San Antonio 1972

"Si vis pacem, para bellum" ― Cicero

"The game might be divided into three parts: the opening, the middle-game and the end-game. There is one thing you must strive for, to be equally efficient in the three parts." ― Jose Raul Capablanca

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

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

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

"If I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard." — Madam C. J. Walker

"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

"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

"Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals." — T. E. Lawrence

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you zorts, JulioGuzman, Rodrigo Gutierrez, AJ, Nick, Whiteshark!

* C-K Examples: Game Collection: Caro Kann Lines

* Bronstein's variation by Bronstein: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

* Pennsylvania variation by Fredthebear:

* Checkmate Art: Game Collection: Art of Checkmate

* One Game Shy: Game Collection: 107 Great Chess Battles: 1939-45 Alekhine

* Introduction: Wikipedia article: Torre Attack

* 90 second video, no analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoZ... Of course, video makes matters seem easier than they really are.

* Follow Good Directions: https://chesspathways.com/chess-ope...

* Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation, 4.Bh4 g5 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 h6 4.Bh4 g5

* Read, don't purchase: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* Read this too: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* Meet Harry the h-pawn? https://en.chessbase.com/post/becom...

* The NID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZ...

* What else is there? https://github.com/Destaq/chess_gra...

* En passant: Wikipedia article: En passant

* He would dominate today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf0...

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

* Lock out opposing pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enC...

* Petar Trifunović (31 August 1910 – 8 December 1980) was a five-time Yugoslav champion: https://players.chessbase.com/en/pl...

* Pirc Defense, Byrne: Game Collection: Pirc Defence - Byrne Variation

* Fool's Mate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oR...

* 1st Chess Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVp...

* 1st Chess Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuw...

* 1st Chess Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIM...

* Smith-Morra Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOZ...

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

* Ladder Checkmate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXz...

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

* Amazing talent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2V...

* Analog clocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZY...

* A10 King Hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H0...

* Opening Tactics 4B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS...

* Top 3 Easiest Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbP...

* Top 5 En Passant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWA...

* Ten famous checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z-...

* Top 10 plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxB...

* 12-year-old PM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhG...

* 15-year-old BF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jc...

* 15 facts? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVg...

* Vienna 1903 KG games: Game Collection: Vienna 1903

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

* Basic tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10I...

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

* Bishop pair checkmate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPY...

* Bad Bishops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7w...

* Bad habits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubu...

* Body language: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0fUg...

* Brutal Attacking Chess: Game Collection: Brutal Attacking Chess

* Brilliancies: Game Collection: brilliacies

* CG Biography: Aryan Tari

* Radmilla Cody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2...

* Chessmaster Games: Game Collection: Chessmaster '86

* C11 French, Steinitz, Boleslavsky variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUO...

* C53s: Game Collection: rajat21's italian game

* Italian Games: Game Collection: Italian Game

* Italian, Giuoco Piano by Alexander Petroff (not his Russian Game): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhL...

* Crazies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAM...

* Cross-check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih6...

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

* C-K Examples: Game Collection: Caro Kann Lines

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

* Danish Gambits: Game Collection: Danish Gambit Games 1-0

* Dance partner: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HpPP...

* Del's: Game Collection: Del's hidden gems

* Don't forget...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAi...

* DYI bubbles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGT...

* Elo Rating System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLX...

* Everything? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igd...

* Fastest checkmates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMe...

* It's a Fake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz2...

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

* Aggressive Gambits: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* Against strange openings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3p...

* Game changer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKL...

* Hans On French: Game Collection: French Defense

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

* How to play by the rules: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydn...

* How to play chess! http://www.serverchess.com/play.htm...

* How to play your first moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mb...

* How to play the center fork trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms4...

* How to castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dL...

* How to play against the Vienna Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVS...

* How to find tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4c...

* How to attack the Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liq...

* How to play touch-move OTB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPM...

* How to trap pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaz...

* How to beat the London system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DU...

* How to simplify: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fk...

* How to blunder less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tis...

* How to break out of jail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gs...

