16 Trounce the French Phil worlds

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16 Trounce the French Phil worlds
Compiled by fredthebear

Compiled by schnarre, re-arranged by Fredthebear.

"Winning needs no explanation, losing has no alibi." ― Greg Baum

"A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop." ― Robert Hughes

"Chess is a fairy tale of 1,001 blunders." ― Savielly Tartakower

"Pawns are the soul of the game." ― François-André Danican Philidor

"The king pawn and the queen pawn are the only ones to be moved in the early part of the game." ― Wilhelm Steinitz

"There is no such thing as an absolutely freeing move. A freeing move in a position in which development has not been carried far always proves illusory, and vice versa, a move which does not come at all in the category of freeing moves can, given a surplus of tempi to our credit, lead to a very free game." ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"The future reshapes the memory of the past in the way it recalibrates significance: some episodes are advanced, others lose purchase." ― Gregory Maguire, A Lion Among Men

"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." ― Douglas MacArthur

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

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

* French Onion Dip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edx...

* Ideas: Game Collection: Ideas In The French Defense

* Additional French Defense games: Game Collection: French Defense

* Well-rounded coverage: Game Collection: French Defense

* Hans On French: Game Collection: French Defense

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

* TFD: https://chessentials.com/category/l...

* Therio what? Game Collection: Theriomorphic French Games

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

Event "Rated Bullet game"
Site "https://lichess.org/nlrrOnSO"
Date "2021.12.14"
White "taskampomou"
Black "Isaykin_Artem"
Result "1-0"
WhiteElo "2206"
BlackElo "2361"
UTCDate "2022.10.29"
UTCTime "17:07:34"
Variant "Standard"
ECO "C01"
Opening "French Defense: Exchange Variation, Monte Carlo Variation" Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Remote_Chess_..." Source "https://lichess.org/study/XbHbOKiN/..." Orientation "white"

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Re8+ 9. Be3 Ng4 10. O-O Nxe3 11. fxe3 Rxe3 12. Bxf7+ Kxf7 13. Ne5+ Kg8 14. Qb3+ Kh8 15. Nf7+ Kg8 16. Nxd8+ Kh8 17. Nf7+ Kg8 18. Nh6+ Kh8 19. Qg8# 1-0 White wins. 1-0

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

Dum spiro, spero

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

"Unfortunately, many regard the critic as an enemy, instead of seeing him as a guide to the truth." ― Wilhelm Steinitz

"My passions were all gathered together like fingers that made a fist. Drive is considered aggression today; I knew it then as purpose." ― Bette Davis

"Chess is a matter of vanity." ― Alexander Alekhine

"As a chess player one has to be able to control one's feelings, one has to be as cold as a machine." ― Levon Aronian

"Sometimes it happens that the computer's assessment is very abstract. It's correct, but it's not useful for a practical game. You have to prove the assessment with very strong moves and if you don't find all of these strong moves you may lose very quickly. For a computer this is not a problem, but for humans it is not so easy." ― Vassily Ivanchuk

"A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit." ― John Milton

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

"A sport, a struggle for results and a fight for prizes. I think that the discussion about "chess is science or chess is art" is already inappropriate. The purpose of modern chess is to reach a result." ― Alexander Morozevich

"No one man is superior to the game." ― A. Bartlett Giamatti, in reference to Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader banned for gambling.

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." ― Alexander Pope

"I consider Mr. Morphy the finest chess player who ever existed. He is far superior to any now living, and would doubtless have beaten Labourdonnais himself. In all his games with me, he has not only played, in every instance, the exact move, but the most exact. He never makes a mistake; but, if his adversary commits the slightest error, he is lost." ― Adolf Anderssen

"After white's reply to 1.e4 e5 with 2.f4 the game is in its last throes" ― Howard Staunton

"I have added these principles to the law: get the Knights into action before both Bishops are developed." ― Emanuel Lasker

"With opposite coloured bishops the attacking side has in effect an extra piece in the shape of his bishop." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"A pawn, when separated from his fellows, will seldom or never make a fortune." ― Francois-Andre Danican Philidor

"Be warned! From Satan's viewpoint you are a pawn in his game of cosmic chess." ― Adrian Rogers

"Pawns not only create the sketch for the whole painting, they are also the soil, the foundation, of any position." ― Anatoly Karpov

"The object of the state is always the same: to limit the individual, to tame him, to subordinate him, to subjugate him." ― Max Stirner

