Key contributors: Big Black Bug, p2c, S A G A R, MorphyMatt, Fredthebear, and Kasputin.

This collection has been mangled by the unethical CGs operator who has randomly vandalized hundreds of FTB's collections. What will he do to yours?

"Chess is all about stored pattern recognition. You are asking your brain to spot a face in the crowd that it has not seen." — Sally Simpson

"Too many times, people do not try their best. They do not have the keen spirit, the winning spirit. And once you make it you have got to guard your reputation – every day go in like an unknown to prove yourself. That is why I don't clown around. I do not believe in wasting time. My goal is to win the World Chess Championship; to beat the Russians. I take this very seriously." — Bobby Fischer

* Tactical Motifs, Checkmate Patterns: https://chesstempo.com/tactical-mot...

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

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

* A bit longer than 10, a bit more famous: Game Collection: e4addict's favorite games

"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

"The words of truth are simple." ― Aeschylus

"It is only after our basic needs for food and shelter have been met that we can hope to enjoy the luxury of theoretical speculations." ― Aristotle.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." — Dolly Parton

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." — Groucho Marx

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." — Albert Einstein

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." — Babe Ruth

John 14:6
"<I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.>" ― Jesus Christ

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." ― Buddha

"No legacy is so rich as honesty." ― William Shakespeare

"Of chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess." ― William Napier / Irving Chernev

"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

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

"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

"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. If you're bored, follow your uncle around or go ride your bike."

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

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

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

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

"It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained." ― Queen Elizabeth II

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat. So people who don't know what they're doing, or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self." — Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), You've Got Mail

"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

"Old habits die hard, especially for soldiers." ― Jocelyn Murray, The Roman General: A Novel

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

Ye Jiangchuan has won the Chinese Chess Championship seven times.

Matthew 17:20
Our faith can move mountains.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference." — Eeyore

<"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.

"The First Book of Chess" by Joseph Leeming from the local public library ignited Jude's chess journey as a boy. The joy of reading this clear, easy book changed his entire life forever!

Clear explanations of the rules of chess are complemented by numerous diagrams and by practice games illustrating standard chess openings

Format: 78 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1953 by Franklin Watts, Inc. Language: English>

Don't expect the knights to sit back and wait, defend. Before moving, ask yourself "How can her knight(s) advance upon my camp? Will the knight(s) come forward to go backward? Will the knight(s) pile on the bishop's angle, outnumber the defender 2-to-1 or 3-to-2?" The Fried Liver Attack is how little girls try to defeat boys and old men, so watch out for the knight's next two moves leaping forward. There might not be enough time to fianchetto your own bishop and get castled before the opposing knight lands in your lap.

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

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

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

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

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

* Anderssen's Opening: Opening Explorer

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

* Capablanca - Alekhine: https://search.aol.com/aol/video;_y...

* Chess is cold-steel calculation, not emotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-T...

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

* 10 Tips: https://www.uschess.org/index.php/L...

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

* 25 Opening Traps: https://www.chess.com/blog/ChessLor...

* QGD D06: Queen's Gambit Declined (D06)

* Rajnish Das Tips: https://enthu.com/blog/chess/chess-...

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

* It takes me back where, when and who: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh2...

* Everyday people should play tabletop games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUU...

* Erroneous Piece Trades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fC...

* Favorite Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

* Fundamentals: Game Collection: Chess Fundamentals (Capablanca)

* Fischer's Unbreakable Record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgP...

* Flip the Finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWH...

Place your knights in the center for greater mobility; avoid edges and the corners.

* Get better: https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Be...

* GM Avetik Grigoryan: https://chessmood.com/blog/improve-...

* How to Study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEQ...

* How IM Rosen does it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGd...

* How Molton does it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zE...

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

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

* Mr. Harvey provided JHB puzzles: http://wtharvey.com/blacpe.html

* Javed's way: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

* 149 JHB games w/annotations: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Kasparov: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* King walk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0C...

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

* Unleash the Knight: https://cardclashgames.com/blog/che...

* Tips for Knights & More: http://www.chesssets.co.uk/blog/tip...

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

* Mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3L...

* Miles Ahead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvk...

* NE: https://metrowestchess.org/

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

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

* Overloaded! Game Collection: OVERLOADED!

* Pins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjp...

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

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

* Pawn structures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPr...

* Poisoned pawns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGV...

* Pawn actions: Game Collection: the pawns decide

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

* Promotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bym...

* Pawn structures: Game Collection: Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide

* Perfect game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWS...

* Peter, Paul, and Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-... Troubling times, it was.

* Ponziani Games: Game Collection: PONZIANI OPENING

* Rublevsky: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* Rossolimo & Moscow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4a...