* How to defend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIq...

* How to draw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neb...

* How to draw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDg...

* How to play the C-K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE5...

* How to calculate deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaU...

* How to create a plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMu...

* How to exchange sacrifice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYG...

* How to convert EG advantages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91L...

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

* How to play the Englund Gambit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCK...

* How to spot Knight forks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB6...

* How to play fast chess reasonably: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xi...

* How to play the French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6b...

* How to combine your pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyj...

* How Fischer beat the French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr5...

* How to give back material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYd...

* How to play the Kitchen Sink Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qky...

* How to surprise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzq...

* How to play the Scandinavian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMS...

* How to trick 'em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtR...

* How to win: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_z...

* How to win in 12 moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP7...

* How to lose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpL...

* How to squeeze like Karpov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eM...

* How high? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M2...

* 1.h4?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mva...

* h-file attacks: Game Collection: h-file Attacks, some Greek Gifts by Fredthebear

* Humans are smarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d42...

* Imagination: Game Collection: Imagination in Chess

* Immortal Games: Game Collection: Immortal games

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

* Just appetizers, fighter jets: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YiQv...

* Kostya Tszyu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0n...

* King to King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5R...

* King's Indian Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr5...

* King Pawn Theory and Practice: Game Collection: Chess Openings: Theory and Practice, Section 1

* Surprise Knockouts: Game Collection: quick knockouts of greats

* King's Gambit start-up: Game Collection: Batsford's MCO 14 King's Gambit

* King Bishop's Gambit: Game Collection: rajat21's kings gambit

* KG Video: Game Collection: Foxy Openings - King's Gambit

* GM Gallagher is an author:
Game Collection: 0

* Uncommon KP Gambits: Game Collection: Unusual Gambits

* Volo plays the KP faithfully: Volodymyr Onyshchuk

* LG - White wins: Game Collection: Latvian Gambit-White wins

* The Lion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgI...

* Lasker's Manual: Game Collection: Manual of Chess (Lasker)

* Lasker-Pelikan: https://www.expert-chess-strategies... The Sveshnikov Sicilian is a popular chess variation of the Sicilian Defense and starts as follows: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 This variation was originally called the Lasker-Pelikan Variation but was researched and revitalized from Evgeny Sveshnikov and Gennadi Timoshchenko and is now named after Sveshnikov.

* Mona Lisa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJi...

* Nelson Mandela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj0...

* Collection assembled by Fredthebear.

* Miniatures: Game Collection: 200 Miniature Games of Chess - Du Mont (III)

* Mosquitoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKu...

* Most common tactic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgA...

* Magic rubbers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=001...

* Masaka kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRm...

* Mountain Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st9...

* Names and Places: Game Collection: Named Mates

* Nuremberg 1896: Nuremberg (1896)

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

* NM Alice Lee's palace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO5...

* New 7 wonders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcH...

* No more fraction confusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hG...

* Opening Traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZm...

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

* Top 5 Attacking Principles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9v... me part of my chess flesh and blood. - Tigran Petrosian

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

* Monday Puzzles: Game Collection: Monday Puzzles, 2011-2017

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

* Popeye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZ...

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

* Ponziani Games: Game Collection: PONZIANI OPENING

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

* Pressure Points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnh...

* Queen puzzles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfQ...

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

* Reach 1800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrK...

* Katar's Repertoire: Game Collection: An Opium Repertoire for White

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

* RL Minis: Game Collection: Ruy Lopez Miniatures

* Rook endgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkM...

* Kasparov talks Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l_...

* Smothered Mate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxJ...

* Sacrificing your bishop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_t...

Sea's Serenade
A serenade of waves and wind,
A melody that's ever been.
In every sailor's heart it plays,
A song of seas, of olden days.

* Stafford Gambit tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9...

* Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iDUA...

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

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

* Seven Minutes: French Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRU...

* Sicilian Alapins: Game Collection: Alapin

* GK Sicilians: Game Collection: Kasparov - The Sicilian Sheveningen

* Sicilian Trix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2V...

