Interesting...John August produces a mixed bag of boiled sweets, doesn't he?, what with Charlie's Angels, Corpse Bride and Titan A.E.

If we become a republic and vote a Koala in as president, will s/he make it rain?

yrs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSh7...

Produced by <Phil Specter> before he began his new career as a murderer.

Or is my YT connection the one that sucks...

Oh well here's the deal:

Could you spare a little of your valuable time on the Elixir game in my forum? (I also put the PGN in the profile)

It's the most beautiful music in the world-- here's how to watch it.

Wait till it starts playing and then HIT PAUSE right off--

then wait about 5-10 minutes till the red line thingy moves almost to the end.

THEN hit play and you can enjoy the beautiful music without interruption.

I should be happy to help out at the <Dr. Max Euwe Center> with young <Elixir's> posted game.

Tomorrow (my day off- heh) is a full CHESS DAY (he he arooooo)---

so In the morning, I will slowly wake up with some "light chess reading."

When I'm awake, I have two moves to make in my Correspondence games.

I have both positions emblazoned in my head, so I'm hoping a night's sleep will give me some insight-- the lines are very complicated in them.

Third, I will play out young <Elixir's> game, read his comments, read the analysis on it you have posted, and then post my own thoughts on the matter.

Fourth, I will then be fully "chess alerted" and will play a delicious long time-control game with the Black pieces on <Yahoo>.

I'll be selecting my "lucky" <Mikhhail_tal> ID, as it has the highest "rating number" and it seemed to bring me back to life last game out.

I was saving the ID for awhile-- thinking-- OK, that's the highest rating I ever got, so I want to "hold on to it."

BUT NO!! I will put my ass on the line with it again tomorrow.

then on the weekend it's off to <Seoul> (the REALLY BIG city) with my friends. Seoul has 15 million people in it, so I'm not sure I'll have time too say hello to everyone on my first trip.

We will be dancing at trendy night clubs, and going to the mighty Race Track and Casino and the National Korean War Museum. I believe we will be renting a buncha rooms in a Motel.

My best non-Korean friend <Fraser> knows Seoul well so he is our "team leader."

Your schedule sounds terriffic!

<Jess> Take good care of yourself in super BIG Seoul and stay within range of <Fraser>, please.

Sounds like the typical Aussie countryside.

Picture someone crawling across the parched ground, bedraggled and emaciated, croaking "water! water!" and then being swept away by a flash flood.

Another famous (in Australia) writer was Katherine Susannah Prichard who wrote some amazing stories about life in the Outback and in the goldfields.

One of my favourites was <Coonardoo>, about an Aboriginal woman and the relationships between black women and white men in the Kimberley region (NW Australia). A truly haunting story.

That is a staggering number...

The conglomerate houses an estimated 22 million people, I read, being the second largest in the world!

I didn't have a clue when I was there in 1988...

Heh I've been enjoying my CHESS DAY mightily so far, although I got up quite late.

Activity report and agenda to follow soon---

I'm making "Chess Hay" today because I won't be able to play again until next TUESDAY.

SOB!! heh

Ok time to whip out the old "Shreddy"...

(I just stumbled out of bed myself... and in fact are looking to get back in)

Or, how you can punish High-rated <Yahoo> players who may be clever tacticians but have zero knowledge of <Opening Theory> or even general opening principles.

<ConNY> 1633 v. <Morphette> 1843> <Yahoo> 2 hours each time control.

1.e4 c5
2.g3 d6

<I’ve seen this before- I like it too, since it gives me the chance to take initiative so long as I cover the center squares adequately>

3.Bg2 Nc6
4.c3 Nf6

<Ok he’s preparing 5.d4, and now a fight for the center squares—looking forward to it. He’s willing to open the c-file so he has two center pawns to my two center pawns—an “anti-Sicilian” strategy—fine, fine, Bring it on then..>

5.Qa4???

<Good grief. This move is so VERY TERRIBLE that I took BOOMIE’S advice and took a long time for my response. It’s all well and good to say a move is terrible, and even “know” it is terrible in terms of general principles, but it is necessary to PROVE that a given move is terrible in an actual game situation.

Black to play: (or, an embarrassment of riches—

click for larger view

Well I DID take my time here. And why not? I narrowed it down to either 5…Bd7 (discovered attack) or 5…e5 (beautiful CLAMP on, and OVERPROTECTION of, tehd4 square—and a nice potential OUTPOST square for later).

Anyhoo I opted for 5…Bd7

And all I had to do was develop actively, naturally, and safely and by the early Middle Game my position was so pleasant—super solid and bristling with tactical threats--- that he chucked it in.

Well I was happy to win again with Black, and to win by simply obeying CHESS PRINCIPLES and taking care and time with my moves, especially in the opening and transition to early middle game….

But I found myself wishing that he had indeed played 5.d4….

Here is an interesting game from that position:

From page 3&4, Chapter 1, 'My System' --A. Nimzowitsch

"In the open game speed of development is the very first Law. Every piece must be developed in one move. Every pawn move is to be regarded as a loos of time, unless it helpes to build or support the center or attacks the enemy's cemter.

Therefore, as Lasker truly observed: In the opening one ot two pawn moves, not more."

"If I were running a race with someone, it would be, to say the least, inopportune were I to throe away valuable time by say, rubbig dirt off my nose, although I must not be considered as blaming that operation in itself. If, however, I can induce my opponent to waste time by a similar action, I would then get a lead in development over him..."

The first 13 pages are fully devoted to explaining CHESS OPENING PRINCIPLES in the most clear, fun to read way, along with very illustrative examples...

From reading the first few chapter from this book I can say that it more than lives up to its reputation, as mentioned by e.g. <brankat> and <Malthrope> a few weeks ago...

I will be ordering <My System> as well as a whack of other books when I hit <Daegu> and then <Seoul> this weekend.

The argument on the <Nimzo> page was priceless.

Heh <VAn Wheely> has yet to lose a game-- I put 200 chessbucks on him to "take it all"-- it's a very long shot but he's hardly "out of the running" at this stage.

Seems like there is a lesson now even in typing too fast

sigh

Never Blitz chess for me ever again, like you said a few days ago.

The Wheeler is playing at one hell of a level right now-- good bet indeed...

As for the "batgirl", her name is Sarah Beth, a CG.com member, by far the best historian around here, indeed, as far as Chess goes, around anywhere. Has been absent of late, but there is a ton of her posts on P.Morphy page. The handle is <SBC>:

User:User: sbc

Just like in a chess game, or analysis. In other things, too...

Well it was 50/50-- You know after Bd7 he kind of has to move his Queen again and I LOVES GRABBING TEMPI specially for free.

Will you stay up all night/morning to watch the BIG GAMES again?

<toppy> will start winning soon--

<Banana> is resting up for <King Krabnik>, I think--

therefore, <Van Wheely> will win the Tourney making me a very rich woman in <imaginary money>.