"Si vis pacem, para bellum" ― Cicero

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack." ― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

"Attackers may sometimes regret bad moves, 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 Nimzowitsch

"If you see a good move, look for a better one." ― Emanuel Lasker

"Knight on the rim is dim." ― Siegbert Tarrasch Its chances are slim/grim.

"Never play to win a pawn while your development is yet unfinished!" — Aron Nimzowitsch

"You may knock your opponent down with the chessboard, but that does not prove you the better player." ― English Proverb

"Boring? Who's boring? I am Fredthebear. My mind is always active, busy."

"I believe that true beauty of chess is more than enough to satisfy all possible demands." ― Alexander Alekhine

"We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for sacrifices is part of a chessplayer's nature." ― Rudolf Spielmann

"For a period of ten years--between 1946 and 1956--Reshevsky was probably the best chessplayer in the world. I feel sure that had he played a match with Botvinnik during that time he would have won and been World Champion." ― Bobby Fischer

"To play for a draw, at any rate with white, is to some degree a crime against chess." ― Mikhail Tal

"I shouldn't have been such a wise guy." ― Joe Biden On his quip that if blacks voted for the 45th in 2020 they "ain't black."

"The soldiers never explained to the government when an Indian was wronged, but reported the misdeeds of the Indians." — Goyahkla a.k.a. Geronimo (1829-1909), a POW for 23 years

"Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation." — Max Euwe

"The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do." — Michael Porter

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

"Pawns are such fascinating pieces, too...So small, almost insignificant, and yet--they can depose kings." ― Lavie Tidhar, The Bookman

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." — Albert Einstein

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

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

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

"You cannot play at chess if you are kind-hearted." ― French Proverb

"The first principle of attack–Don't let the opponent develop!" ― Reuben Fine

"You may knock your opponent down with the chessboard, but that does not prove you the better player." ― English Proverb

"For a period of ten years--between 1946 and 1956--Reshevsky was probably the best chessplayer in the world. I feel sure that had he played a match with Botvinnik during that time he would have won and been World Champion." ― Bobby Fischer

"I believe that true beauty of chess is more than enough to satisfy all possible demands." ― Alexander Alekhine

"We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for sacrifices is part of a chessplayer's nature." ― Rudolf Spielmann

"To play for a draw, at any rate with white, is to some degree a crime against chess." ― Mikhail Tal

"Boring? Who's boring? I am Fredthebear. My mind is always active, busy. If you're bored, stop following FTB around and go chase the UPS driver."

"When you see a good move – WAIT! – look for a better one." ― Emanual Lasker

"There are two kinds of idiots - those who don't take action because they have received a threat, and those who think they are taking action because they have issued a threat." ― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

"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

"It's a short trip from the penthouse to the outhouse." ― Paul Dietzel

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

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

* Best Games of 2018: Game Collection: Best Games of 2018

* Black Storms: Game Collection: Tal - The Modern Benoni

* Common Checkmate Patterns:
http://gambiter.com/chess/Checkmate...

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

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

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

* Overloaded! Game Collection: OVERLOADED!

* Pirc Defense, Classical: Game Collection: Pirc, Classical Variation

* Passive, but playable in the Russian Game: Game Collection: Alpha Russian (White)

* Simagin: Game Collection: Vladimir Simagin

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

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

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* Women: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/wom...

* Youngest Ever: https://www.newser.com/story/346638...

* Analyze: Game Collection: Läufer gegen Springer (Varnusz)

* Are you broke? https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

* GM Arthur Bisguier's Tips: https://www.uschess.org/index.php/L... Back in the days before Stockfish, Bisguier would publicly analyze (criticize) games off the scoresheets submitted by individual players in the lecture room at large USA chess tournaments.

* Brutal Attacking Chess collection: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

* Sam Cooke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APu...

* Dizzy means take a bye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arp...

* Chess Endgames for Kids (and Adults - 50 mini-lessons) by Karsten Muller (Hardcover)

* Flear's book: Game Collection: The Ruy Lopez Main Line

* Glossary: http://www.arkangles.com/kchess/glo...

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

* GOTD Submission Page: Pun Submission Page

* Internet tracking: https://www.studysmarter.us/magazin...

