One of my favorite tactical games

I played this game on FICS as part of a Team League tournament. My opponent for this round was a player who was more than 300 rating points ahead of me. I was rated 1601 and he was rated 1916 at the time. Being a scheduled game and part of an organized tournament, both of us had to message each other in advance to set up a suitable playing time for the match. I can't remember what time zone my opponent was in, but it turned out that the only suitable time for us to play was when I was at work. So on the day of the big game, I was hoping that my work schedule would permit me to take one of those really long coffee breaks, to play an online schedule chess tournament game. The time controls for the game were 45 minutes to both players with an increament of 45 seconds per move. I had the white pieces and this is how the game went.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 a6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. h3 dxe4 6. Nxe4 Nbd7 7. c3 h6 8. Nf3 Nxe4 9. Bxe4

I've managed to cramp Black's position, he's underdeveloped and can't move his pieces too well.

9. ....Nf6 10. Bc2 Be6 11. Ne5 Nd7

Black wants to relieve some ofthe pressure, so he offers to trade off Knights. My Knight however looks quite strong there, and I don't want to get into a meaningless trade, so I found better.

12. Ng6!?

I calculated this blow out very carefully, and was shocked that I saw a tactic like this. Furthermore, I was convinced that this was too good to be true, I saw a tactic that my 1900 rated opponent missed. This is the comment Fritz's analysis makes in reference to this move, "Registering a claim to victory." What is the idea? Well it's a mate threat

12. ......fxg6 13. Bxg6+ Bf7 (only move) 14. Qh5 Nf6 15. Bxf7+ Kd7 16. Qf5+ Kc7 17. Bf4+ Kb6

18. Qc5#

An amazing win against a much stronger opponent. I'm sure the mate was not forced, since after 17. Bf4+ he could have played e5 to avoid the mate in one, but Fritz still gives white a score of +-5.75 in this position, which means that I would have won eventually unless I played really bad.

This is a great game, with a killer tactic (with my 12. Ng6). Hope you enjoyed it.

A strange game I recently won

Here's a game I played on FICS last night. This was a tournament game and my opponent was a lot stronger than me. Although I was winning this comfortably in the middle game, my advantage and attack suddenly disappeared and I couldn't figure out what went wrong. Here is Fritz's analysis of the game. I played white and the image is after 32. ..... Re7 (white to move)

[Event "rated standard match"][Site "Free Internet Chess Server"][Date "2007.07.24"][Round "?"][White "Gambit"][Black "PankracyRozumek"][Result "1-0"][ECO "B56"][WhiteElo "1541"][BlackElo "1738"][Annotator "Fritz 10 (15s)"][PlyCount "166"][EventDate "2007.??.??"]
{B56: Classical Sicilian: Unusual Lines} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. O-O {last book move} g6 8. Bg5 {White has a very active position} Bg7 9. h3 {Controls g4} (9. Nf3 $11) 9...Nxe4 (9... O-O $142 $5 $11 {should be investigated more closely}) 10. Nxe4 $16Nxd4 11. Bxd7+ (11. Nxd6+ $142 $5 Kf8 12. Nxb7 $16) 11... Qxd7 $11 12. Re1 (12.Nf6+ $1 {is an interesting idea} exf6 13. Qxd4 fxg5 14. Qxg7 $11) 12... O-O (12... Ne6 13. Bc1 $17) 13. c3 (13. Bf6 Ne6 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 $15) 13... Nc6 14. Qb3b6 15. Rad1 Rac8 16. a3 Na5 17. Qa2 b5 (17... Rfe8 18. Be3 $17) 18. Ng3 (18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Nxd6 Qc7 20. Nxc8 Rxc8 $15) 18... e6 (18... Rfe8 19. a4 Nc4 20.axb5 $17) 19. Ne4 $15 d5 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. Bxf6 Qc6 (21... Qd6 $5 $17) 22. Qb1$11 Nb3 23. Qd3 Nc5 24. Qd4 Nd7 (24... Qb7 $11) 25. Bg5 (25. Bg7 $142 $5 {would allow White to play on} Rfe8 26. Bh8 $14 Kf8) 25... f6 $17 {Black threatens to win material: f6xg5} 26. Bh6 {White threatens to win material: Bh6xf8} Rf7 27. Qg4 Ne5 {Black threatens to win material: Ne5xg4} 28. Qg3 (28. Qe2 Re8 $17) 28... Rd8 (28... Nc4 29. b3 Nxa3 30. Qg4 $17) 29. h4 $15 Rc8 (29... Nc4 $5 30. b3 Nxa3 $11) 30. h5 $11 Qe8 (30... a5 $142 $5 $11 {might be a viable alternative}) 31. f4{White threatens to win material: f4xe5} Nc6 (31... Nc4 $142 $5 32. hxg6 Rfc733. gxh7+ Kh8 $16) 32. hxg6 $18 Re7 $4 {terrible, but what else could Black do to save the game?}

