What country has fought so many bloody wars as France? See Opening Traps by akatombo. Thank you CrusadingBishop, Kenilworthian, Zhbugnoimt, Alligator! Do eat prime rib w/au jus.

See Instructional Remedies Vs. French Defense compiled by southpawjinx, 1-0 games. See Opening repertoire key games compiled by chessbuzz. See Action Chess :Purdy's 24 hour opening repertoire compiled by Takqueen. See Starting out : The French compiled by diegoami

* Ideas in the French Defense:
Game Collection: Ideas In The French Defense

* FR ADV: Game Collection: French Defense

* Game Collection: French Defense

* Overloaded! Game Collection: OVERLOADED!

* Famous Chess Photos: https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/585256...

* Starting Out: French Defense: Game Collection: Starting out : The French

* Gambits against the French Defense:
Game Collection: alapin gambit -alapin diemer gambit + reti gam

* Common Checkmate Patterns:
http://gambiter.com/chess/Checkmate...

* Fabulous chess brilliancies:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Best Games of 2018: Game Collection: Best Games of 2018

* Glossary: https://www.peoriachess.com/Glossar...

* Opening Tree: https://www.shredderchess.com/onlin...

* Tic-Tac-Toe is Easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNF...

* A Brief History of Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeB...

* A Brief History of the Game of Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2a...

* Chess for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU6...

* Learn Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adY...

* Learn Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGu...

* Learn ALL the Rules of the Royal Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_...

* Ladder Checkmate with Two Rooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQ...

* Checkmate with King and Rook vs lone King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yf...

* Checkmate with Two Bishops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN7...

* Chess Equipment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLA...

* The Opposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52y...

* King and Pawn vs King (both kings want to be in front of the pawn to affect it's progress): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvB...

* Three Dog Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l52...

* Son of Three Dog Knight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4N...

* Arabian Checkmate Pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejh...

* Basic Checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y-...

* Most Common Opening Mistake (Four Knights, Italian Variation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrp...

* Scotch Game, Four Knights Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcn...

* Steinitz Attack: Game Collection: STEINITZ ATTACK

* Submit a PGN: https://www.chessgames.com/nodejs/u...

* Tactical Mix: Game Collection: mastering Tactical ideas by minev

* The Best of... Game Collection: World Champions' Best Games

* Fischer's Brilliance: https://www.chesspuzzler.com/Histor...

* Fischer Random: https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

* FM Schiller disagrees: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Play whatever you like: Opening Explorer

* Top 4 Traps in the Center Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8f...

* Top 4 Vienna Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb7...

* Top 4 Scholar's Mates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4...

* More Scholar's Mates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUN...

* Top 4 Fishing Pole Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11N...

* Top 4 Excellent Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTS...

* 1.d4 Response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ-...

* Top 3 Versions of the Italian Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CP...

* Top 5 Versions of the Italian Game Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-2...

* Top 4 Aggressive 1.e4 e5 Openings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tm...

* Top 5 Traps after 1.e4 e5 for White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YW...

* 5 Chess traps in Giuoco Piano Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny7...

* Italian Game Variations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xh...

* Garry Kasparov's Checkmate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuP...

* 5 Best Traps for White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5t...

* Max Lange Attack instead of the Fried Liver Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI7...

* Top 5 Traps in the Bishop's Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9l...

* Top 5 King Pawn Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS2...

* King's Gambit critique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrW...

* Top 5 More Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar9...

* Top 5 Famous Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJU...

* Top 5 Fastest Traps to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZ...

* Top 5 Underrated Openings Against the Sicilian Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsh...

* 1.d4 d5 Ryder Gambit, Halosar Trap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZq...

* Top 6 Opening Checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRu...

* Top 7 Aggressive Chess Openings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib8...

* Wing Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODK...

* Mengarini Gambit?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecd...

* MC plays the Mengarini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XH...

* Top 8 Versions of the Scotch Trap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbu...

* Underrated Scotch Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8n...

* Scotch Gambit for White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYP...

* Scotch Gambit Trap for White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC-...

* Learn the Scotch Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nr...

* Scotch, Goring Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0F...

* Haxo Gambit vs Nge7?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgm...

* Haxo Gambit hammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3om...

* Top 10 Fastest Checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctP...

* Find Mate-in-One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOa...

* 10 Well-Known Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf8...

* 10 Most Deadly Opening Traps to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyE...

* 10 Ruy Lopez Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztm...

* Common Mistakes in the Ruy Lopez Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96...

* You are going to lose a lot of chess games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W4...

* Don't Hang Your Piece! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hz...

* DGT North American Chess Clock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkh...

* Electronic chessboard isn't necessary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOn...

* Elements of Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2C...

* Easy to Learn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--D...

* No such thing as "Best Opening": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agU...

* Endgame Fundamentals: King & Pawn vs King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLy...

* Types of Opposition of the Kings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3o...