* Jumanji's System: Game Collection: London System

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

* Learn Chess: A Complete Course by C.H. O'D Alexander and TJ Beach

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

* 50 Ways: Game Collection: 50 Ways to Win at Chess

* M60MG: Game Collection: My Sixty Memorable Games (Fischer)

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

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

* Malaguena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxD...

* NE: https://metrowestchess.org/

* Play: https://play.chessbase.com/en/

* Revived: http://gbcmartinsburg.com/

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

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

* The Chess Tactics Workbook 5th Edition by Al Woolum

* Tips to keep your head together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNi...

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

* These two giants played 5 Spanish Games in their match: Game Collection: Euwe - Keres

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

* Taulbut's book: Game Collection: Shaun Taulbut's How to Play the Ruy Lopez

* tacticmania - Game Collection: tacticmania

* Do Waht? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ui...

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

* Wimoweh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7M...

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

Louisiana: Natchitoches
Established in: 1714

Natchitoches, founded in 1714 by French explorers, resembles New Orleans' French quarter, and is sometimes referred to as "little New Orleans."

Natchitoches is known as the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. It was founded by French-Canadian explorer and soldier Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis and was once known as Fort St. Jean Baptiste. It was renamed for the Natchitoches Indians.

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

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

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

* Using Knights: https://www.chessjournal.com/chess-...

* Mr. Coles' Visual: https://mrcoles.com/shortcut-visual...

The knight is well-suited for brutal close combat, the opposite of the long-range bishop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A knight is on the edge of the board can be corralled by a bishop three squares away on the opposite colour.

This poem is dedicated to all members who strive to become Masters of chess.

yakisoba's combination

in the middle of a cold Canadian winter night
a phantom creature was riding a stallion knight
but lo and behold it is the man called yakisoba
together with a bishop and queen chasing nova.
though the old bishop was getting pooped out
the merry queen in her glory was bouncing about
while riding hard yakisoba grinningly thought
"I know what to do with that nova when caught."
there on top of the castle was nova in hiding
strapped to a kite for a quick get-away gliding,

then trembling he realized to his consternation: he was being killed by the bishop-queen combination.

Create protected outposts for your knights.

"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

Identify knight forks.

The Horse and the Wolf

A wolf, what time the thawing breeze
Renews the life of plants and trees,
And beasts go forth from winter lair
To seek abroad their various fare, –
A wolf, I say, about those days,
In sharp look-out for means and ways,
Espied a horse turned out to graze.
His joy the reader may opine.
"Once got," said he, "this game were fine;
But if a sheep, it were sooner mine.
I can't proceed my usual way;
Some trick must now be put in play."
This said,
He came with measured tread,
As if a healer of disease, –
Some pupil of Hippocrates, –
And told the horse, with learned verbs,
He knew the power of roots and herbs, –
Whatever grew about those borders, –
And not at all to flatter
Himself in such a matter,
Could cure of all disorders.
If he, Sir Horse, would not conceal
The symptoms of his case,
He, Doctor Wolf, would gratis heal;
For that to feed in such a place,
And run about untied,
Was proof itself of some disease,
As all the books decide.
"I have, good doctor, if you please,"
Replied the horse, "as I presume,
Beneath my foot, an aposthume."
"My son," replied the learned leech,
"That part, as all our authors teach,
Is strikingly susceptible
Of ills which make acceptable
What you may also have from me –
The aid of skillful surgery;
Which noble art, the fact is,
For horses of the blood I practise."
The fellow, with this talk sublime,
Watched for a snap the fitting time.
Meanwhile, suspicious of some trick,
The wary patient nearer draws,
And gives his doctor such a kick,
As makes a chowder of his jaws.
Exclaimed the wolf, in sorry plight,
"I own those heels have served me right.
I erred to quit my trade,
As I will not in future;
Me nature surely made
For nothing but a butcher."

Q: What's an egg's favorite vacation spot?
A: New Yolk City.

<<Lasker's Secret Principle:>

"He (Emanuel Lasker) told me that this principle of controlling as many squares as possible was his guide at every stage of the game.

He said "In the majority of cases it is probably best to have Knight and Bishop on squares of the same color, because then they control squares of opposite colors."> ― Edward Lasker, Chess Secrets I Learned from the Masters

Q: What kind of candy do astronauts like?

A: Mars bars.