* Slime recipes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_V...

* Save the endgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGz...

* Terms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6b...

* Tartakower Defense: https://www.chess.com/blog/MatBobul...

* TIP: Click on the e8 square to see a computer engine analysis of the position.

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

* Top 5 Bishop Endgames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wX...

* 5 Pawn endings U must know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdU...

* Uni Knot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xu...

* Ultimate K&P endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jab...

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

* UnderStanding: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dfvi...

* Psychic Uri Geller? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3v...

* Best Walkoffs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBt...

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

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

* Women defend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbF...

* World Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTz...

* Yaz vs Tiant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oci...

* Zwischenzug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U9...

* 21st Century: Game Collection: 0

* Tim's list of records: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/record...

* Loser: User: ljfyffe

* Same Loser: User: Larryfyffe

* Predator On-line: https://www.bustedmugshots.com/ohio...

* Chess History: https://www.chessjournal.com/chess-...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hawaii: Hilo
Established in: 1822

Hilo's history dates back to 1100 AD when Polynesians settled the area. Christian missionaries arrived in 1822, and it became a center of whaling and trade. Today, Hilo is a major business port and is known for their orchid industry. The city also experiences more than 275 days of rain every year.

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

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

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

Picture History of Chess
by Fred Wilson

This classic photo-history offers up hundreds of photos of all the great players along with many outstanding adversaries who helped fashion the immortals. Excellent captions throughout. Hours of fascinating reading and a book I return to again and again. Many of these photos are quite old and hard to find, but collected here under one cover, in an oversized (10x12") format, printed on high-quality glossy paper.

Publisher‏: ‎ Dover Pubns; First Edition (January 1, 1981) Language: ‎ English
Paperback: ‎ 182 pages
ISBN-10: ‎ 0486238563
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0486238562
Item Weight: ‎ 1.23 pounds
Dimensions: ‎ 8.75 x 0.5 x 11.5 inches

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

An Irish Blessing:

May we all feel…
happy and contented,
healthy and strong,
safe and protected
and living with ease…

~

The following acrostic by W. Harris is to be found in another book published in 1882, A Complete Guide to the Game of Chess by H.F.L. Meyer, page ix:

Chess is such a noble game,
How it does the soul inflame!
Ever brilliant, ever new,
Surely chess has not its due;
Sad to say, 'tis known to few!

"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." ― William Faulkner

"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.

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

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." ― Leonardo da Vinci

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.

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

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

The Eagle and the Beetle

John Rabbit, by Dame Eagle chased,
Was making for his hole in haste,
When, on his way, he met a beetle's burrow.
I leave you all to think
If such a little chink
Could to a rabbit give protection thorough.
But, since no better could be got,
John Rabbit there was fain to squat.
Of course, in an asylum so absurd,
John felt before long the talons of the bird.
But first, the beetle, interceding, cried,
"Great queen of birds, it cannot be denied,
That, maugre my protection, you can bear
My trembling guest, John Rabbit, through the air. But do not give me such affront, I pray;
And since he craves your grace,
In pity of his case,
Grant him his life, or take us both away;
For he's my gossip, friend, and neighbour."
In vain the beetle's friendly labour;
The eagle clutched her prey without reply,
And as she flapped her vasty wings to fly,
Struck down our orator and stilled him;
The wonder is she hadn't killed him.
The beetle soon, of sweet revenge in quest,
Flew to the old, gnarled mountain oak,
Which proudly bore that haughty eagle's nest.
And while the bird was gone,
Her eggs, her cherished eggs, he broke,
Not sparing one.
Returning from her flight, the eagle's cry,
Of rage and bitter anguish, filled the sky.
But, by excess of passion blind,
Her enemy she failed to find.
Her wrath in vain, that year it was her fate
To live a mourning mother, desolate.
The next, she built a loftier nest; It was vain; The beetle found and dashed her eggs again.
John Rabbit's death was thus revenged anew.
The second mourning for her murdered brood
Was such, that through the giant mountain wood,
For six long months, the sleepless echo flew.
The bird, once Ganymede, now made
Her prayer to Jupiter for aid;
And, laying them within his godship's lap,
She thought her eggs now safe from all mishap;
The god his own could not but make them –
No wretch, would venture there to break them.
And no one did. Their enemy, this time,
Upsoaring to a place sublime,
Let fall on his royal robes some dirt,
Which Jove just shaking, with a sudden flirt,
Threw out the eggs, no one knows whither.
When Jupiter informed her how the event
Occurred by purest accident,
The eagle raved; there was no reasoning with her; She gave out threats of leaving court,
To make the desert her resort,
And other bravaries of this sort.
Poor Jupiter in silence heard
The uproar of his favourite bird.
Before his throne the beetle now appeared,
And by a clear complaint the mystery cleared.
The god pronounced the eagle in the wrong.
But still, their hatred was so old and strong,
These enemies could not be reconciled;
And, that the general peace might not be spoiled, – The best that he could do, – the god arranged, That thence the eagle's pairing should be changed, To come when beetle folks are only found
Concealed and dormant under ground.