* Pillsbury's Greek Gift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNC...

* Punish Opening Errors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkL...

* A Thought Process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZ...

* A Practical Thought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ-...

* Quick Smothered Mate in the Budapest Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpe...

* Tips for Knights & More: http://www.chesssets.co.uk/blog/tip...

* Beautiful Knight Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_3...

* Knight's Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab_...

* Knight vs Pawn Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4f...

* Trompowsky Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrK...

* Trompowsky vs Naroditsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILY...

* Top 10 Tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpl...

* Rajnish Das Tips: https://enthu.com/blog/chess/chess-...

* Removing the Defender: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Y...

* Decoy onto the square for ambush there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI...

* All 54 Tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY8...

* Alapin Sicilian for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY-...

* Alapin Sicilian Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezy...

* Alapin Sicilian Never Disappoints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzd...

* Chess Rules: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk1...

* Chess Clock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a10...

* Crazy Ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM_...

* Cultural History of Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWN...

* First Chess Game Ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC4...

* Nelson explains his thought process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KN...

* How the Chess Clock Works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgg...

* How to Handle Losing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrg...

* His First OTB Chess Tournament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUi...

* How Not to Blunder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Y...

* A Thought Process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZ...

* Analysis Made Easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y4...

* Attack the Fianchetto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF6...

* Destroy g6, Bg7 Modern Robatsch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_...

* The Modern Defense: Wikipedia article: Modern Defense

* Attack w/the London System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmq...

* London System vs KID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU2...

* Rosen's London System vs KID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W2...

* Anti-London System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUB...

* Beat the London System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U-...

* Crush the London System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qg...

* London System Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTu...

* Beginner Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR-...

* Don't Blunder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jO...

* Blunder Less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYy...

* Nimzo-Larsen Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwC...

* 1.b3: Game Collection: Nimzo Larsen attack (1. b3!) - Opening Ideas

* Black against 1.b3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpw...

* Owen's Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkf...

* Owen's Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF7...

* Queen's Fianchetto for White and Black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O24...

* IM Lawrence Trent (not speaking) advocates 1...b6 against ALL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlW...

* More ...b6 against ALL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKn...

* Naselwaus Gambit vs Owen's Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBv...

* Botvinnik System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmi...

* Basics of the Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8a...

* Brief Caro-Kann Defense Variations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-...

* Black stops losing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgX...

* Use the Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtP...

* Three Caro-Kann Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNp...

* The Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3H...

* Beat the Caro-Kann Quickly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhj...

* Crush the Caro-Kann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXv...

* The Caro-Kann, Advance Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npq...

* Gokerkan vs Niemann 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gw...

* Classical Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA1...

* Main Ideas of the Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pN...

* Magnus plays the Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDa...

* Karpov's Caro-Kann Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa4...

* ...c6 against all by Hansen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCZ...

* ...c6 speedrun by Hansen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDU...

* Instructive Caro-Kann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLp...

* Dangerous Caro-Kann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI_...

* C-K Advance, Botvinnik-Carls Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWb...

* Caro-Kann, Fantasy Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4e...

* Caro-Kann, Korchnoi Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF3...

* Complete Caro-Kann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZ...

* Chessbase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZl...

* Chessbase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS_...

* Chess Evolution: Game Collection: # Chess Evolution Volumes 1-50

* Faster Learning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClS...

* Flashcards Fix Your Failures by reminding you of the right way to go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvH...

* Flashcard Converter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B4...

* Flashcard Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isy...

* Free Tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-n...

* French Defense, Rubinstein Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jR...

* Five Gambits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48W...

* King's Gambit, Queen's Gambit in Style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-w...

* Halloween Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XK...

* Icelandic Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gj...

* Improvement is COMMITTMENT, DEDICATION, DESIRE, and PERSEVERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCB...

* Improvement Book Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up... This book appears to be for advanced players who already know the material listed above.

* Solve Puzzles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWz...

* How to Solve (Don't immediately look for your next move -- survey the board instead!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUr...

* Save the Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGz...

* Magnus sees a way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkq...

* Amazing Stafford Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uh...

* Killer Stafford Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUL...

* Stafford Gambit Tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q2...

* Stafford Gambit lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFb...

* Best Stafford Gambit Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIe...

* Improved Stafford Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_p...

* The Bob Ross of Chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag0...

* The Pride of the Yankees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPy...

* The detailed history of chess: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...

* Englund Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSh...

* Crush the Englund Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABg...

* Crush the Englund Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5q...

* Englund Gambit Queen Sacrifice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcM...

* Englund Gambit Famous? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXX...

* Englund Gambit Stockholm Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx2...

* Oh no, my knight! Trap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oks...

* One Year 0-1700: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYC...

* Find the Best Move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmF...

* Three Most Common: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6x...

* d4 Disclaimer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z...

* Fundamentals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSv...