Quentin Tarantino

A master craftsman
So gifted at his game
A physical transformer
Rarely looking the same
At the peak of his powers
Much warranted acclaim
Awards and the big money
He paid the price for his fame
From rebels to the sensitive
No limits to his range
He gives each role his all
Winning us over again and again
For over five decades now
Privileged to witness the best
The thespian king of kings
Mr Sean Penn - I am impressed

Riddle Question: What falls, but never needs a bandage?

The first stroller was engineered to be pulled by a goat (or animal of similar size) William Kent, a landscape architect, invented the first stroller for the third Duke of Devonshire in 1733. But upper-class parents were hardly expected to put effort into transporting their children around, so Kent designed his model to be pulled by a small animal, like a goat.

Riddle Answer: The rain.

Feb-09-12
ray keene: nimzos best endgames
v lasker zurich 1934
v spielmann carlsbad 1929
v lundin stockholm 1934
v maroczy bled 1931
v henneberger winterthur 1931
v thomas frankfurt 1930
v sultan khan liege 1930
v marshall berlin 1928
v reti berlin 1928
v alehine ny 1927
v tchigorin carlsbad 1907
and for a joke entry duras v nimzo san sebastian 1912 !!

By The Sea
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), American poet.

By The Sea Lyrics
I started early, took my dog
And visited the sea
The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me

And frigates in the upper floor
Extended hempen hands
Presuming me to be a mouse
Aground, upon the sands

But no man moved me till the tide
Went past my simple shoe
And past my apron and my belt
And past my bodice too

And made as he would eat me up
As wholly as a dew
Upon a dandelion's sleeve
And then I started too

And he — he followed close behind
I felt his silver heel
Upon my ankle, — then my shoes
Would overflow with pearl

Until we met the solid town
No man he seemed to know
And bowing with a mighty look
At me, the sea withdrew

May 20, 1873, is the "birthday" of blue jeans According to the Levi Strauss company, this was the day that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, the innovators behind the sturdy blue jeans we all love, got a patent on the process of adding metal rivets to men's denim work pants. The pants were called waist overalls until 1960, when baby boomers began calling them jeans.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Of the Sahara Desert's roughly 9 million square kilometers (almost the same size as China), only about a quarter is actually covered in sand. Most of the Sahara Desert is covered in gravel, though it also contains mountains and oases. And here's another geography fact that everyone gets wrong: It isn't the world's largest desert. Antarctica is.

<<Like new-laid eggs Chess Problems are,

Though very good, they may be beaten;

And yet, though like, they're different far,

They may be cooked, but never eaten.>

Source: page 58 of Poems and Chess Problems by J.A. Miles (Fakenham, 1882).>

Q: What do you call a cat that likes to eat beans? A: Puss 'n' Toots!

Q: What do you call a clown who's in jail?
A: A silicon!

Q: What do you call a deer with no eyes?
A: No eye deer!!

Q: What do you call a three-footed aardvark?
A: A yardvark!

Q: What do you call a dancing lamb?
A: A baaaaaa-llerina!

Q: What do you call a meditating wolf?
A: Aware wolf!

Q: What do you call a witch who lives at the beach? A: A sand-witch!

Q: What do you call an avocado that's been blessed by the pope? A: Holy Guacamole!

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

CHESS

Meet me then, within this grid,
this little wooden battlefield as equals,
as we forget our bodies to inhabit these pieces, control these spaces, trade threats and responses, send our thoughts out into possible positions, our eyes imagining nothing but sweet forks and lancing fianchettoes. We chessplayers, pretend enemies, bound to our miniature war inexplicably & inescapably: when did we find ourselves so obsessed, insidiously seduced to advances and exchanges, lost inside this abyss of infinite moves, willing servants of it's rules?

- Rael

Oct-04-23 HeMateMe: I play 3/2 blitz occasionally on Lichess. I find it an excellent site, none of the delays/cancellations that ruined chess.com (for me). Oct-04-23 Cassandro: Yes, lichess is by far the best site for online chess. And you never know, apparently you may even get to play against a living legend like the highly esteemed Leonard Barden there!

