Strange P-Q4, Flank, and Unorthodox games have been removed. ECO Code BC games are in here.

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

"The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment." ― Napoleon Bonaparte

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

"Of chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess." — William Ewart Napier

Bobby Fischer on Paul Morphy:
"Perhaps the most accurate player who ever lived, he would beat anybody today in a set-match. He had complete sight of the board and seldom blundered even though he moved quite rapidly. I've played over hundreds of his games and am continually surprised and entertained by his ingenuity."

"I always play carefully and try to avoid unnecessary risks. I consider my method to be right as any superfluous ‘daring' runs counter to the essential character of chess, which is not a gamble but a purely intellectual combat conducted in accordance with the exact rules of logic." — Jose Raul Capablanca

"I had to keep walking from table to table. I must have walked ten miles. In chess, as in baseball, the legs go first. Chess is not an old man's game." — Jose Raul Capablanca (on giving a simul)

"Capablanca's planning of the game is so full of that freshness of his genius for position play, that every hypermodern player can only envy him." — Alexander Alekhine

"The stock market and the gridiron and the battlefield aren't as tidy as the chessboard, but in all of them, a single, simple rule holds true: make good decisions and you'll succeed; make bad ones and you'll fail." — Garry Kasparov

"All that matters on the chessboard is good moves." — Bobby Fischer

"The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." — George Hyman Rickover

"The laws of circumstance are abolished by new circumstances." — Napoleon

"No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself." — William Penn

"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 (1921-2010), 7th World Chess Champion

"That's what chess is all about. One day you give your opponent a lesson, the next day he gives you one." — Bobby Fischer

"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

"Methodical thinking is of more use in chess than inspiration." — C.J.S. Purdy.

"Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer." — Albert Einstein

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." ― Lao Tzu

"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another." ― William Shakespeare

"I started chess around the age of seven. I was inspired by the game, but soon legends like Kasparov, Karpov, Fischer, Anand and many other world champions captivated me." ― Anish Giri

"Chess is a game where all different sorts of people can come together, not a game in which people are divided because of their religion or country of origin." ― Hikaru Nakamura

"In chess, you have to bring all the pieces into the game. It is about development. In writing, you have to develop the story." ― Gza

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." ― Albert Einstein

Richard the Lionheart only spent six months of his ten-year reign in England.

"Chess is a lot of fun for me. Football is a physical game, and in chess you can just beat someone mentally - you outwit somebody, outmaneuver them, think ahead of them." ― Larry Fitzgerald

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." ― Archimedes

"Chess and me, it's hard to take them apart. It's like my alter ego." ― Bobby Fischer

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." ― Henry David Thoreau

"Chess is the art of analysis." ― Mikhail Botvinnik

"Patience is the companion of wisdom." ― Saint Augustine

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

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

"Young men preen. Old men scheme." ― Mason Cooley

"There are no adequate substitutes for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things." ― Gerald R. Ford

"My biggest competitor was my mum. I used to try to beat her at Chinese chequers, chess, carrom, volleyball, badminton, football, wrestling." ― Sunil Chhetri

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." ― Thomas Jefferson

"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak." ― Alan Dundes

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." ― Albert Einstein

"The human element, the human flaw and the human nobility - those are the reasons that chess matches are won or lost." ― Viktor Korchnoi

"In chess, you should be as cool as a cucumber." ― Yuliya Snigir

"O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!" ― Walter Scott

"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

"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift." ― Steve Prefontaine

"I love to play chess. The last time I was playing, I started to really see the board. I don't mean just seeing a few moves ahead - something else. My game started getting better. It's the patterns. The patterns are universal." ― Forest Whitaker

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you?' " ― William Arthur Ward

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." ― Epictetus

"I think a gentleman is someone who holds the comfort of other people above their own. The instinct to do that is inside every good man, I believe. The rules about opening doors and buying dinner and all of that other 'gentleman' stuff is a chess game, especially these days." ― Anna Kendrick

Never judge a book by its cover.

