Cogito, ergo sum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ne kadar bilirsen bil, o kadar azdır.

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

"One bad move nullifies forty good ones." ― Bernhard Horwitz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"When you see a good move – WAIT! – look for a better one." ― Emanuel Lasker The Portuguese chess player and author Pedro Damiano (1480–1544) first wrote this in his book "Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti" published in Rome, Italy, in 1512.

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

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

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

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

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

* NY City chess: https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.e...

* Chess in Central Park: https://www.regencychess.com/blog/t...

* Chess in NYC parks: https://nynewbie.com/play-chess-new...

* Gauer provides: Game Collection: Franklin chess club vs Manhattan chess club

* Marshall Chess Club: https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-m...

* PGN Language Conversion: http://www.code.gr/chess-converter/...

* Site under construction by Fredthebear. Thank you to greatdane for providing some additional games.

Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) codes:
Anderssen's Opening: 1. a3
Anderssen's Opening, Polish Gambit: 1. a3 a5 2. b4 Anderssen's Opening, Creepy Crawly Formation: 1. a3 e5 2. h3 d5 Anderssen's Opening, Andersspike: 1. a3 g6 2. g4 Ware Opening: 1. a4
Ware Opening, Wing Gambit: 1. a4 b5 2. axb5 Bb7 Ware Opening, Ware Gambit: 1. a4 e5 2. a5 d5 3. e3 f5 4. a6 Ware Opening, Crab Variation: 1. a4 e5 2. h4
Durkin Opening: 1. Na3
Sokolsky Opening: 1. b4
Sokolsky Opening, Birmingham Gambit: 1. b4 c5
Sokolsky Opening, Outflank Variation: 1. b4 c6
Sokolsky Opening, Schuhler Gambit: 1. b4 c6 2. Bb2 a5 3. b5 cxb5 4. e4 Sokolsky Opening, Myers Variation: 1. b4 d5 2. Bb2 c6 3. a4 Sokolsky Opening, Bugayev Attack: 1. b4 e5 2. a3 Sokolsky Opening, Wolferts Gambit: 1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 c5 Saragossa Opening: 1.c3
Dunst Opening: 1. Nc3
Van 't Kruijs Opening: 1.e3
Mieses Opening: 1. d3
Barnes Opening: 1. f3
Benko's Opening: 1. g3
Grob's Attack: 1. g4
Clemenz Opening: 1. h3
Desprez Opening: 1. h4
Amar Opening: 1. Nh3
A01 Larsen's Opening
A02 Bird's Opening
A03 Bird's Opening, 1...d5
A04 Réti Opening, 1. Nf3
A05 Reti Opening, 2...Nf6
A06 Reti Opening, 2...d5
A07 Reti Opening, King's Indian attack (Barcza system) A08 Reti Opening, King's Indian attack
A09 Reti Opening, 2...d5 3.c4
A10 English Opening
A11-A12 English, Caro-Kann defensive system
A13 English Opening
A14 English, Neo-Catalan declined
A15 English, 1...Nf6 (Anglo-Indian defence)
A16 English Opening
A17 English Opening, Hedgehog Defence
A18 English, Mikenas-Carls variation
A19 English, Mikenas-Carls, Sicilian variation
A20-A22 English Opening
A23 English Opening, Bremen system, Keres variation A24 English Opening, Bremen system with 3...g6
A25 English Opening, Sicilian Reversed
A26 English Opening, Closed system
A27 English Opening, Three knights system
A28 English Opening, Four knights system
A29 English Opening, Four knights, kingside Fianchetto A30 English Opening, Symmetrical variation
A31 English Opening, Symmetrical, Benoni formation A32 English Opening, Symmetrical
A33 English Opening, Symmetrical
A34 English Opening, Symmetrical
A35 English Opening, Symmetrical
A36 English Opening, Symmetrical
A37 English Opening, Symmetrical
A38 English Opening, Symmetrical
A39 English Opening, Symmetrical, Main line with d4 A40 Queen's Pawn Game (including English Defence, Englund Gambit, Queen's Knight Defence, Polish Defence and Keres Defence) A41 Queen's Pawn Game, Wade Defence
A42 Modern defence, Averbakh system also Wade Defence A43-A44 Old Benoni defence
A45-A46 Queen's Pawn Game
A47 Queen's Indian Defence
A48 King's Indian, East Indian defence
A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
A50 Queen's Pawn Game, Black Knights' Tango
A51 Budapest Gambit declined
A52 Budapest Gambit
A53 Old Indian Defence
A54 Old Indian, Ukrainian variation
A55 Old Indian, Main line
A56 Benoni Defence
A57 Benko gambit
A58 Benko gambit accepted
A59 Benko gambit, 7.e4
A60-A61 Benoni defence
A62 Benoni, Fianchetto variation
A63 Benoni, Fianchetto variation, 9...Nbd7
A64 Benoni, Fianchetto variation, 11...Re8
A65 Benoni, 6.e4
A66 Benoni, pawn storm variation
A67 Benoni, Taimanov variation
A68 Benoni, Four pawns attack
A69 Benoni, Four pawns attack, Main line
A70 Benoni, Classical with e4 and Nf3
A71 Benoni, Classical, 8.Bg5
A72 Benoni, Classical without 9.O-O
A73 Benoni, Classical, 9.O-O
A74 Benoni, Classical, 9...a6, 10.a4
A75 Benoni, Classical with ...a6 and 10...Bg4
A76 Benoni, Classical, 9...Re8
A77 Benoni, Classical, 9...Re8, 10.Nd2
A78 Benoni, Classical with ...Re8 and ...Na6
A79 Benoni, Classical, 11.f3
A80 Dutch Defence
A81 Dutch defence
A82 Dutch, Staunton gambit, also includes Balogh Defence A83 Dutch, Staunton gambit, Staunton's line
A84 Dutch defence
A85 Dutch with 2.c4 & 3.Nc3
A86 Dutch with 2.c4 & 3.g3
A87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main variation
A88 Dutch, Leningrad, Main variation with 7...c6 A89 Dutch, Leningrad, Main variation with Nc6
A90-92 Dutch defence
A93 Dutch, Stonewall, Botwinnik variation
A94 Dutch, Stonewall with Ba3
A95 Dutch, Stonewall with Nc3
A96 Dutch, Classical variation
A97 Dutch, Ilyin-Genevsky variation
A98 Dutch, Ilyin-Genevsky variation with Qc2
A99 Dutch, Ilyin-Genevsky variation with b3
B00 King's pawn Opening without 1... e5, 1... d5, 1... Nf6, 1... g6, 1... d6, 1... c6, 1... c5. (includes Nimzowitsch Defence, St. George Defence, Owen's Defence, Hippopotamus Defence, Fred Defence and others) B01 Scandinavian Defence (Center Counter Defence) B02 Alekhine's Defence
B03 Alekhine's Defence 3.d4
B04 Alekhine's defence, Modern variation
B05 Alekhine's defence, Modern variation, 4...Bg4 B06 Robatsch (Modern) defence, including Monkey's Bum B07 Pirc defence
B08 Pirc, Classical (Two knights) system
B09 Pirc, Austrian attack
B10 Caro-Kann Defence
B11 Caro-Kann, Two knights, 3...Bg4