FTB plays all about but has always been happy with FICS: https://www.freechess.org/

"I've played a number of interesting novelties lately. Mostly that's because I haven't got a clue what I am doing in the opening." ― Nigel Short

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

The Human Seasons
by John Keats

Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;
There are four seasons in the mind of man:
He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear
Takes in all beauty with an easy span:
He has his Summer, when luxuriously
Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves To ruminate, and by such dreaming high
Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves
His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness—to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.
He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,
Or else he would forego his mortal nature.

'Ask no questions and hear no lies

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

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

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

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

<<<Below is the acrostic poem by <Mrs T.B. Rowland>:

Tears now we sadly shed apart,
How keenly has death's sudden dart
E'en pierced a kingdom's loyal heart.

Dark lies the heavy gloomy pall
Upon our royal bower,
Kings, queens, and nations bow their heads,
Each mourn for England's flower.

Oh! God, to her speak peace divine,
For now no voice can soothe but thine.

Ah, why untimely snatched away,
Loved Prince – alas, we sigh –
Before thy sun its zenith reached
Athwart the noonday sky.
Noble in heart, in deed, and will,
Years hence thy name we'll cherish still.>

That poem was published on pages 140-141 of Chess Fruits (Dublin, 1884)>

A quote from the link: https://www.libertarianism.org/what...

"Modern day politicians on the left and right sometimes pay lip service to these ideas, but in practice they reject them. Legislation is all about imposing an order from above, rather than letting one emerge from below. And in creating their schemes, politicians all too often fail to give citizens their due as people, treating them as pawns and running roughshod over their rights to decide and plan for themselves."

The Old Woman And Her Two Servants

A beldam kept two spinning maids,
Who plied so handily their trades,
Those spinning sisters down below
Were bunglers when compared with these.
No care did this old woman know
But giving tasks as she might please.
No sooner did the god of day
His glorious locks enkindle,
Than both the wheels began to play,
And from each whirling spindle
Forth danced the thread right merrily,
And back was coiled unceasingly.
Soon as the dawn, I say, its tresses showed,
A graceless cock most punctual crowed.
The beldam roused, more graceless yet,
In greasy petticoat bedight,
Struck up her farthing light,
And then forthwith the bed beset,
Where deeply, blessedly did snore
Those two maid-servants tired and poor.
One oped an eye, an arm one stretched,
And both their breath most sadly fetched,
This threat concealing in the sigh –
"That cursed cock shall surely die!"
And so he did: they cut his throat,
And put to sleep his rousing note.
And yet this murder mended not
The cruel hardship of their lot;
For now the twain were scarce in bed
Before they heard the summons dread.
The beldam, full of apprehension
Lest oversleep should cause detention,
Ran like a goblin through her mansion.
Thus often, when one thinks
To clear himself from ill,
His effort only sinks
Him in the deeper still.
The beldam, acting for the cock,
Was Scylla for Charybdis" rock.

Q: Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? R: It's okay. He woke up.

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

Riddle Question: If there are four sheep, two dogs and one herds-men, how many feet are there? Skip down for the answer...

Dionysis1: I had basil on the pub's potage du jour yesterday. Soup herb!

Riddle Answer: Two. Sheep have hooves; dogs have paws; only people have feet.

Better be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one. ~ Scottish Proverb

PinkFaerie5 wrote:
Leopard King Coronation

bird of paradise flew in
briefing the leopard king
a candle was tossed

but isn't he disguised? a pheasant asked
Yes, wearing a butterfly mask
and one of your feathers

the pheasant was pleased
which is why I left, said the bird
I thought he would be wearing my feather

feelings are always being hurt
at coronations of leopard kings
this was no exception

"Funny, funny Jude (The Man in the Red Beret). You play with little pieces all day long, and you know what? You'll live to be an old, old man someday. And here I am." — Janis Joplin

Jude Acers set a Guinness World Record for playing 117 people in simultaneous chess games on April 21, 1973 at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, Oregon. On July 2-3, 1976 Jude played 179 opponents at Mid Isle Plaza (Broadway Plaza) in Long Island, New York for another Guinness record.

The Words Of Socrates

A house was built by Socrates
That failed the public taste to please.
Some blamed the inside; some, the out; and all
Agreed that the apartments were too small.
Such rooms for him, the greatest sage of Greece!

"I ask," said he, "no greater bliss
Than real friends to fill even this."
And reason had good Socrates
To think his house too large for these.
A crowd to be your friends will claim,
Till some unhandsome test you bring.
There's nothing plentier than the name;
There's nothing rarer than the thing.

