Study of offbeat lines of Advance, Tarrasch, Winawer and Exchange Variations. The first collection of 30 games was compiled by geordieray. Thank you geordieray!

The Steinitz Variation : 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 was compiled by hailaer. Thank you hailaer!

Some endgames worth examining are at the bottom of the list.

"I suddenly felt like the Grinch feels when he discovers what Christmas is all about. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a purpose being in the Navy. It wasn't about money and rank or prestige. It was about raising the flag. We do what we do because no one else can or will do it. We fight so others can sleep at night. And I had forgotten that." ― Timothy Ciciora, The Right Words at the Right Time: Volume 2: Your Turn!

* Thank you BntLarsen for these French Exchange games: Game Collection: French Defence: Beating the Exchange Variation

* FR ADV: Game Collection: French Defense

* French Tarrasch 3...c5 games for White:
Game Collection: French Tarrasch 3. ... c5 White

* World plays the French
Game Collection: World champions play the French

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

* Ideas: Game Collection: Ideas In The French Defense

"Chess is a sport. The main object in the game of chess remains the achievement of victory." ― Max Euwe

"It is a profound mistake to imagine that the art of combination depends only on natural talent, and that it cannot be learned." ― Richard Reti

"The most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move." ― David Bronstein

"Unadaptability is often a virtue." ― Flannery O'Connor

"Giving doesn't always involve money." ― Charmaine J. Forde

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

"What does it take to be a champion? Desire, dedication, determination, personal and professional discipline, focus, concentration, strong nerves, the will to win, and yes, talent!" ― Susan Polgar

"No matter how successful you are (or will be), never ever forget the people who helped you along the way, and pay it forward! Don't become arrogant and conceited just because you gained a few rating points or made a few bucks. Stay humble and be nice, especially to your fans!" ― Susan Polgar

"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

"Capablanca's games generally take the following course: he begins with a series of extremely fine prophylactic maneuvers, which neutralize his opponent's attempts to complicate the game; he then proceeds, slowly but surely, to set up an attacking position. This attacking position, after a series of simplifications, is transformed into a favorable endgame, which he conducts with matchless technique." ― Aaron Nimzowitsch

"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 passed pawn increase in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

All that glitters is not gold – this line can be found in a text from c.1220: ‘ Nis hit nower neh gold al that ter schineth.'

A friend in need is a friend indeed – a proverb from c.1035 say this: ‘Friend shall be known in time of need.'

All's well that ends well – a line from the mid-13th century is similar: ‘Wel is him te wel ende mai.' Meanwhile, Henry Knighton's Chronicle from the late 14th-century one can read: ‘ If the ende be wele, than is alle wele.'

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)

Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre. (When one door is closed, another is opened.) ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)

Dijo la sartén a la caldera, quítate allá ojinegra. (The frying pan said to the cauldron, "Get out of here, black-eyed one." This is believed to be the source of the phrase "the pot calling the kettle black.") ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

The Night
BY HENRY VAUGHAN
John 3.2

Through that pure virgin shrine,
That sacred veil drawn o'er Thy glorious noon, That men might look and live, as glowworms shine, And face the moon,
Wise Nicodemus saw such light
As made him know his God by night.

Most blest believer he!
Who in that land of darkness and blind eyes
Thy long-expected healing wings could see,
When Thou didst rise!
And, what can never more be done,
Did at midnight speak with the Sun!

O who will tell me where
He found Thee at that dead and silent hour?
What hallowed solitary ground did bear
So rare a flower,
Within whose sacred leaves did lie
The fulness of the Deity?

No mercy-seat of gold,
No dead and dusty cherub, nor carved stone,
But His own living works did my Lord hold
And lodge alone;
Where trees and herbs did watch and peep
And wonder, while the Jews did sleep.

Dear night! this world's defeat;
The stop to busy fools; care's check and curb; The day of spirits; my soul's calm retreat
Which none disturb!
Christ's progress, and His prayer time;
The hours to which high heaven doth chime;

God's silent, searching flight;
When my Lord's head is filled with dew, and all His locks are wet with the clear drops of night; His still, soft call;
His knocking time; the soul's dumb watch,
When spirits their fair kindred catch.

Were all my loud, evil days
Calm and unhaunted as is thy dark tent,
Whose peace but by some angel's wing or voice
Is seldom rent,
Then I in heaven all the long year
Would keep, and never wander here.

But living where the sun
Doth all things wake, and where all mix and tire Themselves and others, I consent and run
To every mire,
And by this world's ill-guiding light,
Err more than I can do by night.

There is in God, some say,
A deep but dazzling darkness, as men here
Say it is late and dusky, because they
See not all clear.
O for that night! where I in Him
Might live invisible and dim!

* 10 Best to Watch: https://www.chessjournal.com/best-c...

* 23 Opening Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-5...

* Alphabetical Glossary: https://www.chess-poster.com/englis...