B12 Caro-Kann defence
B13 Caro-Kann, Exchange variation
B14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik attack, 5...e6
B15 Caro-Kann defence
B16 Caro-Kann, Bronstein-Larsen variation
B17 Caro-Kann, Steinitz variation
B18 Caro-Kann, Classical variation
B19 Caro-Kann, Classical, 7...Nd7
B20 Sicilian defence
B21 Sicilian, Grand Prix attack and Smith-Morra Gambit, including the Siberian Trap B22 Sicilian Defence, Alapin Variation (2.c3)
B23-B25 Sicilian, Closed
B26 Sicilian, Closed, 6.Be3
B27 Sicilian defence
B28 Sicilian, O'Kelly variation
B29 Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein variation
B30 Sicilian defence
B31 Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rossolimo attack (with ...g6, without ...d6) B32 Sicilian defence
B33 Sicilian, Sveshnikov (Lasker-Pelikan) variation B34 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Exchange variation B35 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Modern variation with Bc4 B36 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Maroczy bind B37 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Maroczy bind, 5...Bg7 B38 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Maroczy bind, 6.Be3 B39 Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer variation B40 Sicilian defence
B41 Sicilian, Kan variation
B42 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Bd3
B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
B44 Sicilian defence
B45-46 Sicilian, Taimanov variation
B47 Sicilian, Taimanov (Bastrikov) variation
B48-49 Sicilian, Taimanov variation
B50 Sicilian
B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky attack
B52 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky attack, 3...Bd7
B53 Sicilian, Chekhover variation
B54 Sicilian
B55 Sicilian, Prins variation, Venice attack
B56 Sicilian
B57 Sicilian, Sozin (not Scheveningen) including Magnus Smith Trap B58 Sicilian, Classical
B59 Sicilian, Boleslavsky variation, 7.Nb3
B60 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer
B61 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Larsen variation, 7.Qd2 B62 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, 6...e6
B63 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack
B64 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...Be7 defence, 9.f4 B65 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...Be7 defence, 9...Nxd4 B66 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...a6 B67 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...a6 defence, 8...Bd7 B68 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...a6 defence, 9...Be7 B69 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...a6 defence, 11.Bxf6 B70 Sicilian, Dragon variation
B71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish variation
B72 Sicilian, Dragon, 6.Be3
B73 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical, 8.O-O
B74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical, 9.Nb3
B75 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack
B76 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 7...O-O
B77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 9.Bc4
B78 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 10.O-O-O B79 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav attack, 12.h4
B80 Sicilian Defence, Scheveningen Variation
B81 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres attack
B82 Sicilian, Scheveningen, 6.f4
B83 Sicilian, Scheveningen, 6.Be2
B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen (Paulsen), Classical variation B85 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Classical variation with ...Qc7 and ...Nc6 B86 Sicilian, Sozin attack
B87 Sozin with ...a6 and ...b5
B88 Sicilian, Sozin, Leonhardt variation
B89 Sicilian, Sozin, 7.Be3
B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
B91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) variation B92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) variation B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
B94 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.Bg5
B95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
B96 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7.f4
B97 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Qb6 including Poisoned Pawn Variation B98 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7
B99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line
C00 French Defence
C01 French, Exchange Variation, Kingston Defence C02 French, Advance Variation
C03 French, Tarrasch
C04 French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line
C05 French, Tarrasch, Closed Variation
C06 French, Tarrasch, Closed Variation, Main line C07 French, Tarrasch, Open Variation
C08 French, Tarrasch, Open, 4.exd5 exd5
C09 French, Tarrasch, Open Variation, Main line C10 French, Paulsen Variation
C11 French Defence
C12 French, MacCutcheon Variation
C13 French, Classical
C14 French, Classical Variation
C15 French, Winawer (Nimzovich) Variation
C16-C18 French, Winawer, Advance Variation
C19 French, Winawer, Advance, 6...Ne7
C20 King's Pawn Game (includes Alapin's Opening, Lopez Opening, Napoleon Opening, Portuguese Opening and Parham Attack) C21 Center Game (includes Danish Gambit)
C22 Center Game
C23 Bishop's Opening
C24 Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defence
C25 Vienna Game
C26 Vienna Game, Falkbeer Variation
C27 Vienna Game, Frankenstein-Dracula Variation C28 Vienna Game
C29 Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation including Würzburger Trap C30 King's Gambit
C31 King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Countergambit C32 King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer, 5. dxe4
C33 King's Gambit Accepted
C34 King's Gambit Accepted, including Fischer Defence C35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham Defence
C36 King's Gambit Accepted, Abbazia Defence (Classical Defence, Modern Defence) C37 King's Gambit Accepted, Quaade Gambit
C38 King's Gambit Accepted
C39 KGA, Allagier & Kiesertisky Gambits including Rice Gambit C40 King's Knight Opening (includes Gunderam Defence, Greco Defence, Damiano Defence, Elephant Gambit, and Latvian Gambit.) C41 Philidor Defence
