User Profile: offramp

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing

offramp
Member since Aug-16-03 · Last seen Dec-31-25

Some chess books that I think are outstanding:
1. <Fundamental Chess Endgames>, by Müller & Lamprecht, reprinted 2020. 400pp+, £25.
2. <Secrets of Practical Chess>, by Dr Nunn. 256pp (the USUAL 256pp!, i.e. the usual 2^8). £20.
3. <Capablanca's Best Chess Endings>, Irving Chernev's best work. 300pp. £15.
4. <107 Great Chess Battles 1939-1945>, written by Alexander Alekhine, but edited by Edward Winter. 256pp, £15.
5 (a) <Petrosian Year by Year Volume 1 (1942-1962)>, and - Karolyi & Gyozalyan, 484pp.
(b) <Petrosian Year by Year Volume 2 (1963-1984)> - Karolyi & Gyozalyan, 516pp.
They are £34 each. I bought one, then a few months later, the other volume.
They are available in Kindle format!

6. <The Queen's Gambit Accepted: A Sharp and Sound Response to 1. d4> by Chris Ward.
Ward wrote a superb book about the QGD, many years ago. I think this is useful for a book about the QGA. A total antidote to 1. d4, 2. c4.
And now some total clinkers. NOT those well-known garbage chess books.
The following are really bad chess books.
1. <Capablanca: A Compendium of Games, Notes, Articles, Correspondence, Illustrations and Other Rare Archival Materials on the Cuban Chess Genius Jose Raul Capablanca, 1888-1942> by Edward Winter. 360pp. c. £35. The title is the best thing.
2. <Larsen: Move by Move> - Cyrus Lakdawala
Paperback, 488pp.
3. <Emanuel Lasker Volumes 1, 2 & 3 - Forster, Negele & Tischbierek>. £55 each.
This book is unbelievably boring and tedious. Just look through it, then forget about it.
AT THIS SAME TIME a totally superb book has just come out: <Emanuel Lasker All Games Volume 1 & 2: 1889-1940 (2 books)>, £55 for two books:
Volume 1 covers the time Lasker became World Champion and played matches against Steinitz (twice for the World Championship), Bird and Blackburne amongst others. He also took part several famous tournaments including Hastings 1895, St Petersburg 1895-96 and Nuremberg 1896.
Volume 2 covers the time Lasker played matches against Marshall, Tarrasch, Janowski, Schlechter and Capablanca for the World Championship. He also took part several famous tournaments including St Petersburg 1914, New York 1924, Moscow 1935 & 1936 and Nottingham 1936.
Hardbacks, 388 and 342 pages, Russian Chess House. A real bargain.
4. <Pal Benko : My Life, Games and Compositions>, £140. Who is the most famous chess player out of Benko and Fischer? Who published the most plush, most opulent book? Benko.
.....
Here are another 7 books:

<He received a letter from his bookseller, informing him that only seven copies had been sold, and concluding with a polite request for the balance.
Scythrop <[SKI-throp]> did not despair. <Seven copies,> he thought, <have been sold. Seven is a mystical number, and the omen is good. Let me find the seven purchasers of my seven copies, and they shall be the seven golden candlesticks with which I will illuminate the world.>.>

>> Click here to see offramp's game collections.

   Current net-worth: 1,436 chessbucks
[what is this?]

   offramp has kibitzed 25125 times to chessgames [more...]

   Dec-31-25 P Lalic vs R Marsden, 2025

offramp: The white king's ♘ did a huge amount of damage. An imaginative game.

   Dec-31-25 D Maycock Bates vs P Lalic, 2025

offramp: A very interesting opening variation. It ends here. [DIAGRAM] To reach this position, White has to navigate a drunken boat (Rimbaud).

   Dec-31-25 P Lalic vs J Foley, 2025

offramp: I think Mr Foley should have played 12...f5. His position was lost very early. A version of the Greek gift. GG.

   Dec-31-25 M Ciocan vs P Lalic, 2025

offramp: It's interesting that the doubled pawns on the g-file totally kibosh all kingside attacks by White. I reckon that in the final position Black is half a pawn ahead; but there is no way through.

   Dec-31-25 Caruana vs Carlsen, 2025

offramp: Carlsen played with his usual incisiveness. [DIAGRAM] 29...a4. Black makes a way into the White position. 35...Ra8 [DIAGRAM] Black has made a lot of progress. 44...Kd4 [DIAGRAM] Carlsen would consider this a win. I could learn a lot in these last 10 moves.