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.

"May your jib never luff"

* Reuben Fine can show you the not-so-easy way in chess. Sign up for free and you can read books for free: https://archive.org/details/chessea...

Galatians 6:7 in the Bible "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."

<Atterdag: Geoff - are you a descendant of Wordsworth?: There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more. :-)

Sally Simpson: Hi Atterdag,
This is my tribute to Wordsworth. (Daffodils.)

I wandered lonely as a pawn,
o'er a field coloured brown and cream,
When suddenly I ran out of squares
and discovered I was now a Queen.>

Each sin has its consequences. ~ Latvian proverb

"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

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.

Isolated pawns require a very expensive therapy, for keeping them alive.

"If you can dream it, you can do it." — Walt Disney

Even the horse is tired on the way to church. ~ Latvian proverb

Oct-04-10
I play the Fred: said...
You're distraught
because you're not
able to cope
feel like a dope
when Lasker hits
Puttin on (the Fritz)

"Whatever you are doing in the game of life, give it all you've got." — Norman Vincent Peale

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." — Ralph Marston

"A wise man never knows all; only a fool knows everything." — African Proverb

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

Z is for Zookeeper (to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?")

Oh do you know the zookeeper,
The zookeeper, the zookeeper?
Oh, do you know the zookeeper
Who works down at the zoo?

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

Q: Why did the cow cross the road?
A: To get to the udder side.

Proverbs of Latvia

There isn't a just person without a sin. ~ Latvian proverb A smart man always takes, a fool always gives. ~ Latvian proverb Each sin has its consequences. ~ Latvian proverb Even the horse is tired on the way to church. ~ Latvian proverb The young ones dance as the old ones whistle. ~ Latvian proverb Old love does not rust. ~ Latvian proverb
Give the devil a little finger and he will take the hand. ~ Latvian proverb Dogs bark at the last. ~ Latvian proverb
The man needs the woman as the ship needs an anchor. ~ Latvian proverb Once you've cut the bread, you cannot put it together again. ~ Latvian proverb If you can't use your eyes, follow your nose. ~ Latvian proverb The quiet pig digs a deep hole. ~ Latvian proverb A crow will not pick out the eyes of another crow. ~ Latvian proverb Temperate man already assured place in paradise. ~ Latvian proverb A good work demands a good lash. ~ Latvian proverb A smiling face is half the meal. ~ Latvian proverb The name is as it sounds. ~ Latvian proverb
«We have rowed well», — said the flea as the fishing boat arrives at its mooring. ~ Latvian proverb

Woods have ears, fields have eyes. ~ Latvian proverb Your belly is not a book. ~ Latvian proverb
All that shines is not gold. ~ Latvian proverb
Many a rosy apple is rotten to the core. ~ Latvian proverb Sleep is the poor man's treasure. ~ Latvian proverb On the hook of truth only small carp will bite; in the net of falsehood the big salmon are caught. ~ Latvian proverb

The apple does not fall far from the tree. ~ Latvian proverb Protect yourself, and God will protect you. ~ Latvian proverb Keep a candle under a bulb. ~ Latvian proverb
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. ~ Latvian proverb Promised berries will not fill the basket. ~ Latvian proverb Solitary trees in the wind more easily fall. ~ Latvian proverb You must not run after two birds at the same time. ~ Latvian proverb Two ones will overcome even a bear. ~ Latvian proverb Errors of youth spoil the face in old age. ~ Latvian proverb A strange glass is emptied in one draught; your own glass not even in ten. ~ Latvian proverb