"You cannot say, 'Go! Go! Rah! Rah! Good move!' People want some emotion. Chess is an art and not a spectator sport." ― Garry Kasparov

"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

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ― Winston Churchill

"I spend hours playing chess because I find it so much fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I give up." ― Magnus Carlsen

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ― Mark Twain

Napoleon took 187,600 horses with his army as he rode into Russia in 1812, only 1,600 came back.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ― Eleanor Roosevelt

"I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be." ― Joyce Meyer

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ― Jim Rohn

"I have a scheme for stopping war. It's this - no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one." ― Will Rogers

* 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...

* 62 Masterpieces: Game Collection: Instructive Games (Chernev)

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

* 101 Brevities: Game Collection: 7

* 101 games in "7" by gr2ca is the original copy.

* One hitters of the '70s: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?li...

* Anderson's First: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bR...

* ABCs of the Ruy Lopez: Game Collection: The ABC of the Ruy Lopez

* Art of Checkmate: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

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

* Bad Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z9...

* Blowing Away the Castled King: Game Collection: Attack The King's Pocket

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

* Biglo traps: Game Collection: Traps

* Basic teaching games: Game Collection: kilv's basic teaching games

* Alexander Hoffman vs Alexander Petroff, 1844: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhL...

* Steinitz vs Lasker 1894: https://www.chess.com/blog/Shahaliy...

* Lasker's greatest chess games 1889-1914: https://archive.org/details/laskers...

* St. Petersburg 1909: https://www.chessstrategyonline.com...

* Bad Pistyan 1912: Game Collection: Bad Pistyan 1912

* Capablanca vs Lasker 1921: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Bad Niendorf 1927: Game Collection: Bad Niendorf 1927

* Beauty Prizes: Game Collection: Les Prix de Beauté aux Echecs (I)

* B4U sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc_...

* Between 3-5 AM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXV...

* Brain Boost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-z...

* Games with Checkmate: Game Collection: Check mate I

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

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

* Checkmate - S01E05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA1...

* Check his pants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egZ...

* ChessCafe.com column, The Openings Explained: Abby Marshall

From the starting position, there are eight different ways to Mate in two moves and 355 different ways to Mate in three moves.

* Chess Links: http://www.chessdryad.com/links/ind...

* 1958 ...g5 elongated fianchetto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC3...

* Closed Sicilian Yaacov Bernstein and Bobby Fischer from Netanya 1968: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M9...

* Closing Gambit 1978: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2C...

* Caruana, Fabiano (2823) - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2758) Sinquefield Cup 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkm...

* Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2767) - Caruana, Fabiano (2793) Grand Chess Tour: Sinquefield Cup 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDB...

* Casablanca Chess 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-M...

* Copy the champ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFd...

* MC's double bishop sacrifice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uii...

* Fire Setter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJd...

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

* Glossary of Chess Terms: http://www.arkangles.com/kchess/glo...

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

* Greatest Hits: Game Collection: Mammoth Book-Greatest Games (Nunn/Burgess/Emms)

* He was hit by a train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXm...

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

* How Magnus destroys pins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmG...

* How to counter the Bg4 pin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTu...

* Hunker Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj1...

* I thought I saw Charles Bronson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfr...

* Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agM...

* King Crimson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJF...

* King of the Travellers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBp...

* Big Kill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6O...

* KID 0-1s: Game Collection: K.I.D B wins E98

* Dr. Edmund Adam Miniatures: Edmund Adam

* Mikhail Tal, the Magician from Riga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gba...

* Neon Moon, smooth and easy: https://www.bing.com/search?q=Neon+...

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

* Prague Masters 2024 Round 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btK...

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

* Pie? https://www.old-mill.com/oldmill-re...

* Positional Art: Game Collection: The Art of Positional Play

* Pythagoras Theorem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fne...

