J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight

Does White take the pawn?

2010-07-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

A real game in meatspace. I played this game in a recent State Championship tournament as white. Should I take the pawn?

Right click and highlight below for the sequence that was played...

I took the pawn knowing my opponent would play 1...Rd8, pinning the Bishop and Knight to the Queen. When he did I took a shot 2 Bxf7!. Black captures the Bishop and I played Ne5!. If he captures the N then Qxd8. If the King refuses the Knight, which my opponent did, and moves Kd8, then Qh5+. From here White has an easy win. If Kf8 then Qf7#. If Kd7 then Nc6+ and captures the Rook. Black can resign now.

Testing the new federal health care law

2010-03-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

What a scam. The day after the new law was signed into effect, I applied for health care insurance. I am currently self-insured but the new law requires me to buy health care insurance. Two days later, I was refused coverage.

Here's the scam: Under the new law there are about 10 different reasons I can not be refused insurance. So here's what the insurance company did: They invented a reason not on the list.

This means I cannot obey the law, thus I must pay a fine.

Now, the President, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will say we must pass the public option to help people like me.

These politicians are smarter than I gave them credit.

An apology to Johann Michael

2010-03-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Johann Micheal,

It is with tremendous sorrow I inform you the long and arduous journey you made to secure liberty, freedom and a prosperous future for yourself and your heirs was, after nine generations in the New World, destroyed today.

When you father's father's father, Primus, traveled from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Bergenweiler Germany in 1649 to escape the horrors after the 30 years war, in hopes of making a new life, he too had the hope that his heirs would enjoy liberty and not tyranny. But Germany itself proved to provide only an alternate tyranny to that of Slovenia.

I imagine your father, Andreas, had similar hopes for you when you left Bergenweiler and travelled across Europe to Rotterdam to make passage on the Caledonia to the New World.

When you landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1752 and accepted 100 acres of land from His Majesty King George III, it must have been a transformative moment in our families' history, for we were not wealthy immigrants, but poor peasants from the German lowlands, seeking one thing: To escape the tyranny of Europe.

When you left Bergenweiler, Frederick the Great was fulfilling his dream of conquering and expanding his kingdom. Our family was under foot of European tyrants, local lords and centuries of poverty.

When you landed in the New World, the Bounty Lands of South Carolina King George offered you were dangerous, unsettled wilderness. Nonetheless, you risked everything, including your own life and took on the challenge. You carved a life from the wilderness.

You must have been very proud when your firstborn American son, Adam, joined the Continental Army in 1776 and joined the fight against European tyranny and injustice. Many of your progeny went on to fight for freedom, liberty and what we would call: The American Way of Life. Many of us, your descendants, believed in liberty, the promise of America and the hope of a Republic. We were vigilant. We alerted ourselves to injustices and fought to remain free - to be free from the tyranny that you escaped in Europe. You believed in the hope of a new nation, where free men lived not with the yoke of oppression, but a light load. Small government, individual liberty - these were the gifts you gave your descendants.

And yet despite our vigilance, despite our faith and our hope, I regret, today, our liberty died.

The tyranny of European style government has descended upon. Politicians, voted into office by those who understand they can raid the public treasury, have perverted what you risked your life for. Today, the government can force me to enter into a contract against my will. It can, despite rulings from the highest court, impose taxes as a fine. It can force me to support and sustain another man's home, family and lifestyle.

I know this must all sound bewildering to you, Grandfather Johann. I'm sure you cannot understand why this nation would seek to emulate European style government, given it's centuries of failure, it's record of tyranny.

I can offer no excuse, Grandfather Johann. We have become a nation of weakness. What would have once boiled the blood of men now causes not even a hint of excitement. We have become sheep.

We aren't worthy of the America you built.

The thought the government could fine you, throw you in jail, take your possessions simply because you exercised your own free will and didn't buy mandated health insurance...is simply incredible. The idea that the government could use taxes as a fine...well, I'm sure you remember the German Lords and how they used this tactic.

I am Ninth generation American. Liberty died on my watch. And I have failed you, Grandfather Johann. My brothers and I, we have all failed you. Liberty has died.

I am so sorry.