* Adolf Anderssen miniatures: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Bearly Thinking: https://www.etsy.com/listing/972054...

* Checkmate Art: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* Champion miniatures: Game Collection: Champions miniature champions

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

* Chess Step-by-Step: https://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-...

* CFN: https://www.youtube.com/@CFNChannel

* Crouch's book: Game Collection: Chess Secrets - Attackers (Crouch)

* Diagrammed Checkmate Patterns: Game Collection: Checkmate: Checkmate Patterns

* Black Storms: Game Collection: Tal - The Modern Benoni

* Starting Out 1d4: Game Collection: Starting Out: 1 d4!

* St. Louis Spring Classic: Spring Chess Classic (A) (2019)

* My killer chess secret - it's not what you might think: https://www.loavesanddishes.net/old...

* US Championships in St. Louis: US Championship (2019)

* Women: Asian Continental (Women) (2019)

* Liren 1st, Carlsen 7th?! GCT St. Louis Rapid & Blitz (2019)

* St. Louis, MO: Sinquefield Cup (2019)

* Near Moscow, Russia: Grand Prix Skolkovo (Women) (2019)

* 128-player knockout tourney: World Cup (2019)

* 11 rounds, Isle of Man: Isle of Man Grand Swiss (2019)

* 9-round Swiss: European Team Championship (2019)

* Theater chess: Grand Prix Hamburg (2019)

* Country Club chess: GCT Bucharest Rapid & Blitz (2019)

* Oh dear! Poor Levon?! GCT Kolkata Rapid & Blitz (2019)

* Tie-breaker: Grand Prix Monaco (Women) (2019)

* Too many rules and regulations: London Chess Classic GCT Finals (2019)

* Jerusalem, Israel: Grand Prix Jerusalem (2019)

* Magnus is on top of the world! World Rapid Championship (2019)

* Triple Crown Winner!!!
World Blitz Championship (2019)

* Ju Retains Her Reign!! Ju - Goryachkina Women's World Championship Match (2020)

* Caruana Tops the Stars! Tata Steel Masters (2020)

* Seven players tied for first place! Gibraltar Masters (2020)

* Nutcracker: Nutcracker Match of the Generations (2020)

* Online Nations Cup won by China: FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup (2020)

* Dubov comes in 2nd place to you-know-who: FIDE Online Steinitz Memorial (2020)

* Clutch Chess: A new knockout format: Clutch Champions Showdown (2020)

* The Chain: https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

* Dust in the Wind: https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...

* Bill Wall should have been on beer commercials crushing empty beer cans with his bare hands: Bill Wall

* Many gambits from all openings by ECO code: https://www.jimmyvermeer.com/openin...

* GoY's 40 Favs: Game Collection: GoY's favorite games

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

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

* Read The Planet Greenpawn - https://www.redhotpawn.com/

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

* Top Chessgames by ECO Code: http://schachsinn.de/gamelist.htm

* Top Games by Year: Wikipedia article: List of chess games

* Terminology: https://www.angelfire.com/games5/ch...

* 29 traps: https://www.chessonly.com/chess-ope...

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

* Brilliancies: Game Collection: Brilliancy Prizes (Reinfeld)

* Center Fork Trick is very common: https://lichess.org/study/tzrisL1R

* Checkmate patterns: Game Collection: Checkmate: Checkmate Patterns

* Chessmaster 2000 Classic Games:
Game Collection: Chessmaster '86

* Chess Links: http://www.chessdryad.com/links/ind...

* Glossary: Wikipedia article: Glossary of chess

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

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

https://archive.org/details/the-gol...

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

* Epic: Game Collection: Epic Battles of the CB by R.N. Coles - keypusher

* Extinguish the Dragon: Game Collection: 1.e4 explorations

* "Messi of Chess": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0w...

* 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...

* Sacs on f7/f2: Game Collection: Demolition of Pawn Structure: Sac on f7 (f2)

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

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

* 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!

"Chess is played with the mind and not with the hands." ― Renaud & Kahn

"Chess is a terrific way for kids to build self-image and self-esteem." ― Saudin Robovic

"Chess is a sport. The main object in the game of chess remains the achievement of victory." ― Max Euwe

"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

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

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

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

Кто не рискует, тот не пьет шампанского Pronunciation: KTOH ni risKUyet, tot ni pyot shamPANSkava) Translation: He who doesn't take risks doesn't drink champagne Meaning: Fortune favours the brave

"Tal has a terrifying style. Soon even grandmasters will know of this." — Vladimir Saigin (after losing to 17-year-old Tal in a qualifying match for the master title) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5S...

