Russian school boys used to know and play this "old chess" in the spirit of Chigorin (who is found in FTB's "C" collection). Now they just use a database to learn a line or two for Black that equalizes. If nothing else, the king of gambits makes for lush blitz games.

Thank you Exodus, unavenisluncem.

Full Disclosure From Fredthebear: This collection has nothing to do with the KGB, but it's full of Russians (and spies) playing the KGA & KGD. Any such game is included if either player is/was from the USSR, or the game was played there...as the outcome could have been influenced by fear of the KGB!

Has anybody seen Kasparov or Fulham?

* If you're a king pawn player, you might want this book: Game Collection: Chess in the USSR 1945 - 72, Part 1 (Leach)

(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)

The KGB Plays Chess is a unique book. For the first time it opens to us some of the most secret pages of the history of chess. The battles about which you will read in this book are not between chess masters sitting at the chess board, but between the powerful Soviet secret police, known as the KGB, on the one hand, and several brave individuals, on the other.

Their names are famous in the chess world: Viktor Kortschnoi, Boris Spasski, Boris Gulko and Garry Kasparov became subjects of constant pressure, blackmail and persecution in the USSR. Their victories at the chess board were achieved despite this victimization. Unlike in other books, this story has two perspectives. The victim and the persecutor, the hunted and the hunter, all describe in their own words the very same events. One side is represented by the famous Russian chess players Viktor Kortschnoi and Boris Gulko. Zatonskih

For many years they fought against a powerful system, and at the end they were triumphant. The Soviet Union collapsed and they got what they were fighting for: their freedom.

Former KGB Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Popov, who left Russia in 1996 and now lives in Canada, was one of those who had worked all his life for the KGB and was responsible for the sport sector of the USSR. It is only now for the first time that he has decided to tell the reader his story of the KGB's involvement in Soviet Sports. This is his first book, and it is not only full of sensations, but it also dares to name names of secret KGB agents previously known only as famous chess masters, sportsmen or sport officials. Just a few short years ago a book like this would have been unimaginable. Read this book. It is not only about chess. It is about glorious victory of the great chess masters over the forces of darkness.

The book and this collection have next to nothing in common.

* Wall's Minis: http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/c...

* A1912: Game Collection: Abbazia 1912

* Bit Collection: Game Collection: Special Gambit Collection

Newer games beyond 1990 have their own collection.

St. Augustine

"Chess first of all teaches you to be objective." Source: "The Soviet School of Chess" Book by Alexander Kotov, p. 42, 2001.

"Life is like a chess game. If you play the right move, at the right time you'll win the game." ― Sruti

"I prefer to lose a really good game than to win a bad one." ― David Levy

"Chess is a very logical game and it is the man who can reason most logically and profoundly in it that ought to win." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Those who think that it's easy to play chess are mistaken. During a game, a player lives on his nerves, and at the same time he must be perfectly composed" ― Victor Kortchnoi

"Boxing is like a chess. You encourage your opponent to make mistakes so you can capitalize on it. People think you get in the ring and see the red mist, but it is not about aggression. Avoiding knockout is tactical." ― Nicola Adams

"In my opinion, the King's Gambit is busted. It loses by force." ― Bobby Fischer, A bust to the King's Gambit (1960)

"Touch the pawns before your king with only infinite delicacy." ― Anthony Santasiere

"A wood-pusher overlooks the ranks." ― Old Russian saying

"You can retreat pieces… but not pawns. So always think twice about pawn moves." ― Michael Stean

"The passed pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient." ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"Pawn endings are to chess what putting is to golf." ― Cecil Purdy

"In the ending the king is a powerful piece for assisting his own pawns, or stopping the adverse pawns." ― Wilhelm Steinitz

"The eighth square at last! Oh how glad I am to get here. And what is this on my head?" ― Alice (in Through The Looking Glass – Lewis Carroll)

"When you see a good move – WAIT! – look for a better one." ― Emanuel Lasker The Portuguese chess player and author Pedro Damiano (1480–1544) first wrote this in his book "Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti" published in Rome, Italy, in 1512.

"Capablanca didn't make separate moves - he was creating a chess picture. Nobody could compare with him in this." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Whether this advantage is theoretically sufficient to win or not does not worry Capablanca. He simply wins the ending. That is why he is Capablanca!" ― Max Euwe

"He (Capablanca) makes the game look easy. Art lies in the concealment of art." ― Philip W. Sergeant

"It's entirely possible that Capa could not imagine that there could be a better move than one he thought was good and he was usually right." ― Mike Franett

"What others could not see in a month's study, he (Capablanca) saw at a glance." ― Reuben Fine

"Capablanca invariably chose the right option, no matter how intricate the position." ― Garry Kasparov.

