User Profile: brankat

brankat
Member since Oct-10-05 · Last seen Jun-18-13

Branko Katic. Born and raised in former Yugoslavia, I have been living in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for the last 30 years. Used to play chess actively when I was a teenager, and was awarded a Candidate Master title in 1970.
I "retired" a year later, mostly due to University studies and never participated in tournaments again. Instead I got a degree in History and Social Anthropology, which didn't do me much good :-)
I had neither played chess, nor followed chess events for more than 30 years. Until, by chance, I discovered this great site: Chessgames.com in 2005.
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A fellow CG.com member, and a friend, WILSON HU User: CHESSMORON, organized a double round-robin tourney: <The MASTERS vs. the MACHINES>, February - April, 2007. It was my privilege and an honour to be on the Masters team with FIDE Master ERIC SCHILLER Eric Schiller and the USCF Master BILL WALL Bill Wall!
The link to the games: CG.com Masters vs. Machines Invitational (2007)
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<A few of my favourite Chess related quotes>:
"If Acoustics was a science that informed the world about sounds, then Music was an art that revealed the beauty of that science; if Logic was a science that revealed the laws of Thought, then Chess, in the form of artistic images, was an art that illuminated the logical side of thought."
<M.M.Botvinnik>
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"It is too beautiful to spend your life upon. Many times have I managed to break with Chess, yet I have always fallen in love with it again. I was too captivated by the conflict between ideas and opinions, attack and defence, life and death."
<Emanuel Lasker>
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"The chess player who has lost his game - who will describe him? I have seen him unable to move. The public was long gone, the lights were out, and still he sat rigidly in his chair staring at the emptied board, because he had overlooked Bg2. A case of complete petrification, with bystanders whispering and tiptoeing by.
I have heard him begging for punishment in blasphemous language. He had forgotten Nh5, and in his dismay he called down annihilation upon himself. Derisively, he rejected our words of solace, demanding insults and chastisements.
Standing afar and horror-stricken, I have witnessed him swearing in orgiastic fury to rip off his genitals, because he had played Qf6 instead of Qb6."
<Jan Hein Donner>
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The one I personally subscribe to:
"Of my 57 years, I’ve applied at least 30 to forgetting most of what I've learned or read, and since I succeeded in this I have acquired a certain ease and cheer which I should never again like to be without.
If need be, I can increase my skill in chess, if need be I can do that of which I have no idea present.
I have stored little in my memory, but I can apply that little, and it is of good use in many and varied emergencies. I keep it in order, but resist every attempt to increase its dead weight."
<Dr.Emanuel Lasker>
"Aspirin can prevent pregnancy. All a woman has to do is place an aspirin between her knees and not let it go."
<ThFocus>
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CHESS related links I often use:
Game Collection: 170 Major Chess Tournaments 1882-2007 compiled by User: RonB52734
http://chesstempo.com/game-database... Games DATABASE
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/arch... Sarah's Chess JOURNAL
Nasruddin Hodja's Game Collections GAMES COLLECTIONS compiled by User: nasruddin hodja
Game Collection: Nf5 sac against the kingside castled fianchetto
http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/records... RECORDS games
http://www.chessville.com/Quotes/mi... Chessville-QUOTES
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... CHESS NOTES by Edward Winter
Petrosian-Spassky World Championship Rematch (1969) All WCC Matches
http://www.endgame.nl/match.htm HISTORY of Chess Matches from R.Lopez to V.Kramnik
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... P.Morphy's notes: De La BOURDONNAIS-A.MCDONNELL
http://www.chessbase.com/puzzle/puz... The famous PLASKETT PUZZLE - Analysis