"I like to grasp the initiative and not give my opponent peace of mind." — Mikhail Tal

Nevada: Genoa
Established in: 1851

Geoa was founded back in 1851 as a trading post and provisioning station meant to serve passing wagon trains. It was originally known as Mormon Station because the first settlers were Mormon, and was part of Utah. It was renamed Genoa in 1855 by Mormon leader Orson Hyde, who named it in honor of Christopher Columbus's birthplace of Genoa, Italy.

Genoa is a tiny town — according to its website, just 250 people live there.

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

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

* 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...

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 writer and poet Henry Thomas Bland.

Another example of his way with words is the start of ‘Internal Fires', a poem published on page 57 of the March 1930 American Chess Bulletin:

I used to play chess with the dearest old chap,
Whom naught could upset whatever might hap.
He'd oft lose a game he might well have won
But made no excuse for what he had done.
If a piece he o'erlooked and got it snapped up He took it quite calmly and ne'er ‘cut up rough'.

"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." ― William Faulkner

"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.

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

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." ― Leonardo da Vinci

Song of the Storm-Swept Plain
William D. Hodjkiss

The wind shrills forth
From the white cold North
Where the gates of the Storm-god are;
And ragged clouds,
Like mantling shrouds,
Engulf the last, dim star.

Through naked trees,
In low coulees,
The night-voice moans and sighs;
And sings of deep,
Warm cradled sleep,
With wind-crooned lullabies.

He stands alone
Where the storm's weird tone
In mocking swells;
And the snow-sharp breath
Of cruel Death
The tales of its coming tells.

The frightened plaint
Of his sheep sound faint
Then the choking wall of white—
Then is heard no more,
In the deep-toned roar,
Of the blinding, pathless night.

No light nor guide,
Save a mighty tide
Of mad fear drives him on;
‘Till his cold-numbed form
Grows strangely warm;
And the strength of his limbs is gone.

Through the storm and night
A strange, soft light
O'er the sleeping shepherd gleams;
And he hears the word
Of the Shepherd Lord
Called out from the bourne of dreams.

Come, leave the strife
Of your weary life;
Come unto Me and rest
From the night and cold,
To the sheltered fold,
By the hand of love caressed.

The storm shrieks on,
But its work is done—
A soul to its God has fled;
And the wild refrain
Of the wind-swept plain,
Sings requiem for the dead.

"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

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Thank you Qindarka!

Caissa, The Chess Lord.

Lord, I play three hundred hours of chess,
indeed, Lord, in thirty days more or less.
I have done my best under gruelling stress,
Yet I'm not happy with my snailing progress.
Yes, Lord. Caissa, to you I sadly do confess:
my constant losing has put me in distress.
I beg of you, Lord, Caissa, help me to re-assess so I can beat those who keep me in this mess.
Lord, with your blessing and your skills I guess I would always win and so powerfully aggress,
that all my opponents would humbly express:
hark here cometh the unbeatable king of chess.

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

Don't trust the smile of your opponent. ~ Babylonian Proverbs

Trust me, but look to thyself. ~ Irish Proverbs

Trust in God, but tie your camel. ~ Saudi Arabian Proverb

Don't trust your wife until she has borne you ten sons. ~ Chinese Proverb

If someone puts their trust in you, don't sever it. ~ Lebanese Proverb

Trust your best friend as you would your worst enemy. ~ Mexican Proverbs

A Dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the Proverbes in the Englishe tongue, 1562:

Some hear and see him whom he heareth nor seeth not But fields have eyes and woods have ears, ye wot And also on my maids he is ever tooting.
Can ye judge a man, (quoth I), by his looking?
What, a cat may look on a king, ye know!
My cat's leering look, (quoth she), at first show, Showeth me that my cat goeth a caterwauling;
And specially by his manner of drawing
To Madge, my fair maid.

<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>

Riddle: What word is always pronounced wrong?

The first American Chess Congress, organized by Daniel Willard Fiske and held in New York, October 6 to November 10, 1857, was won by Paul Morphy. It was a knockout tournament in which draws did not count. The top sixteen American players were invited (William Allison, Samuel Robert Calthrop, Daniel Willard Fiske, William James Fuller, Hiram Kennicott, Hubert Knott, Theodor Lichtenhein, Napoleon Marache, Hardman Philips Montgomery, Alexander Beaufort Meek, Paul Morphy, Louis Paulsen, Frederick Perrin, Benjamin Raphael, Charles Henry Stanley, and James Thompson). First prize was $300. Morphy refused any money, but accepted a silver service consisting of a pitcher, four goblets, and a tray. Morphy's prize was given to him by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. ― Wikipedia

Riddle Answer: Wrong!