"He (Capablanca) had the totally undeserved reputation of being the greatest living endgame player. His trick was to keep his openings simple and then play with such brilliance that it was decided in the middle game before reaching the ending - even though his opponent didn't always know it. His almost complete lack of book knowledge forced him to push harder to squeeze the utmost out of every position." ― Bobby Fischer

"A woman can beat any man; it's difficult to imagine another kind of sport where a woman can beat a man. That's why I like chess." ― Alexandra Kosteniuk

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." ― Winston Churchill, Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." ― Edward Everett Hale

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." Henry David Thoreau

Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

"As they prepared themselves to go ashore no one doubted in theory that at least a certain percentage of them would remain on the island dead, once they set foot on it. But no one expected to be one of these. Still it was an awesome thought and as the first contingents came struggling up on deck in full gear to form up, all eyes instinctively sought out immediately this island where they were to be put, and left, and which might possibly turn out to be a friend's grave." ― James Jones, The Thin Red Line

"The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience." ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

"Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time." ― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" ― Dr. Seuss

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." ― William Penn

"Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like." ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

"The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run." ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

"Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never." ― Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us

"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;—it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others." ― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

"Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone." ― Alan Watts

"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed." ― Mahatma Gandhi

"Lost Time is never found again."
― Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack

"Time spent with a cat is never wasted." ― Colette

"A wise man's goal shouldn't be to say something profound, but to say something useful." ― Criss Jami, Healology

"The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds." ― Teck Foo Check, The Autobiography of Sun Tzu

"Behind every move I make on the chess board lies a story of calculation, intuition, and passion. With every game, I discover more about myself and the endless possibilities of the game." ― medicosaurabh

"Ecco, sai giocare a scacchi. Adesso devi diventare un giocatore. Ci vorrà un po' di più." ― Guenassia Jean-Michel, Le Club des incorrigibles optimists

"People are like chess pieces!" ― Deyth Banger

"The only easy day was yesterday." ― US Navy SEALs

"Gameplay is all our life. Either we guard, attack or develop pieces." ― Vineet Raj Kapoor, UNCHESS: Untie Your Shoes and Walk on the Chessboard of Life

"The is a secret for greater self-control, the science points to one thing: the power of paying attention." ― Kelly McGonigal, The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

"As we encounter new experiences with a mindful and wise attention, we discover that one of three things will happen to our new experience: it will go away, it will stay the same, or it will get more intense. whatever happens does not really matter." ― Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life

"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories." ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"I'll play baseball for the Army or fight for it, whatever they want me to do." ― Mickey Mantle

"Chess is a miniature version of life. To be successful, you need to be disciplined, assess resources, consider responsible choices and adjust when circumstances change." ― Susan Polgar

"We are like chess players who are trying to predict the opponent's future moves, but in this case, we are dealing with life itself. True masters do not play the game on a single chessboard, but on multiple chessboards at the same time. And what's the difference between grandmasters and masters? Surprises. The moves that cannot be predicted by the opponent. Life can play a simultaneous game with seven billion people at the same time and it can take each and every one of us by surprise. And we still believe we are capable of winning, because we can predict three of four moves ahead. We are insignificant." ― Jaka Tomc, 720 Heartbeats

"The cherished dream of every chessplayer is to play a match with the World Champion. But here is the paradox: the closer you come to the realization of this goal, the less you think about it." ― Mikhail Tal

"I mean a man whose hopes and aims may sometimes lie (as most men's sometimes do, I dare say) above the ordinary level, but to whom the ordinary level will be high enough after all if it should prove to be a way of usefulness and good service leading to no other. All generous spirits are ambitious, I suppose, but the ambition that calmly trusts itself to such a road, instead of spasmodically trying to fly over it, is of the kind I care for." ― Charles Dickens, Bleak House

"Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley." ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"But I find something compelling in the game's choreography, the way one move implies the next. The kings are an apt metaphor for human beings: utterly constrained by the rules of the game, defenseless against bombardment from all sides, able only to temporarily dodge disaster by moving one step in any direction." ― Jennifer duBois, A Partial History of Lost Causes

"The move is there, but you must see it." ― Savielly Tartakower

"You may delay, but time will not." ― Benjamin Franklin

"Chess is all about maintaining coherent strategies. It's about not giving up when the enemy destroys one plan but to immediately come up with the next. A game isn't won and lost at the point when the king is finally cornered. The game's sealed when a player gives up having any strategy at all. When his soldiers are all scattered, they have no common cause, and they move one piece at a time, that's when you've lost." ― Kazuo Ishiguro, A Pale View of Hills

"War is not just the shower of bullets and bombs from both sides, it is also the shower of blood and bones on both sides." ― Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words

"The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field." ― Sun Tzu, The Art Of War

"Technique has taken over the whole of civilization. Death, procreation, birth all submit to technical efficiency and systemization." ― Jacques Ellul

"Time is an illusion." ― Albert Einstein

"Time isn't precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is." ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

"It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one." ― George Harrison

"My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil." ― JP Getty

"Colon has always thought that heroes had some special kind of clockwork that made them go out and die famously for god, country and apple pie, or whatever particular delicacy their mother made. It had never occurred to him that they might do it because they'd get yelled at if they didn't." ― Terry Pratchett

"If in a battle, I seize a bit of debatable land with a handful of soldiers, without having done anything to prevent an enemy bombardment of the position, would it ever occur to me to speak of a conquest of the terrain in question? Obviously not. Then why should I do so in chess?" ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"If you are weak in the endgame, you must spend more time analysing studies; in your training games you must aim at transposing to endgames, which will help you to acquire the requisite experience." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"My forte was the middlegame. I had a good feeling for the critical moments of the play. This undoubtedly compensated for my lack of opening preparation and, possibly, not altogether perfect play in the endgame. In my games things often did not reach the endgame!" ― Boris Spassky

"Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation." ― Max Euwe

"If you have made a mistake or committed an inaccuracy there is no need to become annoyed and to think that everything is lost. You have to reorientate yourself quickly and find a new plan in the new situation." ― David Bronstein

"In chess, as in life, a man is his own most dangerous opponent." — Vasily Smyslov

"A strong memory, concentration, imagination, and a strong will is required to become a great chess player." ― Bobby Fischer

"What I admired most about him Bobby Fischer was his ability to make what was in fact so difficult look easy to us. I try to emulate him." ― Magnus Carlsen

"Chess continues to advance over time, so the players of the future will inevitably surpass me in the quality of their play, assuming the rules and regulations allow them to play serious chess. But it will likely be a long time before anyone spends 20 consecutive years as number, one as I did." ― Garry Kasparov

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment." ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Win with grace, lose with dignity!" ― Susan Polgar

"If you want to get to the top, there's always the risk that it will isolate you from other people." ― Magnus Carlsen

Chessgames.com will be unavailable August 28, 2023 from 1:00AM through 1:30AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

<"Every time I coach people, I <emphasize> the following key concepts:

^Develop your pieces at the beginning of the game (Extremely underrated by beginners)

^Control the center (Chess pieces control a lot more squares from the center of the board)

^Make sure your king is safer than the opponent's

Every opening in chess is based on these fundamental principles. Thus, if you can understand such concepts and put them into practice, your chess strength will skyrocket!" ― IM Luis Torres>

> Protect your pieces. Loose Pieces Drop Off. Your middlegame position generally tends to be in good standing as long as you have a grip on the center, the king is castled and rooks connected, your pieces are active, and you don't drop material. Know all the possible ways of responding to a threat of capture.<

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in the Hundred Years' War. The battle took place on Friday, 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day), near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France. Wikipedia article: Battle of Agincourt

1.e4 Traps for White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YW...

* 50 Games to Know: https://en.chessbase.com/post/50-ga...

* 100: Game Collection: 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures

* Anderssen games: Game Collection: Black - Ruy Lopez: Berlin defense (Re1) - Anders

* Anderssen - Steinitz Match: Anderssen - Steinitz (1866)

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

* Basic Rules: https://thechessworld.com/basic-che...

* Berlins of Germany: Game Collection: Berlin

* Modern Berlin: Game Collection: Modern Berlin

* Blowing Away the Castled King: Game Collection: Attack The King's Pocket

* Brutal Attacking Chess: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

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

* Caviar: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Cool Math/Board Games: https://www.coolmathgames.com/1-boa...

* Common Phrases and Terms: https://www.ragchess.com/chess-basi...

* Closed Sicilian Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp_...

* Deadly Battery: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Evans / Boris Gambit Guide: Game Collection: Evans Gambit

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

* Fried Fox is awful: https://allchessopenings.blogspot.c...

* Golden Treasury of Chess (Wellmuth/Horowitz): Game Collection: Golden Treasury of Chess (Wellmuth/Horowitz)

* Good times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIK...

* GPA: https://chesstier.com/grand-prix-at...

* A great decade of chess: Game Collection: Mil y Una Partidas 1950-1959

* Great Attacks: Game Collection: great attack games

* Greatest Hits: Game Collection: Mammoth Book-Greatest Games (Nunn/Burgess/Emms)

* ICA Youth Resources: https://www.il-chess.org/index.php?...

* katar's hack attack: Game Collection: An Opium Repertoire for White

* Kingpin magazine: https://www.kingpinchess.net/

* KP Beauties: Game Collection: Beautiful mates

* LG - White wins: Game Collection: Latvian Gambit-White wins

* 62 Masterpieces: Game Collection: Instructive Games (Chernev)

* Artful Mates: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* Most Common Mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GA...

* Neon Moon, smooth and easy: https://www.bing.com/search?q=Neon+...

* Online safety: https://www.entrepreneur.com/scienc...

* Overloaded! Game Collection: OVERLOADED!

* Ol' Man River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df4... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DSiJ...

* OCB incredibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7T...

* Oskar plays 1e4: Oskar Oglaza

* Outsmart 'em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0v... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5diI...

* Pawn Instruction: http://www.logicalchess.com/learn/l...

* Petrosian's Best: Game Collection: P.H.Clarke: Petrosian's Best games

* Queen taker: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ljB1... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/auHf...

* Plenty to see: http://www.schackportalen.nu/Englis...

* POTD Scotch: Game Collection: POTD Scotch Game Scotch Gambit

* VP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncH...

* Post-Beginners Book: Game Collection: Chess training for post-beginners

* Reasonable book choices: https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell...

* Rook Lift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQ...

* Rubinstein: Game Collection: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces

* Ray Robson's games w/reader comments:
www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?page=1&pid=9390- 3&kibitzing=1

* Roger that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

"The only way to change anything in Russia is a revolution" ― Daniil Dubov https://en.chessbase.com/post/dubov...

