English Defense (Not included herein.)
1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. e4 Bb7

English Opening (This is the main focus.)
1. c4

English Opening (Accelerated Fianchetto)
see English Opening (Carls' Bremen System)

English Opening (Adorjan Defense)
1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5

English Opening (Anglo-Polish Dutch)
1. c4 f5 2. b4

English Opening (Anglo-Slav)
1. c4 c6

English Opening (Basmaniac Gambit)
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 h6

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

English Opening (Carls' Bremen System)
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3

English Opening (Closed Variation)
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7

English Opening (Double Fianchetto Defense)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 c5 5. O-O g6

English Opening (English Defense)
1. c4 b6 2. d4 e6

English Opening (Fischer's Gambit)
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. e3 f4

English Opening (Four Knights Variation)
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6

English Opening (Great Snake)
1. c4 g6

English Opening (Grünfeld)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5

English Opening (Hedgehog Defense)
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6

English Opening (Keres Defense)
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O Be7

English Opening (King's Indian)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O

English Opening (Kurajica Defense)
1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 c6

English Opening (Nimzo-Indian)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4

English Opening (Orangutan There's a whole more to 1.b4) 1. c4 Nf6 2. b4

English Opening (Queen's Indian)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 b6

English Opening (Romanishin Variation)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 a6 4. Bg2 b5

English Opening (Rubinstein/Botvinnik Variation) 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc7

English Opening (Slav Defense)
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c6

English Opening (Symmetrical Four Knights)
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6

English Opening (Symmetrical Variation)
1. c4 c5

English Opening (Ultra-Symmetrical)
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7

Englund Gambit
see Charlick Englund Gambit

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

* IM Rosen video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMK...

* English survey: Game Collection: The empire of the English

* English Bremen Systematics: Opening Explorer

* English Mikenas-Carls: Opening Explorer

* English w/g3: Game Collection: English 1. c4.. any, g3

* Catalan-ish: Opening Explorer

* A11s: Game Collection: A11 (White Wins): English Opening

* Opening Names: https://allchessopenings.blogspot.c...

* Brazil Nuts: Game Collection: 2...De7 !

* KIA vs French Defense: Game Collection: KIA vs French Defense

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

* GK: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

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

* IECC: https://www.chess-iecc.com/

* Miniatures of the Champs: Game Collection: Champions miniature champions

* Notable Games: Game Collection: List of Notable Games (wiki)

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

* Pie in the sky: https://www.old-mill.com/oldmill-re...

"If you can take it (tough it out), you can make it. You can do this. You just gotta believe." Be determined, stubborn as all get out!

"First I play for equality (as Black), then I start to play for a win." ― Artur Yusupov

"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

"Once there is the slightest suggestion of combinational possibilities on the board, look for unusual moves. Apart from making your play creative and interesting it will help you to get better results." ― Alexander Kotov

"I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying." ― Andy (Tim Robbins), "The Shawshank Redemption"

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

* Rules: https://www.gamecolony.com/chessrul...

* Juniors might ask: https://www.chessforjuniors.com/

* Bruno's Problem: https://chessproblem.my-free-games....

* FICS: https://www.freechess.org/

* HOF: https://worldchesshof.org/

* Not just any casual game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvb...

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

* Recommendations: https://chess-site.com/

* TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/

* Top 100: https://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml

* Useful: https://usefulchess.com/

* Top Festivals: https://chess-site.com/articles/che...

* Dr. Edmund Adam Miniatures: Edmund Adam

* Opening Explorer: Opening Explorer

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

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

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

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

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

* Rare gambits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_r...

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

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

* Solitaire: Game Collection: Solitaire Chess by I. A. Horowitz

* Stunners: Game Collection: Stunners

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

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

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

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

* QGD: Game Collection: QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

* When to Trade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGa...

* UK: https://chesscircuit.substack.com/

* Wishful Thinking, Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlN...

* Zukertort System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcN...

* 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

"The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens." ― Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President

Connecticut: Windsor
Established in: 1633

Settlers from Plymouth Colony built the first trading house in Windsor in 1633 on an expanse of land they bought from Native Americans who were living there. Windsor was Connecticut's first English settlement, with a perfect location on the water. Today, the city uses its "first town" status to create a historical atmosphere ideal for tourism.

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

* Chess History: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ch...

* Three Simple Chess Tips: https://www.premierchesscoaching.co...