(32... Rfc7 $142 33.Qh4 hxg6 34. Qxf6 Qf7 35. Qxe6 Rd7 $18) 33. gxh7+ Kxh7 34. Kf2 (34. Qh4 $142 {and White can celebrate victory} Qg6 35. Bf8+ Kg8 36. Bxe7 Nxe7 37. Rxe6 $18)34... Qg6 $11 {Black threatens to win material: Qg6xh6} 35. Rh1 (35. Qxg6+ $5 {should not be overlooked} Kxg6 36. Rd3 $11) 35... Qxg3+ $17 36. Kxg3 Kg6 37.f5+ Kxf5 38. Rdf1+ Kg6 39. Bd2 f5 (39... Rg8 $142 $19) 40. Rh6+ $11 Kf7 41. Bg5{White threatens to win material: Bg5xe7} Ree8 42. Rfh1 (42. Kf4 $5 Na5 43.Rh7+ Kg6 44. Rh6+ Kf7 45. Rh7+ Kg6 46. Rh6+ Kf7 $11) 42... Rg8 $15 {Black pins: Rg8xg5} 43. Rh7+ $2 (43. Kf4 $142 $5 {would keep White in the game}Na5 44. Rf6+ Ke7 45. Rxf5+ Ke8 46. Re5 Rc4+ 47. Kf3 $15) 43... Rg7 $19 44.Rxg7+ Kxg7 45. Rh6 Re8 46. Kf4 Nd8 47. Rh3 Nf7 48. Bh4 (48. Rg3 Nxg5 49. Rxg5+Kf6 $19) 48... Nd6 49. Rg3+ Kf7 50. b3 (50. Re3 $19) 50... e5+ 51. Kf3 Ne4 52.Rh3 Nxc3 (52... Rc8 $142 {makes it even easier for Black} 53. Ke2 Nxc3+ 54. Kf1$19) 53. Be1 Ne4 54. Rh7+ Ke6 55. Rxa7 Rd8 56. Rb7 d4 57. Rb6+ (57. Rxb5 d3 58.Rb6+ Kf7 $19) 57... Rd6 58. Rxb5 Ng5+ (58... d3 $5 {and Black can already relax} 59. Ke3 d2 60. Bxd2 Nxd2 61. g3 $19) 59. Ke2 e4 (59... d3+ $142 $5 60. Kd1Ne4 $19) 60. Bg3 (60. g4 Nf3 61. gxf5+ Kf6 $17) 60... Rc6 (60... Rd5 61. Rb6+Kf7 $19) 61. Re5+ $2 (61. Bf4 $142 $5 Rc2+ 62. Kf1 $17) 61... Kf6 $19 62. b4 $4{a blunder in a bad position} (62. Rd5 $142 d3+ 63. Ke1 Rc1+ 64. Kf2 Rc2+ 65.Kf1 $19) 62... Rc2+ 63. Kf1 d3 (63... Rc1+ $142 {seems even better} 64. Ke2 d3+65. Ke3 $19) 64. Rc5 $2 (64. Rd5 Ne6 65. Be5+ Kg5 66. g3 $19) 64... Ne6 65.Be5+ Ke7 66. Rxc2 dxc2 67. Bb2 e3 (67... Nf4 $142 {nails it down} 68. a4 Nd3$19) 68. Ke2 $17 Nd4+ (68... f4 $142 $5 $17) 69. Kxe3 $11 Ne6 $4 (69... Nb3$142 $11 {and Black has air to breath}) 70. Kd2 Nf4 (70... Kd6 71. Kxc2 Kd5 72.Kb3 $18) 71. g3 Nh5 (71... c1=B+ 72. Bxc1 Nh5 73. a4 Nxg3 74. a5 $18) 72. Be5Ke6 73. Bf4 Nf6 (73... Kd5 74. b5 c1=Q+ 75. Kxc1 Kc5 $18) 74. Kxc2 Kd7 75. Kd3Kc6 76. Kd4 Nd7 (76... Kb5 {hardly improves anything} 77. Ke5 Ne4 78. Kxf5Nxg3+ 79. Bxg3 $18) 77. a4 Nb6 (77... Kb6 $18 {is the last straw}) 78. b5+ Kb779. a5 Nc8 (79... Nd7 $18 {desperation}) 80. Kc5 Ka7 81. Kc6 (81. a6 Ka8 82.Be3 Kb8 $18) 81... Ne7+ (81... Ka8 82. a6 Na7+ 83. Kb6 Nc8+ 84. Kc7 Nb6 $18)82. Kd6 Nc8+ 83. Kc7 Nb6 (83... Ne7 {does not help much} 84. Be3+ Ka8 85. Bc5Nd5+ 86. Kc8 Ne7+ 87. Bxe7 f4 88. b6 fxg3 89. Bc5 g2 90. b7#) 1-0

