"The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of chess, in which we have points to gain, and competition or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or want of it. By playing at chess then, we may learn: First, Foresight; Second, Circumspection; Third, Caution; And lastly, We learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources." — Benjamin Franklin, 1779

"The game might be divided into three parts: the opening, the middle-game and the endgame. There is one thing you must strive for, to be equally efficient in the three parts." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

"In a gambit you give up a pawn for the sake of getting a lost game." — Samuel Standidge Boden

"I believe that it is best to know a 'dubious' opening really well, rather than a 'good' opening only slightly." ― Simon Williams

"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.

"I've played a number of interesting novelties lately. Mostly that's because I haven't got a clue what I am doing in the opening." ― Nigel Short

"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

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." ― Henry David Thoreau

English-Kiswahili translation
Actions speak louder than words. Ada ya mja hunena, mwungwana ni kitendo.

Riddle Question: What word has three consecutive double letters?

One of the best quarterbacks of all-time, Drew Brees holds numerous NFL records, has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls, and led the New Orleans Saints to victory at Super Bowl XLIV in 2009, garnering the MVP award. He was also named Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2011.

Riddle Answer: Bookkeeper.

Adams Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.d4)

Adelaide Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5)

Alapin Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3 h5)

Alapin Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3)

Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5)

Alekhine Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Be7 6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.N2g3 0-0 8.Be2 Nc6)

Allgaier Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5)

Andreaschek Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 e5 4.c3)

Anti-Meran Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5)

Anti-Moscow Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 dxc4 8.e4)

Balogh Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.e4 d6)

Basque Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.c3)

Belgrade Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5)

Bellon Gambit (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e4 4.Ng5 b5)

Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5)

Bertin (Three Pawns) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3 fxg3 6.0-0 gxh2+ 7.Kh1)

Bishop's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4)

Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4)

Blackburne Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nc3)

Blackmar–Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 – also (1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3)

Blumenfeld Counter Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5)

Blumenfeld Reversed Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.e3 c5 4.b4)

Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3)

Boehnke Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 e6 3. dxe6 Bxe6)

Brentano Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g5)

Breyer Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qf3)

Bronstein Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nc6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4)

Bryan Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 b5)

Bryan (Kieseritzky) CounterGambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 b5)

Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5)

Calabrian Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 f5)

Carrera (Basman) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qe2)

Catalan Queens Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3)

Charousek Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Qe2)

Chicago Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 Nxe5 4.d4)

Cochrane Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7)

Colorado Gambit (1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5)

Cunningham Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7)

Dada Gambit (1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.b4)

Danish Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3)

Danube Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d5 b5)

De Smet Gambit (1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 d6)

Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e4)

Diemer–Duhm Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c4)

Double Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7+)

Duras Gambit (Fred Defence) (1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Kf7)

Elephant Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5)

Englund Gambit (1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Qd5 f6 5.exf6 Nxf6)

Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4)

Evans Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 d5)

Fajarowicz Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4)

Falkbeer Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5)

Four Pawns Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4 Bxb4 4.f4 exf4 5.Nf3 Be7 6.d4 Bh4+ 7.g3 fxg3 8.0-0 gxh2+ 9.Kh1)

Franco-Hiva Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 f5)

Frankenstein–Dracula Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6)

French: Wing Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4)

FACTRETRIEVER: Feral pigs ate and completely destroyed $22,000 worth of cocaine that had been hidden in an Italian forest.

Fried Liver Attack Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7)

From Gambit (1.f4 e5)

Fyfe Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.d4)

Gent Gambit (1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0 fxg3 6.hxg3)

Ghulam Khassim Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.d4)

Gianutio Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 f5)

Ginsburg Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bc4)

Godley Gambit (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Nf6)

Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3)

Greco Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.f4)

Grünfeld Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0)

Halasz Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.f4)

Halibut Gambit (1.c4 b5)

Halloween Gambit (Müller–Schultze) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5)

Hamppe–Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.Bc4 g4 6.0-0)

Hanstein Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.0-0)

Harksen Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.c4)

Herrstrom Gambit (1.Nf3 g5)

Hubsch Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 4.Bc4)

Icelandic Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6)

Italian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4)

Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7)

John Tracy Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Nf3)

Karpov Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5)

Kasparov Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 d5)

Keres Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nc3)

Khan Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 d5)

Kieseritzky Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5)

King's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4)