"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

"A Queen's sacrifice, even when fairly obvious, always rejoices the heart of the chess-lover." ― Savielly Tartakower

"Everyone makes mistakes. The wise are not people who never make mistakes, but those who forgive themselves and learn from their mistakes." ― Ajahn Brahm

"As a rule, so-called "positional" sacrifices are considered more difficult, and therefore more praise-worthy, than those which are based exclusively on an exact calculation of tactical possibilities." ― Alexander Alekhine

"It would be idle, and presumptuous, to wish to imitate the achievements of a Morphy or an Alekhine; but their methods and their manner of expressing themselves are within the reach of all." ― Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

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

"Get there firstest with the mostest." ― Nathan Bedford Forrest

"If the defender is forced to give up the center, then every possible attack follows almost of itself." ― Siegbert Tarrasch

"Erudition, like a bloodhound, is a charming thing when held firmly in leash, but it is not so attractive when turned loose upon a defenseless and unerudite public." ― Agnes Repplier

"If you watch it, you should watch it with other players and try to find moves, like it was before. Now on many sites you watch together with the computer and the pleasure is gone." ― Boris Gelfand

"I believe that Chess possesses a magic that is also a help in advanced age. A rheumatic knee is forgotten during a game of chess and other events can seem quite unimportant in comparison with a catastrophe on the chessboard." ― Vlastimil Hort

"It's funny, but many people don't understand why I draw so many games nowadays. They think my style must have changed but this is not the case at all. The answer to this drawing disease is that my favorite squares are e6, f7, g7 and h7 and everyone now knows this. They protect these squares not once but four times!" ― Mikhail Tal

"Having spent alarmingly large chunks of my life studying the white side of the Open Sicilian, I find myself asking, why did I bother?" ― Daniel J. King

"Apart from direct mistakes, there is nothing more ruinous than routine play, the aim of which is mechanical development." ― Alexey Suetin

"Not infrequently ... the theoretical is a synonym of the stereotyped. For the 'theoretical' in chess is nothing more than that which can be found in the textbooks and to which players try to conform because they cannot think up anything better or equal, anything original." ― Mikhail Chigorin

"The choice of opening, whether to aim for quiet or risky play, depends not only on the style of a player, but also on the disposition with which he sits down at the board." ― Efim Geller

"Despite the development of chess theory, there is much that remains secret and unexplored in chess." ― Vasily Smyslov

"No matter how much theory progresses, how radically styles change, chess play is inconceivable without tactics." ― Samuel Reshevsky

"Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous." ― Abdelkader El Djezairi

"Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." ― Abigail Adams

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." ― Winston Churchill

"When I was preparing for one term's work in the Botvinnik school I had to spend a lot of time on king and pawn endings. So when I came to a tricky position in my own games, I knew the winning method." ― Garry Kasparov

"As a rule, pawn endings have a forced character, and they can be worked out conclusively." ― Mark Dvoretsky

"It is a gross overstatement, but in chess, it can be said I play against my opponent over the board and against myself on the clock." ― Viktor Korchnoi

"The fact that the 7 hours time control allows us to play a great deep game is not of great importance for mass-media." ― Alexei Shirov

"For me, each game is a new challenge, which has to be dealt with rationally and systematically. At that time, every other thought fades into oblivion." ― Viswanathan Anand

Ne kadar bilirsen bil, o kadar azdır.

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand." ― Albert Einstein

"One bad move nullifies forty good ones." ― Israel Albert Horowitz

"It is a well-known phenomenon that the same amateur who can conduct the middle game quite creditably, is usually perfectly helpless in the end game. One of the principal requisites of good chess is the ability to treat both the middle and end game equally well." ― Aron Nimzowitsch

"My hard work and excellent training entitled me to be a better actress than some of my competitors." ― Pola Negri

"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

"Capablanca used to talk calmly and moderately about everything. However, when our conversation turned to the problems of the battle for the world championship, in front of me was a quite different person: an enraged lion, although with the fervour typical only of a southerner, with his temperamental patter, which made it hard to follow the torrent of his indignant exclamations and words." ― Alexander Koblencs

"A player is said to have the opposition when he can place his King directly in front of the adverse King, with only one square between them. This is often an important advantage in ending games." ― Howard Staunton

"A player can sometimes afford the luxury of an inaccurate move, or even a definite error, in the opening or middlegame without necessarily obtaining a lost position. In the endgame ... an error can be decisive, and we are rarely presented with a second chance." ― Paul Keres

"Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own citizens with guns." ― Benjamin Franklin

"The Soviet Union was an exception, but even there chess players were not rich. Only Fischer changed that." ― Boris Spassky

"Chess never has been and never can be aught but a recreation. It should not be indulged in to the detriment of other and more serious avocations - should not absorb or engross the thoughts of those who worship at its shrine, but should be kept in the background, and restrained within its proper province. As a mere game, a relaxation from the severe pursuits of life, it is deserving of high commendation." ― Paul Morphy

"Incidentally, when we're faced with a "prove or disprove," we're usually better off trying first to disprove with a counterexample, for two reasons: A disproof is potentially easier (we need just one counterexample); and nitpicking arouses our creative juices. Even if the given assertion is true, our search for a counterexample often leads to a proof, as soon as we see why a counterexample is impossible. Besides, it's healthy to be skeptical." ― Ronald Graham

"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

"Attackers may sometimes regret bad movez, but it's much worse to forever regret an opportunity you allowed to pass you by." ― Garry Kasparov

"Even the laziest king flees wildly in the face of a double check." ― Aron Nimzowitzch

"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.

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

"Winning is about commitment, discipline, hard work, dedication, determination, courage and sometimes even luck!" ― Susan Polgar

"Every defeat is an opportunity to learn from our mistakes! Every victory is a confirmation of our hard work!" ― Susan Polgar

"A chess player uses his/her knowledge to prepare for next game while a passionate coach preparez for next generation!" ― Susan Polgar

French Proverb: "Ce n'est pas à un vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire la grimace." ― (There's no substitute for experience.)

* Alekhine's French Def: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* A few KIAs: Game Collection: Opening Ideas

* Advance French: Game Collection: Attacking with the French

* Black Defends: Game Collection: Opening repertoire black

* Masterful: Game Collection: FRENCH DEFENSE MASTERPIECES

* French-Dutch-Bird: Game Collection: Opening repertoire key games

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

* Games annotated by Capa: games annotated by Capablanca

* Ideas: Game Collection: Ideas In The French Defense

* Everlasting L4U: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jNMN... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ObeV...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZuGb...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pruD...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qQxO...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T21_...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zako...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9nvJ...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dSom...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7U_C...

* The are exceptions: https://academicchess.com/worksheet...

St. Mary

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!

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

"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

<<<Tips to calm down> Here are some helpful, actionable tips you can try the next time you need to calm down.>

1. Breathe
"Breathing is the number one and most effective technique for reducing anger and anxiety quickly," says Scott Dehorty, LCSW-C, of Delphi Behavioral Health.

When you're anxious or angry, you tend to take quick, shallow breaths. Dehorty says this sends a message to your brain, causing a positive feedback loop reinforcing your fight-or-flight response. That's why taking long, deep calming breaths disrupts that loop and helps you calm down.

There are various breathing techniques to help you calm down. One is three-part breathing. Three-part breathing requires you to take one deep breath in and then exhale fully while paying attention to your body.

Once you get comfortable with deep breathing, you can change the ratio of inhalation and exhalation to 1:2 (you slow down your exhalation so that it's twice as long as your inhalation).

Practice these techniques while calm so you know how to do them when you're anxious.

2. Admit that you're anxious or angry
Allow yourself to say that you're anxious or angry. When you label how you're feeling and allow yourself to express it, the anxiety and anger you're experiencing may decrease.

3. Challenge your thoughts
Part of being anxious or angry is having irrational thoughts that don't necessarily make sense. These thoughts are often the "worse-case scenario." You might find yourself caught in the "what if" cycle, which can cause you to sabotage a lot of things in your life.

When you experience one of these thoughts, stop and ask yourself the following questions:

Is this likely to happen?
Is this a rational thought?
Has this ever happened to me before?
What's the worst that can happen? Can I handle that?
After you go through the questions, it's time to reframe your thinking. Instead of "I can't walk across that bridge. What if there's an earthquake, and it falls into the water?" tell yourself: "There are people that walk across that bridge every day, and it has never fallen into the water."

4. Release the anxiety or anger
Dehorty recommends getting the emotional energy out with exercise. "Go for a walk or run. Engaging in some physical activity releases serotonin to help you calm down and feel better."

However, you should avoid physical activity that includes the expression of anger, such as punching walls or screaming.

"This has been shown to increase feelings of anger, as it reinforces the emotions because you end up feeling good as the result of being angry," Dehorty explains.