<How many chess openings are there?

Well, White has 20 possible 1st moves. Black can respond with 20 of its own. That's 400, and we're ready for move 2. I don't know them, but I would not be at all surprised if there was a name for each of them. People are like that. You really, really don't need to know them all.

If you follow the rules of thumb for good opening play, I promise you that you'll be playing a named opening. Just put the 1st 3 moves in google, and you'll get the opening's name. With that information you can find other games that started the way your game started, likely by some very good players. Also, with the name you can read about it on Wikipedia, and find out what people think of it, who plays it, and its particular traps and idiosyncrasies.

Once again, The Rules of Thumb for Good Opening Play:

- Develop your pieces quickly with an eye towards controlling the center. Not necessarily occupying the center but controlling it certainly. - Castle your king just as soon as it's practical to do so. - Really try not to move a piece more than once during the opening, it's a waste of valuable time. - Connect your rooks. This marks the end of the opening. Connected rooks means that only your rooks and your castled king are on the back rank. - Respond to threats appropriately, even if you have to break the rules. They're rules of thumb, not scripture, or physical laws.

If you and your opponent follow these rules of thumb, you'll reach the middle game ready to fight. If only you follow these rules of thumb, you're already winning! Good Hunting. -- Eric H.>

St. Luke

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

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

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

<Page 166 of The Personality of Chess by I.A. Horowitz and P.L. Rothenberg (New York, 1963) gave ‘a hitherto unpublished limerick-acrostic:

Caissa, the goddess of Chess,
Has this task, no more and no less;
Every game, match and damn bit,
Sicilian and gambit
She must ever be ready to bless.>

"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

The Jay In The Feathers of the Peacock

A peacock moulted: soon a jay was seen
Bedecked with Argus tail of gold and green,
High strutting, with elated crest,
As much a peacock as the rest.
His trick was recognized and bruited,
His person jeered at, hissed, and hooted.
The peacock gentry flocked together,
And plucked the fool of every feather.
Nay more, when back he sneaked to join his race, They shut their portals in his face.

There is another sort of jay,
The number of its legs the same,
Which makes of borrowed plumes display,
And plagiary is its name.
But hush! the tribe I'll not offend;
It's not my work their ways to mend.

<Sarah wrote:

checkmate
It's like we're playing chess.
Moving strategically, testing boundaries,
all while watching each other's expression.

We all know how this games ends…
The queen destroys you and steals your heart.>

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

"The great thing about chess is it's a game for oneself. You don't work on what you can't control, you just work on yourself. And I think if more people did that, we'd all be a lot better off." — Daniel Naroditsky

This old photo belongs in my favorites: https://images.chesscomfiles.com/pr...