Kotrč–Mieses Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.b4)

Krejcik Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+)

Krol Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3)

Lasker Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c6 (or 4…g6) 5.f3)

Latvian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.g4)

Lewis Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4)

Lisitsin Gambit (1.Nf3 f5 2.e4)

Locock Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Ng5 h6 5.Nxf7)

Lopez Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5)

Lopez Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 Nf6 4.d3 Nc6 5.c3 Ne7 6.f4)

Lopez–Gianutio Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 f5)

Marshall Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e4)

McDonnell Double Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4 Bxb4 4.f4)

McDonnell Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Nc3)

Michel Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 c5)

Milner-Barry Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4)

Moller Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.d5)

Morphy Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3)

Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3)

Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0)

Nakhmanson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Nc3)

Nimzowitsch Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Qg4)

Orthoschnapp Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3)

Paris Gambit (1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0)

Petroff Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4)

Philidor Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.h4)

Philidor Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5)

Pierce Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4 g4 6.Bc4)

Poisoned Pawn (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2)

Polerio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4)

Ponziani Counter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 f5)

Ponziani Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4)

Portsmouth Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.b4)

Portuguese Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4)

Quade Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Nc3)

Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4)

Rasa–Studier Gambit (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3)

Relfsson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bb5)

Reti (Landstrasse) Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4)

Rice Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.0-0)

Rosentreter Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4)

Ross Gambit – (1.Nf3 e5)

Rotary-Albany Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 b6)

Rousseau Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5)

Rubinstein Counter Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6)

Ryder Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qxf3)

Salvio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Ne5)

Schliemann (Jaenisch) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5)

Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4)

Sicilian Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.0-0)

Slav Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4)

Smith–Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3)

Sorensen Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4 5.Ne5)

Spanish Counter Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d5)

Spielmann Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e5 Nfd7 4.e6)

Stafford Gambit (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6)

Stamma Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.h4)

Staunton Gambit Deferred (1.d4 f5 2.c4 e6 3.e4)

Staunton Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4)

Steinitz Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4)

Steinitz Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5)

Sturm Gambit (1.f4 d5 2.c4)

Swiss Gambit (1.f4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4)

Tarrasch Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.dxc5 d4 6.Na4 b5)

Tartakower (Lesser Bishop's) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Be2)

Tartakower (Fischer) Gambit (1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4)

Tennison Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.Nf3)

Tolush–Geller Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5)

Triple Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7)

Tumbleweed Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Kf2)

Two Knights' Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5)

Urusov Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4)

Urusov (Ponziani) Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3)

Van Weersel Attack (1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Qb3)

Vienna Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4)

Villemson Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.d4)

Von Hennig–Schara Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4)

Vukovic Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Bc5)

Wagner Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.e4)

Ware Gambit (1.a4 e5 2.a5 d5 3.e3 f5 4.a6)

White Gambit (1.c4 d5 2.b3 dxc4 3.bxc4 Qd4 4.Nc3)

Wild Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+)

Wilkes-Barre/Traxler Variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5)

Williams Gambit (1.f4 d5 2.e4)

Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4)

Wing Gambit Deferred (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 (or 2…e6) 3.b4)

Wing Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4)

Wing Gambit Delayed (1.e4 c5 2.a3 Nc6 (or 2…e6) 3. b4)

Zollner Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.Be3 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 9.f4 Qb6 10.e5)

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

"You cannot play at chess if you are kind-hearted." ~ French Proverb

"The first principle of attack–Don't let the opponent develop!" ― Reuben Fine

"You may knock your opponent down with the chessboard, but that does not prove you the better player." ~ English Proverb

"For a period of ten years--between 1946 and 1956--Reshevsky was probably the best chessplayer in the world. I feel sure that had he played a match with Botvinnik during that time he would have won and been World Champion." ― Bobby Fischer

"I believe that true beauty of chess is more than enough to satisfy all possible demands." ― Alexander Alekhine

"We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for sacrifices is part of a chessplayer's nature." ― Rudolf Spielmann

"To play for a draw, at any rate with white, is to some degree a crime against chess." ― Mikhail Tal

"Boring? Who's boring? I am Fredthebear. My mind is always active, busy."

"Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom." ― Francis Bacon

"Discipline is wisdom and vice versa." ― M. Scott Peck

"The punishment of every disordered mind is its own disorder." ― St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

"In chess, as in life, a man is his own most dangerous opponent." — Vasily Smyslov (1921-2010), 7th World Chess Champion

"There are two kinds of idiots - those who don't take action because they have received a threat, and those who think they are taking action because they have issued a threat." ― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

"It is impossible to keep one's excellence in a glass case, like a jewel, and take it out whenever it is required." ― Adolf Anderssen, 1858

"I've played a number of interesting novelties lately. Mostly that's because I haven't got a clue what I am doing in the opening." ― Nigel Short

"It's a short trip from the penthouse to the outhouse." ― Paul Dietzel

English-Kiswahili translation
Clothes don't make the man. Nguo hazifanyi mtu huyo

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.

<Unorthodox Games; Unusual Names ECO=B,C>

Thank you <GumboGambit>!

* Chawd: <Game Collection: Unorthodox Games; Unusual Names (ECO=B,C)>

* <Gumbo's Favorites>: Game Collection: GumboGambit's Selected Games

* Glossary W: Wikipedia article: Glossary of chess

* One of Pandolfini's Best: Game Collection: Solitaire Chess by Bruce Pandolfini

* Two Great Attackers: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* Alekhine getz blitzed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8H...

* Annotated Games: Game Collection: Annotated Games

* Assorted Good Games: Game Collection: assorted Good games

* 1 God in 3 persons: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4pCN...

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

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

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

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

* 50 Ways: Game Collection: 50 Ways to Win at Chess

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

* A Bridge Too Far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRz...

* Artful: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zBtO... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8UZ0...

* Attackers: Game Collection: Chess Secrets - Attackers (Crouch)

* Aggressive Repertoire: Game Collection: Aggressive e4 Repertoire

* Aggressive Women: Game Collection: Agressive Women

* Aggressive Dragons: Game Collection: Aggressive Dragon Tactics

* Abbazia Defense C36: Game Collection: KGA C36 Modern Defense / Abbazia Defense C36

* bazinga! http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/

* 101 Brevities: Game Collection: 7

* Basic tactics course using miniatures:
http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/x/FTP...

* Bowman's Beginner's Guide:
http://chess.jliptrap.us/BowmanBegi... Not perfect but dedicated, passionate.

* Biglo traps: Game Collection: Traps

* Bit Collection: Game Collection: Special Gambit Collection

* Bishop's Opening Miniatures: https://www.chessonly.com/bishop-op...

* Brilliant (and mostly famous)! Game Collection: Brilliant Miniatures

* Brutal Attacking Chess: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

* Blackburne strikes! games annotated by Blackburne

* Black Defends: Game Collection: Opening repertoire black

* Checkmate Art: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* Chess in old newspapers: https://www.schach-chess.com/chess-...

* Chess Records: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/record...

* Chess TV: https://www.twitch.tv/tcec_chess_tv

* Chessclub.com (ICC): https://www.chessclub.com/

* Colle System: Game Collection: colle system

* Collection assembled by Fredthebear, vandalized by CGs.

* Capablanca's Double Attack — having the initiative is important: https://lichess.org/study/tzrisL1R

* Robert Fischer's Best Games by KingG (127 games, a ton of quotes): Game Collection: Robert Fischer's Best Games

* Bobby Fischer Rediscovered/Andrew Soltis (97 games): Game Collection: Bobby Fischer Rediscovered (Andy Soltis)

* 1992: Game Collection: Spassky-Fischer Match 1992

* Black Defends: Game Collection: Opening repertoire black

* Aggressive Gambits: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* 10 Crazy Gambits: https://www.chess.com/blog/yola6655...

* Lekhika Dhariyal Chess Ops: https://www.zupee.com/blog/category...

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

* Nakhmanson Gambit: https://chesstier.com/nakhmanson-ga...

* Gambits & stuff: https://gambitchessplayer.com/page/3/

* More Gs: https://saintlouischessclub.org/blo...

* King's English: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* Reti/English 0-1: Game Collection: Reti/English systems: Black's viewpoint

* Bg2 vs Bg7 English: Game Collection: Inglesa 3

* Common Mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI1...

