to make several "quiet" moves while frankly panicking in order to escape vicious pins and a back rank mate.

But I took the time to stare at the position until I saw all of the dangers--

It was a minefield right into the Middle Game.

I guess only an engine would know for sure, but I'm left with the feeling that I found the "only defence" to his withering attack.

Chess is captivating, as many things can be, and you mentioned both meditative aspects as well as the neurotransmitters that do their work..

I'm about to take a long walk in the rain.

The perma-heat wave has just broken today-- I haven't felt cool air since I left Canada.

What is <Lars> doing?

Also, as black I like playing <1.e4 d6>

<e4 players> really hate it when you play <1...d6>.

Often, this pircish annoyance transposes into a <KID>.

Good for hours and hours and hours of marvellous fun.

Have a good walk, very healthy habit if that's what it is...

What a site this is, he?

You can practically live here!

Dutch/Stonewall (I think)

1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nf3 d5
6. b3 Bd6 7. O-O Qe7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Nbd2 b6 10. Rc1 Bb7 11. Ne5 a5 12. Nd3 Na6 13. Nf3 Rfd8 14. Nfe5 c5 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Nf4 Nc7 17. e3 a4 18. Qc2 g6 19. bxa4 c4 20. Nxc4 Ba6 21. Nxb6 Bxf1 22. Nxa8 Bxg2 23. Nxc7 Be4 24. Qc3 g5 25. Nfe6 Rb8 26. a5 f4 27. a6 Bxc7 28. Nxc7 Qd7 29. a7 Qh3 30. axb8=Q+ Kf7 31. f3 fxg3 32. Qd2 gxh2+ 33. Qxh2 1-0

I've been looking till I almost fainted, and found NOTHING- in fact I'm a TOTAL MESS, a wreck...