   Dec-31-25 P Lalic vs R Haldane, 2025

offramp: White played the Goring Gambit, one of the <safest> gambits, just behind the QGD. By move 16 White had a definite advantage ... [DIAGRAM] White had ♝ & ♗ v ♞&♘ . 16...Ne5. 29...Nf4. [DIAGRAM] White won without moving his Ra1. A good example of the Goring ...

   Dec-31-25 N Theodorou vs L Dominguez Perez, 2025

offramp: <MissScarlett: <cg>'s trademark Ten Days of Christmas limping to a conclusion. A New Year's themed pun is solicited!> One of these things doesn't look like the others. One of these is a Lord of The Rings pun, t was about two days ago.

   Dec-28-25 K Tsarouhas vs X Mastalerz, 2016

offramp: To all chess-players all over the world - no matter how strong you are - I send excellent vibes for the Christmas period, like 23th Dec to 6th Jan.

   Dec-28-25 Anatoly Karpov

offramp: User: Petrosianic thank you for that interesting list. Eugenio Torre <almost> started and ended that list.

   Dec-27-25 Jonathan Hawkins

offramp: Tragic news. Sudden.

indicates a reply to the comment.

Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 11 OF 86 · Later Kibitzing>
Jul-08-15		offramp: ... Il nous indiqua qu’il s’occupait du club d’échecs local et il nous invita à passer dès le mercredi suivant. Ce fut chose faite... ainsi que les mercredis suivants ! J’ai acheté tous les bouquins d’échecs que j’ai pu, et à 14 ans, j’étais déjà l’un des plus forts joueurs de Boulogne-sur-Mer. » L’âme de Caïssa Ce jeu, c’était un don du ciel. Il n’en finirait plus d’illuminer sa vie, quand survint la mort de son père un an plus tard, en 1932. C’était la grande dépression. Ce drame familial le contraignit à renoncer à ses études, pour travailler à 15 ans. Il épousa les métiers de la banque et resta un pur amateur de très haut niveau durant toute sa carrière. Faute de congés suffisants, il dut opérer des choix sportifs critiques : entre le championnat de France, l’équipe de France et le championnat de Paris, sa compétition la plus chère. Il défendit sept fois les couleurs tricolores aux Olympiades : en 1956 (6/16), 1958 (5/14), 1960 (7/17), 1962 (7,5/18), 1964 (8,5/14 !), 1966 (2,5/11) et 1968 où il scora 5/12 au 1er échiquier. À partir des années 1970, il trouva à Paris un cadre admirable avec Caïssa, le fameux cercle du 9e arrondissement fondé par Chantal Chaudé de Silans (1919-2001). Il était son pilier le plus glorieux. Elle était la muse des échecs féminins français. Longtemps, ce duo mythique resta indissociable. En 2001, Caïssa donna naissance au surpuissant NAO Chess Club. Ce n’était plus tout à fait la même « ambiance familiale ». Mais sa foi était inébranlable. Son amour du jeu et son goût immodéré pour le combat échiquéen le conduisirent à reprendre la compétition en 2007 au club du Roi Soleil du Chesnay-Versailles. À l’âge d’internet, César Boutteville a trouvé le repos éternel. Il a rejoint Muffang, Raizman, Bergraser, Thiellement et tant de ses anciens coéquipiers au Panthéon des échecs français. En ligne ou en consultant les bases de données, chacun peut revivre ses exploits ! “LE CÉSAR DES ÉCHECS PARISIENS, ET MÊME FRANÇAIS !” Par Éric Prié, 53 ans, GMI J’ai commencé les échecs à Gagny en 1975. César Boutteville, c’était la légende ! Quand on me demande ce qu’il représentait pour moi, il y a plein de qualificatifs qui me viennent à l’esprit : le “pape”, la figure de proue, le Kaiser... En fait, je dirais simplement qu’il était le César des échecs parisiens, et même français, mais je l’ignorais encore à l’époque ! C’était le “titi” parisien, avec de la gouaille et l’accent parigot, et son éternelle “clope au bec”. Il ne se levait jamais de sa chaise et il était indissociable de sa cigarette. Il fumait tout le temps. Le premier contact que j’ai eu avec lui, c’était en 1978. J’avais disputé l’Accession du championnat de Paris. C’était “son” tournoi. Il m’a sélectionné en équipe d’Île-de-France pour participer aux Interligues à Vichy. J’avais 16 ans. Il y avait deux autres jeunes joueurs, Alain Fayard et le plus fort d’entre nous, Chély Abravanel. César Boutteville nous avait repérés. Il faisait l’équipe, tirait les ficelles et jouait lui-même au 1er échiquier. Un joueur positionnel J’ai joué plusieurs fois contre lui. Notre première partie, c’était en 1980 au championnat de Paris. J’avais 16 ans et un Elo national à 2130. Il avait déjà 63 ans, mais je pense qu’il avait encore un niveau à 2300. L’écart n’était pas si important, mais il fallait jouer avec beaucoup d’énergie car il savait tout faire. Il était très dur en défense. C’est l’image que je garde de lui. Suivant les qualificatifs “à l’ancienne”, je dirais que c’était un joueur positionnel, de 1.d4. Je pense qu’il avait conscience d’être cette légende. Ce n’était pas quelqu’un que l’on pouvait venir déranger. Il n’était pas commode, sur l’échiquier et en dehors. Il cultivait son personnage... Le César ! Je l’ai revu plusieurs fois à Caïssa. C’était “son” club. Il jouait exclusivement avec son groupe d’amis. Il avait ce côté auguste du grand joueur d’échecs. Il n’était pas maître international, mais il avait cette aura ! »