* Snipe Hunting: https://temposchlucker.blogspot.com...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Champion miniatures: Game Collection: Champions miniature champions

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

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

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

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

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

* Club 1.d4 Nf6 2...e6 3...as you please. Symmetrical English ...c5, Qc7, a6, form a hut/small center. Much the same w/the QGA dxc4 and cxd4: D Kryakvin vs Evgeni Kuligin, 2008

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

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

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

* Malaguena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxD...

* Nimzowitsch Defense: https://www.chessable.com/blog/nimz...

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

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

* Overworked! Game Collection: Overworked Piece

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

"Why don't you play checkers with Bill anymore?" "Would you play with a person who cheats and moves his men around when you are not looking?" "No."
"Well, neither would Bill."

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

* Candidates 2014: World Championship Candidates (2014)

* Carlsen's Minis: Game Collection: Carlsen's winning miniatures

* Defend Your Pieces, Kids! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc-...

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

* Expanded Edition:
Game Collection: 125 Greatest Chess Games

* Feeling Punny? Don't tell Fredthebear. Use the Submission Page: Pun Submission Page

* Find Forcing Moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHO...

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

* Gambits by ECO code: https://www.jimmyvermeer.com/openin...

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

* Good Historical Links:
https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/in...

* Happy Days! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slv...

* h-file attacks: Game Collection: h-file Attacks, some Greek Gifts by Fredthebear

* How to Play Chess! http://www.serverchess.com/play.htm...

* Imagination: Game Collection: Imagination in Chess

* Immortal Games: Game Collection: Immortal games

* Jackpot History: https://www.megamillions.com/About/...

* Surprise Knockouts: Game Collection: quick knockouts of greats

* This MC collection is way better than mine: Game Collection: The Carlsen Chronicles Part I - Wonderboy

* Eat like a champion: https://tartajubow.blogspot.com/201...

* 2013 WCC: Game Collection: Anand-Carlsen WC November 2013

* Today's Titans: search "Sergey Karjakin vs Magnus Carlsen"

* FIDE Laws of Chess (2018): https://www.schachschiri.de/fide_18...

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

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

* GM Endgames: Game Collection: Grandmaster Preparation - Endgame Play

* Hotel: https://www.chesshotel.com/

* How to catch a Spanish Rabbit: https://fi.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esp...

* ICC: https://www.chessclub.com/

* Use your King: Game Collection: ABC Games for Lessons

* MC Move-by-Move: Game Collection: Move by Move - Carlsen (Lakdawala)

* Miniatures: Game Collection: 0

* C21-C22 miniatures: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* 20 Various Italian Games: Game Collection: Italian Game

* The Italian Game, Classical: Game Collection: Giuco Piano

* Annotated Evans Gambits: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

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

* Collection assembled by Fredthebear.

* Classic games by great players: Game Collection: Guinness Book - Chess Grandmasters (Hartston)

* Great Combinations: Game Collection: Combinations

* Danish Gambits: Game Collection: Danish Gambit Games 1-0

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

* Dumb Parents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xl...

* Emre: https://chessdoctrine.com/chess-ope...

* Emilio's Picks: Game Collection: emilio's favorite games, 2

* Elementary Checkmate with two Bishops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaR...

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

* English-Kiswahili translation
Many hands make light work. Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni udhaifu

* FIDE: https://www.fide.com/

* Famous brilliancies: Game Collection: brilliacies

* Brilliant games: Game Collection: Brilliant games

* Fire Baptisms: Game Collection: Fire Baptisms

* The Fireside Book of Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld: Game Collection: Fireside Book of Chess

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

* B20s: Game Collection: Grand Prix (Ginger's Models)

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

* GK: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* h-file attacks: Game Collection: h-file Attacks, some Greek Gifts by Fredthebear

* How to Play Chess! http://www.serverchess.com/play.htm...

* Imagination: Game Collection: Imagination in Chess

* Impact of Genius: 500 years of Grandmaster Chess: Game Collection: Impact of Genius : 500 years of Grandmaster Ches

* Immortal Games: Game Collection: Immortal games

* Ray Keene's favorite games: Game Collection: ray keene's favorite games

* King's Pawn Theory and Practice: Game Collection: Chess Openings: Theory and Practice, Section 1

* Surprise Knockouts: Game Collection: quick knockouts of greats

* Lasker's Manual: Game Collection: Manual of Chess (Lasker)

* Middlegame Combinations by Peter Romanovsky: Game Collection: Middlegame Combinations by Peter Romanovsky

* Monday Puzzles: Game Collection: Monday Puzzles, 2011-2017

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

* '500 Master Games of Chess' by Savielly Tartakower and Julius Du Mont: Game Collection: 500 Master Games of Chess

* Nuremberg 1896: Nuremberg (1896)

* Nakhmanson Gambit: https://chesstier.com/nakhmanson-ga...

