Che-ss

[IzmSchism]

I just started to get back into chess, and its been a while, anyone have any comments on learning strategy, theory, books, stuff like that.
Gracias Amigos

[sabre]

i always arrange my pawns in a zigzag formation up front so if the oponnent takes one, the one diagonal behind it can take that peiecem makes hard to break through lines

[Moskitto]

oh no no. The best and quickest way to win (unless they move 1 particularpawn and screw it up.) Is to do the following.

1. move your king's pawn forwards
2. move your queen diaginally to 3 squares infront of the rook's pawn
3. move your Bishop to 2 squares infront of the bishop's pawn on the other side
4. Use either the bishop or the queen to capture the bishop's pawn.

Checkmate and you've won in 4 moves.

This works unless they move 1 piece during this period.

[Fires of History]

IzmSchism,

I have played chess my entire life. I even play with people at CheLives over e-mail. Best game in the world, next to Go (now there's an equally real mind-fuck by the way).

In terms of chess, there's no real answer about how to play.

JUST PLAY! The more you play, the better you will get. Experience beats theory any day. You will stop repeating the same mistakes over and over. And make sure and play black just as much as white.

If you ever want a game, send me a message and I'll set up an e-mail game with you.

Power To The Pawns!
Trance

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

This is a file I have on my computer:
___________________________________________
Favorite Chess Quotes

Proverbs:
"Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe" - Indian Proverb

"No fool can play chess, and only fools do." - German Proverb

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

“A man surprised is half beaten.” - Proverb

Chessplayers:

Fischer:
"I think it's almost definite that the game is a draw theoretically."
“Normally we'd draw the curtain here, but I just wanted to see what he'd play next.”
“They asked me what year it was, what month it was, etc. I easily answered these stupid questions.”
“Chess is life”
"Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponents mind."
“All that matters on the chessboard is good moves.”

Tartakower:
"Some part of a mistake is always correct."
"It's always better to sacrifice your opponent's men."
"To avoid losing a piece, many a person has lost the game."
"The blunders are all there on the board, waiting to be made."
"The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake"
“No game was ever won by resigning.”
"The player who plays best in a tournament never wins first. He finishes second behind the guy with the most luck. "
“Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders.”
“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!”
"The tactician must know what to do whenever something needs doing; the strategist must know what to do when nothing needs doing"

Lasker:
"When you see a good move, wait-look for a better one."
"On the chess-board lies and hypocrisy do not survive long."
"Chess is above all a fight.”
“The combination player thinks forward; he starts from the given position, and tries the forceful moves in his mind.”
"The hardest game to win is a won game."

Capablanca:
"A good player is always lucky."
"As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent."
When asked, "How many moves do you see ahead?" Capablanca replied:
"One move- the best one."
“A passed pawn increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes.”

Reti:
"It is the aim of the modern school, not to treat every position according to one general law, but according to the principle inherent in the position."
"Now we see wherein lies the pleasure to be derived from a chess combination. It lies in the feeling that a human mind is behind the game dominating the inanimate pieces with which the game is carried on, and giving them the breath of life."

Alekhine:
"During a chess competition a chessmaster should be a combination of a beast of prey and a monk.”
When asked, "How is that you pick better moves than you opponents?" Alekhine 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.”

Nimzovitch:
"Why must I lose to this idiot?"
“The defensive power of a pinned piece is only imaginary.”
“The passed pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient.”

Horowitz:
"One bad move nullifies forty good ones."
“Choose an opening...which is sound, regardless of fluctuations in current theory.”

Tal
"Later, ... I began to succeed in decisive games. Perhaps because I realised a very simple truth: not only was I worried, but also my opponent.”
"There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones and mine."

Short
"Modern chess is too much concerned with things like pawn structure. Forget it - checkmate ends the game”
“If your opponent offers you a draw, try to work out why he thinks he's worse off.”
“Chess is ruthless: you've got to be prepared to kill people.”

Spielmann:
“Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine.”
"A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused"

Tarrasch:
"Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy."
“Before the endgame, the Gods have placed the middle game.”

Mednis:
"Winning isn't everything... but losing is nothing"
“In chess, at least, the brave inherit the earth.”

Abrahams:
“The tactician knows what to do when there is something to do; whereas the strategian knows what to do when there is nothing to do.”
“Good positions don't win games, good moves do.”