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

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

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

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

"I do not know how old I was when I learned to play chess. I could not have been older than eight, because I still have a chessboard on whose side my father inscribed, with a soldering iron, "Saša Hemon 1972." I loved the board more than chess—it was one of the first things I owned. Its materiality was enchanting to me: the smell of burnt wood that lingered long after my father had branded it; the rattle of the thickly varnished pieces inside, the smacking sound they made when I put them down, the board's hollow wooden echo. I can even recall the taste—the queen's tip was pleasantly suckable; the pawns' round heads, not unlike nipples, were sweet. The board is still at our place in Sarajevo, and, even if I haven't played a game on it in decades, it is still my most cherished possession, providing incontrovertible evidence that there once lived a boy who used to be me." ― Aleksandar Hemon, The Book of My Lives

The Oak and the Reed

The oak one day addressed the reed:
"To you ungenerous indeed
Has nature been, my humble friend,
With weakness aye obliged to bend.
The smallest bird that flits in air
Is quite too much for you to bear;
The slightest wind that wreathes the lake
Your ever-trembling head does shake.
The while, my towering form
Dares with the mountain top
The solar blaze to stop,
And wrestle with the storm.
What seems to you the blast of death,
To me is but a zephyr's breath.
Beneath my branches had you grown,
That spread far round their friendly bower,
Less suffering would your life have known,
Defended from the tempest's power.
Unhappily you oftenest show
In open air your slender form,
Along the marshes wet and low,
That fringe the kingdom of the storm.
To you, declare I must,
Dame Nature seems unjust."
Then modestly replied the reed:
"Your pity, sir, is kind indeed,
But wholly needless for my sake.
The wildest wind that ever blew
Is safe to me compared with you.
I bend, indeed, but never break.
Thus far, I own, the hurricane
Has beat your sturdy back in vain;
But wait the end." Just at the word,
The tempest's hollow voice was heard.
The North sent forth her fiercest child,
Dark, jagged, pitiless, and wild.
The oak, erect, endured the blow;
The reed bowed gracefully and low.
But, gathering up its strength once more,
In greater fury than before,
The savage blast
Overthrew, at last,
That proud, old, sky-encircled head,
Whose feet entwined the empire of the dead!

There is an uninhabited island in the Bahamas known as Pig Beach, which is populated entirely by swimming pigs.

Chessgames.com will be unavailable August 27, 2024 from 2:45PM through 3:00PM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The national animal of Scotland is the Unicorn.

The Two Mules

Two mules were bearing on their backs,
One, oats; the other, silver of the tax.
The latter glorying in his load,
Marched proudly forward on the road;
And, from the jingle of his bell,
It was plain he liked his burden well.
But in a wild-wood glen
A band of robber men
Rushed forth on the twain.
Well with the silver pleased,
They by the bridle seized
The treasure-mule so vain.
Poor mule! in struggling to repel
His ruthless foes, he fell
Stabbed through; and with a bitter sighing,
He cried, "Is this the lot they promised me?
My humble friend from danger free,
While, weltering in my gore, I'm dying?"
"My friend," his fellow-mule replied,
"It is not well to have one's work too high.
If you had been a miller's drudge, as I,
You would not thus have died."

Results may vary.

Chess Life is an active monthly magazine and is the official publication of the United States Chess Federation. <Chess Life> is advertised as the "most widely read chess magazine in the world," and reaches more than a quarter of a million readers each month.

Chess Life focuses on American chess players and tournaments, instruction, human interest, and US Chess governance matters. The United States Chess Federation also publishes Chess Life Kids, a bimonthly publication covering the same subjects aimed at a younger audience.

Publication of <Chess Life> started in 1946 as a bi-weekly newspaper, usually eight or twelve pages long. In 1961, Frank Brady converted Chess Life to a monthly magazine. In 1969, <Chess Life> merged with Chess Review, the other leading U.S. chess magazine. The magazine was published under the title Chess Life & Review starting with the November 1969 issue until 1980 when it returned to its original title <Chess Life>.

The Night Sky's Serenade

In the night sky, the stars serenade,

Their light piercing the darkness, a blade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

Silent and serene, the night's parade,

A celestial spectacle, never to fade.

In the night sky, the stars serenade.

The universe's secrets, in the open laid,

Under the starlight, fears evade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

Night's symphony, a tranquil serenade,

In its rhythm, our dreams are made.

In the night sky, the stars serenade.