* Alireza Firouzja Attacks with the Jobava London System! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wG...

* Facing ...Bf5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6p...

* Learn Danya's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLb...

* Magnus sends g4 early: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNE...

* Hansen has a go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTG...

* Roswell, GA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgE...

* Sidelines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-T...

* Slav Lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3s...

* 3...a6 Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFS...

* 3...g6 Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3S...

* Naroditsky's Lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN8...

* New JLo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnG...

* Rapport System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBj...

* Nutty Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAF...

* No such thing as Free ELO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMt...

* Rapport Speedrun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGb...

* Run to 2000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBn...

* Romanian Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8p...

* Benoni Indian ...c5, ...Qb6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2P...

* KID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKy...

* KID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4O...

* Na6 Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhF...

* Middlegame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=261...

* Jim's Middlegame Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vC...

* What happens if...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnS...

* Queen Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxG...

* Hubner vs Kasparov 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwR...

* Karpov's Immortal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUd...

* Queen's Gambit Complete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfO...

* Queen's Gambit Fast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEm...

* Queen's Gambit According to BoJanglles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXM...

* Top 5 Queen's Gambit Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqI...

* Queen's Gambit Accepted Tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx2...

* Magnus opens classically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbs...

* Kostya's QGD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie_...

* Queen's Gambit Concepts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYB...

* Queen's Gambit Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAt...

* QGD, Slav D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HT...

* The Slav D in 10 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs5...

* Slav Main Line dxc4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnH...

* 4...Bf5? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDY...

* 4...a6 Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcp...

* Beginner Mistakes in the Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTL...

* Cheery Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq-...

* Chessbase Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suk...

* Chameleon Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rW...

* ...a6 Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsD...

* Beat the Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeY...

* MC plays the Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAT...

* Defeat the Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQX...

* Lifetime Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGD...

* Unbreakable Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBN...

* Ben's QGD lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOW...

* Fundamentals of the Semi-Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFc...

* Kevin's Semi-Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ll...

* Kostya's Semi-Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgy...

* MC plays the Semi-Slav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqT...

* Semi-Slav Pathways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB7...

* Semi-Slav, Meran Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykn...

* Last Play of Every Super Bowl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9J...

* Learn the Stonewall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_b...

* Pillsbury's Stonewall Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR5...

* The Stonewall Sucks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwv...

* Stonewall Alteration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzI...

* Against the Stonewall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33M...

* Black Stonewall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeW...

* Simon's Classical Dutch w/d6, not d5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt8...

* 2.Bg5 Hopton Attack vs the Dutch Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dr...

* Another 2.Bg5 destroys the Dutch Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvo...

* Crush 2.Bg5 with the Dutch Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeK...

* Prep for a Tournament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpv...

* Never Do This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b1...

* Unnecessary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz0...

* IM Rosen Stalemate Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB_...

* How to Sicilian Taimanov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiv...

* MC goes nuclear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLo...

* Regrettable Pawn Moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI0...

* Shortcuts: Game Collection: 21+ Too Fast French Kisses

* She's right, but there are plenty of others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw5...

* Space Advantages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLL...

* Time Controls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljp...

* Tricks to Turn It Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxV...

* Trading Pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wg...

* Trade Queens? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIG...

* Evaluate Exchanges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNG...

* When to Exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D2...

* What is YOUR study plan? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Y...

* Wild Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlk...

* The Opposition and Outflanking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X1...

* King and Pawn vs King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z52...

* Knight and Pawn Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHW...

* Queen vs Knight Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex1...

* Principles of Rook and Pawn Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXl...

* Unusual Openings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJQ...

* A trap in Grob's Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P50...

* Pulverize Grob's Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTs...

* Tricks in Grob's Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESt...

* The Grob is TERRIBLE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wB...

* Basman's / Borg's Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThK...

* Mike explains Borg's Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Res...

* Last Play of the World Series 1943-1973: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzt...

* Last Play of Every Modern World Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkD...

* Tricks to Trap the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmU...

* Tricks to Win a Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfS...

* Queen Traps in the Scandinavian D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syr...

* Trap the Queen in the Tennison Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZt...

* Top 10 Traps of the Queens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZh...

* White, Black Trap the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olz...

* Win the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ8...

* More Tricks to Trap the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0...

* Qxb2 Poisoned Pawn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74h...

* Levy shows us more traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fot...

* Richard Reti Does It Again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9z...

Better be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one. ~ Scottish Proverb

* Weird is what you're not used to: https://chessentials.com/weird-ches...

limerick, entitled ‘The Solver's Plight' was by ‘A.J.F.' A.J. Fink and was published on page 22 of Chess Potpourri by Alfred C. Klahre (Middletown, 1931):

There was a man from Vancouver
Who tried to solve a two-mover;
But the boob, he said, ‘"Gee",
I can't find the "Kee",
No matter HOW I manouvre.'

Proverbs 14:29-35

29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered * exalts folly.