My Introduction

I figure since I just went on and on about prostitution and sex ..I should probably introduce myself. I am a girl..21 years old ..hails from Canada ! (thought I should throw that out there first since I'm pretty sure most of the readers are Gambit's friends and from India. lol) The nickname Keozie came from one of those ridiculous (addicting) facebook notes. It asked for the first 3 letters of my last name and the last 3 of my mothers maiden name. The result=Keozie ! ahah it's really not all that great I know but became a cute nickname my boyfriend started calling me on occasion.

Ah right, the boyfriend. We have been together for 4 1/2 years and it's only getting better. He is at my house more than his own (basically part of the furniture) and I wouldn't want it any other way. With him I am safe, comfortable, myself and happy. We are both in the same year of University and also have many of the same courses. Our little life plan (here's hoping) is that we will both attend the same Bachelor of Education program at whatever University we decide, live in an apartment together and both work towards being an elementary school teacher. I've learned from Gambit this isn't really that common in India and I would love to hear more about the cultures there. Our time differnce is a bit much but I'm sure I'll learn all about it eventually ;)

I should probably point out how Gambit and I met. 6 years ago he msg'd me on the good ol "MIRC" (hahah i miss those days). We started chatting and emailing each other frequently. I ended up having to get a new email address and we lost each other somehow. However, due to the amazingness of facebook he remembered my name (thank god for his memory for I have the worst one ever) and looked me up. He had to help me remember because I didn't quite at first (come on now, it was 6 years ago ! lol) After some embarrasing memories of dancing around in a cowboy hat to the ever so popular kid rock song I finally remembered hahah. Yeahh i'll leave that detail out when I tell the grandkids. :P Anyway, so here we are 6 years later. Chatting away and now here I am sharing his blog haha. He was intrigued by my gibberish about prostitutes and told me feel free to post anymore thoughts and comments I had.

With that, I will probably be popping up here and there giving my two cents or posting whole posts with some random rants I may have that day. I tend to have what we call "randomthoughts." Alot of stuff goes through my mind and I'll be sure to throw some on here.
Hmmm...what else can I say? Have I rambled on too much?
I guess before I go I'll throw in that I have the best friends I could ever ask for. We party a bit too hard and drink a few too many drinks on the occasion but we have a hell of alot of fun doing it. I spend the majority of my time either at work, with the boyfriend, with friends or playing baseball.
Alright alrighttt I'm pretty sure I rambled way too much now so I'll leave it at that !


Keozie

Prostitution: Should it be legal?

Disclaimer: This is just bits and pieces of a paper I wrote for University. I should point out that I am NOT a prostitute lol. I do not ever intend on being a prostitute or do any sexual acts for all the money in the world. I just have an open mind free of judgements. I have not in anyway intended to offend anyone who reads this. Consider it jibberish from a silly Canadian girl lol =)


