offramp Member since Aug-16-03 · Last seen Jan-13-26 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.>.>

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

offramp has kibitzed 25169 times to chessgames   [more...]

Jan-12-26 Georg Rotlewi    offramp: <Chessical>, Rotlewi was described as a "tireless walker". At first I read that he was a "wireless talker"... Like Kramnik's non-stop internet complaints on YouTube.      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.

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Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 33 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing> Dec-22-17    offramp: Best game collection Game Collection: Bogoljubov - Eliskases 1939 Dec-23-17    offramp: I am pleased that such an eminent and honoured a poster as you should agree with my views on the kibitzers cafe and the horrible Rogoff page. They are "a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend." Dec-25-17    thegoodanarchist: Merry Christmas, <offramp>! Dec-25-17    offramp: <The Goodanarchist> Many many thanks! Dec-25-17    morfishine: Merry Christmas <offramp>! Your mustache is safe, and at the risk of being too forward, who's your tailor? FWIW: I very much embrace the term 'Happy Holidays', not as a substitute for 'Merry Xmas' but as a wider view of this important time of year for numerous people's and religions. With the Jewish Holidays starting in Late-Nov, early-Dec, and the Asian New Year holidays stretching til late-Jan, thats a lot of time for lots of holidaying Happy Holidays <offramp>! ***** Dec-25-17    offramp: <Morfishine>, many thanks to you as well. Once again, I've really enjoyed my time at cg this year, partly because of your superb posts! Dec-25-17    offramp: A friend said, "I got a 20,000 piece jigsaw for Christmas." I said, "20,000 pieces! What is it a picture of?" "A chicken." "A <chicken>? Show me the box." He did. It was a packet of corn flakes. Dec-25-17    WannaBe: <offramp> Nice, in the (in)famous words of <Technical Draw> "I'll have to borrow that one..." Dec-26-17    offramp: <offramp: Jonah Hill. Has he ever been in a bad film?> I have just watched a cracking film: <Hail, Caesar!> by the Coen Brothers. I was really enjoying it and then Jonah Hill turned up playing Joe Silverman, noted Notary Public! There are lots of cameo roles in the film, which is very funny. How did they film it for only $22,000,000? Dec-28-17    thegoodanarchist: <I was really enjoying it and then Jonah Hill turned up playing Joe Silverman, noted Notary Public! There are lots of cameo roles in the film, which is very funny. How did they film it for only $22,000,000?> More importantly, how does one get to be a noted notary public? I've been toiling away in obscurity for decades, in order to achieve notoriety as a notary. No dice. Dec-29-17    offramp: <thegoodanarchist:...More importantly, how does one get to be a noted notary public?> MAD Magazine's Don Martin used to have a character called "Lance Parkertip, Noted Notary Public". He can be seen here: https://illustratorsjournal.files.w..., at the back. Don Martin was a brilliantly anarchic cartoonist, in a good way, and to see him writing about a notary public (a really boring job) was very funny. Dec-29-17    thegoodanarchist: <MAD Magazine's Don Martin used to have a character called "Lance Parkertip, Noted Notary Public". He can be seen here: https://illustratorsjournal.files.w..., at the back.> That is the most beautiful photograph I've ever seen Dec-30-17    morfishine: In Florida, a notary public isn't necessarily a "job". One must simply pass a state test, and one becomes a 'notary' entitling the person to stamp notification on official documents, hence these are notarized Thus a 'notary public' usually holds a separate permanent position but earns extra money acting as a notary at least in the US but you are correct, its incredibly boring, but necessary ***** Dec-30-17    ketchuplover: awesome new year to your clan Dec-31-17    offramp: Scarlett Johansson as well, even if she is not in a film for long, it tends to be a good film. Dec-31-17    offramp: Many thanks, <ketchuplover>. I hope that 2018 is very good for you, as well! Dec-31-17    technical draw: <Voted Worst Fanirmod 9 years in a row. > Happy New year <offramp>! BTW your quote above looks vaguely familiar. Jan-01-18    offramp: Best chess-related post: Marshall vs Chigorin, 1900 (kibitz #6) Jan-01-18    offramp: When I see some freak with his laces undone I never tell him. These guys carry on walking with no problems. When my own laces are undone I tread on them roughly every 1½ seconds and I walk around like Lee Evans in <There's Something About Mary>. And I <hate> doing my laces up. When will telekinesis become available? Jan-01-18    thegoodanarchist: <offramp: Best chess-related post: Marshall vs Chigorin, 1900 (kibitz #6)> I much prefer this one: Marshall vs Chigorin, 1900 (kibitz #3) Jan-01-18    thegoodanarchist: (It's all based on how one uses the word "dithering", if at all.) Jan-01-18    offramp: Marshall vs Chigorin, 1900 (kibitz #4) might be better! Jan-02-18    thegoodanarchist: <offramp: There was a couple of things that worried me about Kelvins. Firstly, you don't need the degree symbol °. > I can see why that might be cause for concern, or even worry. However, it should be cause for serendipity when on does not want to copy and paste a degree symbol (for example, if you are composing a post with google glasses). Jan-03-18    offramp: Why do people use the phrase "beggars belief"? Who are the beggars? Jan-03-18    thegoodanarchist: <offramp: Why do people use the phrase "beggars belief"? Who are the beggars?> They are those people at the banquet. They have no expectations. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 86) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 33 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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