C42 Petrov's Defence, including Marshall Trap
C43 Petrov's Defence, Modern (Steinitz) Attack
C44 King's Pawn Game (includes Ponziani Opening, Inverted Hungarian Opening, Irish Gambit, Konstantinopolsky Opening and some Scotch Game) C45 Scotch Game
C46 Three Knights Game including Müller-Schulze Gambit C47 Four Knights Game, Scotch Variation
C48 Four Knights Game, Spanish Variation
C49 Four Knights Game, Double Ruy Lopez
C50 King's Pawn Game (includes Blackburne Shilling Gambit, Hungarian Defence, Italian Gambit, Légal Trap, Rousseau Gambit and Giuoco Pianissimo) C51 Evans Gambit
C52 Evans Gambit with 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5
C53 Giuoco Piano
C54 Giuoco Piano
C55 Two Knights Defence
C56 Two Knights Defence
C57 Two Knights Defence, including the Fried Liver Attack C58-C59 Two Knights Defence
C60 Ruy Lopez
C61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defence
C62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defence
C63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defence
C64 Ruy Lopez, Classical (Cordel) Defence
C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence including Mortimer Trap C66 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, 4.O-O, d6
C67 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, Open variation
C68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation
C69 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation, 5.O-O
C70 Ruy Lopez
C71 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence including Noah's Ark Trap C72 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence 5.0-0
C73 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence, Richter variation C74 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence
C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence
C76 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defence, Fianchetto (Bronstein) variation C77 Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defence
C78 Ruy Lopez, 5.O-O
C79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defence Deferred (Russian Defence) C80 Ruy Lopez, Open (Tarrasch) Defence
C81 Ruy Lopez, Open, Howell Attack
C82 Ruy Lopez, Open, 9.c3
C83 Ruy Lopez, Open, Classical Defence
C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed Defence
C85 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred C86 Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack
C87 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Averbach Variation
C88 Ruy Lopez, Closed
C89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall Counterattack
C90 Ruy Lopez, Closed (with ...d6)
C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed, 9.d4
C92 Ruy Lopez, Closed, 9.h3
C93 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Smyslov Defence
C94 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer Defence
C95 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer, 10.d4
C96 Ruy Lopez, Closed, 8...Na5
C97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin Defence
C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...Nc6
C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...c5d4
D00 Queen's Pawn Game (including Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Halosar Trap and others) D01 Richter-Veresov Attack
D02 Queen's Pawn Game, 2. Nf3
D03 Torre Attack, Tartakower variation
D04 Queen's Pawn Game
D05 Queen's Pawn Game, Zukertort variation (including Colle system) D06 Queen's Gambit (including the Baltic Defence, Marshall Defence and Symmetrical Defence) D07 QGD; Chigorin defence
D08 QGD; Albin Countergambit and Lasker Trap
D09 QGD; Albin Countergambit, 5.g3
D10 QGD; Slav Defence
D11 QGD; Slav defence, 3.Nf3
D12 QGD; Slav defence, 4.e3 Bf5
D13 QGD; Slav defence, Exchange variation
D14 QGD; Slav defence, Exchange variation
D15 QGD; Slav, 4.Nc3
D16 QGD; Slav accepted, Alapin variation
D17 QGD; Slav defence, Czech defence
D18-D19 QGD; Dutch variation
D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted
D21 QGA, 3.Nf3
D22 QGA; Alekhine defence
D23 Queen's gambit accepted
D24 QGA, 4.Nc3
D25 QGA, 4.e3
D26 QGA; classical variation
D27 QGA; classical variation
D28 QGA; Classical variation 7.Qe2
D29 QGA; Classical variation 8...Bb7
D30 Queen's Gambit Declined
D31 QGD, 3.Nc3
D32 QGD; Tarrasch Defence
D33 QGD; Tarrasch, Schlechter-Rubinstein system D34 QGD; Tarrasch, 7...Be7
D35 QGD; Exchange Variation
D36 QGD; Exchange, positional line, 6.Qc2
D37 QGD; 4.Nf3
D38 QGD; Ragozin variation
D39 QGD; Ragozin, Vienna variation
D40 QGD; Semi-Tarrasch defence
D41 QGD; Semi-Tarrasch, 5.cd
D42 QGD; Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3
D43 QGD; Semi-Slav Defence
D44 QGD; Semi-Slav 5.Bg5 dxc4
D45 QGD; Semi-Slav 5.e3
D46 QGD; Semi-Slav 6.Bd3
D47 QGD; Semi-Slav 7.Bc4
D48 QGD; Meran, 8...a6
D49 QGD; Meran, 11.Nxb5
D50 QGD; 4.Bg5
D51 QGD; 4.Bg5 Nbd7 (Cambridge Springs Defence and Elephant Trap) D52 QGD
D53 QGD; 4.Bg5 Be7
D54 QGD; Anti-neo-Orthodox variation
D55 QGD; 6.Nf3
D56 QGD; Lasker defence
D57 QGD; Lasker defence, Main line
D58 QGD; Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) system D59 QGD; Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) system, 8.cd Nxd5 D60 QGD; Orthodox defence
D61 QGD; Orthodox defence, Rubinstein variation D62 QGD; Orthodox defence, 7.Qc2 c5, 8.cd (Rubinstein) D63 QGD; Orthodox defence, 7.Rc1
D64 QGD; Orthodox defence, Rubinstein attack (with Rc1) D65 QGD; Orthodox defence, Rubinstein attack, Main line D66 QGD; Orthodox defence, Bd3 line including Rubinstein Trap D67 QGD; Orthodox defence, Bd3 line, Capablanca freeing manoeuver D68 QGD; Orthodox defence, Classical variation
D69 QGD; Orthodox defence, Classical, 13.dxe5
D70 Neo-Grünfeld Defence
D71 Neo-Grünfeld, 5.cd
D72 Neo-Grünfeld, 5.cd, Main line
D73 Neo-Grünfeld, 5.Nf3
D74 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O
D75 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O c5, 8.Nc3
D76 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O Nb6
D77 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.O-O
D78 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.O-O c6
D79 Neo-Grünfeld, 6.O-O, Main line
D80 Grünfeld Defence
D81 Grünfeld; Russian variation
D82 Grünfeld 4.Bf4
D83 Grünfeld gambit
D84 Grünfeld gambit accepted