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Spassky could bring the heat: Game Collection: 0

* Short history: Game Collection: A history of chess

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

* Sports Clichés: http://www.sportscliche.com/

* Stunners: Game Collection: Stunners

* Ten books for aspiring masters: http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2023...

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

* Three pair

* The Unthinkable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9z...

* Traps that work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf8...

* BF playing White against the Sicilian: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Wild: Game Collection: Wild Games!

* Waltzing Matilda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p67... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JAps...

* Wall's APCT Miniatures:
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/c... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/M67w...

* Will Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

* Williams Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3...

* Wolf's Bane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Op... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ryha...

* Wonders and Curiosities: Game Collection: Wonders and Curiosities of Chess (Chernev)

* You should be: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zMcK...

* 960Chess: https://lichess.org/variant/chess960

* 1967: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PiFW...

* Z Vol 105: Game Collection: 0ZeR0's collected games volume 105

* Mr. Harvey's Puzzle Challenge: https://wtharvey.com/

WTHarvey:
There once was a website named WTHarvey,
Where chess puzzles did daily delay,
The brain-teasers so tough,
They made us all huff and puff,
But solving them brought us great satisfaction today.

There once was a website named WTHarvey
Where chess puzzles were quite aplenty
With knight and rook and pawn
You'll sharpen your brain with a yawn
And become a master of chess entry

There once was a site for chess fun,
Wtharvey.com was the chosen one,
With puzzles galore,
It'll keep you in store,
For hours of brain-teasing, none done.

There once was a website named WTHarvey,
Where chess puzzles were posted daily,
You'd solve them with glee,
And in victory,
You'd feel like a true chess prodigy!

'A rising tide lifts all boats'

'Don't put the cart before the horse'

"Examine what is said, not who is speaking." ~ African Proverb

Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Q: What's a Bigfoot's favorite Japanese food? A: SHOE-shi.

New York: Albany
Established in: 1624

Henry Hudson (the Hudson River is named after him) arrived in Albany in 1609, but it was already home to a Dutch trading post and the Haudenosaunee tribe, Iroquois Native Americans.

The capital of New York is also its oldest city. Originally founded as Fort Orange by the Dutch settlers in 1624, the city was officially chartered by the British government as Albany in 1686. It didn't become the capital of the state until 1797. Albany was the point of origin for the first long distance airplane flight and the first passenger railroad.

* Chess History: https://www.uschesstrust.org/chess-...

* World Chess Championship History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkO...

* History of Chess: https://boldchess.com/history/

* Chess Aps: https://www.wired.com/story/best-ch...

The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess, Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players by William Hartston William Hartson traces the development of the game from its Oriental origins to the present day through the lives of its greatest exponents - men like Howard Staunton, who transformed what had been a genteel pastime into a competitive science; the brilliant American Paul Morphy, who once played a dozen simultaneous games blindfold; the arrogant and certified insane Wilhelm Steinitz; the philosopher and mathematician Emanual Lasker; Bobby Fischer, perhaps the most brilliant and eccentric of them all; and many other highly gifted individuals. Hartson depicts all their colorful variety with a wealth of rare illustrations.

Format: Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN: 006015358X
ISBN13: 9780060153588
Release Date: January 1985
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 192 Pages
Weight: 1.80 lbs.

Eilfan ywmodryb dda
Meaning: A good aunt is a second mother

"Chess is life in miniature. Chess is a struggle, chess battles." — Garry Kasparov

"Sometimes in life, and in chess, you must take one step back to take two steps forward." — IM Levy Rozman, GothamChess

So much, much, much better to be an incurable optimist than deceitful and untrustworthy.

"Don't blow your own trumpet." — Australian Proverb

Old Russian Proverb: "Scythe over a stone." (Нашла коса на камень.) The force came over a stronger force.

"Continuing to play the victim is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Blaming others for your station in life will indeed make you a victim but the perpetrator will be your own self, not life or those around you." — Bobby Darnell

Here's a poem a dad wrote:

<ODE TO CHESS

Ten times I charged the grim, foreboding walls

and was pitched into the pit of defeat.

But, heedless of humiliating falls,

I clambered bravely back onto my feet

and charged again, again to be down thrust

onto the scrap heap of people who lose

onto the mound of mortifying dust

whilst my opponent sat without a bruise

upon his pedestal. We changed sides

and fought again, but I was defeated

whilst he with arrogant and haughty strides

took the throne upon which I had been seated.

Ha! Win or lose, it's how you play the game.

But I would like to beat him just the same.>

"Chess can be described as the movement of pieces eating one another." — Marcel Duchamp

"Life is like a chess. If you lose your queen, you will probably lose the game." — Being Caballero

"If you wish to succeed, you must brave the risk of failure." — Garry Kasparov

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." — Ernest Hemingway

"You win some, you lose some, you wreck some." — Dale Earnhardt

"In life, unlike chess the game continues after checkmate." ― Isaac Asimov

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." ― Albert Einstein

"When in doubt, don't." ― Benjamin Franklin

<Riddle Question: If you drop a yellow hat in the Red Sea, what does it become?