One of the most controversial means of obtaining money is prostitution and solicitation. The sex industry is expanding and prostitution exists in almost all cultures and civilizations of the world today. It has long been a topic of debate concerning the legality of the profession and continues to cause great controversy over maintaining social control over the act of prostitution. I maintain that as long as the provider is of age and not causing any harm to the community around them, then by all means they should be able to do what they want with their own bodies. Regulating rules around prostitution can clean it up and provide safer means of obtaining money throughout the sex trade industry.
The definition of prostitution remains ambiguous due to how different societies and different cultures perceive sexual activities. Some might say that the initial sexual act, which later results in a reward, is prostitution while others may argue that it is the solicitation. A definition I came across in one of my sociology books from school gives it take on the definition of prostitution. I will sum it up a bit. The first aspect to prostitution is that it is a sexual act in nature. There are either material goods or money exchanged at or near the end of the sexual encounter. Secondly, the relationship between the provider and the recipient is strictly business; there are no emotional strings attached. Finally, prostitution is considered a full-time or part-time vocation because there is a material reward in exchange of a sexual service. For instance, if a starving college student offers sexual services to other members of her dorm in exchange for money or even for food, this would be considered prostitution. However, if the receiver is the student’s boyfriend and is merely offering a sexual favor in turn for another favor, this would not be considered an act of prostitution.
The backgrounds of most prostitutes range from low-class, middle-class to even a much higher class of families. A surprising finding is that in Vancouver alone, sixty seven percent of prostitutes were physically assaulted and sixty seven were sexually assaulted. (Don't quote me on this ..I forget where I read this at lol) Although experiences such as assault can be damaging, it strikes me as odd that someone who was sexually assaulted enters the sex trade industry to engage in the very activities that has initially scarred them. I realize that many adolescents and even adults rebel as they grow older as a mechanism of escaping their haunting past, but selling their bodies seems like just another means of feeling violated
There is much controversy regarding the legality of prostitution and how to control it. That I know of, there are three approaches to controlling prostitution which are: prohibition, regulation and abolition. The prohibition approach is prevalent in the U.S states and most European nations. I do not think that completely abolishing prostitution will accomplish anything because it is clearly going to continue whether or not it is illegal. Some other consequences of completely abolishing prostitution are the matter of assault and obtaining sexual diseases. Working under the radar of police would obviously put a "rush on things". With that in mind, women often have to work quickly and don’t have much time to "feel the customer out" and this can end up in disaster. This also puts the prostitute in the position of having to have sexual intercourse without a condom because there is often not enough time to even consider it.
The second approach, regulation, is that prostitution is legal but highly restricted. The gist of regulation is to ensure disease control, adequate hours of operation and to report income for taxation purposes. Personally, I think this is the smartest way to go about controlling prostitution because it provides an income to those in need. The way I see it, if you like it then may as well go for it. If there is a disease control and other important regulations in place I think that selling sex is no different than selling cars. A salesman approaches a potential buyer in a parking lot who is often just minding their own business looking around at the cars. The salesman does not know for a fact that the people out in the parking lot actually plan on buying a car but they basically prance on them and gives them their sales pitch until they have successfully made a sale. I personally find this no different than the solicitation of sexual activities. A fast car provides temporary feelings of endurance and excitement, just as 15 minutes of intercourse does. Regulating the sex trade industry ensures it is a safe and clean
occupation and ensuring that all income is reported makes it no worse than any other legitimate work place.
Providing safe hours of operation allows women and men to do what they have to do without the fear of authority and getting thrown in jail. Emphasis is put on getting caught rather than health and safety. Regulation provides diseased controlled facilities and condoms should be supplied and made mandatory. If prostitution does not affect anyone other than the provider and the receiver I do not think that it is really a problem, mostly just a nuisance. Considering that over half of the world’s prostitutes are not educated, if selling their body is the only way they feel they can obtain money, then by all means I say go for it. If they go about it in the safest way possible, of course.

Drunken Debate

Once in a while the guys and I end up in these philosophical debates when we're on our beer spree. The subject of discussion is usually quite ridiculous and just to give you an idea of how drunk we are, a few examples are:

1. 
   
   "Does one love with the heart or the head?" (Yes. This one is as stupid as it gets)
   


2. 
   
   "What is the Meaning of Life?" (This subject is way too common, and the debate is usually quite boring)
   


3. 
   
   "How are Men different from Women" (Discussions on this subject are usually limited to the genitals and if you knew my friends, it's probably not hard to see why)
   

But recently we got into a very interesting discussion, which is decided to write about. During one of these beer sessions, a certain friend of mine suddenly made a statement that I didn't quite agree with. After taking a huge gulp, which looked like almost half the bottle to me, he said, "Money is everything in this world and if you don't have money then you're lost. You may be a good person and all, but you're lost." I'm not sure if it was a reflex action, but I began to refute this statement almost instantly. The conversation then went into a You vs. Me debate that didn't eventually lead anywhere and was soon forgotten by everyone, everyone except me. On one of my nostalgic 90 minute drives to work I started wondering about what this friend had said and wondered if there was any truth in that statement. I wanted to be neutral and logically come to a conclusion as to whether that statement was accurate or completely absurd. After a while of thinking, I felt that the answered lied in the two very important points of discussion. First there is upbringing, i.e. the way you've been raised as a child. The way your family, has conditioned your ability to think, has conditioned you value systems, your morals etc. The second is priorities; this includes a list of your priorities and more importantly the order in which you prioritize them. I realized the reason I jumped to negate my friend's opinion was that according to my upbringing, my priorities were slightly different from his. My priorities, simply put are (in order of importance) as follows:

1. 
   