From dusk till dawn, in darkness wade,

Under the night sky, hopes cascade.

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

So, let us cherish the night's shade,

And in its beauty, let us wade.

In the night sky, the stars serenade,

The moon shines, in silver brocade.

Justin Bieber once held up a sign from his hotel room window saying, "Go to McDonald's and get me a Big Mac." He got his Big Mac.

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

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

The sandwich wasn't a marketing creation but one of convenience. The Earl of Sandwich put together the first of its kind as he needed something quick and easy to eat while gambling!

<Fundamental Chess Principles according to CJS Purdy

On Combinations

One simultaneous double threat is better than a great many successive single threats. That is the main lesson of chess. A double threat is a combination of two threats. (pg. 31)

A combination (threat plus restraint or threat plus obstruction) may be called a "net". It is the most important kind of combination because every mate, without exception, is a "net". (pg. 32)

Watch out for pieces of limited mobility, especially pieces without retreat. Remember that one retreat may not be enough.(pg. 32 / 33)

On Tied Pieces

An important rule for avoiding a trap is this:
Where feasible, avoid using a piece to defend something that is attacked. Either protect the attaced unit with a pawn or move it away. (pg. 34)

A knight is the worst defender because he cannot possibly maintain the defense if forced to move. (pg. 34)

The best protector is a pawn - for three reasons:

There is no possibility of it being attacked by a unit of lesser value; It is a complete defense against any piece bigger than the one attacked; above all, a menial task is suited to it, whereas a piece used for defending one particular thing is wasting its talents. (pg. 35)

If you must use pieces to protect something, perhaps because it cannot move away, try to use one more than necessary! You are then free to moe any one of the protectors; not a single one is absolutely tied to its defensive task. (pg. 35)

On Position Play

Position play is the art of improving your position in small ways when no sound combination is possible. (pg. 40)

One can say that an endgame has arrived when neither side has more pieces than the equivalent of Queen plus pawn (with of course, the Kings, who are always with us). (pg. 41)

Combinations are of primary importance, position play of secondary importance. (pg. 41)

Pages refer to where content can be found on Guide to Good Chess. Posted by Chessbuzz>

* Time Controls: https://gamesmadesimple.com/chess-t...

Chessgames.com will be unavailable March 12, 2023 from 2:00AM through 4:00AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

An old-timer is one who remembers when it cost more to run a car than to park it. — Unknown

An old-timer is someone who can remember when a naughty child was taken to the woodshed instead of to a psychiatrist. — David Greenberg

Most young dealers of the Silicon Chip Era regard a reference library as merely a waste of space. Old Timers on the West Coast seem to retain a fondness for reference books that goes beyond the practical. Everything there is to know about a given volume may be only a click away, but there are still a few of us who'd rather have the book than the click. A bookman's love of books is a love of books, not merely of the information in them. — Larry Mcmurtry

The day you become old is the day you're not looking for new experiences anymore. — Billie Joe Armstrong

Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will say either: "I wish I had" or "I'm glad I did". — Zig Ziglar

You must do the things you think you cannot do. — Eleanor Roosevelt

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. — Norman Vincent Peale

<"The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway."> ― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council

Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the former five-time World Chess Champion, reigning four-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and reigning six-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Arguably the fourth or fifth best chess player of all time (Morphy, Capablanca, Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov, etc.), Carlsen has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE world chess rankings since 1 July 2011 and trails only <Garry Kasparov> in time spent as the highest-rated player in the world. His peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history. Carlsen also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak at the elite level in classical chess.

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

Deuteronomy 6:6-9: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Isaiah 66:24
24 "And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

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

<H.T. Bland. On page 207 of the December 1929 American Chess Bulletin he exalted the challenger in that year's world championship match:

Bravo ‘Bogol', you've shown pluck.
One and all we wish you luck.
Gee, some thought you'd barged between
Other players who'd have been
Less likely straightaway to lose
Just as friend Alekhine might choose;
Undaunted, ‘Bogol', you went in
Believing you'd a chance to win.
Or failing that, to make a fight,
Which you are doing as we write.>

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

"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

Machgielis "Max" Euwe
Fifth World Chess Champion from 1935 to 1937
Birthdate: May 20, 1901
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died: November 26, 1981
Max Euwe scripted history when he became the first chess Grandmaster from the Netherlands. A PhD in math, he also taught both math and computer programming, apart from publishing a mathematical analysis of chess. A chess world champion, he also served as the president of FIDE. * Wikipedia: Wikipedia article: Max Euwe

The City Rat and the Country Rat

A city rat, one night,
Did, with a civil stoop,
A country rat invite
To end a turtle soup.