30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.

31 He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32 The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing, But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35 The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

64All Zajogin cldnt login but sumhou managd tosign outr space, force, time, android K safety b4 Zamikhovsky started the clock o' time: https://24timezones.com/#/map

Chess Squares Riddle
Question: How many squares are in a chessboard?

"Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

"It ain't over 'til it's over, no matter how over it looks." ― Yogi Berra

Riddle Answer: 204 squares: 64 one-by-one squares, 49 two-by-two, 36 three-by-three, 25 four-by-four, 16 five-by-five, 9 six-by-six, 4 seven-by-seven, and 1 eight-by-eight

Ravenna
by Oscar Wilde

To my friend George Fleming author of 'The Nile Novel' and 'Mirage')

I.

A year ago I breathed the Italian air, -
And yet, methinks this northern Spring is fair,- These fields made golden with the flower of March, The throstle singing on the feathered larch,
The cawing rooks, the wood-doves fluttering by,
The little clouds that race across the sky;
And fair the violet's gentle drooping head,
The primrose, pale for love uncomforted,
The rose that burgeons on the climbing briar,
The crocus-bed, (that seems a moon of fire
Round-girdled with a purple marriage-ring);
And all the flowers of our English Spring,
Fond snowdrops, and the bright-starred daffodil.

Up starts the lark beside the murmuring mill,
And breaks the gossamer-threads of early dew;
And down the river, like a flame of blue,
Keen as an arrow flies the water-king,
While the brown linnets in the greenwood sing.

A year ago! - it seems a little time
Since last I saw that lordly southern clime,
Where flower and fruit to purple radiance blow,
And like bright lamps the fabled apples glow.

Full Spring it was - and by rich flowering vines, Dark olive-groves and noble forest-pines,
I rode at will; the moist glad air was sweet,
The white road rang beneath my horse's feet,
And musing on Ravenna's ancient name,
I watched the day till, marked with wounds of flame, The turquoise sky to burnished gold was turned.

O how my heart with boyish passion burned,
When far away across the sedge and mere
I saw that Holy City rising clear,
Crowned with her crown of towers! - On and on
I galloped, racing with the setting sun,
And ere the crimson after-glow was passed,
I stood within Ravenna's walls at last!

II.

How strangely still! no sound of life or joy
Startles the air; no laughing shepherd-boy
Pipes on his reed, nor ever through the day
Comes the glad sound of children at their play:
O sad, and sweet, and silent! surely here
A man might dwell apart from troublous fear,
Watching the tide of seasons as they flow
From amorous Spring to Winter's rain and snow,
And have no thought of sorrow; - here, indeed,
Are Lethe's waters, and that fatal weed
Which makes a man forget his fatherland.

Ay! amid lotus-meadows dost thou stand,
Like Proserpine, with poppy-laden head,
Guarding the holy ashes of the dead.

For though thy brood of warrior sons hath ceased, Thy noble dead are with thee! - they at least
Are faithful to thine honour:- guard them well,
O childless city! for a mighty spell,
To wake men's hearts to dreams of things sublime, Are the lone tombs where rest the Great of Time.

III.

Yon lonely pillar, rising on the plain,
Marks where the bravest knight of France was slain, - The Prince of chivalry, the Lord of war,
Gaston de Foix: for some untimely star
Led him against thy city, and he fell,
As falls some forest-lion fighting well.

Taken from life while life and love were new,
He lies beneath God's seamless veil of blue;
Tall lance-like reeds wave sadly o'er his head,
And oleanders bloom to deeper red,
Where his bright youth flowed crimson on the ground.

Look farther north unto that broken mound, -
There, prisoned now within a lordly tomb
Raised by a daughter's hand, in lonely gloom,
Huge-limbed Theodoric, the Gothic king,
Sleeps after all his weary conquering.

Time hath not spared his ruin, - wind and rain
Have broken down his stronghold; and again
We see that Death is mighty lord of all,
And king and clown to ashen dust must fall

Mighty indeed THEIR glory! yet to me
Barbaric king, or knight of chivalry,
Or the great queen herself, were poor and vain,
Beside the grave where Dante rests from pain.

His gilded shrine lies open to the air;
And cunning sculptor's hands have carven there
The calm white brow, as calm as earliest morn,
The eyes that flashed with passionate love and scorn, The lips that sang of Heaven and of Hell,
The almond-face which Giotto drew so well,
The weary face of Dante; - to this day,
Here in his place of resting, far away
From Arno's yellow waters, rushing down
Through the wide bridges of that fairy town,
Where the tall tower of Giotto seems to rise
A marble lily under sapphire skies!

Alas! my Dante! thou hast known the pain
Of meaner lives, - the exile's galling chain,
How steep the stairs within kings' houses are,
And all the petty miseries which mar
Man's nobler nature with the sense of wrong.