‘The Way through the Woods' by Rudyard Kipling

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

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

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

Tetraites

<Do these things to win a chess game:

Know the Rules of Chess - Also know how the clock works, and chess notation

Make Good Opening Moves - Control the center squares, activate an unmoved unit instead moving the same piece over and over again, castle your king away from the central battle, and connect the rooks for their protection, mobility

Develop All Your Pieces (not all Pawns) - Occupy safe squares, extend threats about, aim at the opposing queen w/a gain of time

Limit Your Pawn Moves - Advanced pawns are slow, need support, cannot retreat. Instead, the speed and range of your pieces can do more damage.

Evaluate the Position Carefully - Was that a legal move? If so, write it down. Am I in check now; next turn? Why did s/he do that move? What will s/he do next?

Checkmate is the Goal - Know the elementary endings against a lone king. Know methods to promote your passed pawn into a new piece to boost your firepower. Recognize the typical middlegame checkmate patterns against a castled king. Capitalize on opening book traps against an uncastled king, restricted queen, or cornered rook.

Always consider all possible Forcing Moves available now and next turn: The Mating Square, Checks, (Cut-offs to limit the opposing king's mobility), Captures, Attacks/Tactics. First identify, then consider aiming at units that are Immobile, More Valuable, Unprotected, already threatened to Outnumber (target once-protected units twice)/Add another Attacker, or Remove the Defender: Undermine, Overworked. What Forcing Moves are available to your opponent?

Seek Tactics to gain material: Fork, Pin & Pile on, Skewer, Discovery, Double Attack, X-Ray, Remove the Guard. Insert a unit to Interfere/Obstruct the line of defense.

Don't Give Away Material for Free - Guard your pieces and (re-)capture for value. Sometimes you aim at opposing units, sometimes aim at your own for protection.

Apply the Rate of Exchange - Don't trade a more valuable piece for less value.

Take Advantage of Opponent's Weakness - Cramp, blockade Weak Pawns, penetrate Weak Squares.

Coordinate An Attack on the King - Plan ahead, one piece cannot mate alone. Study the games in "The Art of the Checkmate" by Renaud and Kahn.

Safeguard Your Own King (and Queen) - The opponent has similar aims. Royalty must take flight when under fire, abandoning their defensive duties. Don't leave your king exposed on a checkable square.

Principles Change in the Endgame: After many trades, the Endgame arrives when there's no worry of checkmate. Now use your king, advance, gain the opposition. Hesitate before you push a pawn; know the consequences - how might it be captured or blockaded?

Simplify, trade like pieces when ahead on material - Trade off pawns if behind

Advance the pawn majority to create and promote a passed pawn to Q, R, N, or B - This new piece often will give checkmate.

Contemplate Draws: Agreed, Insufficient, 3-Fold Repeat, Stalemate, 50-Move rule. If you cannot win, the create a draw.

Always Be a Good Sport, Win or Lose - Jerks and braggarts are losers by conduct. Shake hands. Don't forget to record the results for the tournament director

Prepare for next game - Analyze your last game, solve puzzles, replay GM games>

Emory Tate
(American Chess International Master)
Birthdate: December 27, 1958
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 17, 2015

Ribbon Falls in Yosemite is nine times taller than Niagara Falls.

You can't hum if you're holding your nose. We bet you're trying that one, too!

Vladislav Artemiev
(Russian Chess Player and Former Chess Prodigy)
Birthdate: March 5, 1998
Birthplace: Omsk, Russia

<chess writer and poet Henry Thomas Bland.

Another example of his way with words is the start of ‘Internal Fires', a poem published on page 57 of the March 1930 American Chess Bulletin:

I used to play chess with the dearest old chap,
Whom naught could upset whatever might hap.
He'd oft lose a game he might well have won
But made no excuse for what he had done.
If a piece he o'erlooked and got it snapped up

He took it quite calmly and ne'er ‘cut up rough'.>

Q: How do poets say hello?
A: "Hey, haven't we metaphor?"

Thank you Qindarka!

Q: What do you call a cow jumping on a trampoline? A: A milkshake.