The Persian epic Explanation of Chatrang and the Invention of Nard tells the story of chess being introduced to the royal court by an envoy from India.

Riddle Answer: Wet, duh!>

Ellison wrote:

Kamikaze
Two rows of a faceless infantry
fall into line;
I am their general
for this callous battle.

Overlords awaken;
their mirrored armies in meager shadow
to these giants that have played
the game of winning before.

The front rank advances slowly,
private by private; caressing the
battlefield as if never to return again.
The cavalry cry out into the night,
A horse's metallic neigh that pierces through
to the other side's defenses,
and the surrounding warriors join in for the hunt.

A piece for a piece;
The desperate deal is made
between the masters of their
horrified soldiers.
Do I dare repeat
such insidious acts within my fleet?

The crown shakes with fear,
for the opposing ranks are drawing near.
Towering higher than the castles upon the deck,
I make my way to the monarch in check;
Swords left littered across the field
as the fires of carnage have dwindled low,
but trampling through grief, groans, and woe,
The other side is forced to yield.

Stop and go

Hay dos maneras de hermosura: una del alma y otra del cuerpo; la del alma campea y se muestra en el entendimiento, en la honestidad, en el buen proceder, en la liberalidad y en la buena crianza, y todas estas partes caben y pueden estar en un hombre feo; y cuando se pone la mira en esta hermosura, y no en la del cuerpo, suele nacer el amor con ímpetu y con ventajas. (There are two kinds of beauty: one of the soul and the other of the body; that of the soul shows and demonstrates itself in understanding, in honesty, in good behavior, in generosity and in good breeding, and all these things can find room and exist in an ugly man; and when one looks at this type of beauty, and not bodily beauty, love is inclined to spring up forcefully and overpoweringly.) ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)

<<<A Burnt Ship> By John Donne (1572-1631)>

Out of a fired ship, which by no way
But drowning could be rescued from the flame,
Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came
Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay;
So all were lost, which in the ship were found,
They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd.>

Tilt

"The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk." ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

Ye Jiangchuan has won the Chinese Chess Championship seven times.

Matthew 17:20
Our faith can move mountains.

Other people's wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool. ~ Nigerian Proverb

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean Proverb

Ingratitude is sooner or later fatal to its author. ~ Twi Proverb

The laughter of a child lights up the house. ~ Swahili proverb

Rundown

This poem is dedicated to all Caissa's members who understand that chess is but a game.

Chess is but a Game

As he secretly rode his knight out of the castle's gate, still believing that he could escape this inevitable fate, the sky broke open with an array of incredible light. and there smitten to the earth lay nova under his knight. I am who I am and always am, spoke this thundering voice and you, my friend nova, do not at all have another choice but to go forth south and north, west and east
loudly proclaiming the good Word to man and beast. Thus beset by the compelling voice from the broken sky nova set about explaining through the word the how and why. He travelled north and south, west and east never losing aim to let all Caissa's members know: chess is but a game.

Cash or Credit?
John-Shepherd Barron is credited with inventing the first fully-functional ATM (Automated Teller Machine). The first ATM was installed on June 27, 1967, for Barclays Bank in Enfield Town, London. The maximum withdrawal allowed was £10. Today, ATMs are just around the corner in most modern towns.

The Cloud
By Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.

I sift the snow on the mountains below,
And their great pines groan aghast;
And all the night 'tis my pillow white,
While I sleep in the arms of the blast.
Sublime on the towers of my skiey bowers,
Lightning my pilot sits;
In a cavern under is fettered the thunder,
It struggles and howls at fits;
Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me,
Lured by the love of the genii that move
In the depths of the purple sea;
Over the rills, and the crags, and the hills,
Over the lakes and the plains,
Wherever he dream, under mountain or stream,
The Spirit he loves remains;
And I all the while bask in Heaven's blue smile, Whilst he is dissolving in rains.

The sanguine Sunrise, with his meteor eyes,
And his burning plumes outspread,
Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,
When the morning star shines dead;
As on the jag of a mountain crag,
Which an earthquake rocks and swings,
An eagle alit one moment may sit
In the light of its golden wings.
And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath, Its ardours of rest and of love,
And the crimson pall of eve may fall
From the depth of Heaven above,
With wings folded I rest, on mine aëry nest,
As still as a brooding dove.

That orbèd maiden with white fire laden,
Whom mortals call the Moon,
Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-like floor,
By the midnight breezes strewn;
And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,
Which only the angels hear,
May have broken the woof of my tent's thin roof, The stars peep behind her and peer;
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,
Like a swarm of golden bees,
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,
Till calm the rivers, lakes, and seas,
Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high, Are each paved with the moon and these.

I bind the Sun's throne with a burning zone,
And the Moon's with a girdle of pearl;
The volcanoes are dim, and the stars reel and swim, When the whirlwinds my banner unfurl.
From cape to cape, with a bridge-like shape,
Over a torrent sea,
Sunbeam-proof, I hang like a roof,
The mountains its columns be.
The triumphal arch through which I march
With hurricane, fire, and snow,
When the Powers of the air are chained to my chair, Is the million-coloured bow;
The sphere-fire above its soft colours wove,
While the moist Earth was laughing below.