* Qk traps: Game Collection: quick knockouts by traps

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

* Rubinstein: Game Collection: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces

* Roger that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

* Random Zs: Game Collection: ZHVNE

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

"The only way to change anything in Russia is a revolution" ― Daniil Dubov https://en.chessbase.com/post/dubov...

* Reeling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3G...

* Calm Refutation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzb...

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

* Secrets of War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0p...

* Stunning incompetence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ow...

* Slow and steady wins the race: https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sp...

* Eugene Torre's games against the Scandinavian Defense: search "torre b01"

* Bobby Fischer's games against the Scandinavian Defense: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

* Favorites include a bunch of Scandi: Game Collection: scaramuch777's favorite games

* New Scandi idea: Game Collection: New Ideas in B01

* Speed Scandi Double Fianchetto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5...

* Smyslov's Best: Game Collection: Smyslov's Best Games of chess 1935-1957

* Shirov miniatures: Game Collection: Shirov miniatures

* Opening Traps: Game Collection: Opening Traps Collection

* Tactical Mix: Game Collection: mastering Tactical ideas by minev

* The Best of... Game Collection: World Champions' Best Games

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

* Push against the Ponziani: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBz...

* Psychology: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lwvC...

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

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

* Pawn specials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m1...

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

* Pawn storms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skh...

* Pawn vs Rook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yno...

* Queen vs 2 Rooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftl...

* Queen endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mK...

* Tricks to Win a Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfS...

* Must-know Rook endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL4...

* Rook endings: Game Collection: Rook endgames, collected in July-Oct 2023

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

* She broke the rules (chess guidelines): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDw...

* Ragger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsp...

* Ring tone matters: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZJFX...

* River of life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu9...

* Rollin' w/TT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj5...

* Ruined: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-H81...

* Rubinstein: Game Collection: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces

* Ruy Lopez traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_...

<I'd rather have Clawz than Toez, I'd rather have Earz than a Noze.
And as for my Hair,
I'm glad it's all there,
I'll be awfully sad, when it goez.>

* Smothered Mates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbA...

* Stalemates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs6...

* Sacrificial Greek gift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30k...

* 'Sesame Street' Answers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc2...

* Stafford Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRv...

* Songs from '65: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fF...

* Spilling Secrets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tac...

* Scrabble, write, and exercise to 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69H...

* Streamers explain: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5ZXi...

* Swap as needed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpj...

* Q Traps in the Scandinavian D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syr...

Sleeper straddle "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ― Samuel Beckett

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

* Stunners: Game Collection: Stunners

* Tactics on the f-pawn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAM...

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* Tension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZK...

* Tilburg, Netherlands 1985: Game Collection: Tilburg Interpolis 1985

* Ties in chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xb...

* Titles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTQ...

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

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

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

* Tournaments added by Chessgames staff:
New Tournaments

* Trap the Sicilian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jf...

* Cultural Traditions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xer...

* Tsunami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64F...

* Texas is for cattle, cotton, and chess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaM...

* Triangulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH3...

* The shortest distance between two points: Game Collection: Zig-zags, Pendulums, & other Curious Manoeuvers

* Underpromotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvW...

* Vienna bullet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eof...

* Weird to know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcV...

* Wedge Pawns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNG...

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

* When not to castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cto...

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

* Weather or not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU5...

Whispering Winds
Whispering winds, a sailor's friend,
Guiding home, around the bend.
The canvas full, the journey's end,
In every port, a newfound friend.

* Winning closed positions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6L...

* What to do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X3...

* What's the UK difference? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/e4wj...

* What if? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Z...

* Wild horse: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/feSl...

* Wrong board set-up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxu...

* "You can't be somebody else. You gotta be yourself." ― Rafael the genius https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs7...

* Y U shouldn't trust the evaluation bar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bR...

* Youtubers: https://maroonchess.com/best-chess-...

* 0ZeR0's Favs Vol 149: Game Collection: 0ZeR0's collected games volume 149

* Scripps finale 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP3...

* 2022 game of the year? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObF...