<Below is a Morphy acrostic by C.V. Grinfield from page 334 of the Chess Player's Chronicle, 1861: Mightiest of masters of the chequer'd board,
Of early genius high its boasted lord!
Rising in youth's bright morn to loftiest fame, Princeliest of players held with one acclaim;
Host in thyself – all-conquering in fight: – Yankees exult! – in your great champion's might.>

The Dancing Bear
by James Russell Lowell

Far over Elf-land poets stretch their sway,
And win their dearest crowns beyond the goal
Of their own conscious purpose; they control
With gossamer threads wide-flown our fancy's play, And so our action. On my walk to-day,
A wallowing bear begged clumsily his toll,
When straight a vision rose of Atta Troll,
And scenes ideal witched mine eyes away.
'Merci, Mossieu!' the astonished bear-ward cried, Grateful for thrice his hope to me, the slave
Of partial memory, seeing at his side
A bear immortal. The glad dole I gave
Was none of mine; poor Heine o'er the wide
Atlantic welter stretched it from his grave.

Q: What do you call someone who draws funny pictures of cars? A: A car-toonist.

Q: What do you call a magician on a plane?
A: A flying sorcerer.

Q: What do you call fruit playing the guitar?
A: A jam session.

Q: What do you call the shoes that all spies wear? A: Sneakers.

Q: What do you call something you can serve, but never eat? A: A volleyball.

Q: What did the alien say to the garden?
A: Take me to your weeder.

Q: What do you call a skeleton who went out in freezing temperatures? A: A numb skull.

Q: What do you call a farm that grows bad jokes? A: Corny.

I S A A C wrote:

Hindsight
I was used to the abuse, used to the towers
I was used to being used, used to your power
it makes me sad looking back, I was in the present accepting presents while you were hiding in the black, keeping secrets, turning your back on me and everything I offered, I thought you were better than you were guess it's my first mistake to think you wouldn't put me up at the stake watch my ivory skin be engulfed in flames
watch your baby burn away
if it means that you can survive by the skin of your teeth tried to run and run with my tired feet
tried to undo all you have done to me
tried to keep the door open in case you came running back to me I like broken birds, I like empty words
I like chess pieces, I like idealistic worlds
you fit my trauma like a glove, manipulation to get my love but you had another, arguably better
older, more secure, not a country over
but in turn, you made me feel insecure
a tragic mess continuing to dismantle
unravel like ribbons, uncovered the truth due to visions I received, the seeds I reaped
protection is given to me by deities
I am not one for fighting but refuse to wave the white flag you shot me and now I must burn down your creations in a red flash every web of lies, web of secrets
I set ablaze and sit back like the grim reaper

goodevans: <whiteshark: Worst end of a WCC <<EVER>!!!!>> <Really? It's not like the President of FIDE stepped in and abandoned the match.>

When he says "ever" he means "in the last 5 years". Attention spans are very short these days.

Be slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him. ~ Scottish Proverb

The Cobbler and the Financier

A cobbler sang from morn till night;
It was sweet and marvellous to hear,
His trills and quavers told the ear
Of more contentment and delight,
Enjoyed by that laborious wight
Than ever enjoyed the sages seven,
Or any mortals short of heaven.
His neighbour, on the other hand,
With gold in plenty at command,
But little sang, and slumbered less –
A financier of great success.
If ever he dozed, at break of day,
The cobbler's song drove sleep away;
And much he wished that Heaven had made
Sleep a commodity of trade,
In market sold, like food and drink,
So much an hour, so much a wink.
At last, our songster did he call
To meet him in his princely hall.
Said he, "Now, honest Gregory,
What may your yearly earnings be?"
"My yearly earnings! faith, good sir,
I never go, at once, so far,"
The cheerful cobbler said,
And queerly scratched his head, –
"I never reckon in that way,
But cobble on from day to day,
Content with daily bread."
"Indeed! Well, Gregory, pray,
What may your earnings be per day?"
"Why, sometimes more and sometimes less.
The worst of all, I must confess,
(And but for which our gains would be
A pretty sight, indeed, to see,)
Is that the days are made so many
In which we cannot earn a penny –
The sorest ill the poor man feels:
They tread on each other's heels,
Those idle days of holy saints!
And though the year is shingled over,
The parson keeps a-finding more!'
With smiles provoked by these complaints,
Replied the lordly financier,
"I'll give you better cause to sing.
These hundred pounds I hand you here
Will make you happy as a king.
Go, spend them with a frugal heed;
They'll long supply your every need."
The cobbler thought the silver more
Than he had ever dreamed before,
The mines for ages could produce,
Or world, with all its people, use.
He took it home, and there did hide –
And with it laid his joy aside.
No more of song, no more of sleep,
But cares, suspicions in their stead,
And false alarms, by fancy fed.
His eyes and ears their vigils keep,
And not a cat can tread the floor
But seems a thief slipped through the door.
At last, poor man!
Up to the financier he ran, –
Then in his morning nap profound:
"O, give me back my songs," cried he,
"And sleep, that used so sweet to be,
And take the money, every pound!"