On a Turkey carpet
They found the table spread,
And sure I need not harp it
How well the fellows fed.

The entertainment was
A truly noble one;
But some unlucky cause
Disturbed it when begun.

It was a slight rat-tat,
That put their joys to rout;
Out ran the city rat;
His guest, too, scampered out.

Our rats but fairly quit,
The fearful knocking ceased.
"Return we," cried the cit,
To finish there our feast.

"No," said the rustic rat;
"Tomorrow dine with me.
I'm not offended at
Your feast so grand and free, –

"For I have no fare resembling;
But then I eat at leisure,
And would not swap, for pleasure
So mixed with fear and trembling."

Tanitoluwa Adewumi
(American Chess Player)
Birthdate: September 3, 2010
Birthplace: Nigeria
* Wikipedia: Wikipedia article: Tanitoluwa Adewumi

This poem is dedicated to all female chessplayers on Caissa's Web...

Sweet Caissa

Oh, Sweet Caissa, Goddess of chess
in the name of this holistic game
I pray Thee: bless my noble aim
to render all my opponents lame
in my holy quest for worldly fame,
to be Supreme no more no less.
In awe I heard this Sweet Caissa say
"Daughter go forth and smite them all,
stoutly charge your knight sitting tall
while flying over the castle's wall
to slay all men in your deadly call."
Now in fear I hide and will no longer play.

Koneru Humpy
(Indian Chess Player and the Youngest Woman Ever to Achieve the Title of Grandmaster) Birthdate: March 31, 1987
Birthplace: Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess player and the current women's world rapid champion. At the age of 15, Humpy became the youngest female chess player to achieve the prestigious Grandmaster title. In 2003, she was honored with India's second-highest sporting honor, the Arjuna Award. In 2007, Koneru Humpy was honored with the Padma Shri Award. * Wikipedia: Wikipedia article: Koneru Humpy

Carissa Yip
(American Chess Player and a Former U.S. Women's Chess Champion) Birthdate: September 10, 2003
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States * Wikipedia: Wikipedia article: Carissa Yip

"He who sees the face does not see the heart." — Portuguese Proverb

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

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

<"Sestrilla, hafelina
Jue amourasestrilla
Awou jue selaviena
En patre jue

Translation:

Beloved one, little cat
I love you for all time
In this time
And all others"
― Christine Feehan>

"To find something, anything, a great truth or a lost pair of glasses, you must first believe there will be some advantage in finding it." — Jack Burden, All The King's Men

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." — Jimmy Dean

"Chess is above all, a fight!" — Emanuel Lasker

"In chess, at least, the brave inherit the earth." — Edmar Mednis

People believe what they want to believe, truth or not.

"Search for the grain of truth in other opinions." ― Richard Carlson

'Don't let the cat out of the bag'

Death and the Dying

Death never takes by surprise
The well-prepared, to wit, the wise –
They knowing of themselves the time
To meditate the final change of clime.
That time, alas! embraces all
Which into hours and minutes we divide;
There is no part, however small,
That from this tribute one can hide.
The very moment, often, which bids
The heirs of empire see the light
Is that which shuts their fringed lids
In everlasting night.
Defend yourself by rank and wealth,
Plead beauty, virtue, youth, and health, –
Unblushing Death will ravish all;
The world itself shall pass beneath his pall.
No truth is better known; but, truth to say,
No truth is oftener thrown away.

A man, well in his second century,
Complained that Death had called him suddenly;
Had left no time his plans to fill,
To balance books, or make his will.
"O Death," said he, "d" you call it fair,
Without a warning to prepare,
To take a man on lifted leg?
O, wait a little while, I beg.
My wife cannot be left alone;
I must set out my nephew's son,
And let me build my house a wing,
Before you strike, O cruel king!"
"Old man," said Death, "one thing is sure, –
My visit here's not premature.
Have you not lived a century!
Darest you engage to find for me?
In Paris' walls two older men
Has France, among her millions ten?
You say'st I should have sent you word
Your lamp to trim, your loins to gird,
And then my coming had been meet –
Your will engrossed,
Your house complete!
Did not your feelings notify?
Did not they tell you you must die?
Your taste and hearing are no more;
Your sight itself is gone before;
For you the sun superfluous shines,
And all the wealth of Indian mines;
Your mates I have shown you dead or dying.
What's this, indeed, but notifying?
Come on, old man, without reply;
For to the great and common weal
It does but little signify
Whether your will shall ever feel
The impress of your hand and seal."