* 90m+30spm(1): Chennai Grand Masters (2023)

<Harbor Light
Harbor lights, a guiding glow,
Through peaceful bays and currents slow.
A sailor's journey, a tale to tell,
Of seas conquered and storms quelled.>

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

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

* William Tell Overture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB...

* Will Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9S...

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

* Yevhenii Yelisieiev, an International Master from Ukraine explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXS...

* Z Vol 105: Game Collection: 0ZeR0's collected games volume 105

* 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

Sleeper straddle "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ― Samuel Beckett

Idaho: Franklin
Established in: 1860

Franklin was founded in the spring of 1860 by a small group of Mormon pioneers and was named for Apostle Franklin D. Richards. As early settlers began building cabins and farming, they believed they were still in Utah. It wasn't until 1872 that an official boundary survey placed a border between the two states.

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

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

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

* Chess Aps: https://www.wired.com/story/best-ch...

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

Maximo wrote:

My Forking Knight's Mare
Gracefully over the squares, as a blonde or a brunette, she makes moves that not even a queen can imitate. Always active and taking the initiative,
she likes to fork.
She does it across the board,
taking with ease not only pawns, but also kings, and a bad bishop or two.
Sometimes she feels like making
quiet moves,
at other times, she adopts romantic moods,
and makes great sacrifices.
But, being hers a zero-sum game,
she often forks just out of spite.
An expert at prophylaxis, she can be a swindler, and utter threats,
skewering men to make some gains.
Playing with her risks a conundrum,
and also catching Kotov's syndrome.
Nonetheless, despite having been trampled
by her strutting ways
my trust in her remains,
unwavering,
until the endgame.

"Chess is played with the mind and not with the hands." ― Renaud & Kahn

"Chess is a terrific way for kids to build self-image and self-esteem." ― Saudin Robovic

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

"Life is like a chess. If you lose your queen, you will probably lose the game." ― Being Caballero

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

"If you wish to succeed, you must brave the risk of failure." — Garry Kasparov

"You win some, you lose some, you wreck some." — Dale Earnhardt

"In life, unlike chess the game continues after checkmate." ― Isaac Asimov

<<The Fooles Mate>

Black Kings Biſhops pawne one houſe.
White Kings pawne one houſe.
Black kings knights pawne two houſes
White Queen gives Mate at the contrary kings Rookes fourth houſe> — Beale, The Royall Game of Chesse-Play

Beale's example can be paraphrased in modern terms where White always moves first, algebraic notation is used, and Black delivers the fastest possible mate after each player makes two moves: 1.f3 e6 2.g4 Qh4#

There are eight distinct ways in which Fool's Mate can be reached in two moves. White may alternate the order of f- and g-pawn moves, Black may play either e6 or e5, and White may move their f-pawn to f3 or f4.

"Chess is life in miniature. Chess is a struggle, chess battles." — Garry Kasparov

"Sometimes in life, and in chess, you must take one step back to take two steps forward." — IM Levy Rozman, GothamChess

So much, much, much better to be an incurable optimist than deceitful and untrustworthy.

"Don't blow your own trumpet." — Australian Proverb

Old Russian Proverb: "Scythe over a stone." (Нашла коса на камень.) The force came over a stronger force.

"Continuing to play the victim is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Blaming others for your station in life will indeed make you a victim but the perpetrator will be your own self, not life or those around you." — Bobby Darnell

% % % %

After replaying tens of thousands of chess games, some of these don't seem so strange to Fredthebear anymore, but the reader might enjoy a look-see anyway. Others will always be cool no matter how scrutinized.

* Unusual Opening Names: Game Collection: Unorthodox Games; Unusual Names (ECO=A,D,E)

* Uncommon Maneuvers: Game Collection: Zig-zags, Pendulums, & other Curious Manoeuvers

Chess was invented around 550 AD in Northwestern India. Its early form was called chaturaṅga, literally "four divisions of the military" - infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry. These forms are represented by pieces that would become the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook.

Structure of learning chess...