5. Visualize yourself calm
This tip requires you to practice the breathing techniques you've learned. After taking a few deep breaths, close your eyes and picture yourself calm. See your body relaxed, and imagine yourself working through a stressful or anxiety-causing situation by staying calm and focused.

By creating a mental picture of what it looks like to stay calm, you can refer back to that image when you're anxious.

6. Think it through
Have a mantra to use in critical situations. Just make sure it's one that you find helpful. Dehorty says it can be, "Will this matter to me this time next week?" or "How important is this?" or "Am I going to allow this person/situation to steal my peace?"

This allows the thinking to shift focus, and you can "reality test" the situation.

"When we're anxious or angry, we become hyper-focused on the cause, and rational thoughts leave our mind. These mantras give us an opportunity to allow rational thought to come back and lead to a better outcome," Dehorty explains.

7. Change your focus
Leave the situation, look in another direction, walk out of the room, or go outside.

Dehorty recommends this exercise so you have time for better decision making. "We don't do our best thinking when anxious or angry; we engage in survival thinking. This is fine if our life is really in danger, but if it isn't life threatening, we want our best thinking, not survival instincts," he adds.

8. Have a centering object
When you're anxious or angry, so much of your energy is being spent on irrational thoughts. When you're calm, find a "centering object" such as a small stuffed animal, a polished rock you keep in your pocket, or a locket you wear around your neck.

Tell yourself that you're going to touch this object when you're experiencing anxiety or frustration. This centers you and helps calm your thoughts. For example, if you're at work and your boss is making you anxious, gently rub the locket around your neck.

9. Relax your body
When you're anxious or angry, it can feel like every muscle in your body is tense (and they probably are). Practicing progressive muscle relaxation can help you calm down and center yourself.

To do this, lie down on the floor with your arms out by your side. Make sure your feet aren't crossed and your hands aren't in fists. Start at your toes and tell yourself to release them. Slowly move up your body, telling yourself to release each part of your body until you get to your head.

10. Drop your shoulders
If your body is tense, there's a good chance your posture will suffer. Sit up tall, take a deep breath, and drop your shoulders. To do this, you can focus on bringing your shoulder blades together and then down. This pulls your shoulders down. Take a few deep breaths.

You can do this several times a day.

11. Identify pressure points to calm anger and anxiety Going for a massage or getting acupuncture is a wonderful way to manage anxiety and anger. But it's not always easy to find time in your day to make it happen. The good news is, you can do acupressure on yourself for instant anxiety relief.

This method involves putting pressure with your fingers or your hand at certain points of the body. The pressure releases the tension and relaxes your body.

One area to start with is the point where the inside of your wrist forms a crease with your hand. Press your thumb on this area for two minutes. This can help relieve tension.

12. Get some fresh air
The temperature and air circulation in a room can increase your anxiety or anger. If you're feeling tense and the space you're in is hot and stuffy, this could trigger a panic attack.

Remove yourself from that environment as soon as possible and go outside — even if it's just for a few minutes.

Not only will the fresh air help calm you down, but also the change of scenery can sometimes interrupt your anxious or angry thought process.

13. Fuel your body
Being hangry never helps. If you're hungry or not properly hydrated, many relaxation techniques won't work. That's why it's important to slow down and get something to eat — even if it's just a small snack.

Try nibbling on some dark chocolate. ResearchTrusted Source shows it can help boost brain health and reduce stress.

Wash it down with a cup of green tea and honey. Studies show green tea can help reduce the body's stress response. Research has found that honey can help relieve anxiety.

14. Chew gum
Chewing on a piece of gum can help reduce anxiety (and even boost mood and productivity). In fact, research shows people who chew gum regularly are typically less stressed than non-gum chewers.

15. Listen to music
The next time you feel your anxiety level cranking up, grab some headphones and tune in to your favorite music. Listening to music can have a very calming effect on your body and mind.

16. Dance it out
Get moving to your favorite tunes. Dancing has traditionally been used as a healing art. ResearchTrusted Source shows it's a great way to combat depression and anxiety and increase quality of life.

17. Watch funny videos
Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Research has found that laughing provides therapeutic benefits and can help relieve stress and improve mood and quality of life. Do a quick internet search to find funny videos for an instant mood boost.

18. Write it down
If you're too angry or anxious to talk about it, grab a journal and write out your thoughts. Don't worry about complete sentences or punctuation — just write. Writing helps you get negative thoughts out of your head.