The Bear and the Amateur Gardener

A certain mountain bear, unlicked and rude,
By fate confined within a lonely wood,
A new Bellerophon, whose life,
Knew neither comrade, friend, nor wife, –
Became insane; for reason, as we term it,
Dwells never long with any hermit.
It's good to mix in good society,
Obeying rules of due propriety;
And better yet to be alone;
But both are ills when overdone.
No animal had business where
All grimly dwelt our hermit bear;
Hence, bearish as he was, he grew
Heart-sick, and longed for something new.
While he to sadness was addicted,
An aged man, not far from there,
Was by the same disease afflicted.
A garden was his favourite care, –
Sweet Flora's priesthood, light and fair,
And eke Pomona's – ripe and red
The presents that her fingers shed.
These two employments, true, are sweet
When made so by some friend discreet.
The gardens, gaily as they look,
Talk not, (except in this my book;)
So, tiring of the deaf and dumb,
Our man one morning left his home
Some company to seek,
That had the power to speak. –
The bear, with thoughts the same,
Down from his mountain came;
And in a solitary place,
They met each other, face to face.
It would have made the boldest tremble;
What did our man? To play the Gascon
The safest seemed. He put the mask on,
His fear contriving to dissemble.
The bear, unused to compliment,
Growled bluntly, but with good intent,
"Come home with me." The man replied:
"Sir Bear, my lodgings, nearer by,
In yonder garden you may spy,
Where, if you'll honour me the while,
We'll break our fast in rural style.
I have fruits and milk, – unworthy fare,
It may be, for a wealthy bear;
But then I offer what I have."
The bear accepts, with visage grave,
But not unpleased; and on their way,
They grow familiar, friendly, gay.
Arrived, you see them, side by side,
As if their friendship had been tried.
To a companion so absurd,
Blank solitude were well preferred,
Yet, as the bear scarce spoke a word,
The man was left quite at his leisure
To trim his garden at his pleasure.
Sir Bruin hunted – always brought
His friend whatever game he caught;
But chiefly aimed at driving flies –
Those hold and shameless parasites,
That vex us with their ceaseless bites –
From off our gardener's face and eyes.
One day, while, stretched on the ground
The old man lay, in sleep profound,
A fly that buzz'd around his nose, –
And bit it sometimes, I suppose, –
Put Bruin sadly to his trumps.
At last, determined, up he jumps;
"I'll stop your noisy buzzing now,"
Says he; "I know precisely how."
No sooner said than done.
He seized a paving-stone;
And by his modus operandi
Did both the fly and man die.

A foolish friend may cause more woe
Than could, indeed, the wisest foe.

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

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

Flaming Knights: https://workingtheflame.com/famous-...

"Don Quixote de la Mancha, answered the squire; he is a knight-adventurer, and one of the greatest and most valiant that have been seen in this world for many ages." — 'Don Quixote'

"He must be humble of heart, strong of arm, be savage in war, loyal to hearth, and follow deeds of Glory. He must keep honour with all, banish cowardice from his doings, and bring his House no shame. He must serve the Emperor, and defend the Imperium. Thus should a Knight rule himself." — The Chivalric Duty, Aquitainus Malory Cadmus, M31

"He that plays the king shall be welcome- his Majesty shall

have tribute of me; the adventurous knight shall use his foil and

target; the lover shall not sigh gratis; the humorous man shall

end his part in peace…"

-William Shakespeare, 'Hamlet'

"We're Knights of the Round Table
Our shows are formidable
But many times, we're given rhymes
That are quite unsingable."
-Monty Python, 'Knights Of The Round Table'.

"The knight is a man of blood and iron, a man familiar with the sight of smashed faces and the ragged stumps of lopped-off limbs; he is also a demure, almost maiden like, guest in a hall, a gentle, modest, unobtrusive man. He is not compromise or happy mean between ferocity and meekness." ― C.S.Lewis

"For to die with honour is far better than to live disgraced." ― James Knowles, 'The Legends Of King Arthur And His Knights'.

"The very purpose of a knight is to fight on behalf of a lady." ― Sir Thomas Malory.