Advice taken from Lasker's Manual of Chess.

Rules of Play and Exercises: 5 hrs.

Elementary Endings: 5 hrs.

Some Openings: 10 hrs.

Combination: 20 hrs.

Position Play: 40 hrs.

Play and Analysis: 120 hrs.

Fredthebear says such a training program comes with no guarantees! Today we do have good master video instruction for those that dislike reading.

If you put one grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, and so on, how many grains of wheat do you need to put on the 64th square? The answer is 9,223,372,036,8 54,775,808 (approximately 9.22x10^18) grains of wheat.

* 3 Golden Principles: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v91t...

* Topless Chess: https://www.ripleys.com/stories/che...

Ripley's Believe It or Not!
First seen in 1923 as a daily feature in the New York Globe, a cartoon by Robert L. Ripley (1893–1949) brought the phrase "Believe it or not!" into the common language. Ripley's cartoon depictions of amazing oddities, exotic rarities, and outrageous feats rapidly gained popularity as more and more readers, first in New York, then around the country and around the world, eagerly flipped through their papers searching for the latest Ripley's Believe It or Not!

* Believe It or Not: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article...

* The Mad Count: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX6...

At the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 (see entry under 1900s—The Way We Lived in volume 1), <Robert L. Ripley> unveiled his first "Odditorium," or museum of the exotic and unusual. The fair boasted that hundreds of people fainted at the ghastly sights they saw there. Soon, six more Odditoriums had opened around the country. In 1949, Ripley was given his own weekly television show on NBC, but only a few programs aired before his death of a heart attack. Since Ripley was such an avid recorder of "firsts," it is perhaps fitting that his cartoon, Ripley's Believe It or Not! holds the record for the longest continuous cartoon. In 2001, it was still running in 147 newspapers in 38 countries. There are 27 Believe It or Not! Museums around the world, showcasing more than 20,000 oddities, many of them collected by Robert Ripley himself.

* 15 minutes of TV fame: Game Collection: Chess players on gameshows

* 50 games you should know: https://en.chessbase.com/post/50-ga...

* Don't panic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPB...

* El Jugador de Ajedrez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip6...

* Emanuel Lasker, life and games: https://www.chessx.org/decoding-lif...

* Enemies of the State: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQm...

* Sense of an Ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmf...

* Gifting his Queen again and again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VB...

* Grampa Amos, The Real McCoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJ...

* Lasker's Trap: https://www.chessjournal.com/lasker... This famous game has a central gambit for rapid development, checks, captures, sacrifice, blunder, castled vs uncastled kings, underpromotion+ w/a gain of tempo, open d-file and play on both wings, attack against the K & Q (she's worth three minor pieces), multiple ways to gain material, and a win for Black. Timing is critical in chess and life! With so much packed into one short game, including comprehensive notation, this is an excellent game (but not one of the first few games) to show to a novice.

