Light blue touch paper, light study, set fire to the air, let it come down.

And watch out fer them photon torpedoes.

<Menu - dish o' the day>: *shreddies with plums' bums*:

First, catch your shreddies.

Set AK-47s to 'stun' - set phasers to 'shreddied meat a la plumbum'.

Serves two. Watch for lead poisoning.

I think you're familiar with the half-true half-exagerrated stories of unknown players in public parks who can knock down grandmasters at blitz. Both New York and Moscow had 'blitz kings' who never played tournaments but who could beat anyone on their own turf - and world champs would come to test themselves, and leave a bit poorer and puzzled (and sadder Budweiser ...).

The 'trick', seemingly, is instant recall of a vast number of 5 or 6-ply traps and tactics. No strategic play: just a ceaseless barrage of threats, many quite subtle. Even top GMs wilt under the strain of non-stop trappy aggression, like playing a particularly malicious computer.

<Dom> <hms> I'd just like to add a simple point, but any generalization seems out of place... I do believe that specific, well chosen practice pays off hugely, both in learning acquiring deficient technical ability, and also because of the fact that you "know you've put in the hard work," which is more than just an added boost of confidence... It is VITAL to motivate a talented pupil, and the real eager learners are capable of training the areas they are weakest at. Those will carry the farthest, though. From my experience.

I only once had the pleasure of working with a young kid (in table tennis) who was a little over averagely talented. Yet he had an uncanny capability to accept ANY critique, absorb the tips and "dry" training exercises I gave him, come back the next time, until he got it right... He started in one of the lower local youth ranks, and was not a natural technician, but within a year of unique application and the ability to WANT to improve on his weak points, he left all his peers flabbergasted in his trail, as he overtook them leaving his opponents gasping for air... "Was this the little guy who only 6 months ago..."

He had taken on my approach and use of creating exciting little drills and auxilliary devices, designed to overcome a weakness and "groove" the felt improvement, after which he took it up from there, almost by himself, eliminating one weakness after the other, and de facto he became a teacher in his own right.

He was very bright, and was blessed with an athletic, fast set of muscles and tendons, fast as the wind, with the potential for creating enormous speed and spin... (Chinese genes)

Pattern recognition and types of exercises come in many shapes and forms, and I was lucky to meet a kid who was just as interested exploring, as I was to give him whatever I could bring to the table, designed for him to be the most challenging and interesting.

Such a meeting can not be planned; it just seemed to "happen".

My two cents are that if you study pattern recognition it will definitely improve your blitz and your classical time games so there is absolutely no loss involved.

I know people can specialize in 'coffee-house' chess and play a very superficial blitz style with good results, but there is no danger of 'falling in' to this style just by studying pattern recognition!

'coffee-house' chess requires a very specialized opening preparation to get to the tactical tricky positions and is something you have to want to do. There is a big similarity here with internet-chess where players play the same few positions/ traps over and over just catching out different people every time.

In short, if that is what people want they are entitled to do it but somebody looking to seriously improve their overall game would not mistake this for progress under any circumstances.

Like any individual training technique it must be used in conjunction with the rest of the program, endings, openings, middle-game play, even time-management and psychological preparations!

EMU read-- agreed on all points and appropriate action has been taken.

C'est fini, for me!!

<Woody> Apart from being a big bird, an EMU is also an <email>.

Or e-mail. Since 'email' means enamel in German and might confuse things. As if.

Watch out for other big birds too: the Cassowary, the Rhea, the Ostrich, the Aepyornis. They're usually flightless, some are extinct, but they can all be trained to carry messages.

Why? Sorry. 'Why' isn't my territory. I'm in enough trouble as it is. Last time I revealed a trade secret, the Politburo - in the shape of Red October - sentenced me to death, or worse.

So I get that much.

I also believe that Frogbert had a previous run-in with Niels? I didn't think it had gone on. But is <Fbert> the same person who obsessively pursued arguments under a previous name?

I'll send a batmail soon, but I'll be crazy busy here for another day or so. Hope this works out.

Time for business:

I can't hammer a nail in with your hamster!

http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=E1PQC...

<May Fischer be remembered for his brilliant chess games...

For Jessicafischerqueen: may your heart always be happy and filled...

With warm memories of your Dad, who was a great Fischer fan>

I am crying!!

Everyone is being so nice to me today

THANK YOU EVERYBODY

What's that around my neck you ask? Well, it is the latest 'must-have' chessgames accessory,

<ERROR: You cannot post to this player page. You are being ignored by frogbert>