Miscellaneous Chessplayer Quotes:

"Have you ever seen a monkey examining a watch?"- Steinitz, impatient with an enquirer.

“Pawns are born free, yet are everywhere in chains.”- Soltis

“Open files can be used by both players. The chess player, not being an unselfish advocate of equal opportunity, naturally prefers a one-way system.” -Stean

"Well, hmmm, endgames, yes, they are important, Yaaaaawwwwnnnnn!"- Friedich

"If you have any doubt what to study, study endgames. Openings teach you openings. Endings teach you chess." -Gerzadowicz

"Like us as Black", beg the chess pieces," and you will in anyway like us as White" -Boleslavsky

"All I need is a little position." -De La Bourdonnais

"Analysis: irrefutable proof that you could have won a game that you lost." - Boden

“The pawns are the soul of chess.” -Philidor

“Discovered check is the dive-bomber of the chessboard.” -Fine

“Chess is a beautiful mistress.” -Larsen
“Chess is like life.” -Spassky

“Chess is everything- art, science, and sport.” -Karpov

“Chess is 99 percent tactics.” -Teichmann

“Chess is mental torture.” -Kasparov

“Even a poor plan is better than no plan at all.” -Tchigorin

“It is not a move, even the best move, that you must seek, but a realisable plan.”- Znosko-Borovsky

“Every chess master was once a beginner.” -Chernev

"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." -Silman

"Those who say they understand chess, understand nothing." -Hubner

"The loser is always at fault." -Panov

“Let the perfectionist play postal." -Seirawan

"When in doubt- play chess." -Tevis

"All chess masters can play one game blindfolded." -Koltanowski

"Pawn endings are to chess what putting is to golf." -Purdy

"The first principle of attack- Don't let the opponent develop!" -Fine

Thought on Chess:

"Of chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess." -Chernev

"There just isn't enough televised chess."-Letterman

"Skeletons of mice are often to be found in coconuts, for it is easier to get in, slim and greedy, than to get out, appeased but fat." -Korchnoi.

“Not all artists may be chess players, but all chess players are artists." -Duchamp

“The chess-board is the world; the pieces are the phenomenon of the universe; the rules of the game are what we call the laws of nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair, just, and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance." -T.H. Huxley

"The battle for the ultimate truth will never be won. And that's why chess is so fascinating." -Kmoch

"There are two classes of men; those who are content to yield to circumstances and who play whist; those who aim to control circumstances, and who play chess."
-Collins

"...man is a frivolous, a specious creature, and like a chessplayer cares more for the process of attaining his goal than for the goal itself." -Dostoyevsky

"I believe that chess possesses a magic that is also a help in advanced age. A rheumatic knee is forgotten during a game of chess, and other events can seem quite unimportant in comparison with a catastrophe on the chessboard." -Hort

"Excellence at chess is one mark of a scheming mind."
-Conan Doyle (in the mouth of Sherlock Holmes)

"J’adoube" -Made by frustrated players realizing their blunder.

“Chess and theatre often lead to madness.” -Arrabal

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

“It has been said that man is distinguished from animal in that he buys more books than he can read. I should like to suggest that the inclusion of a few chess books would help to make the distinction unmistakable.” -Edward Lasker

"Who is your opponent tonight?” "Tonight I am playing against the Black pieces"

"Chess is the gymnasium of the mind." -Pascal

"There are more adventures on a chessboard than on all the seas of the world" -Pierre Mac Orlan

"If drink is the curse of the working classes and work is the curse of the drinking classes then chess is the curse of the thinking classes “-J. Ross

"There is no remorse like the remorse of chess." -H.G.Wells

"Creating an undesired stalemate is the height of stupidity." –Unknown


Moments when you should sense DANGER in chess:
1. There has been a change in the pawn structure, and you notice also that your opponent has 8 and you don't have any.
2. Your opponent begins to throw extra pawns at you.
3. You have a position won, but your opponent has a gun.
4. The Tournament Director tells you not to bother turning in your scorecard after the game.
5. Before the game begins you notice your opponents first initials are 'GM'.
6. After completing your opening development you sense your opponent playing the endgame.
7. Just as you make your opening move your opponent announces mate in 9.
8. You don't control a single square.
9. Your draw offer sends everyone watching into uncontrollable laughter.
10. Your opponent has 3 bishops.