19. Squeeze a stress ball
When you're feeling stress come on, try interacting with a stress-relief toy. Options include:

stress ball
magnetic balls
sculpting clay
puzzles
Rubik's cube
fidget spinner

20. Try aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, or the use of essential oils, may help alleviate stress and anxiety and boost mood. Those commonly used in aromatherapy include:

bergamot
cedarwood
chamomile
geranium
ginger
lavender
lemon
tea tree
Add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser, or mix it with a carrier oil (like coconut oil) and apply to your skin for quick relief.

21. Seek social support
Venting to a trusted friend, family member, or coworker can do wonders. Even if you don't have time for a full play-by-play phone call, a quick text exchange can help you let it all out and help you feel heard.

Bonus points if you engage with a funny friend who can help you laugh for added stress relief.

22. Spend time with a pet
Interacting with your favorite furry friend can decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and lower blood pressure. Quality time with a pet can also help you feel less alone and boost your overall mood.>

"....his countrymen, Kolisch and Steinitz, are greatly indebted for their later success to their having enjoyed early opportunities of practicing with the departed amateur whose death is also greatly deplored amongst all who knew him personally." — Wilhelm Steinitz, regarding Karl Hamppe

The first appearance of the (John) Cochrane gambit against Petrov's defense C42 was in the year 1848 against an Indian master Mohishunder Bannerjee.

"Sorry don't get it done, Dude!" — John Wayne, Rio Bravo

"Gossip is the devil's telephone. Best to just hang up." — Moira Rose

pages 24-25 of The Year Book of the United States Chess Federation 1944 (Chicago, 1945), which published ‘Brave Heart', Anthony Santasiere's tribute to Frank J. Marshall. Written in August 1942 for Marshall's 65th birthday, it began:

Brave Heart –
We salute you!
Knowing neither gain nor loss,
Nor fear, nor hate –;
But only this –
To fight – to fight –
And to love.

Santasiere then gushes on in a similar vein for another 40 lines or so, and we pick up the encomium for its final verse:

For this – dear Frank –
We thank you.
For this – dear Frank –
We love you!
Brave heart –
Brave heart –
We love you!

The Wolf Accusing The Fox Before The Monkey

A wolf, affirming his belief
That he had suffered by a thief,
Brought up his neighbour fox –
Of whom it was by all confessed,
His character was not the best –
To fill the prisoner's box.
As judge between these vermin,
A monkey graced the ermine;
And truly other gifts of Themis
Did scarcely seem his;
For while each party plead his cause,
Appealing boldly to the laws,
And much the question vexed,
Our monkey sat perplexed.
Their words and wrath expended,
Their strife at length was ended;
When, by their malice taught,
The judge this judgment brought:
"Your characters, my friends, I long have known, As on this trial clearly shown;
And hence I fine you both – the grounds at large To state would little profit –
You wolf, in short, as bringing groundless charge, You fox, as guilty of it."

Come at it right or wrong, the judge opined
No other than a villain could be fined.

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

"Just because you know stuff doesn't mean you are smart... You have to know how to use that information." ― Josh Keller

The Three Kings By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day, For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell, And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast, And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.

"Of the child that is born," said Baltasar, "Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews."

And the people answered, "You ask in vain;
We know of no King but Herod the Great!"
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, "Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new king."

So they rode away; and the star stood still,
The only one in the grey of morn;
Yes, it stopped—it stood still of its own free will, Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was born.

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard, Through the silent street, till their horses turned And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard; But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred, And only a light in the stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little child in the manger lay,
The child, that would be king one day
Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body's burying.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone,
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David's throne.

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.

The first chess legend, called the wheat and chessboard problem, illustrates the power of exponential growth.

The first chess movie, called Chess Fever, was a silent comedy released in 1925 in the Soviet Union.

The word checkmate comes from the Persian phrase shah mat, meaning "the king is helpless".

The Lion Beaten By The Man

A picture once was shown,
In which one man, alone,
On the ground had thrown
A lion fully grown.
Much gloried at the sight the rabble.
A lion thus rebuked their babble:
"That you have got the victory there,
There is no contradiction.
But, gentles, possibly you are
The dupes of easy fiction:
Had we the art of making pictures,
Perhaps our champion had beat yours!"

Fools look to tomorrow. Wise men use tonight. ~ Scottish Proverb

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

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

<A wise old owl sat on an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke,

The less he spoke the more he heard,

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?>

Give a HOOT -- don't pollute!!