* Pseudo-Legall's Mate on the Queenside: F Rhine vs NN, 2017

* Didn't take the d4-bait but then it's a Greek gift: F Rhine vs NN, 2020

* Greek gift variation: F Rhine vs NN, 2021

If FTB had just one game Mackowiak vs Kusiak, 1980 and five minutes to show a newbie, it would probably be this Center vs Flank action for a <Double Attack>: 1.e4 a6? (Does not affect the center or help Black's piece development. Paul Morphy said "Help your pieces help you.") 2.d4 (The center pawn duo is the best way to open because it covers four squares abreast and allows freedom for the pieces coming off the back rank. White gets an easy start to a good game. Note that White could have started 1.d4 a6? 2.e4) 2...b5 3.c4 bxc4 (Yes, pawns should capture toward the center, but this is not an equal trade because it helps develop the LSB to a better square. Do not help your opponent improve his position!) 4.Bxc4 Bb7 5.Qb3 (Ignore the threat to the unprotected e-pawn to make a greater threat w/the battery.) 5...e6 to avoid checkmate on the vulnerable f7-square (if 5...Nh6? 6.BxNh6 renews the threat of checkmate) 6.QxBb7 collects the loose piece; LPDO. White is ahead on material with a threat to capture QxRa8 next. White has moved a different unit five consecutive turns and then moved the queen twice to make a useful capture for advantage. With control of the center and rapid piece development, one can look for targets -- not just another developing move, but search for various targets. Center/advanced pawns, unprotected units, more valuable pieces, and units defended by the K or Q (royalty must run away from a fight to save themselves) generally make good targets. Find a connecting move that threatens two or more targets at the same time. Batteries on open lines are effective: 2 attackers vs 1 defender. Yes, as this game shows, it is wise to bring the queen out early (she is good at forking two or more squares simultaneously) to punish the opponent's mistakes! If no mistakes/threats are recognized, then quickly bring out your knights to affect the center and facilitate castling! (Keep in mind that most newbies have not yet mastered the knight's move alternating square colors but they do understand the knight's ability to jump over other units.) Quite often in the opening, either the developed queen and/or knight will connect ahead of the bishop's aim, especially toward a pawn on the 2nd/7th rank. Defensively, one must pay close attention to where the opponent's units can easily advance. What is my opponent aiming at now? How many times aiming at there? Add another attacker on the next turn? What next move would bother my army the most? Should I prevent that from happening or hurry to seize the initiative? What are all the ways to respond to a threat of capture? Allow as bait and then strike the capturing unit on its new square, Away to safety (but don't get into the bad habit of automatically running away from every threat), Block Between (line interference), Capture the attacker or Capture elsewhere w/a threat to continue capturing, Check to gain a tempo, Defend such as moving one forked unit to protect the other, Ignore the threat to make an equal or greater threat elsewhere, Pin the attacker so it shall not capture, etc. You often have plenty of move choices if you slow down in a critical/sharp position and consider each possibility. On the other hand, most moves must be made in less than a minute or you will fall into time trouble. Always do a blunder check before you actually make your chosen move. If I do this move, what will my opponent do next? Will my unit be safe on its new square, or get hit? How will this move affect center control? Will this move allow an invader to penetrate into my camp?

* Hasty Black attacks fail IF White knows what to do:

- J Krejcik vs Baumgartner, 1914

* Lasker's Method: https://chess-teacher.com/lasker-ch...

* Lasker's Manual of Chess: https://archive.org/details/laskers...

* Lasker's QGD: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Learning to speak English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cX...

Set in the late 1920s, <The Luzhin Defence> tells the story of a shambling, unworldly chess Grand Master who arrives in the Italian Lakes to play the match of his life and unexpectedly finds the love of his life. Discovering his prodigious talent in boyhood overshadowed by his parents' failing marriage, Luzhin's lyrical passion for chess has become his refuge and rendered the real world a phantom. Already matched up by her family to the very suitable Comte de Stassard, when Natalia meets Luzhin, she is drawn to the erratic genius and offers him a glimpse outside of his chess obsession. But it is a world he is not equipped to deal with and his two worlds collide to tragic effect.

* Magnus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzO...

* Nobelity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLo...

* Nuclear Rook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azb...

* Punish Scholars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZP...

* Rapid Richard was late: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZj...

* Ruy Lopez Open Variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v...

* Sailor alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3x...

* Dual Survival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0D...

* Silverheels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rww...

* Round 6 of the 2024 Sinquefield Cup OMG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxT...

* Sometimes Always Never: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMl...

* Schooled to learn, not play around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zk...

* Take Flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tH...

* Their Finest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZm...

* The Bend in the River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6D...

* The Roads Not Taken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUp...

* Tim Krabbe's (far out) Chess Records:
https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/record...

* Tiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5W...

* Too Late or To Do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4E...

The Mechanical Turk: An 18th-century chess-playing "robot" created by Wolfgang von Kempelen. It was an automaton that appeared to play chess against human opponents, but it was later revealed that a human chess master was hidden inside, controlling the moves.