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

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

* Red States: https://www.redhotpawn.com/

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Russian Ruys: Game Collection: Chess in the USSR 1945 - 72, Part 2 (Leach)

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

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

* Crazy Rook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KQ...

* Richard's Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htJ...

* Riddles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be9...

* Rubber band in hand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=001...

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

* Sidewalk playin': https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

* Skewers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kl...

* Seoul 1988: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3X...

* "a stupendous tactician": Game Collection: Tigran V. Petrosian - A Stupendous Tactician

* Smash the castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZR...

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

* Spruce Variety: https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/che...

* Stunners: Game Collection: Stunners

* Visually Appealing Tutorial: https://simplifychess.com/openings/...

* Some Scotch: https://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-op...

* Knotty Scotch: Game Collection: Scotch Openings

* Mieses & More: Game Collection: Scotch Collection

* Garry plays the Scotch:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Kibitzed (C45): http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Black scores w/4...Qh4: Opening Explorer

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

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

* Sicilian Face Plants:
Game Collection: sicilian defense(opening traps)

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

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

* Sicilians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX0...

* Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion states "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

* Tactics by a different Gary: https://chessdelights.com/chess-tac...

* Sharper Tactics: Sharpen Your Tactics C 849-999 (chessgames.com)

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

* Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGF...

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* Thinking ahead: https://chess-teacher.com/chess-tips/

* TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/

Fredthebear loves coconuts.

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

* 100: Game Collection: 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures

* Glossary NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/...

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

* GToC Book: https://archive.org/details/the-gol...

* How dumb is it? Game Collection: Diemer-Duhm Gambit

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

* King Registration: https://www.kingregistration.com/to...

* London System Combos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b5...

* Make a Stand: https://www.history.com/topics/amer...

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

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

* Nuremberg 1896: Nuremberg (1896)

* Old P-K4 Miniatures: Game Collection: Games for Classes

* No Hope: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/v...

* People on Another Level: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7V...

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

* Queen vs Rook Ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJn...

* Rubinstein: Game Collection: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces

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

* The Regulators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAn...

* Real Swag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgY...

* Smyslov/Niemann Crash Through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fc...

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

* Vital principles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXy...

* Volo plays the KP faithfully: Volodymyr Onyshchuk

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

* Edward Winter: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter...

* WR Chess Masters 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Y...

* Walter Browne, American Champ: Game Collection: Six by Mr. Six Time

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

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

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

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

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

'A rising tide lifts all boats'

'Don't put the cart before the horse'

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

Minnesota: Wabasha
Established in: 1830

Wabasha was named after Indian Chief of the Sioux Nation, Chief Wa-pa-shaw, who lived in the valley. His nephew, Augustin Rocque, was the first white settler in the area. Wabasha was established in 1830, though it has been continuously occupied since 1826.

Some believe Stillwater, Minnesota, is the state's oldest town because it was incorporated in 1854, while Wabasha wasn't incorporated until 1858. But according to the year of first settlement, the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien drafted in 1830 establishes that Wabasha preceded it.

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

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

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

* Chess Timeline: https://wegochess.com/an-easy-to-re...

* Chess History: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...

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

"World-class chess players, in addition to being considered awesomely smart, are generally assumed to have superhuman memories, and with good reason. Champions routinely put on exhibitions in which they play lesser opponents while blindfolded; they hold the entire chessboard in their heads. Some of these exhibitions strike the rest of us as simply beyond belief. The Czech master Richard Reti once played twenty-nine blindfolded games simultaneously. (Afterward he left his briefcase at the exhibition site and commented on what a poor memory he had.)" ― Geoff Colvin, Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else

What may be done at any time will be done at no time. ~ Scottish Proverb

A game of chess, even played by dilettantes, is an austere metaphor of life and a struggle for life, and the chess player's virtues—reason, memory, and invention—are the virtues of every thinking man. The stern rule of chess, according to which a piece that was touched must be moved and it is not permissible to redo a move of which one repents, reproduces the inexorability of the choices of the living. When your king, as a result of your inexperience, lack of attention, imprudence, or the opponent's superiority, is ever more closely threatened … cornered and finally transfixed, you cannot fail to perceive a symbolic shadow beyond the chess board. You are living a death; it is your death, and at the same time it is a death for which you are guilty. —Primo Levi, "The Irritable Chess Players"

"The first place you need to look is the last place you saw it." — Digger Manes, Moonshiners

"The journey is its own reward." — Homer

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

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

"Dubious, therefore playable." ― Savielly Tartakower

"What is the object of playing a gambit opening? To acquire a reputation of being a dashing player at the cost of losing a game." ― Siegbert Tarrasch

"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

"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

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

"Old habits die hard, especially for soldiers." ― Jocelyn Murray, The Roman General: A Novel

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Where can the opponent's knight land in two moves? Would that be a problem?