The English

2010-03-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone have some good recommendations for resources for the English? I've been playing it for a while but my knowledge of the lines is weak. I have spanked Ed a couple times with it, but it leaves a lot of holes and recently I've been tortured by him for my bad play.

We have an ongoing battle and right now I'm winning or drawing about 20% of my games against him...but after all, he is a 1800+ player...

Oh and...Duke sucks.

That was harsh

2010-03-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so after stomping everyone into the ground last year and winning the National Championship, The Mighty Young Men from the University of North Carolina are playing...in the Not Invited Tournament...

As in, they were not invited to the NCAA this year. The cause for this is easy to understand - all of the great players for North Carolina graduated and and now we are playing a lot of young inexperienced players against older and stronger teams.

True to Duke form, I was harshed by Blue Devil Knight in comment:

I hope Duke and UNC play in the NCAA tournament.

Oh, wait. Sorry. My mistake.

Ok. Fine. I can take a joke. Next year we'll be a year older. Let's see what the Blue Devils are saying then....you wife-beating puke eating scum sucking maggots!

Ha! I memorized all 1100 problems and did them all every day!

2009-11-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Blunderprone wrote this:

If the truth be known, most of the knights errant had modified the MDLM method to smaller circles and approached it in a more realistic manner.

Well, maybe some of the girlie boy Knights did, but I can affirm I memorized all 1100 problems in CT-ART and did them everyday! I was so fast I could finish the level 1 problem at around 2 minutes!

He calls us brutish. I call it necessary. The tactics I learned under this vigorous system set the foundation for my chess. Ed will tell you I am lethal over the board these days and much of it is the result of my insanely repetitive MDLM Tactics training.

Take the easier approach if you want, but I don't recommend it. Take the plunge!Do the Circles of Death and become a Deadly Knight Errant!

A J'adoube Production

2009-11-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Knights Dead? Methinks thou hast spoken too quickly, knave!

2009-11-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Dead? Hardly. Inactive. No. Not posting regularly? Certain.

Since my recent return from traveling for a living, I have retaken to frequent OTB games with Ed. To be certain, he still wins most of the time, but my games are vastly improved. I have perfected the art of forethought although I occasionally fail to see an easy move.

Beating an A player is fun though...

Blunders do occur, but now in the form of a pawn, not a piece and I have engaged in more openings, having exhausted the French, Tarrasch and all d4 openings. Of recent, I have played the Pirc and the English.

The experience is one of those teaching moments - I am out of the rut, forcing myself to see deeper and deeper.

I has payed off. Two weekends ago I gained 50 rating points in a tournament after essentially a 2 year layoff.

I'll be posting a Megaskins Production soon. Doing video on a Mac is so much easier....

The Truth

2009-10-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone who criticizes Barack Obama is a racist.

Everyone who praises Barack Obama is a child molester.

If these statements sound absurd, it's because they are.

Here is the only Truth there is:

Many people who dislike Barack Obama do so because Obama is black.

Many people who like Barack Obama do so because Obama is black.

I am a racist, too. I prefer the Klingon race to the Human race.

Chew on that for a while, you Noble Prize committee racists.

Brilliancy? Black to play

2009-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

I think so, but you decide. Below is a position I played against a player who was rated 600 points higher than me. My move was instinctive but confirmed by multiple chess engines to be the best possible move. Can you find it? Below the board graphic is the answer - just highlight the area below the graphic to see the move.

From J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight

c3! Both Fritz and Rybka selected this as the best possible move. Even though it loses a pawn when White plays Qd3, Black has so much counterplay and activity White struggles and is rated over a pawn down! Unbelievable but I actually played the correct move and went on to win this game.

A break from my cartoon. . .

2009-08-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

. . .to announce I have decided to shake the dust of this crummy town and get back home after 2 years on the road.

Goodbye Philadelphia, a city once a shining diamond and now cesspool of corruption and home of a buffoon mayor.

Tulsa! Here I come!

Our friends up North

2009-08-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

Big Brother

2009-08-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

4 more years

2009-08-08T08:50:00.001-07:00

Gitmo

2009-08-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge

No new taxes

2009-08-03T18:12:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge

Under Water

2009-08-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

2009-07-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Concensus!