"Whatever you are doing in the game of life, give it all you've got." — Norman Vincent Peale

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." — Ralph Marston

The Council Held By The Rats

Old Rodilard, a certain cat,
Such havoc of the rats had made,
It was difficult to find a rat
With nature's debt unpaid.
The few that did remain,
To leave their holes afraid,
From usual food abstain,
Not eating half their fill.
And wonder no one will
That one who made of rats his revel,
With rats passed not for cat, but devil.
Now, on a day, this dread rat-eater,
Who had a wife, went out to meet her;
And while he held his caterwauling,
The unkilled rats, their chapter calling,
Discussed the point, in grave debate,
How they might shun impending fate.
Their dean, a prudent rat,
Thought best, and better soon than late,
To bell the fatal cat;
That, when he took his hunting round,
The rats, well cautioned by the sound,
Might hide in safety under ground;
Indeed he knew no other means.
And all the rest
At once confessed
Their minds were with the dean's.
No better plan, they all believed,
Could possibly have been conceived,
No doubt the thing would work right well,
If any one would hang the bell.
But, one by one, said every rat,
"I'm not so big a fool as that."
The plan, knocked up in this respect,
The council closed without effect.

And many a council I have seen,
Or reverend chapter with its dean,
That, thus resolving wisely,
Fell through like this precisely.

To argue or refute
Wise counsellors abound;
The man to execute
Is harder to be found.

Around the World
Riddle Question: What travels around the world but stays in one spot?

FACTRETRIEVER: Even though dragonflies have six legs, they cannot walk.

Riddle Answer: A stamp.

The Hog, the Goat, and the Sheep

A goat, a sheep, and porker fat,
All to the market rode together.
Their own amusement was not that
Which caused their journey there.
Their coachman did not mean to "set them down"
To see the shows and wonders of the town.
The porker cried, in piercing squeals,
As if with butchers at his heels.
The other beasts, of milder mood,
The cause by no means understood.
They saw no harm, and wondered why
At such a rate the hog should cry.
"Hush there, old piggy!" said the man,
"And keep as quiet as you can.
What wrong have you to squeal about,
And raise this devilish, deafening shout?
These stiller persons at your side
Have manners much more dignified.
Pray, have you heard
A single word
Come from that gentleman in wool?
That proves him wise." "That proves him fool!"
The testy hog replied;
"For did he know
To what we go,
He'd cry almost to split his throat;
So would her ladyship the goat.
They only think to lose with ease,
The goat her milk, the sheep his fleece:
They're, maybe, right; but as for me,
This ride is quite another matter.
Of service only on the platter,
My death is quite a certainty.
Adieu, my dear old piggery!"
The porker's logic proved at once
Himself a prophet and a dunce.

Hope ever gives a present ease,
But fear beforehand kills:
The wisest he who least foresees
Inevitable ills.

<Atterdag: Geoff - are you a descendant of Wordsworth?: There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more. :-)

Sally Simpson: Hi Atterdag,
This is my tribute to Wordsworth. (Daffodils.)

I wandered lonely as a pawn,
o'er a field coloured brown and cream,
When suddenly I ran out of squares
and discovered I was now a Queen.>

"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.

* The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy by Irving Chernev

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

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

* Riddle-free-xp: https://chessimprover.com/chess-rid...

"Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy." ― Norman Vincent Peale

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

slaw1998: In my spine there sends a shiver
When a player sends his pieces up the river
Into loose en prise encapture, enrapture,
Does it to my heart receive it well
Yet other players bring me down
Their defense sends my attack the other way around And Tal and others would be quite displeased
Like I, to have the attack no hope of being released

So I'll go on shedding pieces
With combos, like a magic stall,
And hope that some day
I can beat them all.

"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

zpoof! 82 oysterz with prunz prejudice-T motivated NYC andy now tharz a shortage of chewin gum, pencils and crayons for da cops in comic mag, coffee and doughnut stops shops on 55th avenue across From's Gambit the second-run move he theater with no parking cynz n Sig Saurers.

Paul Revere Never Actually Shouted, "The British Are Coming!" While everyone knows the story of Revere's famous ride in which he was said to have warned colonial militia of the approaching enemy by yelling "The British are coming!" This is actually false. According to History.com, the operation was meant to be quiet and stealthy, since British troops were hiding out in the Massachusetts countryside. Also, colonial Americans still considered themselves to be British.

<Amanda Kay wrote:

Checkmate
You were my knight
Shining armor
Chess board was our home
Queen's fondness you garnered
A kiss sweeter than honeycomb>

'A stitch in time saves nine'

"My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring." ― Prince William

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"It is atheism and blasphemy to dispute what God can do: good Christians content themselves with His will revealed in His Word." ― King James I

"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 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.

"A God you understood would be less than yourself." ― Flannery O'Connor

Psalms 31:24 - Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

"You can't hold with the hare and run with the hounds."

"He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates." ― George Orwell, 1984

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." ― Yogi Berra, 10-time World Series champion

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?