'Ask no questions and hear no lies

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

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

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

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

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.

persona non grata by FTB
persona non grata
has peripheral neuropathy
from ass to toe
it pains him so
won't admit the truth
that's not his m.o.

he cries cries to momma
she gives him skittles
one volunteer to another
another chess riddle
sure it's lousy... but
it's persona non grata

<"My task is set before me, girl My mission clear and true
There'll be black knights and dragons, girl
But I will always come for you…"
― Emme Rollins>

"At any rate, the principles of a noble manner of life and the ethics of the nobility now take on the clear and uncompromising form known to us from the chivalric epic and lyric. We often find the new members of a privileged group to be more rigorous in their attitude to questions of class etiquette than the born representatives of the group; they are more clearly conscious of the ideas which hold the particular group together and distinguish it from other groups than are men who grew up in those ideas. This is a well-known and often-repeated feature of social history; the novus homo is always inclined to over-compensate for his sense of inferiority and to emphasize the moral qualifications required for the privileges which he enjoys. In the present case, too, we find that the knights who have risen from the ranks of the retainers are stricter and more intolerant in matters of honour than the old aristocrats by birth. What seems to the latter a matter of course, something that could hardly be otherwise than what it is, appears to the newly ennobled an achievement and a problem. The feeling of belonging to the governing class, one of which the old nobility had scarcely been conscious, is for them a great new experience. Where the old-style aristocrat acts instinctively and makes no pretensions about it, the knight finds himself faced with a special task of difficulty, an opportunity for heroic action, a need to surpass himself—in fact to do something extraordinary and unnatural. In matters in which a born grand seigneur takes no trouble to distinguish himself from the rest of mankind, the new knight requires of his peers that they should at all costs show themselves different from ordinary mortals." ― Arnold Hauser, The Social History of Art, Volume 1: From Prehistoric Times to the Middle Ages

"He who wants to do more than he is able must admit defeat or retire." ― Chrétien de Troyes, 'Arthurian Romances'.

Riddle Question: I'm a mobile fortress; straight is my path. When it comes to castling, I'm part of the craft. What am I?

The Beslan School Siege remains one of the most tragic events in recent history. On September 1, 2004, armed terrorists took over 1,100 people hostage, including 777 children, at School Number One in Beslan, Russia. This horrific event lasted three days and ended in a devastating firefight. The siege resulted in the deaths of 334 hostages, 186 of whom were children. The attackers demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. The crisis highlighted severe security lapses and led to significant changes in Russian counter-terrorism policies.

Riddle Answer: Rook

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

"With most men life is like backgammon, half skill, and half luck, but with him it was like chess. He never pushed a pawn without reckoning the cost, and when his mind was least busy it was sure to be half a dozen moves ahead of the game as it was standing." — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., The Guardian Angel (1867)

"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

Knights are stronger in the middle of the board.

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident led to a full United States intervention in Vietnam.

On August 2, 1964, the US spy ship USS Maddox sailed in the Gulf of Tonkin only to find itself attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. They fired back, damaging all three ships and forcing the attackers to retreat. On August 4, the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy detected more torpedo boats and opened fire. In hindsight, however, the second attack proved nothing more than panic, and that the USN may have detected and fired on simply flying fish. At the time, though, it led the US Congress to call on US President Lyndon B. Johnson to take the necessary measures to stop communist aggression. President Johnson responded by beginning a three-year bombing campaign over Vietnam, and later, across Indochina.

Identify knight forks.

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!

Jul-05-21
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2. saffuna (52,158)
3. Jim Bartle (50,025)
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6. OhioChessFan (44,247)
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‘The Unchecked Pawn': A Chess Poem by Julian Woodruff

The Unchecked Pawn
Quickly Black castled king-side and planned his attack. White then countered with confidence, primed for a sack, with the sneakiest strategy he could contrive:
nonchalantly he pushed his f-pawn to rank 5.
I'll just nab it, thought Black, but wait … what's going on? Devil take it, I'm sure that's a poisonous pawn!

Black surveyed the board carefully. Ah, yes! I see, that white bishop is poised to attack from c3.
Black was pleased with himself: he was using his head in advancing his own pawn to g5 instead.
In response White paused briefly to stifle a yawn, then dispatched the black bishop with his cheeky pawn.

Now White's move left that pawn hanging, out on e6, over-ripe for the picking; but oh, what a fix
Black was in, with a troublingly weakened back rank, and good reason, besides, to beware his left flank. Delay now, and the chance to fight back will be gone. Black played rook to a5, disregarding White's pawn.

Well, there's pawn to b4 … White considered a while. An attack on Black's rook would be showing some style. No, it's better I simply play pawn to e7:
Remember Alekhine in 1911!
What a nuisance! thought Black, frowning. Oh, how I long To be rid of that confounded d7 pawn!

