18 December 2015
Paul Keres to appear on a coin
Joining the Eurozone was moronic, but at least Estonia is putting Paul Keres on its €2 coin next year.
16 December 2015
16 December 2015: the winter of the Pirate's discontent
For the first time in a year and two days, the Gabridoodle and the Chess Pirate did battle over the board. The action took place at Derby Joe (see Twitter and Facebook), a new café in Salem (it's on Derby Street a couple blocks east of Derby Wharf) that hosts an informal blitz tournament every Wednesday at 5:30.
The Gabridoodle enjoyed two wins and suffered two losses in his games with the non-CHESS-CLUB players. Based on what he overheard, the Pirate also had a mixed performance, though with the players struggling to adapt to her maniacally aggressive opening play. She had at least one en passant problem.
After several days of tense negotiations, the Pirate and the Gabridoodle agreed on a 10 minute game for The Shiny (officially, the Incumbent Champion's Medal). Despite lots of big talk and pre-game summoning of "energy," the Pirate was systematically dismantled by the Gabridoodle. He also helpfully instructed her on how to castle queenside. Anyway, the Gabridoodle thus retains the Shiny -- and for at least three months since the Pirate is going to be wintering in a tropical hell-hole again. They then played a 5 minute game just for fun; in this one, a thoroughly chuffed Gabridoodle shredded the hapless Pirate. The psychological impact of these defeats was severe enough that she had trouble finding her car afterward (it was parked on the same block).
The Gabridoodle enjoyed two wins and suffered two losses in his games with the non-CHESS-CLUB players. Based on what he overheard, the Pirate also had a mixed performance, though with the players struggling to adapt to her maniacally aggressive opening play. She had at least one en passant problem.
After several days of tense negotiations, the Pirate and the Gabridoodle agreed on a 10 minute game for The Shiny (officially, the Incumbent Champion's Medal). Despite lots of big talk and pre-game summoning of "energy," the Pirate was systematically dismantled by the Gabridoodle. He also helpfully instructed her on how to castle queenside. Anyway, the Gabridoodle thus retains the Shiny -- and for at least three months since the Pirate is going to be wintering in a tropical hell-hole again. They then played a 5 minute game just for fun; in this one, a thoroughly chuffed Gabridoodle shredded the hapless Pirate. The psychological impact of these defeats was severe enough that she had trouble finding her car afterward (it was parked on the same block).
08 December 2015
An amusing, brutal, pin-it-to-win-it mate
This is from an on-line game with a CHESS CLUB member I shan't name.
First some bait: I move my a-rook to b8. My opponent snaffles it up with the bishop and I recapture with my other rook.
Next up: I give check with rook to b1. The poor devil's only legal move is to block with the queen !
A grandmaster recently joked that if you have to choose between capturing your opponent's queen or giving mate, capture the queen. However, I stick with orthodox chess theory. My brutal intermezzo queen to e4 gives check and forces the king to f1 (note that blocking with the queen isn't an option because of the pin). Pin-it-to-win-it, indeed ! Now I can take the queen with my rook, simultaneously delivering mate.
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