"A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd

To a lady in his shield,

That sparkled on the yellow field…"

― Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'The Lady Of Shallot'

"The Brave Man
Carves
Out His Fortune,
And
Every Man
Is The Son
Of His Own
Works."
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote

"The warrior guided by the spirit serves humanity, the warrior without, serves the ego" ― Soke Behzad Ahmadi

"I'd rather have a heart of gold
Than all the treasure of the world."
― Ana Claudia Antunes, Memoirs of An Amazon

"Sweet lady," said Florian, "all men are fools, and all men are knights, where women are concerned." ― George R.R. Martin, The Hedge Knight

"I have seen too many men go down, and I never permit myself to forget that one day, through accident or under the charge of a younger, stronger knight, I too will go down." ― John Steinbeck, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

"This is beyond understanding." said the king. "You are the wisest man alive. You know what is preparing. Why do you not make a plan to save yourself?" And Merlin said quietly, "Because I am wise. In the combat between wisdom and feeling, wisdom never wins." ― John Steinbeck, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

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

<"Sir Lancelot: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I am not afraid.

Bridgekeeper: What… is your name?

Sir Lancelot: My name is Sir Lancelot of Camelot.

Bridgekeeper: What… is your quest?

Sir Lancelot: To seek the Holy Grail."

-Monty Python, 'Knights Of The Round Table'>

"Any wise man fears open spitefulness, whether it be in seriousness or in jest." -Chrétien de Troyes, 'Perceval: The Story Of The Grail, With The Continuations'.

"Then answered Lancelot, the chief of knights:

'And with what face, after my pretext made, Shall I appear, O Queen, at Camelot, I before a King who honours his own word, As if it were his God's?'"

-Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'Idylls Of The King'

"Sir Launcelot, yonder one knight shall I help, for it were shame for me to see three knights on one, and if he be slain I am partner of his death. And therewith he took his harness and went out at a window by a sheet down to the four knights…" -Mark Twain, 'A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court'.

"A knight of Arthur, working out his will, To cleanse the world. Why, Gawain, when he came With Modred hither in the summertime, Asked me to tilt with him, the proven knight." -Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'Idylls Of The King'.

"And then they all three cried, Sir Knight, we yield us unto you as man of might matchless. As to that, said Sir Launcelot, I will not take your yielding unto me, but so that ye yield you unto Sir Kay the seneschal, on that covenant I will save your lives and else not…" -Mark Twain, 'A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court'.

"How came the lily maid by that good shield Of Lancelot, she that knew not even his name?

He left it with her, when he rode to tilt For the great diamond in the diamond jousts, Which Arthur had ordained, and by that name Had named them, since a diamond was the prize." -Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'Idylls Of The King'

"Sir Lancelot increased in fame and worship above all men, for he overthrew all comers, and never was unhorsed or worsted, save by treason and enchantment." -James Knowles, 'The Legend Of King Arthur And His Knights'

"There never has been, I suppose, in all the world, in all the history of war, such an opportunity for youth. The Knights of the Round Table, the Crusaders, all fall back into the past." -Winston Churchill.

"A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger." ~ Philip Sidney

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

"How wretched is the man who sees the perfect opportunity and still waits for a better one." -Chrétien de Troyes, 'Perceval: The Story Of The Grail, With The Continuations'.

"Somewhere in the world there is a defeat for everyone. Some are destroyed by defeat, and some made small and mean by victory. Greatness lives in one who triumphs equally over defeat and victory." -John Steinbeck, 'The Acts Of King Arthur And His Noble Knights'

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

"When you're lonely, when you feel yourself an alien in the world, play Chess. This will raise your spirits and be your counselor in war." ― Aristotle

"The habit of holding a Man in the hand, and moving it first to one square and then to another, in order to engage the assistance of the eye in deciding where it shall actually be placed, is not only annoying to the adversary but a practical infraction of the touch-and-move principle." ― Howard Staunton

"A bad plan is better than none at all." ― Frank Marshall

<Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" Bombardment of Fort Fisher, near Wilmington, New York, 1865

The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in the middle of the Civil War, wrote this poem which has more recently been adapted as a modern Christmas classic. Longfellow wrote this on Christmas Day in 1863, after his son had enlisted in the Union's cause and had returned home, seriously wounded. The verses which he included and are still generally included, speak of the despair of hearing the promise of "peace on earth, goodwill to men" when the evidence of the world is clearly that war still exists.