"To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?" — Queen Elizabeth II

Proverbs 12:1 - Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

The Winds of Fate
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.
Like the winds of the seas are the ways of fate, As we voyage along through the life:
Tis the set of a soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

"There are good ships, and there are wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, and may they always be." – Anonymous

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

"My concern about my reputation is with the people who I respect and my family and my Lord. And I'm perfectly comfortable with my reputation with them, sir." —John Durham

"Thirty Days Hath September" Lyrics

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone.
Which only has but twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Psalm 32:8 (KJV): "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

"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

"I've come to the personal conclusion that while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists." ― Marcel Duchamp

"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.

Ecclesiastes 9:9: "Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun."

JACK BE NIMBLE
Jack be nimble
Jack be quick
Jack jump over
The candlestick

wordyfunn
032 rxp Dzagnidze zombd Zelinsky fust NewJzy Zaza Bakgandzhiyo ztecho22 muzio out-of-print scratch, scratch, scratched his rash. Zajarnyi toppd Ziggurat even though zig smokd a special cig to nHans hiz men_tal towerz.

Q: Why do we tell actors to "break a leg?"
A: Because every play has a cast.

"As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Why should I give her publicity?" ― Jose Raul Capablanca (on being asked to pose for a photo with a famous actress)

"I always play carefully and try to avoid unnecessary risks. I consider my method to be right as any superfluous ‘daring' runs counter to the essential character of chess, which is not a gamble but a purely intellectual combat conducted in accordance with the exact rules of logic." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"When you sit down to play a game you should think only about the position, but not about the opponent. Whether chess is regarded as a science, or an art, or a sport, all the same psychology bears no relation to it and only stands in the way of real chess." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"I always use only the openings that bring fruitful results in practice, regardless of the positions arising in the middle-game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"I thought for a little while before playing this, knowing that I would be subjected thereafter to a terrific attack, all the lines of which would be of necessity familiar to my adversary. The lust of battle, however, had been aroused within me. I felt that my judgment and skill were being challenged. I decided that I was honor bound, so to speak, to take the pawn and accept the challenge, as my judgment told me that my position should then be defensible." ― Jose Raul Capablanca (on being confronted by Marshall's new Marshall Attack)

"When a match is over, I forget it. You can only remember so many things, so it is better to forget useless things that you can't use and remember useful things that you can use. For instance, I remember and will always remember that in 1927 Babe Ruth hit sixty home runs." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"I had to keep walking from table to table. I must have walked ten miles. In chess, as in baseball, the legs go first. Chess is not an old man's game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca (on giving a simul)

"Sir, if you could beat me, I would know you." ― Jose Raul Capablanca (to an unknown player who had rejected Capablanca's offer of queen odds, on the grounds that Capablanca didn't know him, and might lose)

"Young man, you play remarkable chess! You never make a mistake!" ― Emanuel Lasker (after losing most of the games in a 10-game rapid transit match against a very young Capablanca)

"He was of medium height, lean, but no padding needed for his shoulders. And such pride in the posture of his head! You would know no one could dingle-dangle that man. I can visualize him so clearly, with his dark hair and large gray-green eyes. Believe me, when he took a stroll, in his black derby hat and carrying a cane, no handsomer young gentleman ever graced Fifth Avenue." ― Bernard Epstein (Capa's college roommate)

"Capablanca's planning of the game is so full of that freshness of his genius for position play, that every hypermodern player can only envy him." ― Alexander Alekhine

"It is astonishing how carefully Capablanca's combinations are calculated. Turn and twist as you will, search the variations in every way possible, you come to the inevitable conclusion that the moves all fit in with the utmost precision." ― Max Euwe

"There is nothing more to fear from the Capablanca technique." ― Efim Bogoljubow (shortly after which, Capablanca proceeded to crush him)

"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 (on a Capablanca game)

"Chess was Capablanca's mother tongue." ― Richard Reti

"Learn carefully to work out strategic plans like Capablanca, and you will laugh at the plans told to you in ridiculous stories." ― Emanuel Lasker

"Poor Capablanca! Thou wert a brilliant technician, but no philosopher. Thou wert not capable of believing that in chess, another style could be victorious than the absolutely correct one." ― Max Euwe

"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

"I was surprised to see that Capablanca did not initiate any active maneuvers and instead adopted a waiting game. In the end, his opponent made an imprecise move, the Cuban won a second pawn and soon the game. 'Why didn't you try to convert your material advantage straight away?' I ventured to ask the great chess virtuoso. He smiled indulgently: 'It was more practical to wait'." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Once in a lobby of the Hall of Columns of the Trade Union Center in Moscow a group of masters were analyzing an ending. They could not find the right way to go about things and there was a lot of arguing about it. Suddenly Capablanca came into the room. He was always fond of walking about when it was his opponent's turn to move. Learning the reason for the dispute the Cuban bent down to the position, said 'Si, si,' and suddenly redistributed the pieces all over the board to show what the correct formation was for the side trying to win. I haven't exaggerated. Don Jose literally pushed the pieces around the board without making moves. He just put them in fresh positions where he thought they were needed. Suddenly everything became clear. The correct scheme of things had been set up and now the win was easy. We were delighted by Capablanca's mastery." ― Alexander Kotov