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores; I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb, I arise and unbuild it again.

California and Alaska each have eight national parks. Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range of Denali National Park is the highest point in the USA national parks at 20,302 feet.

Riddle Question: People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?

According to statistics, the average American spends roughly 17,600 minutes behind the wheel annually. That's equivalent to over 293 hours or nearly 12 days!

Riddle Answer: Money

Tourists can visit two USA national parks in a day going to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. They are just 10 miles apart in northern Wyoming.

<<<Five Preliminary Endgame Rules> according to CJS Purdy>

1. Before even beginning to think of making a passed pawn, put all your pieces into as good positions as possible.

2. Avoid pawn-moves while you are getting your pieces well positioned because pawn-moves create lasting weaknesses and thus make your task harder.

3. Try to free your position from weaknesses; and if possible, make it hard for the opponent to do likewise.

4. When trying to win, keep pawns on both wings. When trying to draw, play to eliminate all the pawns on one wing. With pawns on one wing only, a pawn plus is usually insufficient for a win.

5. If you are a pawn up or more, exchange pieces (not pawns) wherever you can do so without losing in position.

Exception: do not rush an exchange that will leave you with a single bishop running on the opposite color to the enemy's single bishop. Also, refrain from exchanging if it will give your opponent two bishops against bishop and knight.> Posted by Chessbuzz

Trolling is cyberbullying. The troll should be banned from the website for good.

Internet trollz are people who want to provoke and upset others online for their own amusement. Here's how to spot the signz that someone is a troll, and how to handle them.

What Are Internet Trollz?
If you've been on the internet for any period of time, you've likely run into a troll at some point. An internet troll is someone who makes intentionally inflammatory, rude, or upsetting statements online to elicit strong emotional responses in people or to steer the conversation off-topic. They can come in many forms. Most trolls do this for their own amusement, but other forms of trolling are done to push a specific agenda.

Trollz have existed in folklore and fantasy literature for centuries, but online trolling has been around for as long as the internet has existed. The earliest known usage of the term can be traced back to the 1990s on early online message boards. Back then, it was a way for users to confuse new members by repeatedly posting an inside joke. It's since turned into a much more malicious activity.

Trolling is distinct from other forms of cyberbullying or harassment. It is normally not targeted towards any one person and relies on other people paying attention and becoming provoked. Trolling exists on many online platforms, from small private group chats to the biggest social media websites. Here's a list of places online where you're likely to see online trolls:

Anonymous online forums: Places like removed to prevent more trolling are prime real-estate for online trolls. Because there's no way of tracing who someone is, trolls can post very inflammatory content without repercussion. This is especially true if the forum has lax or inactive moderation. Twitter: Twitter also has the option to be anonymous, and has become a hotbed for internet trolls. Frequent Twitter trolling methods involve hijacking popular hashtags and mentioning popular Twitter personalities to gain attention from their followers.

Comment sections: The comment sections of places such as YouTube and news websites are also popular areas for trolls to feed. You'll find a lot of obvious trolling here, and they frequently generate a lot of responses from angry readers or viewers.

You'll find trollz anywhere online, including on Facebook and on online dating sites. They're unfortunately pretty common.

Signs Someone Is Trolling
It can sometimes become difficult to tell the difference between a troll and someone who just genuinely wants to argue about a topic. However, here are a few tell-tale signs that someone is actively trolling.

Off-topic remarkz: Completely going off-topic from the subject at hand. This is done to annoy and disrupt other posters.

Refusal to acknowledge evidence: Even when presented with hard, cold factz, they ignore this and pretend like they never saw it.

Dismissive, condescending tone: An early indicator of a troll was that they would ask an angry responder, "Why you mad, bro?" This is a method done to provoke someone even more, as a way of dismissing their argument altogether. Use of unrelated images or memes: They reply to others with memes, images, and gifs. This is especially true if done in response to a very long text post. Seeming obliviousness: They seem oblivious that most people are in disagreement with them. Also, trolls rarely get mad or provoked. The list above is by no means definitive. There are a lot of other ways to identify that someone is trolling. Generally, if someone seems disingenuous, uninterested in a real discussion, and provocative on purpose, they're likely an internet troll.

How Should I Handle Them?
A "Danger: Do not feed the troll" sign on a computer keyboard.

The most classic adage regarding trolling is, "Don't feed the trollz." Trollz seek out emotional responses and find provocation amusing, so replying to them or attempting to debate them will only make them troll more. By ignoring a troll completely, they will likely become frustrated and go somewhere else on the internet.

You should try your best not to take anything trollz say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember these people spend countless unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They're not worth your time of day.

If a troll becomes spammy or begins to clog up a thread, you can also opt to report them to the site's moderation team. Depending on the website, there's a chance nothing happens, but you should do your part to actively dissuade them from trolling on that platform. If your report is successful, the troll may be temporarily suspended or their account might be banned entirely.

In 1996, World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov beat IBM's "Deep Blue" supercomputer 4–2 in a best-of-6 match-up. Man and machine rematched in 1997, and the computer won 3.5–2.5 after unusually poor play by Kasparov.