Yet this dull world is grateful for thy song;
Our nations do thee homage, - even she,
That cruel queen of vine-clad Tuscany,
Who bound with crown of thorns thy living brow,
Hath decked thine empty tomb with laurels now,
And begs in vain the ashes of her son.

O mightiest exile! all thy grief is done:
Thy soul walks now beside thy Beatrice;
Ravenna guards thine ashes: sleep in peace.

IV.

How lone this palace is; how grey the walls!
No minstrel now wakes echoes in these halls.

The broken chain lies rusting on the door,
And noisome weeds have split the marble floor:
Here lurks the snake, and here the lizards run
By the stone lions blinking in the sun.

Byron dwelt here in love and revelry
For two long years - a second Anthony,
Who of the world another Actium made!
Yet suffered not his royal soul to fade,
Or lyre to break, or lance to grow less keen,
'Neath any wiles of an Egyptian queen.

For from the East there came a mighty cry,
And Greece stood up to fight for Liberty,
And called him from Ravenna: never knight
Rode forth more nobly to wild scenes of fight!
None fell more bravely on ensanguined field,
Borne like a Spartan back upon his shield!
O Hellas! Hellas! in thine hour of pride,
Thy day of might, remember him who died
To wrest from off thy limbs the trammelling chain: O Salamis! O lone Plataean plain!
O tossing waves of wild Euboean sea!
O wind-swept heights of lone Thermopylae!
He loved you well - ay, not alone in word,
Who freely gave to thee his lyre and sword,
Like AEschylos at well-fought Marathon:

And England, too, shall glory in her son,
Her warrior-poet, first in song and fight.

No longer now shall Slander's venomed spite
Crawl like a snake across his perfect name,
Or mar the lordly scutcheon of his fame.

For as the olive-garland of the race,
Which lights with joy each eager runner's face,
As the red cross which saveth men in war,
As a flame-bearded beacon seen from far
By mariners upon a storm-tossed sea, -
Such was his love for Greece and Liberty!

Byron, thy crowns are ever fresh and green:
Red leaves of rose from Sapphic Mitylene
Shall bind thy brows; the myrtle blooms for thee, In hidden glades by lonely Castaly;
The laurels wait thy coming: all are thine,
And round thy head one perfect wreath will twine.

V.

The pine-tops rocked before the evening breeze
With the hoarse murmur of the wintry seas,
And the tall stems were streaked with amber bright; - I wandered through the wood in wild delight,
Some startled bird, with fluttering wings and fleet, Made snow of all the blossoms; at my feet,
Like silver crowns, the pale narcissi lay,
And small birds sang on every twining spray.

O waving trees, O forest liberty!
Within your haunts at least a man is free,
And half forgets the weary world of strife:
The blood flows hotter, and a sense of life
Wakes i' the quickening veins, while once again
The woods are filled with gods we fancied slain.

Long time I watched, and surely hoped to see
Some goat-foot Pan make merry minstrelsy
Amid the reeds! some startled Dryad-maid
In girlish flight! or lurking in the glade,
The soft brown limbs, the wanton treacherous face Of woodland god! Queen Dian in the chase,
White-limbed and terrible, with look of pride,
And leash of boar-hounds leaping at her side!
Or Hylas mirrored in the perfect stream.

O idle heart! O fond Hellenic dream!
Ere long, with melancholy rise and swell,
The evening chimes, the convent's vesper bell,
Struck on mine ears amid the amorous flowers.

Alas! alas! these sweet and honied hours
Had whelmed my heart like some encroaching sea,
And drowned all thoughts of black Gethsemane.

VI.

O lone Ravenna! many a tale is told
Of thy great glories in the days of old:
Two thousand years have passed since thou didst see Caesar ride forth to royal victory.

Mighty thy name when Rome's lean eagles flew
From Britain's isles to far Euphrates blue;
And of the peoples thou wast noble queen,
Till in thy streets the Goth and Hun were seen.

Discrowned by man, deserted by the sea,
Thou sleepest, rocked in lonely misery!
No longer now upon thy swelling tide,
Pine-forest-like, thy myriad galleys ride!
For where the brass-beaked ships were wont to float, The weary shepherd pipes his mournful note;
And the white sheep are free to come and go
Where Adria's purple waters used to flow.

O fair! O sad! O Queen uncomforted!
In ruined loveliness thou liest dead,
Alone of all thy sisters; for at last
Italia's royal warrior hath passed
Rome's lordliest entrance, and hath worn his crown In the high temples of the Eternal Town!
The Palatine hath welcomed back her king,
And with his name the seven mountains ring!

And Naples hath outlived her dream of pain,
And mocks her tyrant! Venice lives again,
New risen from the waters! and the cry
Of Light and Truth, of Love and Liberty,
Is heard in lordly Genoa, and where
The marble spires of Milan wound the air,
Rings from the Alps to the Sicilian shore,
And Dante's dream is now a dream no more.