But there's also White's queen, lurking there … what a fright! I'll block her with the bishop while threatening his knight. With a faint smile, White then replied, sealing Black's fate: pawn takes knight and promotes to queen—instant checkmate! Black stared down at the board, his face pallid and drawn; he'd been crushed through ignoring White's bantam-weight pawn.

Alekhine: Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946) was a Russian and French chess champion.

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there's something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there's nothing what to do." — Savielly Tartakower

"The highest part of the chess player lies in not allowing your opponent to show you what he can do." — Garry Kasparov

The 20-40-40 rule in chess is a rule for players rated below 2000 that states 20% of your study should be dedicated to openings, 40% to the middlegame, and 40% to the endgame.

Drive sober or get pulled over.

"Prepare for the worst but hope for the best." — The Wondrous Tale of Alroy by Benjamin Disraeli, published in 1833

Virgil's Aeneid: "Fortune favors the bold."

'No man is an island' was coined by the English metaphysical poet John Donne (1572-1631).

"It is the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket." The phrase appeared in Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, in 1615.

Isaiah 57:20-21 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

"One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life." — Chinese Proverb

"To lose patience is to lose the battle." — Mahatma Gandhi

"Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." — Napoleon Hill

Actions speak louder than words

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." — Plato

The Fortune-Tellers

It's often from chance opinion takes its rise,
And into reputation multiplies.
This prologue finds pat applications
In men of all this world's vocations;
For fashion, prejudice, and party strife,
Conspire to crowd poor justice out of life.
What can you do to counteract
This reckless, rushing cataract?
"Twill have its course for good or bad,
As it, indeed, has always had.

A dame in Paris played the Pythoness
With much of custom, and, of course, success.
Was any trifle lost, or did
Some maid a husband wish,
Or wife of husband to be rid,
Or either sex for fortune fish,
Resort was had to her with gold,
To get the hidden future told.
Her art was made of various tricks,
Wherein the dame contrived to mix,
With much assurance, learned terms.
Now, chance, of course, sometimes confirms;
And just as often as it did,
The news was anything but hid.
In short, though, as to ninety-nine per cent.,
The lady knew not what her answers meant,
Borne up by ever-babbling Fame,
An oracle she soon became.
A garret was this woman's home,
Till she had gained of gold a sum
That raised the station of her spouse –
Bought him an office and a house.
As she could then no longer bear it,
Another tenanted the garret.
To her came up the city crowd, –
Wives, maidens, servants, gentry proud, –
To ask their fortunes, as before;
A Sibyl's cave was on her garret floor:
Such custom had its former mistress drawn
It lasted even when herself was gone.
It sorely taxed the present mistress' wits
To satisfy the throngs of teasing cits.
"I tell your fortunes! joke, indeed!
Why, gentlemen, I cannot read!
What can you, ladies, learn from me,
Who never learned my A, B, C?"
Avaunt with reasons! tell she must, –
Predict as if she understood,
And lay aside more precious dust
Than two the ablest lawyers could.
The stuff that garnished out her room –
Four crippled chairs, a broken broom –
Helped mightily to raise her merits, –
Full proof of intercourse with spirits!
Had she predicted ever so truly,
On floor with carpet covered duly,
Her word had been a mockery made.
The fashion set on the garret.
Doubt that? – none bold enough to dare it!
The other woman lost her trade.

All shopmen know the force of signs,
And so, indeed, do some divines.
In palaces, a robe awry
Has sometimes set the wearer high;
And crowds his teaching will pursue
Who draws the greatest listening crew.
Ask, if you please, the reason why.

<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!

Chessgames.com will be unavailable September 10, 2024 from 2:30PM through 3:00PM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

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 Way through the Woods' by Rudyard Kipling

They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago.
Weather and rain have undone it again,
And now you would never know
There was once a road through the woods
Before they planted the trees.
It is underneath the coppice and heath,
And the thin anemones.
Only the keeper sees
That, where the ring-dove broods,
And the badgers roll at ease,
There was once a road through the woods.

Yet, if you enter the woods
Of a summer evening late,
When the night-air cools on the trout-ringed pools Where the otter whistles his mate,
(They fear not men in the woods,
Because they see so few.)
You will hear the beat of a horse's feet,
And the swish of a skirt in the dew,
Steadily cantering through
The misty solitudes,
As though they perfectly knew
The old lost road through the woods.
But there is no road through the woods.

"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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

'Ashes to ashes dust to dust

'A place for everything and everything in its place'

<Amanda Kay wrote:

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

'A poor workman always blames his tools'

'A problem shared is a problem halved'

Tetraites

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

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

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight." — The Revenant

"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.

Thinking is difficult. That's why most people judge. ― Joker

When you believe in something, you'll always find a way. ― Joker