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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Jan-11-26 offramp chessforum   offramp: Vincent Keymer Germany Rating: 2776 Arjun Erigaisi India Rating: 2775 Anish Giri Netherlands Rating: 2760 Praggnanandhaa India Rating: 2758 Gukesh D India Rating: 2754 Nodirbek Abdusattorov Uzbekistan Rating: 2751 Javokhir Sindarov ...      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.      Jan-08-26 P Wells vs K Hanache, 2025   offramp: I've been pondering about this game. <Are you pondering what I am pondering?> (Brain & Pinky.) The whole game is interesting, right from the start. E.g., Black was 13. Wells was 60. Wells played in the traditional English weekend circuit style. That style includes Kim ...      Jan-08-26 Tata Steel India Rapid (2026)   offramp: Good old Niemann. He is a globe-trotter. I have seen his suitcase. It is pretty small, and it is covered in stickers: <London>, <Tashkent>, <Beijing> and many others. Now he is in <Kolktata>. My Indian friend told me that Niemann was a bit <funky>. And ...      Jan-08-26 G Reichhelm vs Mackenzie, 1867   offramp: The powerful Evans Gambit might resurface in the 2030s. Many players might get fed up with the Joko Piano. I don't know the Evans. I don't know how far the theory goes down. In that era they played 1000s of the Evans. Oh blimey! 19. Nfd5. [DIAGRAM] There was available to Black a

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Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 32 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing> Nov-28-17    offramp: Everyone laughed when Top of the Pops put up a huge poster of dart-player Jockie Wilson as a background to Dexy's <Jackie Wilson Said>, but no one said a word when they made a similar mistake with the Adverts' <Gary Gilmore's Eyes>. Nov-28-17    WinKing: Hi <offramp>, <<>The London Chess Classic 2017 begins Friday December 1st<>> Less than 3 days to go!!! Countdown to the London Chess Classic... https://www.timeanddate.com/countdo... ♘LCC♘London Chess Classic 2017♗LCC♗ http://www.londonchessclassic.com/ This tournament will run from Dec. 1st thru Dec. 11th 2017. (9 Rounds) Participants include Adams, Anand, Aronian, Carlsen, Caruana, Karjakin, Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura, So, & Vachier-Lagrave Average rating: 2779(as of 11/25/17) - Category XXII ***** ***** <<> London Chess Classic 2017 <>> Pairings and Schedule - http://www.londonchessclassic.com/g... < 3 Prediction Contests: (Win virtual medals - Gold, Silver & Bronze) > *** User: lostemperor - Predict the order the players will finish. Run & hosted by <lostemperor>. (3 categories to medal in) *** **User: Golden Executive - Predict the result 1-0, 1/2, or 0-1. Run & hosted by <Golden Executive>. (3 categories to medal in) This year will be the 11th Anniversary for this contest! (from 2007 to 2017 - 11 years running)** *User: OhioChessFan - Predict the result 1-0, 1/2, or 0-1 & the number of moves. (4 categories to medal in). This contest is run by <chessmoron> & hosted by <OhioChessFan>.* ***** ***** Also, don't forget about <chessgames> ChessBookie game for this event. He can't wait to take some or all of your chessbucks. ;) ChessBookie Game Don't miss out on the fun for this Super Event!!! Nov-30-17    offramp: Note to self. KEG for best kibitzer. Nov-30-17    thegoodanarchist: <offramp: I found a fish head in my spaghetti. It's something I'll never forgetti. I exploded like a supernovae, Then realised it was just an anchovy.> A very strange bird is the Pelikan It's beak can hold more than its belly can Nov-30-17    thegoodanarchist: Actually, from memory, I have it wrong. Here is the correct version: A wonderful bird is the pelican, His bill will hold more than his belican, He can take in his beak Enough food for a week But I'm damned if I see how the helican! - Dixon Lanier Merritt Dec-04-17    offramp: Has your opponent ever played a move for you? I did it at least once. I was about to play Qb2xQg7+. The only response was ...Kg8xg7. Without thinking I lifted both queens off the board and moved his king to g7, with my clock continuing to run. My opponent said nothing. Dec-04-17    zanzibar: <<offramp> My opponent said nothing.> Not even a wry smile? Dec-04-17    Magpye: I saw that happen once, same type of forced move. First time I saw a fist-fight at a tournament. Dec-05-17    offramp: <zanzibar: <<offramp> My opponent said nothing.> Not even a wry smile?