User Profile: offramp

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offramp
Member since Aug-16-03 · Last seen Jan-17-26

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.>.>

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

   Current net-worth: 1,436 chessbucks
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   offramp has kibitzed 25205 times to chessgames [more...]

   Jan-16-26 Tata Steel Masters (2026)

offramp: <Freelance Assassin>, in Giri's last major tournament I predicted that would end up no where. I lambasted him. I face-planted because Giri won that tournament easily. SO NOW I have made a volte-face, whatever that is. I believe that <GIRI> will win this Tata Masters. ...

   Jan-16-26 offramp chessforum

offramp: Here's a good DVD Database: <ChessBase '26 Premium-Package Expand Your Chess Horizons Only available as download - Most computers no longer have DVD drives and the amount of data is now so large that it can no longer be stored on a DVD. After your purchase you will receive ...

   Jan-16-26 M Schekachikhin vs C Dolgun, 2024

offramp: The Caissa Hotel is on the Aegean Sea, in Ayvalik, Turkey. This game is very interesting all the way through, right from 4...Qh4!

   Jan-15-26 Julien Song

offramp: The first game is dead level. I reckon Song will win this match easily.

   Jan-15-26 Giri vs Niemann, 2025

offramp: Giri said... <"Before the game I visualized a victory against Niemann. There's this technique.... I saw myself win. Then I went a bit too far and I started thinking about who would be in my team for the Candidates' - and that's when I realized I had gone too far."

   Jan-15-26 Dickson

offramp: Someone asked, "What the dickens??" The answer is "No."

   Jan-15-26 S Rosenthal vs Count Isouard, 1871

offramp: "Is You Is or Is You Ain't Isouard?"

   Jan-14-26 Keymer vs Carlsen, 2023

offramp: Keymer Rouge.

   Jan-14-26 Garry Kasparov

offramp: <Petrosianic>. I dislike stories about the 3rd Reich... Kasparov was expounding about Molotov and Stalin and the Germans. I could have followed the details but I <hate> checking WWII facts on Google because you get sucked into a whirlwind of right-wing horror. So I am ...

   Jan-14-26 J Puccini vs J P Gomez, 2015

offramp: Good pun and a good game. The final move is hard-to-spot! I was expecting some hay-maker final blow, but it is a quiet move. In fact, that last move, 19. Qd2, could be a <CREEPING MOVE>. Creeping moves can only made by queens; Spassky specialised in them.

indicates a reply to the comment.

Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 72 OF 86 · Later Kibitzing>
Nov-22-24		offramp: The latest Chess informant has come out: #161. https://sahovski.com/Chess-Informan... 40 euro for 320pp. Many years ago Informant #12 was turned into a film with Victor McLaglen: The Informer (1935). "An uproarious comedy!!"

Nov-23-24		stone free or die: <<off> The Informer (1935). "An uproarious comedy!!"> Shirley, you jest. It has its comedic moments, but I wouldn't exactly call it a comedy. Still, it's a great movie. Halliwell gives it 3-stars.

Nov-27-24		offramp: Can you move all the chess pieces? Can you place the chess board the right way around? Do you know the rules about promoting pawns? Have you heard the word Stalemate? Do you know the rules about stalemate. Do you know the en passant rule? Do you know all the rules about castling? Can you write the moves of a chess game on to a piece of paper? Can you read a chess book? Do you own a chess book? Do you own two or more chess books? Have you ever heard the phrase Sicilian Defence? Have you ever heard the phrase Fried Liver in a chess context? Do you know how to operate a chess clock? Could you checkmate a bare king with a king and rook? Could you win a 10-minute game of chess? Could you win a blitz game of chess? Could you checkmate a bare king with king, knight and bishop? Could you win a game of chess at standard time controls? Could you tell other people that they are garbage? Could you scratch your testicles all the way through the game? Can you solve a mate in 3? Can you solve a study?

Nov-27-24		offramp: <HOW FAR DOWN THIS LIST CAN YOU GO?> I am thinking of some other questions. It can be pretty funny.