As long as you live, you learn. ~ Latvian proverb No matter how much you eat, save some seeds for sowing. ~ Latvian proverb Nettles to foreign hands comfortable pick. ~ Latvian proverb All God Pleasant things are three. ~ Latvian proverb As everything in life happens. ~ Latvian proverb In dense woods the trees grow straight. ~ Latvian proverb Our cats don't lick the empty dishes. ~ Latvian proverb Master has a lash, and the priest has a prayer. ~ Latvian proverb Better to die than to live dishonest. ~ Latvian proverb The sin carries its shame on the back. ~ Latvian proverb Hear much talk a little. ~ Latvian proverb
He who will believe relatives will be duped. ~ Latvian proverb A good backside will easily find a bench to sit on. ~ Latvian proverb Every man forges his own destiny. ~ Latvian proverb Never wrestle with a strong man nor bring a rich man to court. ~ Latvian proverb Let the devil into church and he will climb into the pulpit. ~ Latvian proverb Even the devil himself does not know where women sharpen their knives. ~ Latvian proverb The man promises, the man executes. ~ Latvian proverb He hopes like an ox for the horns. ~ Latvian proverb The ready back gets all the loads. ~ Latvian proverb Cannot see woods behind the trees. ~ Latvian proverb It's better to have a straw from own mother, than wool from the stepmother. ~ Latvian proverb

He who catch hold of a fire has the burning fingers. ~ Latvian proverb Time is money. ~ Latvian proverb
The master sleeps — the woods grow. ~ Latvian proverb He that will not work, shall not eat. ~ Latvian proverb He who hasn't a sin wasn't born. ~ Latvian proverb The church is situated not far from a tavern. ~ Latvian proverb It's better to have potato and lose than never have potato. ~ Latvian proverb Stones are heavy but the sins are heavier. ~ Latvian proverb If there is no apple one eats a little carrot. ~ Latvian proverb

Source: https://proverbicals.com/latvian-pr...

<<<<The Republic of Latvia>

Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, one of the three Baltic states. It is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, and Belarus to the southeast, as well as sharing a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia has 1,957,200 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi). The country has a temperate seasonal climate. ( Source)

Riga is the capital and the largest city of Latvia. With 639,630 inhabitants (2016), Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states, home to one third of Latvia's population and one tenth of the Baltic states' population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava.

Latvian is a Baltic language spoken in the Baltic region. It is the language of Latvians and the official language of Latvia as well as one of the official languages of the European Union.>

"Dievs, svētī Latviju!" (God, Bless Latvia!) is the title of the national anthem of Latvia.>

Lyrics
God, bless Latvia!
Our beloved fatherland
Bless Latvia
Oh bless it, yet again! (repeat)

Where Latvian daughters bloom
Where Latvian sons sing
May this always be
Our Latvia!>

Old King Cole

<<<The Blossom> by William Blake>

Merry, merry sparrow!
Under leaves so green
A happy blossom
Sees you, swift as arrow,
Seek your cradle narrow,
Near my bosom.
Pretty, pretty robin!
Under leaves so green
A happy blossom
Hears you sobbing, sobbing,
Pretty, pretty robin,
Near my bosom.>

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

Oct-03-23 soap free or lye: <<perf> - <zed>, sure is, as stated above; Jim was Black.>

Ack! A pretty egregious case of player dyslexia on my part. Apologies. Still, despite the stupidity on my part - it's still worth looking.

Just a long-time careless wannabe who never put forth the effort to be informed and competent, and so hurries to post, post, post, post, post any such rubbish all over without a blunder check.

"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

Q: Why don't scientists trust atoms?

A: Because they make up everything.

Drive sober or get pulled over.

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

"Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy." ― Norman Vincent Peale

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.

"To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?" — Queen Elizabeth II

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." ― Benjamin Franklin

The Chess Poem by Ayaan Chettiar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 13 King James Version

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Chess
Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Exactly four different men have tried
to teach me how to play. I could never
tell the difference between a rook
or bishop, but I knew the horse meant

knight. And that made sense to me,
because a horse is night: soot-hoof
and nostril, dark as a sabled evening
with no stars, bats, or moon blooms.

It's a night in Ohio where a man sleeps
alone one week and the next, the woman
he will eventually marry leans her body
into his for the first time, leans a kind

of faith, too—filled with white crickets
and bouquets of wild carrot. And
the months and the honeyed years
after that will make all the light

and dark squares feel like tiles
for a kitchen they can one day build
together. Every turn, every sacrificial
move—all the decoys, the castling,

the deflections—these will be both
riotous and unruly, the exact opposite
of what she thought she ever wanted
in the endgame of her days.

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

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

"Many have become chess Masters, no one has become the master of chess." — Siegbert Tarrasch

Ecclesiastes 9:9: "Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun."

Psalm 96: 1-3
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for the master
And one for the dame.
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

Q: What do you call a chicken crossing the road? A: Poultry in motion.