> Yes, there was the merest hint of a smile in that wide, unthinking face. He pointed vertically down with his left index finger on to his king's crown. He then intertwined his fingers resting his hands on top of his head. He outstretched both arms vertically up, with palms to the ceiling. He stood up, and waved his arms to the left, as if steering a Boeing 747 into a starboard bay. He pointed at the clock and twirled both index fingers. It was then that the fist-fight started. Dec-05-17    zanzibar: Hey, I played that same guy on FICS... he made all the same moves during my moves. Dec-05-17    thegoodanarchist: <offramp>, I have replied to you in my forum: thegoodanarchist chessforum (kibitz #440) Dec-14-17    thegoodanarchist: Your forum seems the best location for this important link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLm... Dec-15-17    offramp: Jonah Hill. Has he ever been in a bad film? Dec-15-17    saffuna: Well, "Moneyball" was entertaining, but incredibly distorting. Dec-15-17    offramp: <saffuna: Well, "Moneyball" was entertaining, but incredibly distorting.> That film has not crossed to this side of the Atlantic. I had never heard of it until I read your post! Even if I saw it I couldn't have judged Hill's performance... my knowledge of baseball is tiny. Is the ball square? Dec-15-17    saffuna: It's a good movie, but it really simplifies and distorts the reality in order to present a concise story. Dec-15-17    thegoodanarchist: <saffuna: Well, "Moneyball" was entertaining, but incredibly distorting.> See, here is where me and <saffuna> disagree. IMO, "Moneyball" was distorting, but incredibly entertaining. And no, the ball was not "square". Squares are 2-dimensional. You should have inquired as to the question of if the ball was <cubic>. There. I fixed it! ... ? Dec-18-17    offramp: <TheGoodAnarchist> I once again saw that rare film It's Pat a few days ago. No one claims this film is hilarious, but it is not as bad as some people make out. I have always liked it, in a Kooky sort of way. I find Sweeney quite sexy most of the time, although in It's Pat she/he is a disaster area. It is horses for courses, really. If I ever saw Moneyballs I'd probably like it, because I understand the rules of baseball and like Jonah Hill. Dec-18-17    offramp: I apologise that I was being economical with the actualité when I said I didn't know about baseball a few posts ago. I played baseball with my cousins in New York when I was young and got to know the game well. We played in a park near Jamaica Avenue in Queens that had an odd name. Dec-19-17    offramp: When I was about 15 I got a good book called The People's Almanac by the Wallace brothers. It was full of fascinating facts and one of them really surprised me. American collegians had repeatedly voted Albert Schweitzer as their most admired person. I had never heard of him, nor had anyone at school. I found out something about him in the school library. That was the last I ever heard of Albert Schweitzer until about 5 minutes ago, when I heard his birthplace mentioned on a French TV channel. With a bit of luck that will be the last time I ever hear his name in my lifetime. Dec-19-17    thegoodanarchist: <<<>>With a bit of luck that will be the last time I ever hear his name in my lifetime.> We live in dangerous times! Dec-19-17    thegoodanarchist: <American collegians had repeatedly voted Albert Schweitzer as their most admired person. > At least they didn't vote the honor to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dec-20-17    OhioChessFan: I read The People's Almanac some time ago also. Engaging, though unchallenging. I heard it includes mentions of Albert Schweitzer in every printing. Dec-20-17    offramp: I have invented a method of predicting the future called wikimancy which simply involves pressing the "random article" button on the left hand side of any Wikipedia page. One thing I have noticed is the high likelihood of villages in Iran appearing. In fact I have just had two turn up IN A ROW! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sezar followed immediately by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajji... So what will the future bring? Dec-20-17    offramp: The Abbey Rd zebra crossing has its own webcam, https://www.abbeyroad.com/crossing which I am watching on telly via EarthCam. Even though it is quite drizzly in London there is a pretty constant stream of people taking their pictures while crossing that famous road. I have never been there. I might try and go up there next week. 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