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PHOTO ALBUMS Links:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Caissa1... ALEKHINE FAMILY PHOTOS
http://picasaweb.google.com/Caissa1... S.RESHEVSKY - "The WUNDERKID" - PHOTOS
http://picasaweb.google.com/Caissa1... RUSSIAN MASTERS' PHOTOS, early 20th Century
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail... S.GLIGORIC 85th Birthday Celebration
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/... S.GLIGORIC, Photos
http://www.chesspro.ru/_events/2011... Tribute to Dr.M.Vidmar (in Russian)
http://www.ara.org.ar/chs/ajedrez/p... Photos of all Teams from 1939 Chess Olympiad, Argentina
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MISC:
http://www.chessintranslation.com/2... S.GLIGORIC Interview: Analyzing by the riverside with Bobby Fischer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanue... Dr.Emanuel LASKER Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svetoz... S.GLIGORIC Biography
http://www.tri.org.au/chess/ Chess on Stamps.
http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/... B.Fischer-F.Castro, Havana, 1966 ________________________________________________-
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REMINDERS:
User: wordfunph April-24 :-)
SwitchingQuylthulg chessforum: How to link to a specific post!
User: themadhair Carl Sagan on Voyager I
Complete List of BOOKS about <J.R.CAPABLANCA> and <A.A.ALEKHINE>, page 230, this Forum.
Links to <The BEATLES> videos, page 266, this Forum.
Link to <PETER, PAUL and MARY> videos, page 275, this Forum.
Link to <MAHALIA JACKSON> videos, page 276, this Forum.
Link to <PAVEL BURE> videos, page 271, this Forum.
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<Events organized and hosted in this Forum>: ________________________________________________-
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Consultation game: "MIXED DOUBLES"
Team White: THE BATCHIMEGS <jessicafischerqueen & Eyal>
Team Black: OPENLY DEFIANT CATS <Open Defence & Brankat>
Start: June/27/2007. - End: Aug/19/2007.
ECO: B76 - <SICILIAN, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack>
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Nc6 7. f3 Bg7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. g4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4* Be6 11. h4 Qa5 12. h5 Rac8 13. a3 Bc4 14. h6 Bh8 15. 0-0-0 Bxf1 16. Rhxf1 Rc4 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nd5 Qxd2 19. Kxd2 Re8 20. Nxf6+ exf6 21. b3 Rc5 22. c4 Re6 23. Ke3 f5 24. Rd5 Kf8 25. Kd4 fxe4 26. fxe4 Ke7 27. b4 Rc6 28. g5 Rc7 29. a4 Rd7 30. Ra5 b6 31. Rb5 Kd8 32. a5 == Draw offer accepted.
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Consultation Game:
<CHESSGAMES.com Members vs. MFO (mrfixitonline) Chess Club Members>
<MFO> :
(Akavall, bin, buti_oxa, Ceri, ForceMid, FusterCluck, Joshua, madcat_lives, samurai goroh, Stormboy).
<CG.com>:
(TheAlchemist, chessmoron, dakgootje, hitman84, jessicafischerqueen, Marco65, Rocafella>, Swapmeet, TTLump, Zebra, EmperorAtahualpa, mckmac, Elixir of Life).
WHITE: < MFO > ---BLACK: < CG.com >
Start: Jan/21/2007 - End: May/23/2007
ECO: B90 - <SICILIAN, Najdorf>
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bc1 Nc6 8. h3 Nf6 9. Be3 e6 10. g4 Be7 11. g5 Nd7 12. h4 O-O 13. f4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 b5 15. O-O-O Rb8 16. h5 b4 17. Na4 e5 18. Qd2 Bb7 19. g6 Bxe4 20. Bg2 Bf5 21. Bd5 Rc8 22. Bb3 Be4 23. gxf7+ Rxf7 24. fxe5 Nxe5 25. Nb6 Rc6 26. Rhf1 Qe8 27. Rxf7 Nxf7 28. Nd5 Bd8 29. h6 a5 30. Re1 a4 31. Bxa4 Bh4 32. Qd4! and Black resigns.
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Consultation game:
CG.com American kibitzers: "ISOLATED PAWNS"
<Akavall, square dance, suenteus po 147>
vs.
CG.com Canadian kibitzers: "NORTHERN KNIGHTS"
<AgentRgent, Hesam7, THE Pawn>
WHITE: <ISOLATED PAWNS> - BLACK: <NORTHERN KNIGHTS>
Start: Sep, 05/2006 - End: Nov, 11/2006.
ECO: B17 <CARO-KANN, Steinitz Variation.>
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 e6 6. Bd3 Ngf6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 c5 11. Bd2 Nf6 12. Qe2 a6 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. 0-0 0-0 15. c4 e5 16. Bc3 Re8 17. Rad1 Qb6 18. b4 Bxb4 19. Rb1 e4 20. Rxb4 Qc5 21. Bc2 Bg4 22. Qe3 Qxe3 23. fxe3 exf3 24. Bxf6 gxf6 25. c5 Be6 26. Bb3 Bxb3 27. axb3 Rac8 28. Rxf3 1/2-1/2.
Nov. 11/06: Draw offer accepted by "Northern Knights".