* Unforgiveable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeS...

* Beyond Utopia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM2...

* Victory at Sea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bb...

* Josh Waitzkin's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy6...

* What about Capablanca and Karpov, Morphy and Tal? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WG...

* When the alarm went off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2i...

* Wei Yi's Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1h...

* World-famous Clues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0...

* Zappa legend 000000010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiE...

* Zurich 1953 round 13: Geller vs. Najdorf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5p...

"True power is expressed in quiet confidence; it was the sea's very calmness that epitomized its mighty force." ― Emile Habiby

"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

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

<<<"It's All I Have To Bring Today"> by Emily Dickinson>

It's all I have to bring today—
This, and my heart beside—
This, and my heart, and all the fields—
And all the meadows wide—
Be sure you count—should I forget
Some one the sum could tell—
This, and my heart, and all the Bees
Which in the Clover dwell.>

"In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

I always play carefully and try to avoid unnecessary risks. I consider my method to be right as any superfluous ‘daring' runs counter to the essential character of chess, which is not a gamble but a purely intellectual combat conducted in accordance with the exact rules of logic. – Jose Raul Capablanca

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.

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

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

"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

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

* B00 Sub-variants:

King's pawn opening
1. e4

Hippopotamus defence
1. e4 Nh6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 f6

Corn stalk defence
1. e4 a5

Lemming defence
1. e4 Na6

Fred (not me)
1. e4 f5

Barnes defence
1. e4 f6

Fried fox defence
1. e4 f6 2. d4 Kf7

Carr's defence
1. e4 h6

Reversed Grob (Borg/Basman defence/macho Grob)
1. e4 g5

St. George (Baker) defence
1. e4 a6

Owen defence
1. e4 b6

Guatemala defence
1. e4 b6 2. d4 Ba6

KP, Nimzovich defence
1. e4 Nc6

KP, Nimzovich defence, Wheeler gambit
1. e4 Nc6 2. b4 Nxb4 3. c3 Nc6 4. d4

KP, Nimzovich defence
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3

KP, Colorado counter
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 f5

KP, Nimzovich defence
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4

KP, Nimzovich defence, Marshall gambit
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3

KP, Nimzovich defence, Bogolyubov variation
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3

KP, Neo-Mongoloid defence
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 f6

* Weird is what you're not used to: https://chessentials.com/weird-ches...

* 40 Facts: https://www.chess.com/blog/QuodVici...

* Fiddler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJk...

<An anonymous composition from page 214 of the April 1915 Chess Amateur:

Life is Like a Game of Chess

How often would we fain confess
That life is like a game of chess,
In thought and varied movement;
And looking back it seems so plain
That could we start our game again,
In much we'd make improvement.>

St. Theresa

In 1985, the Soviet player Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion ever at the age of 22 years and 210 days.

Magnus Carlsen nearly beat this record at 22 years 11 months 24 days November 23, 2013.

The Hog, the Goat, and the Sheep

A goat, a sheep, and porker fat,
All to the market rode together.
Their own amusement was not that
Which caused their journey there.
Their coachman did not mean to "set them down"
To see the shows and wonders of the town.
The porker cried, in piercing squeals,
As if with butchers at his heels.
The other beasts, of milder mood,
The cause by no means understood.
They saw no harm, and wondered why
At such a rate the hog should cry.
"Hush there, old piggy!" said the man,
"And keep as quiet as you can.
What wrong have you to squeal about,
And raise this devilish, deafening shout?
These stiller persons at your side
Have manners much more dignified.
Pray, have you heard
A single word
Come from that gentleman in wool?
That proves him wise." "That proves him fool!"
The testy hog replied;
"For did he know
To what we go,
He'd cry almost to split his throat;
So would her ladyship the goat.
They only think to lose with ease,
The goat her milk, the sheep his fleece:
They're, maybe, right; but as for me,
This ride is quite another matter.
Of service only on the platter,
My death is quite a certainty.
Adieu, my dear old piggery!"
The porker's logic proved at once
Himself a prophet and a dunce.

