Looking back and through all the greats of the high profile sports: they all had to pay their dues, no exception.

Like life, can be cruel...

I must say what did startle me (I hadn't shared this with you before), taken by surprise, were the close-up photos of the members of the Chinese Olympiad team, in Dresden... Chessbase had an article with the trademark large collection of photos, but when I got to Yue, Bu, Chi & co. - I only thought: "Good grief, these guys look unhappy, and even sick! Those eyes, with big dark blue patches under them, exhausted..."

Not just "un-flattering", but downright unhealthy, badly dressed, and probably spending 12-15 hours a day behind the stupid computer, as it was mentioned that the go <gaming> for relaxation purposes...

Anyhoo - I DID NOT fancy what I saw there, and chess can suck you dry, the chess life at the top, if you are not careful and balanced, making sure you have something of a social life outside chess, like Timman and many of the older generation were well rounded, slightly eccentric, individuals.

There are a few exceptions at the top of chess nowadays, like Anand and Levon eg, but the chess lifestyle at the top is rather one dimensional, is my view at the moment...

But I literally was stunned, taken aback, when seeing so many unhappy, and tired faces, from many of those photo galleries by Chessbase...

How much FUN is Chess, aside when locked in tense battle OTB - if you happen to relish playing 2700+ opposition all the time?

Chess can be very cruel, for sure.

Better be sure to "LOVE" it - with all your heart, in order to cope with the personal sacrifices it demands...

Reshevsky just played on his natural talent, and made sure he was reasonably well prepared for most tournaments, but didn't take it to extremes.

That notion I got from several long interviews and comments I read about Sammy. they are free on the Net, somewhere.

The massive intensity that drips off the screen there, also with the way they eyed each other during the game... Only those two could handle that at that time.... Huge respect for the opponent, but they went for a kill every other game, and Kaspy just narrowly came out on top.

That video I watched intensely, feeling the extreme pressure fields they were both going in to, and both came out with flying colors, making for one of the best duels in sports history.

Caissa challenged them, and both couldn't resist.

Also, you have my vote for <funniest> as well, double entendres, the bigger the better in my opinion!

<hms>

I'm really impressed Fritz finds 43..Rxf3! Especially since <OD> said Rybka had trouble with it. Maybe the fish isn't all it's cracked up to be...

I'm actually shocked at how well it is evaluating the position in fact, because it took me quite a while to agree with <OD> about just how busted white is.

Too much good living over Christmas has blunted my rounded and warn edge even more it seems.

and yet we find statements like this on the Nickel Page, why even the engines development team are not so optimistic!

A Nickel vs The World, 2008

Thanks for not getting mad...

That dastardly <TD> told me this year I could never win funniest Kibutzer because I use too many "double entendres."

I told him I didn't have the slightest idea what he was <silk stocking> about...

O.K. that makes me feel better.

It has been a while since I looked at a computer readout though, so I was wondering, those lines you posted, were they found with or without assistance?

The top hit 43..Ke7 would just transpose into the Rxf3 line anyway wouldn't it?

Or does Fritz play 43..Ke7 and then not go through with the Rxf3 sequence?

<OD>'s games confuse me....

:-(

Thanks so much for voting for me in CAISSAR <prestigious and coveted> awards this year!!

(I love the Caissars as you can probably tell)...

And special congratulations again to <Woody, Eyal, Dom, Open Defence, and Mal> on their awards this year!!

Happy Festivus to all, and, as always-

You certainly deserve Most Helpful, constructive, best anlayst, funniest, as much as any of our friends.

Remember- a year without an Elephant is a year without a <six ton animal who has his own secret burial ground and often stomps on things when he feels like it>...

I'll get back to you... been reading a lot lately on Spinoza, and he had a major influence on the German philosophers like Hegel, who considered himself Spinoza's humble student, and even Goethe praised him no end...

But I am slowly digesting it all at the moment, but what stands out immediately, is the enormous effort being put in by Spinoza, to stay <as honest as humanly possible>, (this is KEY) not only in his extraordinary reasoning, but in his entire life-style as well... Completely different class compared to what we encounter nowadays...

He was so brutally honest, also regarding his concept of what God is (and isn't), and his position and criticism towards both Jewish religion and Christianity was so poignant, that ...

Well I'll hold my elephant trunk for now, and save some for an emu... This is the first time I really have a hunger for- and interest in Philosophy, so I am taking my time getting to know the idiom, the history etc...

I'm glad you are wrestling with <Spinoza>--

Sounds very interesting to me. I won't be able to read any myself till next summer, so I'll rely on your reports.

Actually <WannaBe> is the winner in the "Most Helpful" category unless he decides to decline it. Both, <OD>'s and my calculations are the same (for "Funniest") with the 2 corrections added. Anyway, as I'm just wrote to Niels in my chessforum...

<Also, <WannaBe> has yet to finalize the "Most Helpful" award which I believe he won... But, he's now erased his entire Profile... Can't blame him really.

Anyway, time for all that to calm down I guess... Let the "heat" pass.>

etc.

Moving right along on a sleigh ride...

Happy Holiday's everyone! :)

HAHAAAAHAAJAAJA