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

The original also included several verses referring specifically to the Civil War. Before that cry of despair and answering cry of hope, and after verses describing the long years of hearing of "peace on earth, goodwill to men" (a phrase from the Jesus birth narratives in the Christian scriptures), Longfellow's poem includes, describing the black cannons of the war:

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!>

Q: What did the fish say when he hit the wall?
A: "Dam."

Fredthebear created this collection.

Q: What do you call a bear with no teeth?
A: A gummy bear!

Here's a poem a dad wrote:

<ODE TO CHESS

Ten times I charged the grim, foreboding walls

and was pitched into the pit of defeat.

But, heedless of humiliating falls,

I clambered bravely back onto my feet

and charged again, again to be down thrust

onto the scrap heap of people who lose

onto the mound of mortifying dust

whilst my opponent sat without a bruise

upon his pedestal. We changed sides

and fought again, but I was defeated

whilst he with arrogant and haughty strides

took the throne upon which I had been seated.

Ha! Win or lose, it's how you play the game.

But I would like to beat him just the same.>>>

Q: What do you call it when one cow spies on another cow? A: A steak-out.

Artificial Castling:
Refers to a maneuver of several separate moves by the king and by a rook where they end up as if they had castled. Also known as castling by hand.

Q: What did whiteshark say when he ate the clownfish? A: This tastes a little funny.

Princeton University's first graduate student was a U.S. president. Princeton University has been around since 1746, but the school didn't start officially awarding doctorates until 1879. And though it took more than a century for the university to formally begin graduate studies, it actually had its first graduate student back in 1771. His name was James Madison—the fourth president of the United States.

If we expect the unexpected, doesn't the unexpected become expected? How on earth are we supposed to expect what we don't expect, anyway? This feels sort of like "thinking outside the box" but with extra high expectations. Plus, if I expected the unexpected, I'd never leave the house.

The Lion and the Rat

To show to all your kindness, it behoves:
There's none so small but you his aid may need.
I quote two fables for this weighty creed,
Which either of them fully proves.
From underneath the sward
A rat, quite off his guard,
Popped out between a lion's paws.
The beast of royal bearing
Showed what a lion was
The creature's life by sparing –
A kindness well repaid;
For, little as you would have thought
His majesty would ever need his aid,
It proved full soon
A precious boon.
Forth issuing from his forest glen,
T" explore the haunts of men,
In lion net his majesty was caught,
From which his strength and rage
Served not to disengage.
The rat ran up, with grateful glee,
Gnawed off a rope, and set him free.

By time and toil we sever
What strength and rage could never.

'Don't keep a dog and bark yourself'

'Don't cast your pearls before swine'

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

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

'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth'

The Children's Hour

The Children's Hour was first published in 1860 in The Atlantic Monthly. The 3 children in the poem are Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's own daughters. In the early 1900's this poem was frequently taught in schools to young children. It is about the father child relationship and the enduring love of a father for his children.

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

Neil Armstrong once threatened to sue his barber for selling his hair. In 2005, Neil Armstrong threatened legal action against his barber, who earned an estimated $3,000 by selling his famous customer's hair. The barber refused, and in 2016, both the hair and the barber's comb and scissors went on sale on Amazon for $38,611.

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.

"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.

"Love Is A Place" by E.E. Cummings

Love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skillfully curled)
all worlds

"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

"Many have become chess masters, no one has become the master of chess." ― Siegbert Tarrasch

"In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." — Max De Pree

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

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ― Howard Thurman

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." — Calvin Coolidge

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.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

WISE OLD OWL
A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

WOO WOO HOOT

A pencil maker told the pencil 5 important lessons just before putting it in the box:

1. Everything you do you will always leave a mark.

2. You can always correct the mistakes you make.

3. What is important is what is inside of you.

4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpening which will only make you better.

5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

Lead Pb 82 207.2 1.8