This poem is dedicated to all members who have experienced the breaking of a gentleman's agreement.

He Know No Honor

Now in yonder obscurity live a bishop called Pork

his tongue protruding like a two-pronged fork.

He say: nova dear, I will play you thirty/thirty

then he quickly run, I say: that be little dirty.

This Pork he say; sweet nova please grant me tie

upon my honor as a holy man I do never lie.

He say: nova dear: I will play you thirty/thirty

but he quickly run: I say that be more than little dirty

to Pork this kindly nova say: I grant you draw

as Pork's time in present game all but gone he saw.

he say: dear nova, I will play you thirty/thirty

as he quickly run: I truly say that be fricken dirty.

now always loudly to this Pork I shall tell

no more play me but evil one who live in hell.

"You need to realize something if you are ever to succeed at chess,' she said, as if Nora had nothing bigger to think about. ‘And the thing you need to realize is this: the game is never over until it is over. It isn't over if there is a single pawn still on the board. If one side is down to a pawn and a king, and the other side has every player, there is still a game. And even if you were a pawn – maybe we all are – then you should remember that a pawn is the most magical piece of all. It might look small and ordinary but it isn't. Because a pawn is never just a pawn. A pawn is a queen-in-waiting. All you need to do is find a way to keep moving forward. One square after another. And you can get to the other side and unlock all kinds of power.'

Mrs. Elm"
― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

Antibiotics
Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur were the first to start the war against bacteria, but it was Alexander Fleming who propelled the medical world to take a giant leap ahead in the same battle thanks to his discovery – albeit accidental – of the bacteria-inhibiting mold we now call penicillin in 1928. Penicillin proved to be a major step forward in the world of antibiotics and was used widely throughout the 20th century. Although Fleming eventually abandoned his works on penicillin in the 1940s, his findings were further researched at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford by Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain, funded by the U.S. and British governments.

Penicillin finally entered mass production after the Pearl Harbor bombing. In fact, by 1944, we had enough penicillin to treat all the wounded Allied Forces in World War II. Death by bacterial infection dropped to only 1% in WWII from 20% in the previous war. Penicillin has been found to be effective at fighting all kinds of infections such as influenza, tuberculosis, and some sexually transmitted diseases.

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

Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

'Finders keepers, losers weepers'
No, turn it over to Lost and Found.

Drive sober or get pulled over.

"For surely of all the drugs in the world, chess must be the most permanently pleasurable." — Assiac (‘Deutsch von Heinrich Fraenkel')

Once I asked Pillsbury whether he used any formula for castling. He said his rule was absolute and vital: castle because you will or because you must; but not because you can.' — W.E. Napier (1881-1952)

The Words Of Socrates

A house was built by Socrates
That failed the public taste to please.
Some blamed the inside; some, the out; and all
Agreed that the apartments were too small.
Such rooms for him, the greatest sage of Greece!

"I ask," said he, "no greater bliss
Than real friends to fill even this."
And reason had good Socrates
To think his house too large for these.
A crowd to be your friends will claim,
Till some unhandsome test you bring.
There's nothing plentier than the name;
There's nothing rarer than the thing.

'Ask no questions and hear no lies

* The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy by Irving Chernev - https://lichess.org/study/KMMrJvE1

* Legendary: Game Collection: The 12 Legendary Games of the Century

* Knight Power: https://fmochess.com/the-power-of-t...

'Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer

<greersome wrote:

There once was a woman from Mizes

Who had chess sets of two different sizes

One was quite small

Almost nothing at all

But the other was large and won prizes!>

* 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

1.Nf3 is the third most popular of the twenty legal opening moves White has, behind only 1.e4 and 1.d4.

600 AD is the first clear reference to chess, in a Persian manuscript that describes chess coming to Persia (Iran) from India.

The first printed chess book was completed in 1495 - three years after Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas.

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.

This poem is dedicated to Harris my chessplayer friend and literary commentator.

Chess The Final Metaphor

It was in a cesspool behind the place of his cousin Nick

That in this pool of sewage, was born the freak called frick.

On dark nights he hysterically wailed in his pool of slimy mess:

"Oh why oh why, can't I play the game that humans call chess"?

As the morning sun rose, begged the queen of the mighty king:

Sire, can you not order the death of this awful filthy thing"?

Wisely he replied: "no, I'll let frick live forever in distress

While he must watch others enjoy themselves playing chess."

Rolled up

"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

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Isolated pawns require a very expensive therapy, for keeping them alive.

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be

And bless these gifts

Bestowed by Thee.

And bless our loved ones everywhere,

And keep them in Your loving care.
Amen.

<<Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star>

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the trav'ller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often thro' my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

'Tis your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the trav'ller in the dark,
Tho' I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.>

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

"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

An Irish Blessing:

May we all feel…
happy and contented,
healthy and strong,
safe and protected
and living with ease…

~

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

Old man coffee

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." — Calvin Coolidge

Psalm 96: 1-3
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Never Let Success Get To Your Head And Never Let Failure Get To Your Heart

Avast ye, hearties: Tuesday, September 19, is <National Talk Like a Pirate Day> and you don't want to look like a scallywag. Captain Syntax shares a few useful phrases in this video so your pirate lingo will sound like that of an old salt, matey. And don't forget the rum… er, grog.