D85 Grünfeld, exchange variation
D86 Grünfeld, Exchange, Classical variation
D87 Grünfeld, Exchange, Spassky variation
D88 Grünfeld, Spassky variation, Main line, 10...cd, 11.cd D89 Grünfeld, Spassky variation, Main line, 13.Bd3 D90 Grünfeld, Three knights variation
D91 Grünfeld, Three knights variation
D92 Grünfeld, 5.Bf4
D93 Grünfeld with 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3
D94 Grünfeld, 5.e3
D95 Grünfeld with 5.e3 O-O 6.Qb3
D96 Grünfeld, Russian variation
D97 Grünfeld, Russian variation with 7.e4
D98 Grünfeld, Russian, Smyslov variation
D99 Grünfeld Defence, Smyslov, Main line
E00 Queen's Pawn Game (including Neo-Indian Attack, Trompowski Attack, Catalan Opening and others) E01 Catalan, closed
E02 Catalan, open, 5.Qa4
E03 Catalan, open, Alekhine variation
E04 Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3
E05 Catalan, Open, Classical line
E06 Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3
E07 Catalan, Closed, 6...Nbd7
E08 Catalan, Closed, 7.Qc2
E09 Catalan, Closed, Main line
E10 Queen's Pawn Game 3.Nf3
E11 Bogo-Indian Defence
E12 Queen's Indian Defence
E13 Queen's Indian, 4.Nc3, Main line
E14 Queen's Indian, 4.e3
E15 Queen's Indian, 4.g3
E16 Queen's Indian, Capablanca variation
E17 Queen's Indian, 5.Bg2 Be7
E18 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 7.Nc3
E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
E20 Nimzo-Indian Defence
E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three knights variation
E22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
E23 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann, 4...c5, 5.dc Nc6
E24 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation
E25 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation, Keres variation E26 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation, 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 E27 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation, 5...0-0
E28 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation, 6.e3
E29 Nimzo-Indian, Saemisch variation, Main line E30 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad variation,
E31 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad variation, main line E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical variation
E33 Nimzo-Indian, Classical variation, 4...Nc6
E34 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa variation
E35 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa variation, 5.cxd5 exd5 E36 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa variation, 5.a3 E37 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa variation, Main line, 7.Qc2 E38 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 4...c5
E39 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Pirc variation
E40 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
E41 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5
E42 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein)
E43 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer variation
E44 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer variation, 5.Ne2
E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) variation E46 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O
E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O, 5.Bd3
E48 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O, 5.Bd3 d5
E49 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Botvinnik system
E50 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 e8g8, 5.Nf3, without ...d5 E51 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 e8g8, 5.Nf3 d7d5
E52 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with ...b6
E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with ...c5
E54 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric system with 7...dc E55 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric system, Bronstein variation E56 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 7...Nc6
E57 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 8...dxc4 and 9...Bxc4 cxd4 E58 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 8...Bxc3 E59 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line
E60 King's Indian Defence
E61 King's Indian Defence, 3.Nc3
E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto variation
E63 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno variation
E64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav system
E65 King's Indian, Yugoslav, 7.O-O
E66 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav Panno
E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto with ...Nd7
E68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical variation, 8.e4 E69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line E70 King's Indian, 4.e4
E71 King's Indian, Makagonov system (5.h3)
E72 King's Indian with e4 & g3
E73 King's Indian, 5.Be2
E74 King's Indian, Averbakh, 6...c5
E75 King's Indian, Averbakh, Main line
E76 King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack
E77 King's Indian, Four pawns attack, 6.Be2
E78 King's Indian, Four pawns attack, with Be2 and Nf3 E79 King's Indian, Four pawns attack, Main line E80 King's Indian, Sämisch variation
E81 King's Indian, Sämisch, 5...O-O
E82 King's Indian, Sämisch, double Fianchetto variation E83 King's Indian, Sämisch, 6...Nc6
E84 King's Indian, Sämisch, Panno Main line
E85 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox variation E86 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.Nge2 c6 E87 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.d5
E88 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.d5 c6
E89 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox Main line E90 King's Indian, 5.Nf3
E91 King's Indian, 6.Be2
E92 King's Indian, Classical variation
E93 King's Indian, Petrosian system, Main line
E94 King's Indian, Orthodox variation
E95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1
E96 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, Main line E97 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov variation (Yugoslav attack / Mar del Plata variation) E98 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, 9.Ne1 E99 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, Main By ManUtdForever12

