offramp Member since Aug-16-03 · Last seen Jan-12-26 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.>.>

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offramp has kibitzed 25168 times to chessgames   [more...]

Jan-12-26 A Somoff vs A Spice, 2008   offramp: <whiteshark>. Spice controls the whole board.      Jan-12-26 A Vitolinsh vs Bronstein, 1975   offramp: I didn't get the pun at all, possibly I have never watched <"Alvin & The Chipmunks">. I watched the film with the guy from <"My Name is Earl">. The star was okay but the three chipmunks were unbearable. I couldn't understand a word they said. Perhaps I could have watched      Jan-12-26 offramp chessforum   offramp: White is puzzled... [Event "III Itt Temuco 2026"] [Site " https://lichess.org/broadcast/iii-i... "] [Date "2026.01.12"] [Round "6.2"] [White "Flores Quillas, Diego Saul Rodri"] [Black "Flores, Diego"] [Result "*"] [WhiteElo "2400"] [WhiteTitle "IM"] ...      Jan-12-26 Yuri Gonzalez Vidal   offramp: Yuri Gonzalez Vidal went on holiday to Mexico and saw a bullfight. And we saw gore Vidal.      Jan-11-26 Tata Steel Masters (2026)    offramp: Vincent Keymer. 🇩🇪 4 2776 22 Erigaisi Arjun. 🇮🇳 5 2775 19 Anish Giri. 🇳🇱 6 2760 32 Four of the 13 players are Indians. There are 2 Uzbeks, 2 Dutch. Just one American, Niemann. He speaks Dutch.      Jan-10-26 J Hu vs S Badacsonyi, 2025   offramp: 14...Nb7. [DIAGRAM] White does not want to castle. It looks risky. White wasn't sure what to do. Instead, he played a2-a4, then a5 and a6, creating an important outpost for his knight at b7. 20. Nb7. [DIAGRAM] 20...e3 21. f3. Mate in 3.      Jan-10-26 Firouzja vs D Lazavik, 2025   offramp: I was drawn to this game from the home page. Some other people were discussing Two Knights (C58) . In a blitz game GM Firouija played the 2♘ opening. I was interested to see the modern ideas in this very ancient opening. Here is a new one: White had played 4. Ng5, that is      Jan-09-26 Kasparov vs Nunn, 1989    offramp: It's a really good game, mainly because Kasparov is White against the King's Indian, which he normally played as Black. White had a big shock but managed to defend.      Jan-09-26 Mackenzie - Reichhelm US Championship (1867)    offramp: I have played through these games and I have found them interesting, but not setting the world on fire. I think that MacKenzie was <professional>, but not exciting. He did not really give his opponent a chance, he outclassed him.      Jan-09-26 Mackenzie vs G Reichhelm, 1867   offramp: The French Defense (C15). MacKenzie kept the position in control. Mainly, he did everything he could do to keep that dratted black QB in a prison. 34...Bxd7. [DIAGRAM] Black was in real trouble.