   Values/Morals/Ethics
   


2. 
   
   Intelligence/Personality
   


3. 
   
   Money
   

Now don't get me wrong, having money at number three doesn't mean that I'm not ambitious and eager to be successful in life. It's just that I think there are other things that need to be ranked higher than money in my books. Why? Well let's see, let's start with values, morals, and ethics. For starters, they help shape your personality. I believe your values largely determine whether you'll turn out to be a nice guy, a cunning person, a prick, spineless wimp, bold and forward, a sexist asshole etc.

Intelligence/Personality, do I even need to explain? Do you honestly think that one would want to rank money higher than this? Well if my friend said money was the most important thing I'll bet 100 bucks wisdom isn't on his list at all. But now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't the only one like this.

"The lack of money is the root of all evil." True or False?

Chess Puzzle

White has just played h3. What is Black's best move?

A Matter of Perspective

Ok, so I'm glad that the Taj Mahal made it as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but it's just an architectural structure, a building if you would call it. What are we all so excited about? Our entire country is one huge garbage dump. People urinate on the road, dump trash and litter like we own the country and all of a sudden we're super proud of having the Taj Mahal in our nation, Geez. Imagine a house made of cow dung. Imagine the walls, the floor, the ceiling, all made of cow crap. Suddenly in a small corner of the room you see a rose or a lily growing. That's not something to be proud of, is it?

The news said something about receiving 100 million votes, the largest voting on a subject ever and all this while I kept thinking, "Man! As a race, we have so many more serious issues to worry about than beautiful buildings. Wouldn't it be awesome if as a race, we were equally fired up about something such as global warming and how to act now? Wouldn't it be awesome if as a nation, we all picked on a serious national issue and dedicated ourselves to resolving it?" I have a feeling we will even achieve something positive out of it, but NO. We only come together to vote for the seven wonders or when Sachin is at the crease. Everything else is totally meaningless and doesn't require my personal attention. After all, it's a matter of perspective, and I've got mine.

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus

Here's a prime example offered by an English professor at Southern Methodist University:

In-class Assignment for Wednesday:

Professor: "Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his other immediate right. One of you will then write the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached. The following was actually turned in by two of my English students, Rebecca [last name deleted] and Gary [last name deleted.] "

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question."

"Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. " A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off, a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit."

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth -- when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree with no newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Au'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporized Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow'em out of the sky!"

This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent.

Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.

A#$%##e.

B#@*h.

George Carlin: Life is Worth Losing (2005)