Thank you ManUtdForever12!

<Steinitz's Theory
1. At the beginning of the game, Black and White are equal.

2. The game will stay equal with correct play on both sides.

3. You can only win by your opponent's mistake.

4. Any attack launched in an equal position will not succeed, and the attacker will suffer.

5. You should not attack until an advantage is obtained.

6. When equal, do not seek to attack, but instead, try to secure an advantage.

7. Once you have an advantage, attack or you will lose it.>

The Will Explained By Aesop

If what old story says of Aesop's true,
The oracle of Greece he was,
And more than Areopagus he knew,
With all its wisdom in the laws.
The following tale gives but a sample
Of what has made his fame so ample.
Three daughters shared a father's purse,
Of habits totally diverse.
The first, bewitched with drinks delicious;
The next, coquettish and capricious;
The third, supremely avaricious.
The sire, expectant of his fate,
Bequeathed his whole estate,
In equal shares, to them,
And to their mother just the same, –
To her then payable, and not before,
Each daughter should possess her part no more.
The father died. The females three
Were much in haste the will to see.
They read, and read, but still
Saw not the willer's will.
For could it well be understood
That each of this sweet sisterhood,
When she possessed her part no more,
Should to her mother pay it over?
It was surely not so easy saying
How lack of means would help the paying.
What meant their honoured father, then?
The affair was brought to legal men,
Who, after turning over the case
Some hundred thousand different ways,
Threw down the learned bonnet,
Unable to decide on it;
And then advised the heirs,
Without more thought, t" adjust affairs.
As to the widow's share, the counsel say,
"We hold it just the daughters each should pay
One third to her on demand,
Should she not choose to have it stand
Commuted as a life annuity,
Paid from her husband's death, with due congruity."

The thing thus ordered, the estate
Is duly cut in portions three.
And in the first they all agree
To put the feasting-lodges, plate,
Luxurious cooling mugs,
Enormous liquor jugs,
Rich cupboards, – built beneath the trellised vine, –

The stores of ancient, sweet Malvoisian wine,
The slaves to serve it at a sign;
In short, whatever, in a great house,
There is of feasting apparatus.
The second part is made
Of what might help the jilting trade –
The city house and furniture,
Exquisite and genteel, be sure,
The eunuchs, milliners, and laces,
The jewels, shawls, and costly dresses.
The third is made of household stuff,
More vulgar, rude, and rough –
Farms, fences, flocks, and fodder,
And men and beasts to turn the sod over.
This done, since it was thought
To give the parts by lot
Might suit, or it might not,
Each paid her share of fees dear,
And took the part that pleased her.
It was in great Athens town,
Such judgment gave the gown.
And there the public voice
Applauded both the judgment and the choice.
But Aesop well was satisfied
The learned men had set aside,
In judging thus the testament,
The very gist of its intent.
"The dead," Said he, "could he but know of it,
Would heap reproaches on such Attic wit.
What! men who proudly take their place
As sages of the human race,
Lack they the simple skill
To settle such a will?"
This said, he undertook himself
The task of portioning the pelf;
And straightway gave each maid the part
The least according to her heart –
The prim coquette, the drinking stuff,
The drinker, then, the farms and cattle;
And on the miser, rude and rough,
The robes and lace did Aesop settle;
For thus, he said, "an early date
Would see the sisters alienate
Their several shares of the estate.
No motive now in maidenhood to tarry,
They all would seek, post haste, to marry;
And, having each a splendid bait,
Each soon would find a well-bred mate;
And, leaving thus their father's goods intact,
Would to their mother pay them all, in fact," – Which of the testament
Was plainly the intent.
The people, who had thought a slave an ass,
Much wondered how it came to pass
That one alone should have more sense
Than all their men of most pretence.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." A team or group is only as strong as its weakest member. If a person is not performing in a group, the whole group will suffer.

‘May your Departures equal your Landfalls!'

"Birds of a feather flock together."
People with similar tastes often form a group for company or discussion.

Sep-07-24 Cecco: According to this engine the much criticized 34. ... h2 is the best move. Sep-07-24 offramp: I was wondering about all the chess engines that disappeared from our world. What happened to Mephisto? I used to play that board/set in a London department store.

Gandalf has gone. Shredder has gone. Rybka went suddenly down the toilet. AlphaZero is not commercially available; it probably gave up chess to mine bitcoins. Bee-nado is coming!

The best-known engines now seem to be Fritz and Stockfish.

I often have a look at TCEC, which is always interesting. It's the chess version of <RobotWars>.