Hope ever gives a present ease,
But fear beforehand kills:
The wisest he who least foresees
Inevitable ills.

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

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

If the game is well-played, the rook's first move is usually sideways.

<L'amour est le miel – Victor Hugo French Poem
English Translation

La vie est une fleur,
l'amour en est le miel.
C'est la colombe unie
à l'aigle dans le ciel,

Life is a flower
love is its honey.
It is the dove united
with the eagle in the sky,

C'est la grâce tremblante
à la force appuyée,
C'est ta main dans ma main
doucement oubliée.

It is trembling grace
with sustained force,
It's your hand in my hand
gently forgotten.>

Chess clocks were first used in 1883, and the first world chess championship was held in 1886.

Riddle: What breaks yet never falls, and what falls yet never breaks?

FACTRETRIEVER: Monarch caterpillars breathe through holes in the sides of their bodies.

Riddle Answer: Day, and night

In the year 1809 when living in Vienna, Austria Napoleon Bonaparte got a chance to play against the Automaton - a chess playing machine. The game was played in the breath taking Schonbrunn Castle. Napoleon lost by checkmate in just 24 moves.

FTB didn't know that Joe actually read books, but we'll give a listen: https://www.blinkist.com/n/magazine...

FTB hasn't watched all of this video yet, but the shorts seem to indicate that married MC is less guarded, more detailed than typical interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybu...

America
by Walt Whitman

Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,
All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old, Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,
Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love, A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,
Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

My Country 'Tis of Thee (America) Composed in 1831 by Samuel Francis Smith

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From ev'ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

"When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness." – Alexis de Tocqueville

Uncle Sam Reshevsky was hit with Biden's Mate (crossways Catholic bishops) in a St. Louis (now the USA chess capital of sorts) department store, but business is booming back.

https://clipartcraft.com/download.h...

The Elephant in the Room is obviously the GOP's Donald J. Trump, already man of the decade. Although the bar was very low, and personal cost very, very high, fighter Trump has returned to office less than two months and already accomplished more than bumbling Joe Biden did in four awful years. The Deep State has been exposed, the Woke agenda is being erased from children's books and women's locker rooms, hostages are returning to their homes, trespassers are staying south of the border, and the Washington D.C. Swamp is being drained. Mighty America is Great Again!! https://www.politico.com/news/magaz...

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comme...

#

Winter strategy: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h20Z... - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fv8g...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iw5I...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5yaj...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Lz8...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r9Xg...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lPrO...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q6ct...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uaPI...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a0yz...
- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u__j...

Snow White & the Huntsman by Evan Daugherty

"Who will you be when faced with the end?
The end of a kingdom,
The end of good men,
Will you run?
Will you hide?
Or will you hunt down evil with a venomous pride?

Rise to the ashes,
Rise to the winter sky,
Rise to the calling,
Make heard the battle cry.
Let it scream from the mountains
From the forest to the chapel,
Because death is a hungry mouth
And you are the apple.

So who will you be when faced with the end?
When the vultures are circling
And the shadows descend
Will you cower?
Or will you fight?
Is your heart made of glass?
Or a pure Snow White?"
― Lily Blake, Snow White & the Huntsman

In 1999, Grandmaster Garry Kasparov played The World in a game of chess that lasted over four months. Over 50,000 people from more than 75 countries participated in the game with moves being decided by majority vote. Kasparov ended up winning on turn 62 when 51% of The World decided to resign.

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

The City Rat and the Country Rat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. Juní­pero Serra

The term "zugzwang," describes a situation in chess where a player would prefer not to move at all when it's his turn because moving any piece would worsen his current position. A player who is forced to make a move in this situation is said to be "in zugzwang".

Mutual Zugzwang: Neither side wants to move.

click for larger view

Black to move loses, as the pawn will promote.

White to move will generate a draw as the White king cannot get ahead of its pawn to control the promotion square.

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

"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

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