* Nunn's Chess Course: Game Collection: Lasker JNCC

* Fork Overload (Remove the Defender): Game Collection: FORK-OVERLOAD OR HOOK-AND-LADDER TRICK

* Chess Prehistory: Game Collection: Chess Prehistory

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

* Become a Predator at the Chessboard: https://www.chesstactics.org/

* Mil y Una Partidas 1914-1931: Game Collection: Mil y Una Partidas 1914-1931

* Back rank mating tactics: Game Collection: 610_Back rank mating tactics

* Best (Old) Games of All Time: Game Collection: Best Games of All Time

* Best of the British: Game Collection: Best of the British

* The Best Chess Games (part 2): Game Collection: The Best Chess Games (part 2)

* 'Chess Praxis' by Aron Nimzowitsch: Game Collection: Chess Praxis (Nimzowitsch)

* 'Great Brilliancy Prize Games of the Chess Masters' by Fred Reinfeld: Game Collection: 0

* 'The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games' by Graham Burgess, John Nunn and John Emms. New expanded edition-now with 125 games. Game Collection: Mammoth Book-Greatest Games (Nunn/Burgess/Emms)

* Morphy Miniatures:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* On the Road: https://ontheroadtochessmaster.com/

* Logic Puzzles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToI...

* Play: https://play.chessbase.com/en/

* POTD 2023: Game Collection: Puzzle of the Day 2023

* Riddle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCk...

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II: Game Collection: Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II

* Scandinavian Minis: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Exchange sacs: Game Collection: Exchange sacs - 1

* GK Scheveningens: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* Spider's Weave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_C...

* Steinitz collection:
Game Collection: Steinitz Gambits

* Tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI6...

* Shirov miniatures: Game Collection: Shirov miniatures

* Tactical Games: Game Collection: Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Tactics

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* More teenage tagging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU9...

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

* 700+ games of QGD: Queen's Gambit Declined (D06)

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

* Tartakower Defense: https://www.chess.com/blog/MatBobul...

* USCF: https://new.uschess.org/

* Variety pack: Game Collection: KID games

* 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

"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." ― Stephen Covey

Kentucky: Harrodsburg
Established in: 1774

Harrodsburg was established by James Harrod in 1774. Harrodsburg is the oldest permanent settlement west of the Alleghenies and was originally called Harrodstown. There is still a replica of the original fort where Daniel Boone once lived, as well as the Lincoln Marriage Temple, where Abraham Lincoln's parents got married.

<<<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'.>

"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

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." — Abraham Lincoln

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself." — Tecumseh

Anna Kournikova

<There once was a fly on the wall,

I wonder why didn't it fall.

Because its feet stuck,

Or was it just luck,

Or does gravity miss things so small?>

Little strokes fell great oaks. ~ Swiss Proverb

The devil hides himself in details. ~ Swiss Proverb

Big fish eat little fish. ~ Swiss Proverb

The apple does not fall far from the tree. ~ Swiss Proverb

Think first, start later. ~ Swiss Proverb

<Sep-12-21 offramp:

"Yeah I'm sorry,
I can't afford a Ferrari,
But that don't mean
I can't get you there
I guess he's an X-box,
and I'm more Aryan Tari
But the way you play
your game ain't fair.">

* CG Biography: Aryan Tari

* English-Kiswahili translation
Never judge a book by its cover. Usihukumu kitabu kwa kifuniko chake.

<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>

"Even though chess isn't the toughest thing that computers will tackle for centuries, it stood as a handy symbol for human intelligence. No matter what human-like feat computers perform in the future, the Deep Blue match demands an indelible dot on all timelines of AI progress." ― Steven Levy

I have a fear of speed bumps. But I am slowly getting over it.