Sep-07-24 Muttley101: <offramp> if you're unaware of the story of Rybka, the ICCA (or whatever they are/were called), claimed that Rybka contained large sections of code copied from Oakfoam, and banned it from computer chess competitions. If I recall correctly, Chessbase took on the developers and incorporated Rybka's techniques into Fritz. The DCNN that underpins Alphazero was bought by Google and is being used to investigate all sorts of research problems, for example: drug design, protein folding. Not hard to find information, amazing stuff. In any case, Leela (amongst others) used the DCNN architecture (Google published numerous articles on techniques, they are wonderful), and the recent work on KANs is another example of how the area is developing.

Have fun reading up.

Sep-07-24
offramp: User: Muttley101 your précis is perfect. I'm going to have a look. When I lost to Mephisto I must have thought, "This game will create protein folding."

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

<"From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day." ― William Shakespeare, Henry V>

"They made us many promises, but they kept only one. They promised to take our land -- and they did." — Chief Red Cloud, Oglala-Lakota Sioux, 1822-1909.

"There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who believe there are two kinds of people in this world and those who are smart enough to know better." ― Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

Patience is a virtue.

Dec-26-23 hemy: I sent email messages to <jessicafischerqueen> and <Tabanus>. I was contacted by email to both of them for many years. Responses from the mail servers were: "Sorry, your message to <her email address> cannot be delivered. This mailbox is disabled" and "Recipient address rejected: Access denied". Credits for Robert Bergersen aka <Tabanus>, include his picture, for his contribution to "Lithuanian chess history" project, you can find on page 45 of this project. He also mentioned on page 141 (with one more picture), pages 166, 1315, 1383-1386, 1823, 2807 and 3423.

In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Chessgames.com will be unavailable Friday, February 17, 2023 from 11AM through 11:30AM(UTC/GMT) for maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Riddle Question: No victor, no vanquished, an impasse where kings freeze, I am the draw that no one seeks. What am I?

Ancient stone tools were the oldest human artifacts ever recovered dating back to 3.3 million years ago.

Riddle Answer: Stalemate

<....Here is an excerpt from Sergeant's book Championship Chess, with Alexander Alekhine's view of Reuben Fine, as early as 1933:

'Before (Alekhine) left the States the Champion was induced to say whom he thought likely challengers for his title in the future. He named two Americans, Kashdan, who was favourably known in Europe already, and Reuben Fine, whose achievements so far were mainly in his own country, and the Czecho-Slovakian, Flohr.'>

"Accept life as it is. Then work to make it the way you want it to be." ― Cindy Francis

"Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we're waiting for." ― Charles F. Stanley

* https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/oth...

Phone scammers are getting smarter with their tactics like AI voice scams. And if you're not careful, they could make big bucks off of you, the unsuspecting caller. Aside from hanging up if you hear this four-word phrase, there's something else you can do to avoid becoming a victim and to keep up with your smartphone security and privacy.

Certain area codes can warn potential targets that the call isn't safe, according to Joseph Steinberg, CEO of SecureMySocial. Although scam callers once used a 900 number, they've changed their methods as the general public became aware of their tactic. Now, many scam phone numbers have different area codes, including 809, which originates in the Caribbean.

Another area code to look out for may look like it's coming from the United States, but isn't. "Criminals have been known to use caller IDs with the area code 473, which appears to be domestic, but is actually the area code for the island of Grenada," Steinberg says. Watch out for these phone call scams that could steal your money, too.

By the way, those calls add up fast. You could be charged for taking a call from any of these foreign countries, according to AARP. Plus, scammers can swindle you out of your money through phony vacation scams and fake stories about danger or money problems. iPhone scams and Uber scams are also on the rise, making Apple fans and Uber users alike more wary. Make sure you know how to avoid Uber scams and how to stop spam texts on your phone.

To play it extra safe, Steinberg recommends never answering or returning a call from a number you don't recognize. If you actually know the person, they can always leave a voicemail. "Remember that it's unlikely that someone you do not know—who is in distress at a location with which you are not familiar—would dial a random number in another country and ask you to help them," he says. "They would call the police."

It can't hurt to be wary of possible scam phone numbers with the following international area codes. And watch out for these Facebook Marketplace scams before you go shopping.

Scam phone numbers: International Area Codes with a +1 Country Code

232—Sierra Leone

242 — Bahamas

246 — Barbados

268 — Antigua

284 — British Virgin Islands

345 — Cayman Islands

441 — Bermuda

473 — Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique

649 — Turks and Caicos

664 — Montserrat

721 — Sint Maarten

758 — St. Lucia

767 — Dominica

784 — St. Vincent and Grenadines

809, 829, and 849 — The Dominican Republic

868 — Trinidad and Tobago

869 — St. Kitts and Nevis

876 — Jamaica

It's important to note that scammers can create scam phone numbers by spoofing numbers from many area codes, not just the ones listed above. Remember, a good rule of thumb is if you don't recognize the phone number, don't pick up your phone and let it go to voicemail. This can help you avoid falling for common phone scams, such as those pesky car extended warranty calls.

By the way—if you are charged for picking up a scam call, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends contacting your phone company to try and take care of the matter. You can also file a complaint about the scam call with the FCC.

Next, read about these online scams you need to be aware of and how to avoid them. Also, read up on what doxxing is and how it sets you up to be hacked.

Question: Which US President was the only bachelor when he was in office? Answer: James Buchanan

Alexander the Great was buried alive… accidentally.

Question: On which planet is a year longer than a day? Answer: Venus has the longest day of any planet in our solar system. Venus is unusual because it spins the opposite direction of Earth and most other planets and it's extremely slow. It takes about 243 Earth days to spin around just once. Because it's so close to the sun, a year goes by fast. Therefore, a day on Venus is nearly 20 Earth days longer than its year.