Nov-27-24		Messiah: <Can you move all the chess pieces?> Usually, yes, except if the piece is in an absolute pin. <Can you place the chess board the right way around?> Usually, yes. <Do you know the rules about promoting pawns?> Definitely. <Have you heard the word Stalemate?> Yes. <Do you know the rules about stalemate.> Yes. Even if Portisch would not be satisfied with its logic. <Do you know the en passant rule?> Yes. <Do you know all the rules about castling?> Yes. <Can you write the moves of a chess game on to a piece of paper?> Usually, yes. <Can you read a chess book?> Yes. <Do you own a chess book?> Yes. <Do you own two or more chess books?> Yes. <Have you ever heard the phrase Sicilian Defence?> Yes. <Have you ever heard the phrase Fried Liver in a chess context?> Unfortunately, yes. <Do you know how to operate a chess clock?> Yes. <Could you checkmate a bare king with a king and rook?> Yes. <Could you win a 10-minute game of chess?> Usually, no. <Could you win a blitz game of chess?> Usually, no. <Could you checkmate a bare king with king, knight and bishop?> Yes. <Could you win a game of chess at standard time controls?> Yes. <Could you tell other people that they are garbage?> Except for young girls, yes. <Could you scratch your testicles all the way through the game?> Yes. <Can you solve a mate in 3?> Usually, yes. <Can you solve a study?> Sometimes. Great questions, post more!

Nov-27-24		offramp: Could you travel to a chess event? Would you pay to stay in a hotel and pay to play in a chess tournament? .... Could you play in a tournament in a foreign country and puke up every day? Could you be paid to play in a tournament? Could you write a book about some freaky opening?

Nov-27-24		offramp: User: Messiah - your questions about Gukesh/Ding are much funnier!

Nov-27-24		offramp: Could you win a Candidates' match/tournament? Could you become the World Chess Champion? Could you travel in space?

Nov-27-24		offramp: Can you boil an egg?

Nov-27-24		offramp: <HOW FAR DOWN THIS LIST CAN YOU GO?> Can you move all the chess pieces? Can you place the chess board the right way around? Do you know the rules about promoting pawns? Have you heard the word Stalemate? Do you know the rules about stalemate. Do you know the en passant rule? Do you know all the rules about castling? Can you write the moves of a chess game on to a piece of paper? Can you read a chess book? Do you own a chess book? Do you own two or more chess books? Have you ever heard the phrase Sicilian Defence? Have you ever heard the phrase Fried Liver in a chess context? Do you know how to operate a chess clock? Could you checkmate a bare king with a king and rook? Could you win a 10-minute game of chess? Could you win a blitz game of chess? Could you checkmate a bare king with king, knight and bishop? Could you win a game of chess at standard time controls? Could you tell other people that they are garbage? Could you scratch your testicles all the way through the game? Can you solve a mate in 3? Can you solve a study? Could you travel to a chess event? Would you pay to stay in a hotel and pay to play in a chess tournament? Could you play in a tournament in a foreign country? Could you write a book about an unusual opening? Could you write a book about your best games? Could you win a Candidates' match/tournament? Could you become the World Chess Champion? Could you travel in space?

Nov-27-24		offramp: Hey, User: Messiah, I have reread the questions... I am crying with laughter!!

Nov-27-24		offramp: That questions goes out, "Could you checkmate a bare king with king, knight and bishop?" Instead "Could you checkmate a bare king with king and two rooks?"

Nov-27-24		offramp: Could you solve a mate in 1?

Nov-27-24		offramp: This question "Could you checkmate a bare king with a king and rook?" isn't needed now, with the "two rooks" one.

Nov-27-24		saffuna: <Could you write a book about your best games?> A pamphlet, maybe.