And Death had reason, – ghastly sage!
For surely man, at such an age,
Should part from life as from a feast,
Returning decent thanks, at least,
To Him who spread the various cheer,
And unrepining take his bier;
For shun it long no creature can.
Repinest you, grey-headed man?
Do you seenger mortals rushing by
To meet their death without a sigh –
Death full of triumph and of fame,
But in its terrors still the same. –
But, ah! my words are thrown away!
Those most like Death most dread his sway.

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

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

Drive sober or get pulled over.

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

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

'Don't change horses in midstream'

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.

Coleen Mzarriz wrote:

Thunder in the Spring of Casmorville
She has freckles like little eyes boring a hole into your soul when she looks at you. She has a face as clear as crystal that when you look at her, you can see your own reflection—mirrorless, empty, and reserved. When you press your lips against hers, a flood of poisonous schemes awaits you, and you'll be lost like Alice in Wonderland.

She's an important chess piece that cannot be easily moved; she's a queen, the ace, the king. A pawn may capture a queen, but she is also the king. Her throne reeks of gold and fortune, her mind flows with wisdom, and her body's attached like the goddess Aphrodite. She's the thunder in the rain. Her cries are a woe of revenge and power. Death can not capture a woman like her. She's Eve and she's Lilith. She's a spirit and she can be a snake—crawling with her reptile skin. Her eyes are as fierce shaped as the diamond's emerald and lastly, she's macabre surrealism that when you read her, her true self shows and pushes you to infinite possible dreams you can dream of.

Avary is the bird of thunder. In her cage, she's a young soul duplicated to bring misfortune every time it rains in the spring of Casmorville.

Intellexual

Analysis beguiles casual dwellers.
Even foolish gambits have indulged justification. Known liabilities may not often persuade quickly. Rather symbolic, truly understanding
vulnerability will xenophobe your zules.

The Man Between Two Ages, And His Two Mistresses

A man of middle age, whose hair
Was bordering on the grey,
Began to turn his thoughts and care
The matrimonial way.
By virtue of his ready,
A store of choices had he
Of ladies bent to suit his taste;
On which account he made no haste.
To court well was no trifling art.
Two widows chiefly gained his heart;
The one yet green, the other more mature,
Who found for nature's wane in art a cure.
These dames, amidst their joking and caressing
The man they longed to wed,
Would sometimes set themselves to dressing
His party-coloured head.
Each aiming to assimilate
Her lover to her own estate,
The older piecemeal stole
The black hair from his poll,
While eke, with fingers light,
The young one stole the white.
Between them both, as if by scald,
His head was changed from grey to bald.
"For these," he said, "your gentle pranks,
I owe you, ladies, many thanks.
By being thus well shaved,
I less have lost than saved.
Of Hymen, yet, no news at hand,
I do assure you.
By what I have lost, I understand
It is in your way,
Not mine, that I must pass on.
Thanks, ladies, for the lesson."

Question: What is the longest English word with only one vowel? Answer: Strengths – at nine letters long, it is the longest word in the English language with only one vowel.

Thank you, Qindarka!

Question: Unless you can prove you are a magician, what is illegal to own as a pet in Queensland, Australia? Answer: A rabbit – these cute little things have caused immense ecological damage to Australia for the past 150 years.

The Chess Poem by Ayaan Chettiar

8 by 8 makes 64
In the game of chess, the king shall rule
Kings and queens, and rooks and knights
Bishops and Pawns, and the use of mind

The Game goes on, the players think
Plans come together, form a link
Attacks, checks and capture
Until, of course, we reach a mate

The Pawns march forward, then the knights
Power the bishops, forward with might
Rooks come together in a line
The Game of Chess is really divine

The Rooks move straight, then take a turn
The Knights on fire, make no return
Criss-Cross, Criss-Cross, go the bishops
The Queen's the leader of the group

The King resides in the castle
While all the pawns fight with power
Heavy blows for every side
Until the crown, it is destroyed

The Brain's the head, The Brain's the King,
The Greatest one will always win,
For in the game of chess, the king shall rule,
8 by 8 makes 64!