Question: Which girl's name is also the name given to a female donkey? Answer: Jenny

Question: In the Bible, who, alone, killed a quarter of the world's population? Answer: Cain – according to the Bible, Cain killed Abel when the only humans in existence were Adam, Eve and their 2 sons.

History is generally divided into 4 time periods: Prehistory, Ancient History, Post-Ancient History, and Modern History.

Question: What day is two days before the day immediately following the day three days before the day two days after the day immediately before Friday? Answer: Tuesday – the day before Friday is Thursday. Two days after that is Saturday. Three days before that is Wednesday. The day immediately following that is Thursday, Two days before that is Tuesday, so the final and correct answer is Tuesday.

Question: What goes up, but never down?
Answer: Age

In the Ancient Olympics, athletes performed naked.

Question: What do you call a woman that knows where her husband is, at all times? Answer: A widow

Question: What is the only number spelled out in English that has the same number of letters as its value? Answer: Four

Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times. The nephew and heir of Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor Augustus, had an estimated net worth of $4.6 trillion when counting for inflation.

Question: The U.S.A. $10,000 bill was last printed in 1945 and is the largest denomination ever in public circulation; whose portrait appeared on it? Answer: Salmon P. Chase – Secretary of the Treasury

Question: What is enuresis?
Answer: Bedwetting

Half a millennium before Christopher Columbus "discovered" America, Viking chief Leif Eriksson of Greenland landed on the Island of Newfoundland in the year 1,000 AD. The Vikings under Leif Eriksson settled Newfoundland as well as discovering and settling Labrador further north in Canada.

Question: What does the word karaoke literally mean? Answer: Empty orchestra

Question: Which fruit floats because 25% of its volume is air? Answer: Apple – they float because of their high volume of air. If an item is denser than water, it will sink – otherwise, will float.

In Ancient Asia, death by elephant was a popular form of execution. As elephants are very intelligent and easy to train, it proved easy enough to train them as executioners and torturers. They could be taught to slowly break bones, crush skulls, twist off limbs, or even execute people using large blades fitted to their tusks. In some parts of Asia, this method of execution was still popular up to the late 19th Century.

Question: What's the only food that never expires? Answer: Honey – when excavating ancient Egyptian tombs, archaeologists found pots of honey thousands of years old, and still edible. As long as the container is sealed, raw honey will never spoil. Although it never truly expires, honey can crystallize or granulate but is still safe to consume.

Fun fact: the oldest jar of honey was found in the tomb of a noblewoman in Georgia. As far as archaeologists have found, this is considered the world's oldest honey – about 5,500 years old.

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

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

Over the course of WWII, the Allied armies dropped roughly 2.7 million tons of bombs over Nazi-occupied Europe. Half of that landed in Germany. Before any construction work can begin in Germany, the ground must undergo extensive surveys to look for unexploded ordinances.

Question: The world's first speeding ticket was issued in 1896. Where did it happen? Answer: London, England

Walter Arnold was driving four times the limit, at an astonishing speed of 8 miles per hour. Back in those days, the speed limit was 2 miles per hour – you could easily walk faster. The driver was eventually arrested after being chased by a police officer on a bicycle.

Question: In feudal Japan, why did lords purposely built homes with squeaky floors? Answer: They were used as a defensive measure against ninjas.

Cleopatra's reign was closer to the moon landings than the Great Pyramid being built. This is one of those facts that give you some impression of just how expansive the life of the Egyptian Empire truly was.

Cleopatra reigned from 51 BC to 30 BC, roughly 2,500 years after the Great Pyramid of Giza was built (between roughly 2580 BC – 2560 BC) and roughly 2,000 years before the first lunar landings in 1969.

Question: What U.S. state's constitution is the longest in the world? Answer: Alabama – 310,000 words.

Question: What country has the most vending machines per capita? Answer: Japan – one for every 23 people.

Shrapnel is named after its inventor. British Army Officer Henry Shrapnel was the first person to invent an anti-personnel shell that could transport a large number of bullets to its target before releasing them.

Question: What was the first patented service uniform in the United States? Answer: Playboy Bunny

Question: What is the oldest authenticated age ever for a human? Answer: 122

The Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire had a weapon called Greek Fire they used in ship-mounted flamethrowers. The secret of how to make Greek Fire was lost with the fall of the Roman Empire. This weapon is so unique and deadly due to the fact that throwing water onto it would only feed the fire. It was almost gelatinous in texture and would stick to things.

Greek Fire was mostly used in naval warfare, as the large flamethrowers needed for its projectile use could be better accommodated by ships rather than infantry. It would easily demolish a fleet of wood and canvas ships floating on water.

Question: Which two cities represent letters in the phonetic alphabet? Answer: Lima and Quebec

The saying "fly off the handle" originates from the 1800s. It's a saying that refers to cheap axe heads flying off their handles when swung backward before a chop.

Question: What did clocks never have before 1577? Answer: Minute hands – it was eventually invented by Jost Burgi for, it is believed, Tycho Brahe, an astronomer who needed an accurate clock for stargazing.

Question: What is the most frequently sold item at Walmart? Answer: Bananas – although Walmart never disclosed how many bananas they sell each year, the number has to be immense considering that over 200 million people shop in its stores worldwide every single week.

Captain Morgan was a real guy. He was also a real captain, too! The face of the much-loved rum brand was a Welsh privateer who fought against the Spanish alongside the English in the Caribbean. His full name was Sir Henry Morgan, and he was knighted by King Charles II. Captain Morgan died in 1688 in Jamaica as a very wealthy man.

