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.>.>

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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.

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Ye Olde Offrampe Predicktions

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 74 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing> Feb-21-25    offramp: There's a film on right now, on TPTV. It is <BRANDY FOR THE PARSON>, with Kenneth More. <KENNETH MORE> is right at the <TOP> of my <BAD, USELESS AND HATED ENGLISH ACTORS>. Feb-21-25    offramp: We were playing the French; in fact a McCutcheon. I'd been following a game by the Rio boy, Faustino Oro. I had half an eye on an episode of <Starsky & Hutch>, and I was deinking a negroni, and she had a Sapporo. That was when I saw her armorial escutcheon. I took a selfie, and I'll send it to you tomorrow. It's unusual set of arms, the woman's name in a lozenge, A shield, red, <or> in a field of orange. Feb-25-25    offramp: Who are the <BAD> English actors? I made a list at x. I have now given up using x. The list was Kenneth More, Ralph Richardson, John Mills, Christopher Lee, Lawrence Harvey. Feb-25-25    offramp: Some friends around. Chessplayers! I'll be the chef de cuisine. For six people I am making tournedos rossini. Only the best! Tenderloin sirloin. Actually, hard to get. So I am using weenies. And a seperate plate for a vegan, an Indian, my special guest. There was no foie gras, so mushroom pate, actually paste. .... veloute Feb-27-25    offramp: Some friends around. Chessplayers! I'll be the <chef de cuisine>. For six people I am making <tournedos rossini>. Only the best! Tenderloin sirloin. Actually, hard to get. So I am using weenies. And a seperate plate for a vegan, an Indian, my special guest. There was no foie gras, so I've I made a paste made from kidney beans, Cornflour, Lea & Perrins and lemon zest. I didn't make a starter, or a dessert. And I didn't buy drinks. In fact I missed the guests. I went to grab forty winks. Mar-01-25    offramp: Today my street is having a Spassky Day. Everyone dresses like Spassky, And wear Boris masks (or masks like Dick Shawn) And wear sun visors with a cyclist's casquet. Street food like <khash>, <indigirka>, puffed corn. And neighbours can visit our houses. They all have a pass-key. I am going to sing the Spassky song, in Smyslov's baritone! A whole street full of well-wishers! Waving pics of Spassky, and some of Fischer's. Mar-02-25    offramp: Bombay Sapphire gin is combined with blue curacao and dry vermouth Mar-03-25    offramp: श्रीभगवानुवाच | कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: | ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: || 32|| Mar-03-25    stone free or die: Seen Oppenheimer lately? Mar-03-25    offramp: Yes! I saw that film. I wanted to see the actual source.... Mar-03-25    stone free or die: Yes, another famous example of a near-quote (aka mis-quote) Mar-04-25    offramp: nectar hot wheels Mar-06-25    offramp: https://hatterscabinet.com/pages-fw... Mar-06-25    offramp: Yesterday I felt really really well. It must be the weather. I am walking around the house like a teenager. Is it presage of Cheltenham?? Mar-06-25    offramp: ...Although, every day I have to take a large gallimaufry of drugs - that does help. Mar-07-25    offramp: • Tatpuruṣa • Bahuvrīhi • Dvandva • Avyayībhāva Mar-11-25    offramp: I have everything ready. I am surrounded by my lucky items Horseshoe (from Cheltenham stables) Set of bails taken by Stuart Broad at Lord's Number 10 shirt worn by Lionel Messi Button (not functioning) pressed by Robert Oppenheimer Napoleon's hat worn at the Battle of Wagram Shakin' Steven's socks A lock of Clive James's hair A roll of sellotape that is irretrievably stuck to itself, after Gordon Ramsay went radio rental. Mar-12-25    offramp: I love studies. I like really good ♙ studies. But ♟ studies get wearing very quickly. Mar-17-25    offramp: Let him greet the Sun at dawn, facing East, giving the sign of his grade. And let him say in a loud voice: Hail unto Thee who art Ra in Thy rising, even unto Thee who art Ra in Thy strength, who travellest over the Heavens in Thy bark at the Uprising of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night! Also at Noon, let him greet the Sun, facing South, giving the sign of his grade. And let him say in a loud voice: Hail unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy triumphing, even unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy beauty, who travellest over the heavens in thy bark at the Mid-course of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Morning! Also, at Sunset, let him greet the Sun, facing West, giving the sign of his grade. And let him say in a loud voice: Hail unto Thee who art Tum in Thy setting, even unto Thee who art Tum in Thy joy, who travellest over the Heavens in Thy bark at the Down-going of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Day! Lastly, at Midnight, let him greet the Sun, facing North, giving the sign of his grade, and let him say in a loud voice: Hail unto thee who art Khephra in Thy hiding, even unto Thee who art Khephra in Thy silence, who travellest over the heavens in Thy bark at the Midnight Hour of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Evening. Mar-17-25    offramp: He could do the voices of Bluebottle and Neddy Seagoon From <The Goons>. And he did a good <younger Michael Caine>. And he did lampoons of various <creatures> from the various <lagoons>. But he was caught for a road rage offence, and he fled to Spain, And he lived with an ex-captain from the Royal Light Dragoons. Both had been peddling drugs from Morocco, mainly cocaine. The Polizia found him, hiding in a piano Singing the Bob Dylan song, <Visions of Johanna>. Mar-18-25    offramp: severest cleverest everest, beverly cleverly Mar-18-25    offramp: <The Wonder Years>, with Fred Savage. <"Voulez-vous du beurre>" Kevin talking to Madeleine, Jane, or was it Beverley? A French lesson... and he interacted with her And he took advantage of her, cleverly. A night at the Prom, when he allowed <that> to occur, So at the end of the night he was let down heavily. This whole series was a preamble to <Malcolm in the Middle>, <Breaking Bad>, <Better Call Saul>, and the answer to <Jane's Riddle>. Mar-18-25    offramp: The great Viv Richards made a hundred AND took 5 wickets I couldn't believe to see 11 wickets in a Test by Allan Border. Freddie Flintoff found his dad in the ground. That's cricket! Mar-18-25    offramp: Every knows that Napoleon, Stalin and Hitler died at age of 55. But also Capablanca, Alekhine Tal and Petrosian died aged 55. Mar-19-25    offramp: Oh fie for shame! <Oh Brian>! He got a corker. He cursed his luck: a smart catch at gulley by Mallett. The next batter was Cowdrey. He's been thrown in at 3 by a rapid ballot. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 86) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 74 OF 86 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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