Jul-11-15		offramp: M.movietube.pw

Jul-14-15		offramp: "I [ Florin Gheorghiu ] remember a few months later at the Olympiad in Siegen <[I'm guessing he might mean earlier, at Lugano]>, he was playing Spassky, the world champion. He made an unbelievable show worthy of the Comedia del Arte! At one point, Spassky, who had a rather bad position, whispered in the ear of Miguel: - I propose a draw. This was as between two good friends, the Soviet way, without being heard by others. Najdorf, by contrast said, to be heard by all: - What, you say something? Spassky blushed. - Yes, draw! Najdorf called to the spectators, aloud - You must come, you photographers, journalists! Me, an old player, am being offered a draw by the world champion, this is an unusual situation. I have to think. Then after a few minutes Najdorf addressed Spassky so as to drive the point home: - Boris, you have offered a draw in this position, so that means that you are worse. You never offer a draw in a position where you are better, even if only a little. Spassky increasingly reddened: - No, the position is in equilibrium. Najdorf: How, if the position is in equilibrium then let's keep playing! Then a bit later Boris looked up almost with regret: - I agree. Then Najdorf turned to the journalists exclaiming: - Still, one can not refuse a draw proposal from the world champion, you know that! It was unpredictable, unique, but you could not be angry with him!" As reported by GM Florin Gheorghiu. ( http://www.europe-echecs.com/art/bu... )

Aug-04-15		offramp: I like The Grateful Dead because they always say thank you.

Aug-06-15		Xeroxx: Should chess and politiken ever mix?

Aug-10-15		offramp: Just like there is a normal internet and a "dark" internet, chessgames.com has its very dark side as well. If you follow chess at cg.com in the normal way you may not see that there is a large group of people with little or no interest in chess who only use cg.com as a platform to argue and bully and squabble and set up temporary allegiances against other temporary allegiances. These people post almost entirely at The Kibitzer's Café Odd Lie Louis F Stumpers Beer I Hatem Kenneth Rogoff Borin Topic and Argue. Chess is rarely mentioned among these people. In fact their discussions could more easily be transacted at the forums at http://artbell.com/. It doesn't bother me as I rarely visit the pages I mentioned. But I find it odd that people with little or no interest in chess should be attracted to cg.com.

Aug-10-15		TheFocus: <offramp> From this last post, and a couple of others today, I see you have a problem with me. Why don't you just spell out what that problem is? Certainly your list of pages are the same ones I have on my bio.

Aug-10-15		offramp: The Focus. No i just copied that list because it was handy. It's a perfect reflection of the pages I don't visit. I don't really have a problem with anyone at CG.Com. I'm just baffled at the people who use it solely as a battlefield.

Aug-10-15		TheFocus: Okay.

Aug-17-15		Penguincw: <offramp> In case you don't know, I'd like to invite you to Team Black for Chessgames Challenge: Team White vs Team Black, 2015. :)

Aug-17-15		offramp: Thank you, Pcw. I accept!