* Riddle-e-dee: https://chessimprover.com/chess-rid...

I was wondering why the frisbee was getting bigger, then it hit me.

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

"The chess heroes nowadays should not forget that it was owing to Fischer that they are living today in four- and five-star hotels, getting appearance fees, etc." ― Lev Khariton

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

"I've never met a checkers player I didn't like; they're all even-tempered. Chess players are egotistical. They think they're intellectuals and that everyone else is beneath them." ― Don Lafferty, draughts grandmaster

* English-Kiswahili translation
Charity begins at home. Kutoa ni moyo, si utajiri.

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

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.

"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

The Bear and the Amateur Gardener

A certain mountain bear, unlicked and rude,
By fate confined within a lonely wood,
A new Bellerophon, whose life,
Knew neither comrade, friend, nor wife, –
Became insane; for reason, as we term it,
Dwells never long with any hermit.
It's good to mix in good society,
Obeying rules of due propriety;
And better yet to be alone;
But both are ills when overdone.
No animal had business where
All grimly dwelt our hermit bear;
Hence, bearish as he was, he grew
Heart-sick, and longed for something new.
While he to sadness was addicted,
An aged man, not far from there,
Was by the same disease afflicted.
A garden was his favourite care, –
Sweet Flora's priesthood, light and fair,
And eke Pomona's – ripe and red
The presents that her fingers shed.
These two employments, true, are sweet
When made so by some friend discreet.
The gardens, gaily as they look,
Talk not, (except in this my book;)
So, tiring of the deaf and dumb,
Our man one morning left his home
Some company to seek,
That had the power to speak. –
The bear, with thoughts the same,
Down from his mountain came;
And in a solitary place,
They met each other, face to face.
It would have made the boldest tremble;
What did our man? To play the Gascon
The safest seemed. He put the mask on,
His fear contriving to dissemble.
The bear, unused to compliment,
Growled bluntly, but with good intent,
"Come home with me." The man replied:
"Sir Bear, my lodgings, nearer by,
In yonder garden you may spy,
Where, if you'll honour me the while,
We'll break our fast in rural style.
I have fruits and milk, – unworthy fare,
It may be, for a wealthy bear;
But then I offer what I have."
The bear accepts, with visage grave,
But not unpleased; and on their way,
They grow familiar, friendly, gay.
Arrived, you see them, side by side,
As if their friendship had been tried.
To a companion so absurd,
Blank solitude were well preferred,
Yet, as the bear scarce spoke a word,
The man was left quite at his leisure
To trim his garden at his pleasure.
Sir Bruin hunted – always brought
His friend whatever game he caught;
But chiefly aimed at driving flies –
Those hold and shameless parasites,
That vex us with their ceaseless bites –
From off our gardener's face and eyes.
One day, while, stretched on the ground
The old man lay, in sleep profound,
A fly that buzz'd around his nose, –
And bit it sometimes, I suppose, –
Put Bruin sadly to his trumps.
At last, determined, up he jumps;
"I'll stop your noisy buzzing now,"
Says he; "I know precisely how."
No sooner said than done.
He seized a paving-stone;
And by his modus operandi
Did both the fly and man die.

A foolish friend may cause more woe
Than could, indeed, the wisest foe.

Lichess has all the same basic offerings as Chess.com: a large community, many game types, tutorials, puzzles, and livestreams. The site has a simple appearance, and it seems built to get you where you want to go in as few clicks as possible. You can create an account, but if you're not concerned with tracking your games and finding other players at your level, there's no need to log in. Just fire up a new game, try some puzzles, or watch a chess streamer play three-minute games while listening to techno and chatting with the comments section.

FACTRETRIEVER: Gummy bears were originally called "dancing bears." Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal, at 1 million hairs per square inch.

<Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.>

"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.

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

"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

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." ― Benjamin Franklin

from the simpleton poet:

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.

Chess is creative.
And a journey too.

Good in the morning.
Or just before bed.

Play cheater_1, with engine.
Or OTB, all in your head.

Oct-04-23 HeMateMe: I play 3/2 blitz occasionally on Lichess. I find it an excellent site, none of the delays/cancellations that ruined chess.com (for me). Oct-04-23 Cassandro: Yes, lichess is by far the best site for online chess. And you never know, apparently you may even get to play against a living legend like the highly esteemed Leonard Barden there!