"I'm a modern man, a man for the millennium, digital and smoke-free, a diversified multi-cultural post-modern deconstructionist, politically, anatomically, and ecologically incorrect. I've been uplinked and downloaded, I've been inputted and outsourced, I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading. I'm a high-tech lowlife, a state-of-the-art bi-coastal multi-tasker, and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond. I'm new wave, but I'm old school, and my inner child is outward bound. I'm a hot-wired, heat-seeking, warm-hearted cool customer, voice-activated and bio-degradable. I interface with my database, and my database is in cyberspace, so I'm interactive, I'm hyperactive, and from time to time, I'm radioactive. Behind the 8-ball, ahead of the curve, riding the wave, dodging the bullet, pushing the envelope. I'm on point, on task, on message, and off drugs. I got no need for coke and speed. I have no urge to binge and purge. I'm in the moment, on the edge, over the top, but under the radar. A high-concept, low-profile, medium-range ballistics missionary. A street-wise smart bomb, a top-gun bottom-feeder. I wear power ties, I tell power lies, I take power naps, I run victory laps. I'm a totally ongoing Bigfoot slam-dunk rainmaker with a proactive outreach. A raging workaholic, a working rageaholic, out of rehab and in denial. I got a personal trainer, a personal shopper, a personal assistant, and a personal agenda. You can't shut me up, you can't dumb me down, 'cause I'm tireless, and I'm wireless. I'm an alpha-male on beta blockers. I'm a non-believer and an overachiever, laid back, but fashion forward, up front, down home, low rent, high maintenance; super size, long lasting, high definition, fast acting, oven ready, and built to last. I'm a hands-on, footloose, kneejerk head case, prematurely post-traumatic, and I have a love child who sends me hate mail. But I'm feeling, I'm caring, I'm healing, I'm sharing, a supportive, bonding, nurturing, primary caregiver. My output is down, but my income is up. I take a short position on a long bond, and my revenue stream has its own cash flow. I read junk mail, I eat junk food, I buy junk bonds, I watch trash sports. I'm gender specific, capital intensive, user friendly, and lactose intolerant. I like rough sex, I like tough love, I use the F-word in my e-mails, and the software on my hard drive is hardcore, no soft porn. I bought a microwave at a mini-mall, I bought a minivan at a megastore, I eat fast food in the slow lane. I'm toll-free, bite size, ready to wear, and I come in all sizes. A fully equipped, factory authorized, hospital tested, clinically proven, scientifically formulated medical miracle. I've been prewashed, precooked, preheated, prescreened, preapproved, postdated, freeze dried, double wrapped, vacuum packed, and I have an unlimited broadband capacity. I'm a rude dude, but I'm the real deal, lean and mean, cocked, locked, and ready to rock; rough, tough, and hard to bluff. I take it slow, I go with the flow, I ride with the tide, I got glide in my stride. Drivin' and movin', sailin' and spinin', jivin' and movin', wailin' and winnin'. I don't snooze, so I don't lose. I keep the pedal to the metal and the rubber on the road. I party hardy, and lunch time is crunch time. I'm hangin' in, there ain't no doubt, and I'm hangin' tough, over and out."

Favorite Chess Quotes

1. "I love all positions. Give me a difficult positional game, I will play it. Give me a bad position, I will defend it. Openings, endgames, complicated positions, dull draws, I love them and I will do my very best. But totally won positions, I cannot stand them." - Hein Donner, Clubblad DD, 1950
   


2. "We like to think." - Gary Kasparov, asked by Hans Ree why he and Karpov get into time trouble so often.
   


3. "Checkers is for tramps." - Paul Morphy
   


4. "You know, comrade Pachman, I don't enjoy being a Minister, I would rather play chess like you, or make a revolution in Venezuela." - Che Guevara, quoted in Ludek Pachman, Checkmate in Prague, 1975
   


5. "In chess, as it is played by masters, chance is practically eliminated." - Emanuel Lasker, Brettspiele der Völker, 1930
   


6. "It is always better to sacrifice your opponent's men." - Savielly Tartakower
   


7. "Nowadays, when you're not a grandmaster at 14, you can forget about it." - Anand Viswanathan
   


8. "In a very strongly played match between Mrs. Brookman and C. Deen, White was able to place a fork, whereby Black lost his one rook, and shed a piece of exchange. This loss put Black under heavy pressure and tried to achieve a better position in the defense, but White continued strongly with her attacking play and was able to finish the game surprisingly by mate, to her advantage, 1-0." - Hoogeveense Courant, 5 April 1991
   


9. "The only thing chess players have in common is chess." - Lodewijk Prins, interview with Max Pam, 1972
   


10. "When you see a good move, look for a better one" - (Emanuel Lasker)
    


11. "All I want to do, ever, is just play Chess" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


12. "The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us" - (Thomas Huxley)
    


13. "Adequate compensation for a sacrifice is having a sound combination leading to a winning position; adequate compensation for a blunder is having your opponent snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" - (Bruce A. Moon)
    


14. "Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation" - (Max Euwe)
    


15. "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


16. "Modern Chess is too much concerned with things like Pawn structure. Forget it, Checkmate ends the game" - (Nigel Short)
    


17. "Of Chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not Chess" - (William Ewart Napier)
    


18. "Openings teach you openings. Endgames teach you chess!" - (Stephan Gerzadowicz)
    


19. "That's what Chess is all about. One day you give your opponent a lesson, the next day he gives you one" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


20. "Who is your opponent tonight, tonight I am playing against the Black pieces" - (Akiba Rubinstein)
    


21. "I like the moment when I break a man's ego" - (Bobby Fischer) MY FAVOURITE
    


22. "Excellence at Chess is one mark of a scheming mind" - (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
    


23. "A bad day of Chess is better than any good day at work" - (Anonymous)
    


24. "Good positions don't win games, good moves do" - (Gerald Abrahams)
    


25. "Chess was Capablanca's mother tongue" - (Reti)
    