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

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

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

<There are distinct situations where a bishop is preferred (over a knight). For example, two bishops are better than two knights or one of each. Steven Mayer, the author of Bishop Versus Knight, contends, "A pair of bishops is usually considered to be worth six points, but common sense suggests that a pair of active bishops (that are very involved in the formation) must be accorded a value of almost nine under some circumstances." This is especially true if the player can plant the bishops in the center of the board, as two bishops working in tandem can span up to 26 squares and have the capacity to touch every square.

Bishops are also preferable to knights when queens have been exchanged because, Grandmaster Sergey Erenburg, who is ranked 11th in the U.S., explains, "Bishops and rooks complement each other, and when well-coordinated, act as a queen." Conversely, a knight is the preferred minor piece when the queen survives until the late-middlegame or the endgame. Mayer explains, "The queen and knight are able to work together smoothly and create a greater number of threats than the queen and bishop."

When forced to say one is better than the other, most anoint the bishop. Mayer concludes, "I think it's true that the bishops are better than the knights in a wider variety of positions than the knights are better than the bishops."

He continues, "Of course, I'm not sure this does us much good, as we only get to play one position at a time.">

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

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ― Howard Thurman

Perpetual check feels like nothing else in a dead lost position.

"There just isn't enough televised chess." — David Letterman

"Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart. Don't be concerned about whether people are watching you or criticizing you. The chances are that they aren't paying any attention to you. It's your attention to yourself that is so stultifying. But you have to disregard yourself as completely as possible. If you fail the first time then you'll just have to try harder the second time. After all, there's no real reason why you should fail. Just stop thinking about yourself." — Eleanor Roosevelt

"Many have become Chess Masters, no one has become the Master of Chess." — Siegbert Tarrasch

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

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ― Howard Thurman

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

"Someday, somewhere – anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life." ― Pablo Neruda

"Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people." ― Elizabeth Green

"Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will." ― Cheryl Strayed

"Never chase love, affection, or attention. If it isn't given freely by another person, it isn't worth having." ― Unknown

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

"Life is very much about making the best decisions you can. So I think chess is very valuable." ― Hikaru Nakamura.

"If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out." ― Lawrence Ferlinghetti

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

Drive sober or get pulled over.

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

"Chess is an infinitely complex game, which one can play in infinitely numerous & varied ways." ― Vladimir Kramnik

"The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal." — Criss Jami

"In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." — Max De Pree

"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.

MARY MARY QUITE CONTRARY
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row