Nov-28-24		offramp: <HOW FAR DOWN THIS LIST CAN YOU GO?> 1. Can you move all the chess pieces? 2. Can you place the chess board the right way around? 3. Do you know the rules about promoting pawns? 4. Have you heard the word Stalemate? 5. Do you know the rules about stalemate. 6. Do you know the en passant rule? 7. Do you know all the rules about castling? 8 Can you write the moves of a chess game on to a piece of paper? 9 Can you read a chess book? 10. Can you read any book? 11. Do you own a chess book? 12. Do you own two or more chess books? 13. Have you ever heard the phrase Sicilian Defence? 14. Have you ever heard the phrase Fried Liver in a chess context? 15. Do you know how to operate a chess clock? 16. Do you know how to operate a zebra crossing? 17. Could you checkmate a bare king with a king and rook? 18. Could you win a 10-minute game of chess? 19. Could you win a blitz game of chess? 20. Could you checkmate a bare king with king and two rooks? 21. Could you win a game of chess at standard time controls? 22. Could you inform other people that they are garbage? 23. Could you scratch your testicles all the way through a game? 24. Can you solve a mate in 3? 25. Can you solve a study? 26. Could you solve a mate in 1? 27. Could you travel to a chess event? 28. Would you pay to stay in a hotel and pay to play in a chess tournament? 29. Could you play in a tournament in a foreign country? 30. Could you write a book about an unusual opening? 31. Could you write a book about your best games? 32. Could you write a book about some other player's games? 33. Could you win a Candidates' match/tournament? 34. Could you become the World Chess Champion? 35. Could you travel in space?

Dec-02-24		offramp: News from Austria today: <The Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, <KTM>, has entered a restructuring process to avoid bankruptcy. The company and two subsidiaries reportedly owe a combined total of €2.5 billion).> How the hell did that company get into a 3 billion euro hole??

Dec-12-24		offramp: <<perfidious: <offramp: <Dec-10-24 stone free or die: FIDE id.> His post includes a clever palindrome: <DIE FIDÉ ID>.> As soon as one dies, so does their FIDE ID get scrubbed from the DB.>> Here is the actual FIDÉ rule: <6.2.1.8: If a registered player becomes unable to play any kind of chess (see 7.2.3.3 Death), OR if any sentient entity decides to give up chess forever, then a) FIDÉ summons three other executives. One of these must be Metropolitan Dvorkovich. b) He will ring the bell at exactly 3pm. c) He will close the book <The Games of Robert J. Fischer by R G Wade>. d) He will then extinguish the candle after a ten second delay.>

Dec-14-24		offramp: Bluetooth devices are exactly like swans. They pair for life.

Dec-14-24		offramp: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles... VOLES VOYCE

Dec-21-24		moronovich: I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year !

Dec-23-24		offramp: Gukesh did it. The big one. He climbed Rumdoodle at the age of 18. He did the biggie at his first attempt. What about some coulda-bins? Who could have been the youngest World Champions? Sergey Karjakin was born in 1990. He could have won the FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2004) at the age of 14... I am still writing this .... my family are bugging me.

Dec-23-24		offramp: Do you remember the TV show with Roseanne Barr? It was called <Rosie>. Roseanne Barr earned a fortune. After that series, she disappeared. Her fictional daughter also disappeared. Her fictional husband was <John Goodman>. He went to films. He has appeared in hit after hit after hit.

Dec-30-24		offramp: I am devising a new STAR rating system for chess games. E.g.: <🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/6 stars. A dramatic and impressive game between two of the world's strongest players playing at their very best form. A game will that will instantly published all over the world on all forms of social media, and possibly mentioned on national Tv broadcasts. Such a game may end with a magnificent or extraordinary <coup d'éclat>. It will disorder observers senses for their entire lives, even to the extent for giving up the game of chess. Such a game would be career-defining, taking place in an event of the highest order. The opening would include cutting-edge theory, and the endgame might include new discoveries in the ending. A copy of this game's scoresheet would be sent to the Smithsonian Institute for eternity, on display, between Bonnie & Clyde's death car and Washington's dentures.>

Dec-30-24		offramp: Down to: <BOMB (lowest rating)/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Such a game will begin with Fool's Mate or Scholar's Mate, or a similar opening. Both players will be unknown. One or both players will be very young or very old or brand new to the game of chess. The game is not even funny.>

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