FTB plays all about but has always been happy with FICS: https://www.freechess.org/

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Ye Jiangchuan has won the Chinese Chess Championship seven times.

"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

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." ― Frederick Douglass

'Ask no questions and hear no lies

Q: What do you call a cat that likes to eat beans? A: Puss 'n' Toots!

Q: What do you call a clown who's in jail?
A: A silicon!

Q: What do you call a deer with no eyes?
A: No eye deer!!

Q: What do you call a three-footed aardvark?
A: A yardvark!

Q: What do you call a dancing lamb?
A: A baaaaaa-llerina!

Q: What do you call a meditating wolf?
A: Aware wolf!

Q: What do you call a witch who lives at the beach? A: A sand-witch!

Q: What do you call an avocado that's been blessed by the pope? A: Holy Guacamole!

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

<In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.>

There are eight different species of bear: North American black bears, brown bears, polar bears, Asiatic black bears (also known as moon bears due to the white, crescent-moon-shaped marking on their chests), Andean bears, panda bears, sloth bears, and sun bears.

Each species is recognizable by its distinct size, markings, and characteristics.

"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

* 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 no questions and hear no lies

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.

Tennessee schoolteacher John T. Scopes' trial for teaching Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" begins July 1925.

"Funny, funny Jude (The Man in the Red Beret). You play with little pieces all day long, and you know what? You'll live to be an old, old man someday. And here I am." — Janis Joplin

Jude Acers set a Guinness World Record for playing 117 people in simultaneous chess games on April 21, 1973 at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, Oregon. On July 2-3, 1976 Jude played 179 opponents at Mid Isle Plaza (Broadway Plaza) in Long Island, New York for another Guinness record.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

A. A. Milne publishes his first collection of stories about the character Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926.

<<<The Chess Player> by Howard Altmann>

They've left. They've all left.
The pigeon feeders have left.
The old men on the benches have left.
The white-gloved ladies with the Great Danes have left. The lovers who thought about coming have left.
The man in the three-piece suit has left.
The man who was a three-piece band has left.
The man on the milkcrate with the bible has left. Even the birds have left.
Now the trees are thinking about leaving too.
And the grass is trying to turn itself in.
Of course the buses no longer pass.
And the children no longer ask.
The air wants to go and is in discussions.
The clouds are trying to steer clear.
The sky is reaching for its hands.
Even the moon sees what's going on.
But the stars remain in the dark.
As does the chess player.
Who sits with all his pieces
In position.>

The fear of running out of something to read is called "abibliophobia."

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'

Researchers from India recently discovered a new species of green pit vipers. They named the snake after Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter universe.

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

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

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

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

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 (The Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defense)

Then 3.d4 (Ponziani's Gambit) and some variation thereafter. Wikipedia shows that the following are closely related:

* 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (Center Game, by transposition)

* 3...exd4 4.Nf3 (Urusov Gambit)

o 4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nc6 (Max Lange Attack, by transposition)

o 4...Nc6 (Two Knights Defense, by transposition)

o 4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 (Urusov Gambit Accepted)

The <Triple Muzio Gambit> starts with 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. d4 Qxd4+ 10. Be3 – it's a sequence that looks like you're deliberately giving up pawns, but in reality, you're setting up for a quick strike against your opponent's king while they are still trying to coordinate their forces.

The <Nakmanson Gambit> is as follows: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Nc3 dxc3 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qd5+

The beauty of this gambit lies in its aggression and unpredictability. It forces your opponent to think on their feet right from the get-go. By sacrificing pieces early on, it may seem like you're falling behind but don't be fooled! The goal is not necessarily material gain but rather seizing control of the board and leaving your opponent with tough decisions to make under pressure.

The <Lucchini Gambit>: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 f5 5. Ng5 f4 – an aggressive sequence of moves designed to unsettle any adversary right from the get-go.

But don't be fooled by its audacious start; this gambit isn't for the faint-hearted or inexperienced player! The Lucchini Gambit requires careful planning and sharp tactical vision to navigate through its complex mazes, using each piece efficiently while maintaining a strong position on the board.