16 yellow #2 pencilz

C00 1-0 33
Bird vs G Medley, 1849
(C00) French Defense, 33 moves, 1-0
An older reply...
J Mieses vs Lipke, 1894
(C00) French Defense, 29 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 34
Staunton vs E Williams, 1851
(C01) French, Exchange, 34 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 28
Howard Staunton / NN vs J Lowenthal / J Cunningham, 1856
(C01) French, Exchange, 28 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 11
R Brien vs S Boden, 1851
(C01) French, Exchange, 11 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 40
Bird vs R Brien, 1858
(C01) French, Exchange, 40 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 7
H van Steenis vs T Wechsler, 1947
(C01) French, Exchange, 7 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 32
J Mieses vs M Harmonist, 1889
(C01) French, Exchange, 32 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 16
J Mieses vs Lilienthal, 1930
(C01) French, Exchange, 16 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 27
J Mieses vs E Straat, 1923
(C01) French, Exchange, 27 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 33
Harrwitz vs Horwitz, 1849
(C01) French, Exchange, 33 moves, 1-0
2. Qe2 Blues...
Chigorin vs Tarrasch, 1893
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 34 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 11
B Wall vs H Murtaugh, 1971
(C02) French, Advance, 11 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 9
B Wall vs A Brown, 1972
(C02) French, Advance, 9 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 11
B Wall vs Claus, 1974
(C02) French, Advance, 11 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 18
Greco vs NN, 1620
(C02) French, Advance, 18 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 26
Suttles vs F Grgurich, 1971
(C02) French, Advance, 26 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 28
A Nimzowitsch vs A Hakansson, 1922
(C02) French, Advance, 27 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 11
B Zavodnik vs B Karg, 1982
(C02) French, Advance, 11 moves, 1-0
C03 1-0 10
B Wall vs J Vitlacil, 1989
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 10 moves, 1-0
From "Punny Games the sequal"
J A Fred vs K Skold, 1951
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 29 moves, 1-0
C09 1-0 31
Levenfish vs M Yudovich Sr, 1933
(C09) French, Tarrasch, Open Variation, Main line, 31 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 12
B Wall vs W Wall, 1969
(C10) French, 12 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 8
B Wall vs J Lippert, 1980
(B23) Sicilian, Closed, 8 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 32
Steinitz vs Bird, 1866
(C10) French, 32 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 12
Steinitz vs Bird, 1866
(C10) French, 12 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 24
Spielmann vs R L'hermet, 1927
(C10) French, 24 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 23
Steinitz vs H Czarnowski, 1867
(C10) French, 23 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 29
Mackenzie vs G Reichhelm, 1867
(C10) French, 29 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 32
Schiffers vs Blackburne, 1895
(C10) French, 32 moves, 1-0
An Early Handling of the Rubinstein..
F Duz-Khotimirsky vs Rotlewi, 1911
(C10) French, 28 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 17
Saemisch vs J Mieses, 1925
(C10) French, 17 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 31
Tarrasch vs J Mieses, 1916
(C10) French, 31 moves, 1-0
A Classic By Tarrasch
Tarrasch vs J Mieses, 1916
(C10) French, 20 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 36
Tarrasch vs J Mieses, 1916
(C10) French, 36 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 15
Koltanowski vs D Folkner, 1960
(C10) French, 15 moves, 1-0
Short & sweet!
K Blom vs Niels Jensen, 1934
(C10) French, 9 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 31
Paulsen vs Kolisch, 1861
(C10) French, 31 moves, 1-0
Saemisch's "Immortal"
Saemisch vs F Herzog, 1924
(C10) French, 36 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 22
Mackenzie vs Mason, 1878
(C11) French, 22 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 37
J Mieses vs W John, 1917
(C11) French, 37 moves, 1-0
Queen Chasing...
Bogoljubov vs A Hakansson, 1920
(C11) French, 25 moves, 1-0
C12 1-0 53
Lasker vs Tarrasch, 1916
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 53 moves, 1-0
The 5-Queens game.
Alekhine vs NN, 1915
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 29 moves, 1-0
C12 1-0 33
J Mieses vs L Prokes, 1907
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 33 moves, 1-0
C13 1-0 21
K Spraggett vs R Bedard, 1972
(C13) French, 21 moves, 1-0
A Classic by a Classic Master!
Blackburne vs A Muller, 1894
(C13) French, 17 moves, 1-0
C13 1-0 27
Bogoljubov vs Spielmann, 1919
(C13) French, 27 moves, 1-0
French Def: Classical. Vistaneckis (Nimzowitsch) Var (C13) 1-0%
Lasker vs E Delmar, 1893
(C13) French, 31 moves, 1-0
C15 1-0 11
B Wall vs F Aparasi, 1973
(C15) French, Winawer, 11 moves, 1-0
C16 1-0 21
Adorjan vs I Farago, 1968
(C16) French, Winawer, 21 moves, 1-0
Salted wounds by the Sacrificial Master.
Tal vs Salnikov, 1970
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 16 moves, 1-0
C16 1-0 34