26. "Don't even mention losing to me. I can't stand to think of it" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


27. "No one ever won a game by resigning" - (Unknown)
    


28. "One doesn't have to play well, it's enough to play better than your opponent" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


29. "The hardest game to win is a won game" - (Emanuel Lasker)
    


30. "Different people feel differently about resigning" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


31. "It is not enough to be a good player... you must also play well" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


32. "Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine" - (Mikhail Tal)
    


33. "Morphy was probably the greatest genius of them all" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


34. "A Chess game is divided into three stages: the first, when you hope you have the advantage, the second when you believe you have an advantage, and the third... when you know you're going to lose!" - (Savielly Tartakower)
    


35. "Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic" - (Mikhail Botvinnik)
    


36. "Not all artists are Chess players, but all Chess players are artists" - (Marcel Duchamp)
    


37. "Chess is thirty to forty percent psychology. You don't have this when you play a computer. I can't confuse it" - (Judith Polgar)
    


38. "On the chessboard, lies and hypocrisy do not survive long" - (Emanuel Lasker)
    


39. "Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponents mind" - (Bobby Fischer)
    


40. "For surely of all the drugs in the world, Chess must be the most permanently pleasurable" - (Assiac)
    


41. "The boy (then a 12 year old boy named Anatoly Karpov) doesn't have a clue about Chess, and there's no future at all for him in this profession" - (Mikhail Botvinnik)
    


42. "Though most people love to look at the games of the great attacking masters, some of the most successful players in history have been the quiet positional players. They slowly grind you down by taking away your space, tying up your pieces, and leaving you with virtually nothing to do!" - (Yasser Seirawan)
    


43. "Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the Chess player, not the Chess piece" - (Ralph Charell)
    


44. "No Chess Grandmaster is normal; they only differ in the extent of their madness" - (Viktor Korchnoi)
    


45. "If your opponent cannot do anything active, then don't rush the position; instead you should let him sit there, suffer, and beg you for a draw" - (Jeremy Silman)
    


46. "If your opponent offers you a draw, try to work out why he thinks he's worse off" - (Nigel Short)
    


47. "When your house is on fire, you can't be bothered with the neighbors. Or, as we say in Chess, if your King is under attack you don't worry about losing a Pawn on the Queen's side" - (Gary Kasparov)
    


48. "When asked, -How is that you pick better moves than your opponents?, I responded: I'm very glad you asked me that, because, as it happens, there is a very simple answer. I think up my own moves, and I make my opponent think up his" - (Alexander Alekhine)
    


49. "The tactician must know what to do whenever something needs doing; the strategist must know what to do when nothing needs doing" - (Savielly Tartakover)
    


50. "I played Chess with him and would have beaten him sometimes only he always took back his last move, and ran the game out differently" - (Mark Twain)
    


51. "You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player" - (Jose Raul Capablanca)
    


52. "A man that will take back a move at Chess will pick a pocket" - (Richard Fenton)
    


53. "Pawn endings are to Chess what putting is to golf" - (Cecil Purdy)
    


54. "If a ruler does not understand Chess, how can he rule over a kingdom?" - (King Khusros II)
    


55. "Chess is so inspiring that I do not believe a good player is capable of having an evil thought during the game" - (Wilhelm Steinitz)
    


56. "I prefer to lose a really good game than to win a bad one" - (David Levy)
    


57. "When I have White, I win because I am white; When I have Black, I win because I am Bogolyubov" - (Bogolyubov)
    


58. "Every Pawn is a potential Queen" - (James Mason)
    


59. "One bad move nullifies forty good ones" - (Horowitz)
    


60. "The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly" - (Irving Chernev)
    


61. "One of these modest little moves may be more embarrassing to your opponent than the biggest threat" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


62. "The older I grow, the more I value Pawns" - (Keres)
    


63. "The beauty of a move lies not in its' appearance but in the thought behind it" - (Aaron Nimzovich)
    


64. "It is difficult to play against Einstein's theory" --on his first loss to Fischer (Mikhail Tal)
    


65. "Bobby just drops the pieces and they fall on the right squares" - (Miguel Najdorf)
    


66. "The enormous mental resilience, without which no Chess player can exist, was so much taken up by Chess that he could never free his mind of this game" - (Albert Einstein)
    


67. "Do you realize Fischer almost never has any bad pieces? He exchanges them, and the bad pieces remain with his opponents" - (Yuri Balashov)
    