The <Stafford Gambit>: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6. The beauty of the Stafford Gambit lies not in material gain but in seizing control over the center board swiftly and launching an unyielding attack against unsuspecting opponents. Even if they manage to cope with initial pressure, they must continuously be on guard for tactical blows throughout the middle game phase.

The <Orthoschnapp Gambit>: 1. e4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. cxd5 exd5 4. Qb3 dxe4 5. Bc4 – adding a thrilling twist to your arsenal that'll leave your opponents stunned!

The <Hyper Accelerated Dragon> is like stepping onto a high-speed roller coaster. It offers thrilling turns and tactical maneuvers that'll keep your opponent on their toes. It's an aggressive yet flexible opening for black. It comes into play when you make the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6. This chess opening derives its strength from its versatility in creating a solid positional game while also allowing explosive counterplay opportunities. The key to mastering this opening lies in understanding the pawn structures and knowing exactly when to strike back against your opponent.

The fianchettoed Bg7 applies pressure on the center and prepares for d7-d5 in one go if possible. This allows you to break open your opponent's central control early in the game, leading to dynamic positions that often catch them off guard. Moreover, this unique setup gives you greater flexibility with your knights. They can be developed according to how white responds.

What sets this opening apart is how quickly it drives at white's center without committing too many pieces early on. The accelerated development not only provides an element of surprise but also forces white into defensive mode right out of the gate. So next time you're looking for an adventurous ride through complex tactical terrains while maintaining a secure position, don't hesitate – hop onto the Hyper Accelerated Dragon! With practice and careful study, you'll soon become adept at navigating its twists and turns to outmaneuver your opponents.

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."
― Aristotle

Old Russian Proverb: A good laugh is sunshine in a house.

"Don't just follow your dreams; chase them down, grab hold and don't let go." ― Kellie Elmore

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."

"When you have the better of it, play simply. When the game is going against you, look for complications." — Frank J. Marshall

* Pawn Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUq...

* 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"

Cajun: Joie de vivre (Jhwa da veev) – Joy of living.

William Faulkner publishes The Sound and the Fury in 1929.

"God's mercy and grace give me hope - for myself, and for our world." — Billy Graham

"Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness." — Billy Graham

"If you want it, work for it."

"Tough times don't last, tough people do, remember?" — Gregory Peck

Old Russian Proverb: "If you are given something, take it; if you are being beaten, run. (Дают — бери, а бьют — беги.)"

"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

<I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost everybody. What am I?

Pencil lead

* Riddle-puffy-dried: https://www.briddles.com/riddles/ch...

A <man> stands on one side of a river, his dog on the other. The <man> calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet and without using a bridge or a boat. How did the dog do it?

The river was frozen>

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

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

'Don't keep a dog and bark yourself'

'Don't cast your pearls before swine'

'Don't count your chickens before they are hatched'

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1807-1882

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

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

"It's not how you start that matters, it's how you finish."

"Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." — Francis Bacon

The cat's play is the mouse's death. ~ German Proverb

"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground." ― Theodore Roosevelt

Ah, St. Marher, 1225:
"And te tide and te time þat tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet."

2pry Zeitnot Zshaa-Tichondrius - 601 Disc Priest 226 Ilvl - 27750 RBG zek247 dint undrstnd Ziyatdinov's planto ignore the LSB on deck of the carrier.

"Debt is dumb. Cash is king." — Dave Ramsey

A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets, and the discipline continues into the modern day, where jesters perform at historical-themed events.

During the Middle Ages, jesters are often thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern. Their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume. Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, and storytelling, but many also employed acrobatics, juggling, telling jokes (such as puns, stereotypes, and imitation), and performing magic tricks. Much of the entertainment was performed in a comic style. Many jesters made contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences.

Silence is the best reply to a fool. ― Joker

Always Remember, the beginning is the hardest part. ― Joker

Did you hear about the mathematician who's afraid of negative numbers? He'll stop at nothing to avoid them.

.oo.

A pencil maker told the pencil 5 important lessons just before putting it in the box:

1. Everything you do you will always leave a mark.

2. You can always correct the mistakes you make.

3. What is important is what is inside of you.

4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpening which will only make you better.

5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

Lead Pb 82 207.2 1.8