"Life is what you make it: If you snooze, you lose; and if you snore, you lose more." — Phyllis George

Galatians 6:7 in the Bible "Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

"those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is often cited as originating in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde written in 1385.

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

In Melitopol, terrible terror has been reigning for over a year. It's quiet, you can't see it on the streets - reported CNN. Anyone who has rejected a Russian passport may become a victim of repression. They can't access the hospital, can't function normally. The "incredible" occupant also takes away the land. Arrests and torture, unfortunately, are common practices.

Partisans are engaged in attacking Russian logistics and eliminating collaborators and Russian officers. They actively cooperate with Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) and are ready for sabotage activities in case the front arrives.

Before the war, Melitopol had a population of 154,000. The city, located in the southeastern part of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region, was occupied by the Russians on March 1, 2022 Eastern Time. Since then, it has been waiting for liberation, but that does not mean that the inhabitants are idle. From the beginning of the war, there has been a partisan movement in and around the city.

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

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

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." ― Andy (Tim Robbins), "The Shawshank Redemption"

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

Luck never gives; it only lends. ~ Scottish Proverb

"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 favor 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.

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

The Name of France
by Henry Van Dyke

Give us a name to fill the mind
With the shining thoughts that lead mankind,
The glory of learning, the joy of art, —
A name that tells of a splendid part
In the long, long toil and the strenuous fight
Of the human race to win its way
From the feudal darkness into the day
Of Freedom, Brotherhood, Equal Right, —
A name like a star, a name of light.
I give you France!

Give us a name to move the heart
With a warmer glow and a swifter flood, —
A name like the sound of a trumpet, clear,
And silver-sweet, and iron-strong,
That calls three million men to their feet,
Ready to march, and steady to meet
The foes who threaten that name with wrong, —
A name that rings like a battle-song.
I give you France!

Give us a name to move the heart
With the strength that noble griefs impart,
A name that speaks of the blood outpoured
To save mankind from the sway of the sword, —
A name that calls on the world to share
In the burden of sacrificial strife
Where the cause at stake is the world's free life And the rule of the people everywhere, —
A name like a vow, a name like a prayer.
I give you France!

"Many people perceive the merit of a manuscript which is read to them, but will not declare themselves in its favor until they see what success it has in the world when printed, or what intelligent men will say about it. They do not like to risk their opinion, and they want to be carried away by the crowd and dragged along by the multitude. Then they say that they were amongst the first who approved of that work, and the general public shares their opinion. Such men lose the best opportunities of convincing us that they are intelligent, clever, and first-rate critics, and can really discover what is good and what is better. A fine work falls into their hands; it is an author's first book before he has got any great name; there is nothing to prepossess anyone in his favor, and by applauding his writings one does not court or flatter the great. Zelotes, you are not required to cry out: "This is a masterpiece; human intelligence never went farther; the human speech cannot soar higher; henceforward we will judge of no one's taste but by what he thinks of this book." Such exaggerated and offensive expressions are only employed by postulants for pensions or benefices and are even injurious to what is really commendable and what one wishes to praise. Why not merely say—"That's a good book?" It is true you say it when the whole of France has approved of it, and foreigners as well as your own countrymen, when it is printed all over Europe and has been translated into several languages, but then it is too late." ― Jean de La Bruyère

"My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world." — Billy Graham

"The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course." — Billy Graham

* Riddle-stone-peel: https://www.briddles.com/riddles/ch...

"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.

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." ― Yogi Berra, one of the greatest Yankees of all time

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, approximately 3000 miles (4850 km) in diameter, hardly larger than the moon. Despite being the smallest, it's extremely dense. In fact, it's the second densest planet after Earth. It's also the closest planet to the sun, making it dangerous to explore. Mercury is 48 million miles from the earth.

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

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

hzev240y Zulzaga luvs to ride wavey chips in the dip surf. 7x Grzegorz knew Zuidema tried Maroczy Al's pin varied with Stoltz Attack

<The Aurora's Dance

Auroras dance, in the polar night,
A symphony of colors, pure delight.
The sky's curtain, alive and aglow,
A magical display, a celestial show.>

"The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course." — Billy Graham

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

"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

* Riddle-pee-free: https://www.briddles.com/riddles/ch...

"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

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.

"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.

Praseodymium Pr 59 140.908 1.1

.oo.

Q: What goes through cities and fields, but never moves? A: A road

Abby Road