"During the last twenty years, Capablanca has contested in successive tournaments, and his games form a series of classics, noted chiefly for their grace and simplicity. This simplicity is, of course, the result of that art which conceals art." ― B. Winkleman

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

"Capablanca had that art which hides art to an overwhelming degree." ― Harry Golombek

"I have known many chess players, but only one chess genius, Capablanca." ― Emanuel Lasker

"I think Capablanca had the greatest natural talent." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Capablanca was possibly the greatest player in the entire history of chess." ― Bobby Fischer.

"Beautiful, cold, remorseless chess, almost creepy in its silent implacability." ― Raymond Chandler (on a Capablanca game)

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

"I see only one move ahead, but it is always the correct one." ― Jose R. Capablanca

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

"Capablanca's games generally take the following course: he begins with a series of extremely fine prophylactic maneuvers, which neutralize his opponent's attempts to complicate the game; he then proceeds, slowly but surely, to set up an attacking position. This attacking position, after a series of simplifications, is transformed into a favorable endgame, which he conducts with matchless technique." ― Aaron Nimzowitsch

"He 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 (on Capablanca)

"I honestly feel very humble when I study Capablanca's games." ― Max Euwe

"You cannot play chess unless you have studied his games." ― Mikhail Botvinnik (on Capablanca)

"Capablanca's play produced and still produces an irresistible artistic effect. In his games a tendency towards simplicity predominated, and in this simplicity there was a unique beauty of genuine depth." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Without technique it is impossible to reach the top in chess, and therefore we all try to borrow from Capablanca his wonderful, subtle technique." ― Mikhail Tal

"I was brought up on the games of Capablanca and Nimzowitsch, and they became part of my chess flesh and blood." ― Tigran Petrosian

"Capablanca was among the greatest of chess players, but not because of his endgame. His trick was to keep his openings simple, and then play with such brilliance in the middlegame that the game was decided - even though his opponent didn't always know it - before they arrived at the ending." ― Robert Fischer

"Capablanca never really devoted himself to chess, seldom made match preparations. His simplicity is a myth. His almost complete lack of book knowledge forced him to push harder to squeeze the utmost out of every position. Every move he made had to be super-sharp so as to make something out of nothing. His play was forced. He had to try harder than anybody else because he had so little to begin with." ― Robert Fischer

"The ideal in chess can only be a collective image, but in my opinion, it is Capablanca who most closely approaches this... His book was the first chess book that I studied from cover to cover. Of course, his ideas influenced me." ― Anatoly Karpov

"I did not believe I was superior to him. Perhaps the chief reason for his defeat was the overestimation of his own powers arising out of his overwhelming victory in New York, 1927, and his underestimation of mine." ― Alexander Alekhine (on Capablanca)

"With his death, we have lost a very great chess genius who's like we shall never see again." ― Alexander Alekhine (on Capablanca)

"Alekhine was the rock-thrower, Capablanca the man who made it all seem easy." ― Hans Ree

"Against Alekhine you never knew what to expect. Against Capablanca, you knew what to expect, but you couldn't prevent it!" ― George Thomas

"Capa's games looked as though they were turned out by a lathe, while Alekhine's resembled something produced with a mallet and chisel." ― Charles Yaffe

"I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca! His ideal was to win by maneuvering. Capablanca's genius reveals itself in his probing of the opponent's weak points. The slightest weakness cannot escape from his keene eye." ― Emanuel Lasker

"Whereas Anderssen and Chigorin looked for accidental positions, Capablanca is guided by the logicality of strong positions. He values only that which is well-founded: solidity of position, pressure on a weak point, he does not trust the accidental, even if it be a problem-like mate, at the required moment he discovers and carries out subtle and far-sighted combinations..." ― Emanuel Lasker

"Capablanca possessed an amazing ability to quickly see into a position and intuitively grasp its main features. His style, one of the purest, most crystal-clear in the entire history of chess, astonishes one with its logic." ― Garry Kasparov

"Capablanca was a genius. He was an exception that did not obey any rule." ― Vladimir Kramnik

"We can compare Capablanca with Mozart, whose charming music appeared to have been a smooth flow. I get the impression that Capablanca did not even know why he preferred this or that move, he just moved the pieces with his hand. If he had worked a lot on chess, he might have played worse because he would have started to try to comprehend things. But Capablanca did not have to comprehend anything, he just had to move the pieces!" ― Vladimir Kramnik

To add:

"You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else; for, whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middlegame and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"People who want to improve should take their defeats as lessons, and endeavor to learn what to avoid in the future. You must also have the courage of your convictions. If you think your move is good, make it." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"A good player is always lucky." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Chess is more than a game or a mental training. It is a distinct attainment. I have always regarded the playing of chess and the accomplishment of a good game as an art, and something to be admired no less than an artist's canvas or the product of a sculptor's chisel. Chess is a mental diversion rather than a game. It is both artistic and scientific." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In chess, as played by a good player, logic and imagination must go hand in hand, compensating each other." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"When you sit down to play a game you should think only about the position, but not about the opponent. Whether chess is regarded as a science, or an art, or a sport, all the same psychology bears no relation to it and only stands in the way of real chess." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The great World Champions Morphy, Steinitz, and Lasker were past masters in the art of Pawn play; they had no superiors in their handling of endgames. The present World Champion has not the strength of the other three as an endgame player, and is therefore inferior to them." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"None of the great players has been so incomprehensible to the majority of amateurs and even masters, as Emanuel Lasker." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"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

"The best way to learn endings, as well as openings, is from the games of the masters." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Ninety percent of the book variations have no great value, because either they contain mistakes or they are based on fallacious assumptions; just forget about the openings and spend all that time on the endings." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The king, which during the opening and middlegame stage is often a burden because it has to be defended, becomes in the endgame a very important and aggressive piece, and the beginner should realize this, and utilize his king as much as possible." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"A passed pawn increase in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"There was a time in my life when I almost thought I could never lose a single duel of chess." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The winning of a pawn among good players of even strength often means the winning of the game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"To improve at chess you should in the first instance study the endgame." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Chess can never reach its height by following in the path of science ... Let us, therefore, make a new effort and with the help of our imagination turn the struggle of technique into a battle of ideas." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"People who want to improve should take their defeats as lessons, and endeavor to learn what to avoid in the future. You must also have the courage of your convictions. If you think your move is good, make it." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"To improve at chess, you should in the first instance study the endgame." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Endings of one rook and pawns are about the most common sort of endings arising on the chess board. Yet though they do occur so often, few have mastered them thoroughly. They are often of a very difficult nature, and sometimes while apparently very simple they are in reality extremely intricate." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"When you sit down to play a game you should think only about the position, but not about the opponent. Whether chess is regarded as a science, or an art, or a sport, all the same psychology bears no relation to it and only stands in the way of real chess." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"None of the great players has been so incomprehensible to the majority of amateurs and even masters, as Emanuel Lasker." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Morphy gained most of his wins by playing directly and simply, and it is simple and logical method that constitutes the true brilliance of his play, if it is considered from the viewpoint of the great masters." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"An exception was made with respect to me, because of my victory over Marshall. Some of the masters objected to my entry ... one of them was Dr. Bernstein. I had the good fortune to play him in the first round., and beat him in such fashion as to obtain the Rothschild prize for the most brilliant game ... a profound feeling of respect for my ability remained throughout the rest of the contest." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The king, which during the opening and middlegame stage is often a burden because it has to be defended, becomes in the endgame a very important and aggressive piece, and the beginner should realize this, and utilize his king as much as possible." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Alekhine evidently possesses the most remarkable chess memory that has ever existed. It is said that he remembers by heart all the games played by the leading masters during the last 15-20 years." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Most players ... do not like losing, and consider defeat as something shameful. This is a wrong attitude. Those who wish to perfect themselves must regard their losses as lessons and learn from them what sorts of things to avoid in the future." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The weaker the player the more terrible the Knight is to him, but as a player increases in strength the value of the Bishop becomes more evident to him, and of course there is, or should be, a corresponding decrease in his estimation of the value of the Knight as compared to the Bishop." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In order to improve your game, you must study the Endgame before everything else." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Chess can never reach its height by following in the path of science ... Let us, therefore, make a new effort and with the help of our imagination turn the struggle of technique into a battle of ideas." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The winning of a pawn among good players of even strength often means the winning of the game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"I have not given any drawn or lost games, because I thought them inadequate to the purpose of the book." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"No other great master has been so misunderstood by the vast majority of chess amateurs and even by many masters, as has Emanuel Lasker." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Your Soviet players are cheating, losing the games on purpose to my rival, Botvinnik, in order to increase his points on the score. - (to Stalin in Moscow 1936 where he finished in 1st place, 1 point ahead of Botvinnik)" ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Sultan Khan had become champion of India at Indian chess and he learned the rules of our form of chess at a later date. The fact that even under such conditions he succeeded in becoming champion reveals a genius for chess which is nothing short of extraordinary." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"Chess is something more than a game. It is an intellectual diversion which has certain artistic qualities and many scientific elements." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"The best way to learn endings, as well as openings, is from the games of the masters." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"A good player is always lucky." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"An hour's history of two minds is well told in a game of chess." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

JRC