But thou, Ravenna, better loved than all,
Thy ruined palaces are but a pall
That hides thy fallen greatness! and thy name
Burns like a grey and flickering candle-flame
Beneath the noonday splendour of the sun
Of new Italia! for the night is done,
The night of dark oppression, and the day
Hath dawned in passionate splendour: far away
The Austrian hounds are hunted from the land,
Beyond those ice-crowned citadels which stand
Girdling the plain of royal Lombardy,
From the far West unto the Eastern sea.

I know, indeed, that sons of thine have died
In Lissa's waters, by the mountain-side
Of Aspromonte, on Novara's plain, -
Nor have thy children died for thee in vain:
And yet, methinks, thou hast not drunk this wine From grapes new-crushed of Liberty divine,
Thou hast not followed that immortal Star
Which leads the people forth to deeds of war.

Weary of life, thou liest in silent sleep,
As one who marks the lengthening shadows creep,
Careless of all the hurrying hours that run,
Mourning some day of glory, for the sun
Of Freedom hath not shewn to thee his face,
And thou hast caught no flambeau in the race.

Yet wake not from thy slumbers, - rest thee well, Amidst thy fields of amber asphodel,
Thy lily-sprinkled meadows, - rest thee there,
To mock all human greatness: who would dare
To vent the paltry sorrows of his life
Before thy ruins, or to praise the strife
Of kings' ambition, and the barren pride
Of warring nations! wert not thou the Bride
Of the wild Lord of Adria's stormy sea!
The Queen of double Empires! and to thee
Were not the nations given as thy prey!
And now - thy gates lie open night and day,
The grass grows green on every tower and hall,
The ghastly fig hath cleft thy bastioned wall;
And where thy mailed warriors stood at rest
The midnight owl hath made her secret nest.

O fallen! fallen! from thy high estate,
O city trammelled in the toils of Fate,
Doth nought remain of all thy glorious days,
But a dull shield, a crown of withered bays!

Yet who beneath this night of wars and fears,
From tranquil tower can watch the coming years;
Who can foretell what joys the day shall bring,
Or why before the dawn the linnets sing?
Thou, even thou, mayst wake, as wakes the rose
To crimson splendour from its grave of snows;
As the rich corn-fields rise to red and gold
From these brown lands, now stiff with Winter's cold; As from the storm-rack comes a perfect star!

O much-loved city! I have wandered far
From the wave-circled islands of my home;
Have seen the gloomy mystery of the Dome
Rise slowly from the drear Campagna's way,
Clothed in the royal purple of the day:
I from the city of the violet crown
Have watched the sun by Corinth's hill go down,
And marked the 'myriad laughter' of the sea
From starlit hills of flower-starred Arcady;
Yet back to thee returns my perfect love,
As to its forest-nest the evening dove.

O poet's city! one who scarce has seen
Some twenty summers cast their doublets green
For Autumn's livery, would seek in vain
To wake his lyre to sing a louder strain,
Or tell thy days of glory; - poor indeed
Is the low murmur of the shepherd's reed,
Where the loud clarion's blast should shake the sky, And flame across the heavens! and to try
Such lofty themes were folly: yet I know
That never felt my heart a nobler glow
Than when I woke the silence of thy street
With clamorous trampling of my horse's feet,
And saw the city which now I try to sing,
After long days of weary travelling.

VII.

Adieu, Ravenna! but a year ago,
I stood and watched the crimson sunset glow
From the lone chapel on thy marshy plain:
The sky was as a shield that caught the stain
Of blood and battle from the dying sun,
And in the west the circling clouds had spun
A royal robe, which some great God might wear,
While into ocean-seas of purple air
Sank the gold galley of the Lord of Light.

Yet here the gentle stillness of the night
Brings back the swelling tide of memory,
And wakes again my passionate love for thee:
Now is the Spring of Love, yet soon will come
On meadow and tree the Summer's lordly bloom;
And soon the grass with brighter flowers will blow, And send up lilies for some boy to mow.

Then before long the Summer's conqueror,
Rich Autumn-time, the season's usurer,
Will lend his hoarded gold to all the trees,
And see it scattered by the spendthrift breeze;
And after that the Winter cold and drear.

So runs the perfect cycle of the year.

And so from youth to manhood do we go,
And fall to weary days and locks of snow.

Love only knows no winter; never dies:
Nor cares for frowning storms or leaden skies
And mine for thee shall never pass away,
Though my weak lips may falter in my lay.

Adieu! Adieu! yon silent evening star,
The night's ambassador, doth gleam afar,
And bid the shepherd bring his flocks to fold.

Perchance before our inland seas of gold
Are garnered by the reapers into sheaves,
Perchance before I see the Autumn leaves,
I may behold thy city; and lay down
Low at thy feet the poet's laurel crown.