Excuses for losing
1. Dog ate scorecard.
2. Dead batteries in hidden computer transmitter.
3. Went outside for fresh air, forgot about tournament.
4. Disturbed by own reflection in opponent's glasses.
5. Still despondent over 1964 death of Fred Reinfeld.
6. Inexplicably confused ECO A29 line 13 note 87c with ECO A13 line note 87c; lost queen.
7. Unlucky pairing with historical nemesis Garry Kasparov.
8. During play, pondered both sides of ICC controversy; lost on time.
9. Thoroughly studied book ‘How to Beat Bobby Fischer,’ was unprepared for other opponents.
10. After making move, accidentally punched opponent instead of clock.

Symptoms that distinguish chess addicts from other people:
1. Looks at newspaper's chess column before any other section
2. Mumbles "J'adoube" when bumping into things.
3. Keeps chess book and chess set in the bathroom.
4. Asks new acquaintances if they know how to play chess.
5. Always asking other chessplayers, "What's your rating?"
6. Directly walks to the chess section in any bookstore.
7. Owns more books about chess than any other subject.
8. Owns more chess clocks than watches.
9. Keeps a board and pieces in the office, backpack, or car.
10. Multiples 8x8 faster than 7x7.
11. Thinks "the Olympics" take place every two years.
12. Names first child Bobby, and decorates nursery in black and white squares "just in case."
13. Panics for an instant when a waiter says, "Check?"
14. Pays more attention to the game in a movie than what’s going on.
15. When asked about that movie, says the white square was not in the right hand corner of the board.



(Edited by Fires of History at 1:10 am on Mar. 25, 2002)

[Fires of History]

Quote: from Moskitto on 11:13 pm on Mar. 24, 2002
oh no no. The best and quickest way to win (unless they move 1 particularpawn and screw it up.) Is to do the following.

1. move your king's pawn forwards
2. move your queen diaginally to 3 squares infront of the rook's pawn
3. move your Bishop to 2 squares infront of the bishop's pawn on the other side
4. Use either the bishop or the queen to capture the bishop's pawn.

Checkmate and you've won in 4 moves.

This works unless they move 1 piece during this period.

Moskitto,

That is also called Fool's Mate. You'd regret that opening with me comrade :-)

POWER TO THE PAWNS!
Trance

[MJM]

Great stuff Trance.
I belonged to an internet chess club for a while but I had to stop playing in it. I'd obsess about moves I'd already made and where I went wrong, this only seemed to happen at about 11 pm when I'd just gone to bed.

I love a good blitz, I'll blitz someone and lose happily just because I like to know they're thinking 'ok, what the fucks going on here?' and I'm thinking 'Tally ho chaps!'

[Angie]

Embarressingly, I've never played Chess in my life. Checkers, yes, but clearly it's far from the same. I'd love to learn one day.

[Fires of History]

Quote: from MJM on 7:26 am on Mar. 25, 2002
I belonged to an internet chess club for a while but I had to stop playing in it. I'd obsess about moves I'd already made and where I went wrong, this only seemed to happen at about 11 pm when I'd just gone to bed.

MJM, you're hilarious, mostly because I'm laughing at myself because I am SO the same way. LOL

I do, however, want to finally firmly and officially establish my rating with FIDE. Mostly so I can then go to official FIDE tournaments.

[Fires of History]

Quote: from Angie on 11:49 am on Mar. 25, 2002
Embarressingly, I've never played Chess in my life. Checkers, yes, but clearly it's far from the same. I'd love to learn one day.

Nothing embarrassing at all about that. Although, I must say that Chess has nothing to do with Checkers.

The chess world definitely needs more women (assuming you are from your name). In fact, I play as a woman on some of the chess sites I go to just so that these mysoginist pigs I play with can know what it feels like to lose to a girl. They really hate that. They don't know I'm not really a woman. I'm good at girl talk, too, drives them up the wall.

It's hilarious. In addition to playing as a woman, I also pretend to be a beginner.

I type in messages like:

"What does the horsey do?"

"How does the game end?"

"Oh, is that checkmate? Really?"

And so on and so forth. Watching these jerks lose to a female beginner, or so they think, is pure entertainment.

Although, there are some AWESOME female chessplayers, but there really is a need for more.

Angie, no pressure though, lol, you just made me think about that lol.