68. "You know you're going to lose. Even when I was ahead I knew I was going to lose" --on playing against Fischer - (Andrew Soltis)
    


69. "It began to feel as though you were playing against Chess itself" --on playing against Robert Fischer (Walter Shipman)
    


70. "When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive" - (Boris Spassky)
    


71. "In complicated positions, Bobby Fischer hardly had to be afraid of anybody" - (Paul Keres)
    


72. "In Fischer's hands, a slight theoretical advantage is as good a being a Queen ahead" - (Isaac Kashdan)
    


73. "Nonsense was the last thing Fischer was interested in, as far as Chess was concerned" - (Elie Agur)
    


74. "Fischer sacrificed virtually everything most of us "weakies" (to use his term) value, respect, and cherish, for the sake of an artful, often beautiful board game, for the ambivalent privilege of being its greatest master" - (Paul Kollar) MY FAVOURITE 2
    


75. "I look one move ahead... the best!" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


76. "Fischer prefers to enter Chess history alone" - (Miguel Najdorf)
    


77. "Bobby is the most misunderstood, misquoted celebrity walking the face of this earth" - (Yasser Seirawan)
    


78. "Many Chess players were surprised when after the game, Fischer quietly explained: 'I had already analyzed this possibility' in a position which I thought was not possible to foresee from the opening" - (Mikhail Tal)
    


79. "Suddenly it was obvious to me in my analysis I had missed what Fischer had found with the greatest of ease at the board" - (Mikhail Botvinnik)
    


80. "First-class players lose to second-class players because second-class players sometimes play a first-class game" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


81. "After a bad opening, there is hope for the middle game. After a bad middle game, there is hope for the endgame. But once you are in the endgame, the moment of truth has arrived" - (Edmar Mednis)
    


82. "Up to this point White has been following well-known analysis. But now he makes a fatal error: he begins to use his own head" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    


83. "Fischer was a master of clarity and a king of artful positioning. His opponents would see where he was going but were powerless to stop him." - (Bruce Pandolfini: Josh Waitzkin's mentor)
    


84. "I had a toothache during the first game. In the second game I had a headache. In the third game it was an attack of rheumatism. In the fourth game, I wasn't feeling well. And in the fifth game? Well, must one have to win every game?" - (Siegbert Tarrasch)
    

Chess Meet Delhi

I have wanted to organize a Chess meet up in New Delhi for quite some time now. Basically just be a gathering of people who have nothing in common except their love for Chess. I play internet chess regularly on FICS and am looking forward to playing OTB. There are some chess associations and chess schools in Delhi, but most of them approach chess from a professional point of view, which is not what I'm looking for. So if you read this and would like to take this thought to the next step, then email me so that we can gather up more people and hopefully make this happen. Remember, I'm hoping to start chess meet ups in New Delhi, India. Consider this a lousy and desperate attempt, but if it doesn't work, what the hell.

Introduction

I'm starting this blog as an experimental project because I'm curious to see, how far I can take it knowing that I may not be serious enough to update it regularly. One can argue that I have no concrete reason to Blog (and surprisingly that's not very far from the truth, I don't) and since I know I'm not good at it, I should just save myself the trouble and well… not have one. Nonetheless, let's step aside from that for a moment and just live in a world where I do have a Blog (shitty as it may be) and take it from there. I see this becoming a forum for me to vent my thoughts, anger, and opinions about everything that matters to me, but how far it'll actually go, aaah well, we'll see.

I started thinking about what to write, and decided that I should use my first post to write a little something about me. Ok, here it goes. Guy, 26 years, from New Delhi, India. I love chess and enjoy listening to almost any kind of music from Cradle of Filth, to Andrea Bocelli (anything except Bollywood or Punjabi). I spend most of my time playing chess online or analyzing and studying past games. Now it would be wrong to think that I'm an excellent player merely because I spend most of my time on chess, because in reality I consider myself a novice, obsessed with the game. So don't be surprised if you come across future posts that may be solely about the black and white battlefield and may appeal to only 1 out of 200 of the general population.

When I'm not playing chess, I'm usually watching TV, spending time with my girlfriend (who I'm about to marry in six months), playing with my dog (a chocolate colored Labrador retriever) or hanging with my guy friends (which is usually quite rare since none of them can really relate to chess).

I'm writing this post from work, switching between Excel and browser windows only so that my Blog doesn't look blank. So forgive me if the content is dull, lacking masala, and left wanting, for this is pretty much as good as it gets.

*Humble bow to the universe of Bloggers out there*