Adieu! Adieu! yon silver lamp, the moon,
Which turns our midnight into perfect noon,
Doth surely light thy towers, guarding well
Where Dante sleeps, where Byron loved to dwell.

"No one has ever won a game of chess by taking only forward moves (What about Scholar's Mate?). Sometimes you have to move backwards in order to be able to take better steps forward. That is life." — Anonymous

Drive sober or get pulled over.

"For surely of all the drugs in the world, chess must be the most permanently pleasurable." — Assiac

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." ― Thomas Jefferson, chess player

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ― Mahatma Gandhi

According to Chessmetrics, Lasker was #1 for longer than anyone else in history: 292 different months between June 1890 and December 1926. That's a timespan of 36 1/2 years, in which Lasker was #1 for a total of 24 years and 4 months. Lasker was 55 years old when he won New York 1924.

"The great thing about chess is it's a game for oneself. You don't work on what you can't control, you just work on yourself. And I think if more people did that, we'd all be a lot better off." — Daniel Naroditsky

* https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/oth...

Phone scammers are getting smarter with their tactics like AI voice scams. And if you're not careful, they could make big bucks off of you, the unsuspecting caller. Aside from hanging up if you hear this four-word phrase, there's something else you can do to avoid becoming a victim and to keep up with your smartphone security and privacy.

Certain area codes can warn potential targets that the call isn't safe, according to Joseph Steinberg, CEO of SecureMySocial. Although scam callers once used a 900 number, they've changed their methods as the general public became aware of their tactic. Now, many scam phone numbers have different area codes, including 809, which originates in the Caribbean.

Another area code to look out for may look like it's coming from the United States, but isn't. "Criminals have been known to use caller IDs with the area code 473, which appears to be domestic, but is actually the area code for the island of Grenada," Steinberg says. Watch out for these phone call scams that could steal your money, too.

By the way, those calls add up fast. You could be charged for taking a call from any of these foreign countries, according to AARP. Plus, scammers can swindle you out of your money through phony vacation scams and fake stories about danger or money problems. iPhone scams and Uber scams are also on the rise, making Apple fans and Uber users alike more wary. Make sure you know how to avoid Uber scams and how to stop spam texts on your phone.

To play it extra safe, Steinberg recommends never answering or returning a call from a number you don't recognize. If you actually know the person, they can always leave a voicemail. "Remember that it's unlikely that someone you do not know—who is in distress at a location with which you are not familiar—would dial a random number in another country and ask you to help them," he says. "They would call the police."

It can't hurt to be wary of possible scam phone numbers with the following international area codes. And watch out for these Facebook Marketplace scams before you go shopping.

Scam phone numbers: International Area Codes with a +1 Country Code

232—Sierra Leone

242 — Bahamas

246 — Barbados

268 — Antigua

284 — British Virgin Islands

345 — Cayman Islands

441 — Bermuda

473 — Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique

649 — Turks and Caicos

664 — Montserrat

721 — Sint Maarten

758 — St. Lucia

767 — Dominica

784 — St. Vincent and Grenadines

809, 829, and 849 — The Dominican Republic

868 — Trinidad and Tobago

869 — St. Kitts and Nevis

876 — Jamaica

It's important to note that scammers can create scam phone numbers by spoofing numbers from many area codes, not just the ones listed above. Remember, a good rule of thumb is if you don't recognize the phone number, don't pick up your phone and let it go to voicemail. This can help you avoid falling for common phone scams, such as those pesky car extended warranty calls.

By the way—if you are charged for picking up a scam call, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends contacting your phone company to try and take care of the matter. You can also file a complaint about the scam call with the FCC.

Next, read about these online scams you need to be aware of and how to avoid them. Also, read up on what doxxing is and how it sets you up to be hacked.

Question: What's the brightest star in the sky? Answer: Sirius – also known as the Dog Star or Sirius A, Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky. The star is outshone only by several planets and the International Space Station.

Question: What's the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard? Answer: Graveyards are attached to churches while cemeteries are stand-alone.

Patty Loveless "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

French Proverb: "Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard." ― (Nothing should be left to chance.)

"There are more adventures on a chessboard than on all the seas of the world." ― Pierre Mac Orlan

"You can only get good at chess if you love the game." ― Bobby Fischer

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight." — The Revenant

ECO Codes - French Defence
* C00 - 1.e4 e6 without 2.d4 (early deviations)
* C01 - 2.d4 d5 (includes the Exchange Variation, 3.exd5)

* C02 - 3.e5 (Advance Variation)
* C03 - 3.Nd2 (includes 3...Be7; C03-C09 cover the Tarrasch Variation)

* C04 - 3.Nd2 Nc6 (Guimard Variation)
* C05 - 3.Nd2 Nf6
* C06 - 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3
* C07 - 3.Nd2 c5 (includes 4.exd5 Qxd5)
* C08 - 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5
* C09 - 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6
* C10 - 3.Nc3 (includes the Rubinstein Variation, 3...dxe4)