Aug-20-15		offramp: Here is something that was announced in September 2014. https://www.fide.com/component/cont... I am wondering if anything has happened since then? I am also puzzled by the choice of recipients. The key word is <support>, which I think implies some sort of need. Leonard Barden has a steady job at The London Evening Standard. I thought Spassky made reasonable money from the St Stephen match with Fischer. I suppose the others might be short of money. But I bet there are other GMs and IMs in their late 60s and 70s who really are on their uppers. "FIDE and ACP are proud to announce the veterans' <support> programme, which is aimed to help the chess legends, who dedicated their life to our beloved game. According to the decision of the joint FIDE-ACP panel, this year six distinguished veterans will get the award ($5.000 each) as an appreciation for their contribution to chess. Please, find below the names of awardees: Boris Spassky (Russia) Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) Leonard Barden (England) Viktor Kupreichik (Belarus) Mark Tseitlin (Israel) Igor Zaitsev (Russia) Both FIDE and ACP hope to extend and expand the programme in future years."

Aug-20-15		offramp: I have just seen this: https://www.fide.com/component/cont... "FIDE and ACP are proud to announce the second year of the veterans' support programme, which is aimed to help the chess legends, who dedicated their life to our beloved game. The players are as follows: Yuri Balashov (Russia) Valentina Kozlovskaya (Russia) William Lombardy Gennady Kuzmin (Ukraine) William Lombardy (USA) Jacob Murey Mihai Suba (Romania) Jacob Murey (Israel)" There is no mention of amounts. I'm glad the idea has continued.

Aug-20-15		offramp: Good news! In September I am rejoining a Mark Master Mason Lodge and a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge. RAM is very occult; very qabbalistic. It has about seven secret signs and a few "handshakes". (They are not all made with the hand.)

Aug-21-15		offramp: Some phrases that really get on my wick. 1. Saving their prep. 2. Pampered goldfish. 3. Ending a sentence with "no?" So my most hated sentence would be: <The pampered goldfish are saving their prep, no?>

Aug-23-15		offramp: Pol Pot once said about the England Cricket Team: "What this country needs is seven or eight Boycotts."

Aug-23-15		offramp: <Cornish parish council rethinks sign naming park 'Hitler's Walk'> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u... I found that incredible story while searching for the original Pol Pot quote.

Aug-23-15		offramp: A recent tweet from Daniel Gormally https://twitter.com/elgransenor1/st... "< ‏@elgransenor1 15h15 hours ago Sometimes I wonder if I'm destined for a tragic life. A tragic life inevitably headed for suicide.>"

Aug-23-15		kellmano: <offramp> Gormally wears his heart on his sleeve on twitter. To be honest I fear for the guy. He's so down on himself that he'll never get any luck.

Aug-23-15		offramp: Vilhelm Hammershøi and Carl Vilhelm Holsøe, brilliant Danish painters.

Aug-26-15		thegoodanarchist: Not too long ago you might have celebrated your twelfth year at chessgames.com I apologize for not congratulating you on this milestone about 9 days ago. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa.

Aug-26-15		thegoodanarchist: And also, that reminds me of a trivia question. Provide a word with 6 consonants and only 1 vowel that constitutes a number in a sequence. The answer is here: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#...

Aug-26-15		offramp: ``` SINQUEFIELD SURPRISE Take one and a half pints of egg-white and let it get cold. Add a shallot or pale Canadian Cheddar. It should be the consistency of mustard. Then add some fresh milk, about three-and-a-half pints. Put it in a pan, let it boil gently on a good fire. Peel some slices of cucumber. Place a cupful of butter on the fillet of the steak. Now make the CHEESE CROQUETTES: Cook separately in a pan with boiled potatoes. steep it well as much arrowroot or Liebig as you wish. When you serve, pour over the water when these well beat it upright in the oven with a sprinkle them some chopped parsley.

Aug-28-15		offramp: What is the meaning of SwitchingQuylthulg's name. Is it his real name?

Aug-28-15		Penguincw: No his real name is "Santa Claus". ;)

Jump to page # (enter # from 1 to 86)
search thread:
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 11 OF 86 · Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
Nothing in violation of United States law.
No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
No trolling.
The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.

NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific user only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

Participating Grandmasters are Not Allowed Here!

You are not logged in to chessgames.com.
If you need an account, register now;
it's quick, anonymous, and free!
If you already have an account, click here to sign-in.