Question: What language has the most words?
Answer: English

Question: Why did pirates wear earrings?
Answer: To improve their eyesight – they believed the precious metal in an earring had healing powers.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was never straight.
Known worldwide for its four degrees lean, this freestanding bell tower was constructed in the 12th Century.

When construction on the second story started, due to the unstable ground it was built on, the tower started to lean. After this, the lean only increased as the construction process went on, and it went on to become more iconic than the tower itself!

Question: In terms of production volume, what is the most popular fruit in the world? Answer: Tomato – yes, tomato is a fruit.

Question: Who is the oldest man to win People Magazine's sexiest man alive? Answer: Sean Connery – 59.

Iceland has the world's oldest parliament in history. Called the Althing, it was established in 930 and has stayed as the acting parliament of Iceland since then.

Question: How do you call a group of unicorns?
Answer: A blessing

46 BC was 445 days long and is the longest year in human history. Nicknamed the annus confusionis, or "year of confusion," this year had two extra leap months inserted by <Julius Caesar>.

This was in order to make his newly-formed Julian Calendar match up with the seasonal year. This calendar is a variation that is still used in most places across the world today.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." ― Nora Ephr

"The Seven Social Sins are:

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.

From a sermon given by Frederick Lewis Donaldson in Westminster Abbey, London, on March 20, 1925." ― Frederick Lewis Donaldson

<Marcus Licinius Crassus was known as the wealthiest man in Rome during his life. The son of a Consul of Rome, Crassus fought in Sulla's Civil War, played a key part in defeating Spartacus and ending the Third Servile War, and formed the first Triumvirate with Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great.

A shrewd man, throughout all he did, Crassus accumulated more and more wealth – and it was his thirst for wealth that would eventually lead to his downfall. Leading his troops in an ill-fated conquest of Parthia (modern-day Iran), Crassus and his forces were brutalized and bested by the Parthians time and time again.

After an unsuccessful parley for peace with the Parthian leaders, Crassus was killed. The Parthians poured molten gold down his throat as a symbol of his thirst for wealth. Some even say that his gilded head and hands were sent to the Parthian King to keep as trophies of his victory against Crassus and Rome.>

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

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

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

"I'm 58 years old and I just went through 8 back surgeries. They started cutting on me in February 2009, and I was basically bedridden for almost two years. I got a real dose of reality that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything." — Hulk Hogan

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

'Don't shut the stable door after the horse has bolted'

'Don't throw good money after bad'

'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'

Lord Byron kept a bear in his college dorm.

The famous Romantic-period poet was peeved when he found out that Trinity College, Cambridge, didn't allow dogs on campus. So, to rebel against the man's draconian rules, he decided to bring a tame bear with him to campus. Whilst the college's authorities tried to protest, he won his case as the rules didn't explicitly state you couldn't bring a bear to campus. To parade his victory and gloat to the powers that be, Byron often took his bear for walks around campus on a lead!

Jab tak samajh nahin aa raha hai, tab tak bolna mat

On the TV show Star Trek, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) have engaged in three chess games. All three games were won by Kirk.

In 1972, Iceland established a 24-hour police guard around the chess match seats of Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky to keep out intruders and aliev concerns of subterfuge.

After one move each, there are 400 distinct possibilities in the game of chess.

The Two Friends

Two friends, in Monomotapa,
Had all their interests combined.
Their friendship, faithful and refined,
Our country can't exceed, do what it may.
One night, when potent Sleep had laid
All still within our planet's shade,
One of the two gets up alarmed,
Runs over to the other's palace,
And hastily the servants rallies.
His startled friend, quick armed,
With purse and sword his comrade meets,
And thus right kindly greets:
"You seldom com'st at such an hour;
I take you for a man of sounder mind
Than to abuse the time for sleep designed.
Have lost your purse, by Fortune's power?
Here's mine. Have suffered insult, or a blow,
I have here my sword – to avenge it let us go." "No," said his friend, "no need I feel
Of either silver, gold, or steel;
I thank you for your friendly zeal.
In sleep I saw you rather sad,
And thought the truth might be as bad.
Unable to endure the fear,
That cursed dream has brought me here."

Which think you, reader, loved the most!
If doubtful this, one truth may be proposed:
There's nothing sweeter than a real friend:
Not only is he prompt to lend –
An angler delicate, he fishes
The very deepest of your wishes,
And spares your modesty the task
His friendly aid to ask.
A dream, a shadow, wakes his fear,
When pointing at the object dear.

"One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today." ― Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos

"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

Psalm 31:24
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

"The wind cannot defeat a tree with strong roots." — The Revenant

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

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

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

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

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

"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

<Albert Einstein turned down the presidency of Israel. Einstein wasn't a citizen of Israel. However, he was Jewish. The German-born physicist was offered the post but turned it down in 1952, saying:

"I am deeply moved by the offer from our State of Israel, and at once saddened and ashamed that I cannot accept it. All my life I have dealt with objective matters, hence I lack both the natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly with people and to exercise official functions.">

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 MeN Dupree Nsteadov Zeitnot Zshaa-Tichondrius - 601 Disc Priest 226 Ilvl - 27750 RBG zek247 dint undrstnd Ziyatdinov's planto ignore the LSB on deck of the karrier. Littel onez mustard bee ina savety seet.

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

<A wise old owl sat on an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke,

The less he spoke the more he heard,

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

Give a HOOT -- don't pollute!!