* C11 - 3.Nc3 Nf6 (includes the Steinitz Variation, 4.e5; C11-C14 cover the Classical Variation) * C12 - 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 (includes the MacCutcheon Variation, 4...Bb4) * C13 - 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 (Burn Variation)
* C14 - 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7
* C15 - 3.Nc3 Bb4 (C15-C19 cover the Winawer Variation)

* C16 - 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5
* C17 - 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5
* C18 - 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 (includes the Armenian Variation, 5...Ba5)

* C19 - 3.Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Nf3 and 7.a4

The Man And His Image
To M. The Duke De La Rochefoucauld.

A man, who had no rivals in the love
Which to himself he bore,
Esteemed his own dear beauty far above
What earth had seen before.
More than contented in his error,
He lived the foe of every mirror.
Officious fate, resolved our lover
From such an illness should recover,
Presented always to his eyes
The mute advisers which the ladies prize; –
Mirrors in parlours, inns, and shops, –
Mirrors the pocket furniture of fops, –
Mirrors on every lady's zone,13
From which his face reflected shone.
What could our dear Narcissus do?
From haunts of men he now withdrew,
On purpose that his precious shape
From every mirror might escape.
But in his forest glen alone,
Apart from human trace,
A watercourse,
Of purest source,
While with unconscious gaze
He pierced its waveless face,
Reflected back his own.
Incensed with mingled rage and fright,
He seeks to shun the odious sight;
But yet that mirror sheet, so clear and still,
He cannot leave, do what he will.

Before this, my story's drift you plainly see.
From such mistake there is no mortal free.
That obstinate self-lover
The human soul does cover;
The mirrors follies are of others,
In which, as all are genuine brothers,
Each soul may see to life depicted
Itself with just such faults afflicted;
And by that charming placid brook,
Needless to say, I mean your Maxim Book.

This is one of La Fontaine's most admired fables, and is one of the few for which he did not go for the groundwork to some older fabulist. The Duke de la Rochefoucauld, to whom it was dedicated, was the author of the famous "Reflexions et Maximes Morales," which La Fontaine praises in the last lines of his fable. La Rochefoucauld was La Fontaine's friend and patron. The "Maximes" had achieved a second edition just prior to La Fontaine's publication of this first series of his Fables, in 1668. "The Rabbits" (Book 10, Fable 15.), published in the second collection, in 1678-9, is also dedicated to the Duke, who died the following year, 1680.

Question: What is the oldest authenticated age ever for a human? Answer: 122

Question: Which two cities represent letters in the phonetic alphabet? Answer: Lima and Quebec

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." ― Nora Ephr

"The Seven Social Sins are:

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.

From a sermon given by Frederick Lewis Donaldson in Westminster Abbey, London, on March 20, 1925." ― Frederick Lewis Donaldson

* Crafty Endgame Trainer: https://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-...

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, "Don Quixote"

Old Russian Proverb: "Measure seven times, cut once. (Семь раз отмерь — один отрежь.)" Be careful before you do something that cannot be changed.

"I'm 58 years old and I just went through 8 back surgeries. They started cutting on me in February 2009, and I was basically bed ridden for almost two years. I got a real dose of reality that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything." — Hulk Hogan

InkHarted wrote:

Checkmate.
I started off as an equal
I have everything that they do
my life was one and the same as my foe
childish battles of lesser
I won baring cost of a little
but as time outgrew my conscience
I found that the pieces were moving against me
with time my company reduced
they left one by one
all in time forgetting me
my castles collapsed
my religion dissuaded
my protectors in hiding
I could not run anymore
I have been cornered to a wall
as the queen left silently
without saying goodbye
I could not live any longer
she was most precious to me
I could not win without her by my side
so the king knelt down and died.

"Everyone should know how to play chess." — José Raúl Capablanca

"We do not remember days, we remember moments." ― Cesare Pavese

"Friend, you don't have to earn God's love or try harder. You're precious in His sight, covered by the priceless blood of Jesus, and indwelt by His Holy Spirit. Don't hide your heart or fear you're not good enough for Him to care for you. Accept His love, obey Him, and allow Him to keep you in His wonderful freedom." — Charles F. Stanley

'Don't shut the stable door after the horse has bolted'

'Don't throw good money after bad'

'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'

"One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today." ― Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." ― Denis Waitley

Psalm 31:24
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

"The wind cannot defeat a tree with strong roots." — The Revenant

"May the sun bring you energy by day,

May the moon softly restore you by night,

May the rain wash away your worries,

May the breeze blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world

and know its beauty all the days of your life."

Apache Blessing

"I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive." — Goyahkla a.k.a. Geronimo (1829-1909), a POW for 23 years