Pirate Phrases:
Abandon Ship: An order to leave the vessel immediately, usually in the face of some imminent danger

Ahoy: Hello

Avast Ye: A command meaning pay attention or listen

Aye, Aye: Yes, I understand

Batten Down the Hatches: When everything on a ship is tied down to prepare for an approaching storm

Booty: Refers to any ill-gotten goods swiped from another party

Bounty: The reward for capturing a criminal

Briny Deep: The ocean

Carouser: A reckless person who drinks too much

Chantey: A song that sailors sing in unison while working

Clap of Thunder: A strong alcoholic beverage, usually referring to a shot

Davy Jones' Locker: Graveyard at the bottom of the sea for those killed or drowned

Dead Men Tell No Tales: An expression that means dead people will not betray any secrets. Used as a threat to kill someone, or a way of saying there were no survivors.

Doubloons: Types of gold coins

Fire in the Hole: A cannon is about to be fired

Grog: Diluted rum, but can be used to refer to any alcoholic concoction

Hang the Jib: To pout or frown

Hearties: Friends, comrades

Hornswaggle: To swindle something, usually money, out of someone else

Jolly Roger: The name for the iconic black pirate flag featuring a white skull and crossbones

Lad, lass, lassie: A child or young person

Landlubber: Someone without sailing ability

Loot: Stolen money or possessions

Marooned: To be abandoned with no food, drink or possessions

Me: My

Old Salt: Experienced pirate or sailor

Plunder: To steal

Run a Rig: Play a joke on someone

Scallywag: What an experienced pirate would call a newbie

Scurvy: A derogatory adjective meaning lowly or disgusting

Seadog: A veteran sailor

Shiver Me Timbers: An exclamation of surprise

Sink Me: An exclamation of surprise

Son of a Biscuit Eater: An insult

Thar She Blows: A whale sighting

Three Sheets to the Wind: Someone who is very drunk. One sheet is mildly drunk, and four sheets is passed out.

Walk the Plank: When someone is forcibly ordered to walk off a wooden board into the sea, resulting in drowning

Wench: A woman

Ye: You

Yo Ho Ho: A jolly expression

Fun Facts About Pirates:

The word "pirate" comes from the Latin "pirata," meaning "sea robber."

Pirates have been around for thousands of years, with the first recorded instances of piracy dating back to ancient Greece.

Pirates often flew the Jolly Roger flag, which featured a skull and crossbones and was intended to intimidate their targets.

Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach, was one of the most notorious pirates of all time. He had a long black beard that he would light on fire during battles to strike fear into his enemies.

Pirates would often wear eye patches not because they had lost an eye, but because it allowed them to switch quickly between darkness below deck and bright sunlight on deck.

Pirates were known for their love of rum, which they believed had medicinal properties and could cure ailments such as scurvy.

The Caribbean was a popular location for pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries due to its many islands, hidden coves, and warm waters.

The most successful pirate of all time was a Chinese pirate named Ching Shih, who commanded a fleet of over 300 ships and 40,000 pirates.

Pirates were not all men; there were also many female pirates, such as Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

Pirates often buried their treasure, but there is little evidence that this was a common practice.

Captain Kidd, who was hanged for piracy in 1701, is said to have buried treasure worth millions of dollars somewhere in the Caribbean, but it has never been found.

Many pirates had a code of conduct that they followed, which included rules about sharing treasure, not stealing from each other, and electing their own leaders.

Pirates were often subject to harsh punishments if caught, including hanging or being marooned on a deserted island.

The skull and crossbones symbol used by pirates is also known as the "Jolly Roger," which comes from the French "jolie rouge," meaning "pretty red." This is because the original flag was a red flag with a white skull and crossbones.

Some pirates would use parrots as pets, but this is mostly a myth perpetuated by popular culture.

The deadliest pirate in history is believed to be Zheng Yi Sao, a female pirate who commanded a fleet of up to 1,800 ships and 80,000 pirates.

Pirates often used pseudonyms or aliases to conceal their true identities.

Pirates were known for their distinctive clothing, which often included bandanas, sashes, and brightly colored coats.

Pirates would often force their prisoners to walk the plank, although there is little evidence that this was a common practice.

Pirates were often depicted as having a peg leg or a hook for a hand, but this is largely a myth.

Some pirates would wear gold earrings, which they believed would improve their eyesight.

The life of a pirate was often brutal and short, with many pirates dying young due to violence, disease, or accidents at sea.

Pirates would often attack ships in fleets, using multiple vessels to overwhelm their targets.

Pirates were known for their fierce independence and their hatred of authority.

The pirate flag was not always a skull and crossbones; some pirates used other symbols, such as a red flag or a black flag with a white skeleton.

El Pirata Roberto Cofresí Ramirez de Arellano was the greatest outlaw of the Caribbean and is considered the last great pirate that graced those waters. Cofresí and his crew of 15 men sailed on board his schooner Ana and terrified foreign ships in the Caribbean and Atlantic.

PP Willful waste makes woeful want. ~ Scottish Proverb