Botvinnik vs Ragozin, 1927
(C16) French, Winawer, 34 moves, 1-0
C17 1-0 16
Koltanowski vs M Saura, 1936
(C17) French, Winawer, Advance, 16 moves, 1-0
C18 1-0 29
Spassky vs R Fuchs, 1958
(C18) French, Winawer, 29 moves, 1-0
A07 1-0 36
Suttles vs W Pietzsch, 1968
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 36 moves, 1-0
2. Qe2 (take 2)
Kasparov vs P Albalate, 1997
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 29 moves, 1-0
C00 1-0 18
Kosteniuk vs C Gouw, 2000
(C00) French Defense, 18 moves, 1-0
C00 1-0 35
A Ilyin-Zhenevsky vs V Nenarokov, 1924
(C00) French Defense, 35 moves, 1-0
French "winged"
O Salmensuu vs T E Wiley, 2000
(C00) French Defense, 31 moves, 1-0
Two Knights in Tandem..
N Kosintseva vs B Zawadzka, 2001
(C00) French Defense, 29 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 39
Lagno vs D Tarleva, 2000
(C01) French, Exchange, 39 moves, 1-0
C01 1-0 48
J Mieses vs von Gottschall, 1904
(C01) French, Exchange, 48 moves, 1-0
Simplifying through exchanges (w/ the Exchange)
Lagno vs T Abrahamyan, 1998
(C01) French, Exchange, 47 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 37
Topalov vs Bareev, 1997
(C02) French, Advance, 37 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 40
D E Rumens vs J Horner, 1978
(C02) French, Advance, 40 moves, 1-0
Patience is rewarded with beautiful play.
Nakamura vs T Hillarp Persson, 2005
(C02) French, Advance, 100 moves, 1-0
Fritzing the Fritz...
Dzindzichashvili vs Fritz, 1991
(C02) French, Advance, 28 moves, 1-0
Queenside Ruckus
G A Kosanovic vs D Boskovic, 2001
(C02) French, Advance, 36 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 32
I Efimov vs Barsov, 1990
(C02) French, Advance, 32 moves, 1-0
C02 1-0 38
D Rosenthal vs Barsov, 1991
(C02) French, Advance, 38 moves, 1-0
C03 1-0 41
Adorjan vs T Krabbe, 1971
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 41 moves, 1-0
C03 1-0 30
N Bojkovic vs S Matveeva, 2004
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 30 moves, 1-0
Go Canucks...
R Golts vs D Southam, 2004
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 27 moves, 1-0
C04 1-0 19
D Donchev vs Topalov, 1989
(C04) French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line, 19 moves, 1-0
C04 1-0 25
Topalov vs M Drasko, 1991
(C04) French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line, 25 moves, 1-0
C04 1-0 31
E Liss vs Topalov, 1990
(C04) French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line, 31 moves, 1-0
C05 1-0 35
Ponomariov vs Chukhry, 1995
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 35 moves, 1-0
Tarrasch of Nimble Knights
Korneev vs M Garcia Iturriaga, 2001
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 29 moves, 1-0
Tarrasch a la Steinitz...
Serper vs Barsov, 1988
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 1-0
C07 1-0 22
Yurtaev vs L Golovin, 1989
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 22 moves, 1-0
Bishops Rock!
E Kovalevskaya vs Lagno, 2004
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 32 moves, 1-0
C07 1-0 24
Kasparov vs Short, 2001
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 24 moves, 1-0
French Def: Tarrasch. Open System (C07) 0-1 Stockfish notes
A Matanovic vs Korchnoi, 1968
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 66 moves, 0-1
C10 1-0 30
F Hellers vs Andersson, 1993
(C10) French, 30 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 30
I J Markovic vs Topalov, 1989
(C10) French, 30 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 17
Svidler vs Bareev, 2004
(C10) French, 17 moves, 1-0
Simplifying through exchanges.
Ponomariov vs Bareev, 2003
(C10) French, 38 moves, 1-0
C10 1-0 38
Kasparov vs Ponomariov, 2002
(C10) French, 38 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 38
S Polgar vs M Furlan, 1994
(C11) French, 38 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 33
J Polgar vs Short, 1994
(C11) French, 33 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 24
J Polgar vs F Berkes, 2003
(C11) French, 24 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 27
Topalov vs Bareev, 2002
(C11) French, 27 moves, 1-0
French Def: Classical. Burn Main Line (C11) 1-0 Ground Chuk
Ponomariov vs Ivanchuk, 2002
(C11) French, 23 moves, 1-0
C11 1-0 41
Mamedyarov vs R Mamedov, 2001
(C11) French, 41 moves, 1-0
C12 1-0 33
P Kazakov vs Dmitry Kharkovsky, 2001
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 33 moves, 1-0
C12 1-0 71
T Kosintseva vs T T Hoang, 2004
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 71 moves, 1-0
C15 1-0 40
J Mieses vs V Marin y Llovet, 1927
(C15) French, Winawer, 40 moves, 1-0
C18 1-0 38
Topalov vs A Pomata, 1992
(C18) French, Winawer, 38 moves, 1-0
French Def: Winawer. Poisoned Pawn Var General (C18) 1-0 h-file
Ponomariov vs S Noppes, 2002
(C18) French, Winawer, 24 moves, 1-0
Textbook Winawer...
Kasimdzhanov vs A Komora, 1993
(C18) French, Winawer, 35 moves, 1-0
Sacs & scrapping...
T Ernst vs F Titzhoff, 1994
(C18) French, Winawer, 35 moves, 1-0
C19 1-0 41
L Pliester vs S Polgar, 1985
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 41 moves, 1-0
French Defense: Tarrasch. Closed (C05) 0-1 Kingside batteries
L Santos vs Keene, 1975
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 0-1
104 games

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