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Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing> May-18-06    offramp: On the home page, right at the top, you can "Search players and matches in plain language. E.g. "ANAND" or "FISCHER-SPASSKY '72". Has anyone ever got this to work? May-18-06    offramp: When I used to have Windows 3.1 there was a free game that came with it. In the game a boy with blonde hair used to solve various puzzles. What was the name of that game? May-18-06    bbkenya: Sounds like maybe you mean Chip's Challenge May-18-06    offramp: It IS Chip's Challenge; and I just couldn't remember it. The beauty of the internet is that I have it again now and I'm playing it already! May-21-06    monad: <rain-reign-> go away come back as <rein> another day. I <am> impressed! Nice to see some attention to linguistic detail for a change :-) May-21-06    offramp: <monad> Thanks! When I first read the quote I thought, 'Oh well, I don't understand it. So what?' Then I thought, well, I'm a Londoner, I should be able to understand it. It may be that a spell-checker was to blame, anyone can fall for that. I wish people would use spell-checkers more often, in truth; then a lot of these crappy shop notices would be better. May-22-06    offramp: In Science once, I was given some unusual homework. We had to recycle paper into something that an animal would eat. My dog ate it. May-23-06    offramp: From 'Who wants to be a Millionaire?' Tarrant: The next question is for one million pounds. You have no lifelines. The category is 'English Sporting Triumphs'. Will you play or p... Contestant: I'll play it! The answer is '1966'. May-23-06    offramp: A poem. I think it's by Michael Stean. Put not thy faith in Fritzes Nor in the soul of man. The former's good in blitzes, The latter blunder can. May-23-06    capatal: capatal: capatal: FIDE lift us up where we belong With Bessel Kok you'll make us strong Seems we've been waiting for so long For Chess to catch up with the throng Right Moves' the hero in this song Let's make it real and move along.- J.J. ... A FIDE change of the guard is due and over due For Chess lovers just like me and you. May-23-06    offramp: Yes... very good. Very good. Catchy. May-25-06    offramp: My idea of Football 65.16 The ball has gone out for a throw-in. 65.17 There is a problem… 65.18 The Reds are saying 65.19 That the ball went off 65.20 A blue player 65.21 They are saying 65.22 That the throw in 65.23 Should be 65.24 To them. Let’s have 65.25 A look at the replay. 65.26 It’s hard to tell, isn’t it? 65.27 But they are overdoing it 65.28 In fact the referee 65.29 Is calling 65.30 One of them to 65.31 One side 65.32 He is taking 65.33 Him to one side 65.34 I can’t believe 65.35 It I think 65.36 It is going 65.37 To be a yellow 65.38 No he has already had a yellow 65.39 This has to 65.40 Be a red 65.41 The reds are crowding 65.42 Around 65.43 They are not happy 65.44 But the ref 65.45 Has produced a 65.46 Red card 65.47 And it looks 65.48 As if he 65.49 Has been sent off 65.50 There he goes 65.51 He wont be happy 65.52 His manager wont be happy 65.53 He wont be happy 65.54 There he goes 65.55 Into the tunnel 65.56 The opposing 65.57 Side are 65.58 Barracking him 65.59 The fans should not do this 70.01 It is not fair 70.02 To the players 70.03 But anyway 70.04 That’s all over 70.05 He has been sent off 70.06 For showing dissent 70.07 To the referee 70.08 And the reds are 70.09 Down to 10 men 70.10 But the throw in 70.11 has still to be taken 70.12 so here comes 70.13 the man who 70.14 has been sent off’s 70.15 replacement 70.16 in fact the manager 70.17 is replacing him! May-25-06    offramp: 70.18 There’s a turn-up for the books! 70.19 The manager is going 70.20 To bring on a replacement for 70.21 The man who was sent off 70.22 There seems to be 70.23 A bit of confusion 70.24 As to who is 70.25 Going to go off 70.26 But it is going to be 70.27 Number 11 70.28 Who is right over near the corner flag 70.29 Here he comes 70.30 He doesn’t seem happy 70.31 He is gesturing at the 70.32 Crowd. He shouldn’t 70.33 Do that. He is talking to the manager 70.34 Both of them seem pretty animated 70.35 They are in 70.36 A discussion 70.37 And you have to say 70.38 They he has a point 70.39 In any case 70.40 The throw-in is 70.41 About to be 70.42 Taken 70.43 Here he comes 70.44 He looks very 70.45 Happy. He is 70.46 Wiping off the ball 70.47 He is getting ready 70.48 There is a bit 70.49 Of argy bargy 70.50 The referee won’t like that 70.51 He has called it 70.52 Back . Was that a foul throw or 70.53 Did the referee see something 70.54 That we didn’t 70.55 Let’s have a look 70.56 The linesman has pointed something out. 70.57 The Throw is being 70.58 Taken from 70.59 Twenty 81.01 meters from 81.02 where the ball went out of play 81.03 and one of them is 81.04 down injured 81.05 he is rolling 81.06 around on the 81.07 floor. The linesman 81.08 is calling the referee over 81.09 he has obviously seen something 81.10 in fact the goalkeeper 81.11 has been hit by a coin 81.12 probably thrown by a fan 81.13 of the opposing team 81.14 who has grown so tired, so bored of this game that is not a game that he has become berserk and has lost all reason 81.15 It is actually quite likely! May-26-06    monad: My most memorable science project was the task given to the whole class. Each got a vial with some liquid in and we had to test it find out what it was. I was still there hours after all the others had finished and left. My liquid was colourless. In the end I got so fed up that I drank it. I was lucky: it was water. May-29-06    offramp: Funny site http://www.logopoeia.com/ May-30-06    offramp: <monad: My most memorable science project was the task given to the whole class. Each got a vial with some liquid in and we had to test it find out what it was. I was still there hours after all the others had finished and left. My liquid was colourless....> My school seemed to have bought up the world's supply of patassium permanganate. EVERY experiment had to include it. May-30-06    offramp: My mum was delghted that I had held an impromptu party.... http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/... May-30-06    offramp: "Coco-Pops are so chocolatey they even turn your wee-wee brown! So..." May-31-06    notsodeepthought: <monad: My liquid was colourless. In the end I got so fed up that I drank it. I was lucky: it was water.> You weren't <that> lucky - it could have been vodka. May-31-06    offramp: It obviously wasn't wee-wee. That is always chocolate coloured. May-31-06    offramp: I love deep-frying things.... potatoes, pineapple.... Sometimes I think I am just frittering my life away. Jun-01-06    monad: <offramp: That is always chocolate coloured.> Well, obviously. Living in London, it would be. Thanks to Thames water. :-) Jun-01-06    offramp: One of my hobbies is visiting the scenes of tragedies and sticking a card to a fence that says, "Why?" Jun-01-06    patzernic: <offramp: One of my hobbies is visiting the scenes of tragedies and sticking a card to a fence that says, "Why?"> The Titanics due a visit! Jun-01-06    offramp: ...Why? Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 86) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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