Power To The Pawns! Break Your Chains! Rise! Revolt! Kill The King! Kill The Bishop! Recruit The Knight To Help Your Revolution!
Trance

[MJM]

ROTFLMAO
'what does the horsey do'

I can just imagine their reaction.

[Angie]

FoH
My general belief in the similarities between Chess and Checkers goes no further than that they both have black and white boards. There's a "blonde" girly statement for you that your Chess friends would just love to hear - from a blonde [intelligent!] female, no less!

Nateddi
Were it to do with Che and the SS, it would certainly live up to it's mind-fuck subtitle!

[Fires of History]

Quote: from MJM on 12:09 am on Mar. 26, 2002
ROTFLMAO
'what does the horsey do'

I can just imagine their reaction.

I'm really glad you see the humor in that ROTFLMAO!!!

Yeah, there are a seriously large number of jerks online. If I was female, I would just be boiling over! (EDIT: I AM boiling over, and I'm not even a woman! That's what I meant ).

Seriously, I hear stuff like, "You mean, you lost to a girl?" all the time in my chess circles both online and offline. Can't wait until the first female World Champion.

Power To The Pawns!
Trance

(Edited by Fires of History at 12:10 pm on Mar. 27, 2002)

[Fires of History]

Quote: from Angie on 11:41 am on Mar. 27, 2002
FoH
My general belief in the similarities between Chess and Checkers goes no further than that they both have black and white boards. There's a "blonde" girly statement for you that your Chess friends would just love to hear - from a blonde [intelligent!] female, no less!

Angie,

Sort of ironic that we are talking about Checkers, while I am talking about more female power in Chess. Because Checkers is called 'Dama' in many parts of the world, which is meant as 'Chess For Girls.'

Seriously though, those who have gotten into Chess far enough will know what is meant by "Chess, The Ultimate Mind-Fuck." 'Cuz it just is...

Power To The Pawns,
Trance

P.S. Angie, the most intelligent 'girly' I've ever known was blond by the way. But then again I was sleeping with her. Oh wait, I'm still sleeping with her. Oh wait, she's my wife! LOL LOL LOL

She's still the most intelligent woman I've ever known. Definitely one of the major deciding factors in marrying her

[El Che]

Hey FoH how do I get in touch with you for a game? I have a number of chess by ip programs but we can play by email as well.

[IzmSchism]

Anyone one know where I can score a good chess program for free on the net?

[IzmSchism]

okay, If you are a fan of chess and politics like myself, I urge you to read "Mortal Games, The Turbulent Mind of Gary Kasparov." This book was written by Fred Waitzkin, who wrote "Searching for Bobby Fischer." He is an american journalist. I am finding it fascinating right now to learn how related the Chess movement was connected with the Soviet Union, how Russian players were the highest funded, highest paid citizens of their country. Garry is Armanian, and has a strong distaste for communism. In 1989, his home country of Armenia was plundered by the Azerbaijanis, or Azeri's. All with the mighty hand of Mikail and the KGB, and some Russian Military. The reason, to stifle a nationalist pro democratic movement. If you are looking for a different spin on things, read this book.

[Malvinas Argentinas]

Im a teenager, and love chess, alhough ii dont have anyone in my house to play with, i play against a computer, boring.

I like to ave someone infront of me.

[IzmSchism]

today was the last straw against the Corporate world, and I am relieved, I (did) work for a mutual fund company ( shame on me, but I had to pay off the school debt somehow) so they caught me playing Chess at work (during) and fired me two days later....

Since mutual funds are ruining the economies of other countries ..... I was starting to feel guilty working there, I now more than ever hate this machine, everyone who works there is on part time, no benefits, capped wages, and little hours, and when there is no work left they look for fall guys and escapes so they do not have to lay off people...

It was my Chess playing and my general respect that got me fired, as well I tried to petition a new compensation package for the part time staff which was wisked away by management........

SO does anyone have a job for me.........?????

[hXcPetey]

Quote: from sabre on 9:25 pm on Mar. 24, 2002
i always arrange my pawns in a zigzag formation up front so if the oponnent takes one, the one diagonal behind it can take that peiecem makes hard to break through lines

same here. after that i play it by ear.

chess and checkers were the only thing i could do at boarding school before i was removed. they surpressed my ideology there and did some major emotional damage. they installed the same anger and hate that i have over a year later.