   Current net-worth: 9,651 chessbucks
[what is this?]

   brankat has kibitzed 18182 times to chessgames [more...]

   Jun-18-13 moronovich chessforum

brankat: Actually I'll be at 9,993. Ten grand still remains elusive :-)

   Jun-18-13 Timothy Taylor

brankat: <KKDEREK> Yes, that is a great collection!

   Jun-18-13 tpstar chessforum

brankat: Never a dull day on this site :-)

   Jun-18-13 SwitchingQuylthulg chessforum

brankat: Better luck in round #6!

   Jun-17-13 Steinitz vs Maurian, 1883

brankat: It is equally "insulting" to compare other "great mortals" to Morphy.

   Jun-17-13 Robert James Fischer

brankat: <TheFocus> If You are in touch with our friend <lamont> please convey to him my best wishes for his speedy recovery.

   Jun-17-13 Anand-Carlsen World Championship (2013)

brankat: <Schachy continues to admit that Steinitz needed a lot of study to even approach the level the Morphy reached at 21.> Those ones (exceptionally talented ones to begin with) who worked hard for many years, indeed a lifetime, accomplished a lot while continually progressing. And

   Jun-17-13 brankat chessforum

brankat: <perfidious> From the Viki article: <..His death occurred while returning to his native Estonia from a tournament in Vancouver, which he had won...> Perhaps You're right. But the "..while returning.." phrase could be interpreted in different ways. I heard that he was hit

   Jun-17-13 Kenneth Rogoff

brankat: <Colonel Mortimer> You will never know just how much You have not missed :-)

   Jun-17-13 chessgames.com chessforum

brankat: Perhaps You could make an exception in at least 1 case, and drop the limit to 2200? :-)

indicates a reply to the comment.

The Court of Caissa

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 482 OF 482 · Later Kibitzing>
Jun-14-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: Good luck for round 2! I guess such microscopic bets make sense if you want to guarantee a top 10 finish. If you want to win this leg, though... ;-)

Jun-14-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: Had some four and a half grand on the line today. Made a huge profit of c$86 :)

Jun-14-13		brankat: <SwitchingQuylthulg> I lost $430 today. When I placed the bets, some 6 hours before the start, the odds on B-D-D were too low, but then they ended up at a decent 20-1. It's the "time difference's" fault :-) I'd like to make top 10, since I'd never been there before. That should now be easy enough. With 7 rounds to go I just need to make sure I don't go below $5,500, or so, which, at this point leaves me a little over 2 grand betting capital. On the other hand, even with 10 grand in the "Championship Leg" my chance of winning there would be extremely slim. So, there is a bit of a dilemma, because if I'm ever going to win, I may not have a better chance than in this leg, the way it's been going so far. With some two weeks left no one is over $10,000. I don't remember this being the case before. That's why it was possible for me to stay in a good position at a very slow pace. Of course this will have to change because someone (most likely You) is going to "explode" very soon. I guess You almost did today with $4,500 invested. Good luck in round #3.

Jun-15-13		brankat: It is that time again :-)

Jun-15-13		brankat: A note to self: Blank post. <& nbsp without the space.>

Jun-15-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: If only you'd known that during the Spam Wars :-)

Jun-15-13		brankat: But I don't think the Admins would tolerate this kind of a thing for long.

Jun-15-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: You're probably right. But I've often been amazed by what they're willing to tolerate :-)

Jun-15-13		brankat: <SwitchingQuylthulg> Including THE Master's presence at this site :-) Speaking of which You may wanna check last couple of pages here: Timothy Taylor

Jun-15-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: Already have ;-) Here's the first empty post at Chessgames (though it wasn't the first to dodge the five-character limit): jessicafischerqueen chessforum Well, not really empty. It's chock full of spammy goodness :-)

Jun-15-13		brankat: Yeah, I remember some of those posts. Jess had just reached page #100 in her forum :-)

Jun-15-13		moronovich: If I one day cann´t find my keys Ill phone you Switch.I am shure you can Google them in a one minuttes time ;)

Jun-15-13		brankat: <moronovich> Switch probably already has a copy of Your keys :-)

Jun-15-13		moronovich: <brankat: <moronovich> Switch probably already has a copy of Your keys :-)> ;) Hmm,Finland-KeyGB--- Vodka,knives,men dissappear in saunas.. hmm--I am outa here.BY.

Jun-15-13		brankat: I'm glad it is a rest day tomorrow. After today's action, and following the games live for the first time in a long while...I need rest :-)

Jun-16-13		brankat: Almost Monday. How time flies :-)

Jun-17-13		brankat: The bets are placed!

Jun-17-13		moronovich: <brankat: Good luck in #4!> Thanks <brankat>, the same to you ! Six rounds to go.And a very interesting round ahead.

Jun-17-13		SwitchingQuylthulg: <brankat> <moronovich> Good luck to both of you! :)

Jun-17-13		moronovich: Same to you <Switch> ! And a triviaquestion if you like: Which famous grandmaster died in Helsinki ?

Jun-17-13		perfidious: <moronovich>: Paul Keres, of course.

Jun-17-13		brankat: <perfidious> Unless You're joking, P.Keres actually died of a massive heart attack on a plane just leaving Vancouver, after winning a tournament here.

Jun-17-13		brankat: <moronovich> Switch is not familiar with Helsinki. He lives in a forest.

Jun-17-13		perfidious: <brankat>: Wish I were, but here is a link, and I remember reading the contemporary account of Keres' death in the New York Times. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_K...

Jun-17-13		brankat: <perfidious> From the Viki article: <..His death occurred while returning to his native Estonia from a tournament in Vancouver, which he had won...> Perhaps You're right. But the "..while returning.." phrase could be interpreted in different ways. I heard that he was hit by a heart attack shortly after a take-off, the plane turned backed and landed again, and that Paul died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital. But, it doesn't really matter now. There has been the Keres Memorial taking place in Vancouver every year (mid-May) ever since 1976.

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