2009-07-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Beer Summit

2009-07-28T17:33:00.001-07:00

Healthcare?

2009-07-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Click on image to enlarge

Obama Drama

2009-07-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Original artwork and Copyright of: J'adoube. . .the Off-Center Knight

Just rename it to J'adoube Street, already. . .

2009-06-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

...because I own chess on it.

San Francisco, time to rename Market Street to J'adoube Street.

I own it.

I went on my yearly trek to JavaOne this year and of course the first thing I did was trot over to 5th and Market to beat up on the local street chess hustlers.

It's not even fair. Several years ago when I first played against the San Francisco chess hustlers, I couldn't win in the cacophony of trolleys, street cars and bustle of my favorite city in North America.

Now I can't lose. I played some guy who looked to the be the best of the group - meaning he had the biggest wad of cash so I figured he was taking advantage of the average street passerby. I played white and my patented winning opening - d4.

He played a Sicilian opening. WTF? I guess these guys basically learn an opening or two and then use it no matter what. I allowed him to capture my c pawn because I knew these guys think that once they get 1 pawn up, they've won. My opponent didn't think about things like opening up files for rooks and so forth. By the end of the middle game, he was so busy trying to cling to the 1 pawn advantage, all of his pieces were completely uncoordinated and out of position. I capitalized easily, regained my pawn, then went up 1, 2, 3 pawns and then had my rook on his 7th rank (the place where rooks live!) and two pieces in the vicinity of his King.

It was so easy. I look at my game now compared to how I played a few years ago and it seems like I don't even recognize the player I was. Things are so much clearer now. Despite all the two-bit advice I got from various wanna-be chess mentors (yes, you know who you are and yes, I ignored you), I stayed the course, played lots of game, took the advice of people who actually were good chess coaches and guess what?

I got better. I realize I have a long way to go, but chess is so much more fun now that I have begun to recognize the real rules of chess play - the ones that help you win. I believe I said a long time ago in a very early posting that when I became a black belt in the Martial Arts, I quickly realized I was only at the beginning of knowledge.

I'm not saying I'm a black belt chess player now, but I'm no padawan learner anymore. . .

Oh yeah. JavaOne was a blast, but really strange. Who'd thunk Larry Ellison, The Evil One, would show up onstage at the Moscone Center for JavaOne. . .

The problem with Chess Tempo

2009-04-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

At first upon visiting this site I thought our fellow Knight and friend across the sea, Temposchlucker, was the owner of Chess Tempo. Alas, despite the same first name of one of the admins, it appears not.

Nonetheless, I enjoy the site but there are shortcoming. To wit:

Some problems are rated too high for the difficulty listed. This is due in part to an insufficient number of attempts. Problems of the 1400 range are clearly 1200 and so forth.
Some of the problems contain flat out errors. There are some perfectly acceptable moves that are rejected. Some work needs to be done.
Some of the problems are clearly far more difficult than listed. I came across some 1600 level problems I solved are far more difficult and really aren't tactics at all.

Despite this, I like the fact you are given credit for correctly solving a problem regardless of the amount of time you took, unlike the old standby CTS.

San Francisco, here I come.
My yearly pilgrimage to JavaOne is coming up soon. Expect to hear about my visit to Market Street for Slap-Chop chess on the mean streets of the Bay city.

The University of National Champions!
Oh yeah, did I mention the Mighty Young Men from the University Of North Carolina emasculated those diminutive schools from the northeast and mid-west in The Final Four?

Eat your heart out, Blue Devil Knight. . .

ATS

2009-03-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

Read Blue Devil Knights note on ATS. Seems like a good little site. Don't like that it doesn't show you the answer if you blow the problem.

Anyways, spent some time doing some problems (after a long evening of writing C hacks, so I was a little fried) and I came out around 1538 - probably a little low, but I figure I'll do better next time.

Came across an interesting book for memory improvement. I'm at the age where remembering names, etc starts to get frustrating. The premise of the book is basically to improve memory, one must do about 100 simple arithmetic exercises daily as quickly as possible and record the time.

It works for some strange reason. For instance, I have no problem remembering Alec Guiness was the half brother of Omar Shariff in Dr. Zhivago. Or that Anthony Quinn played opposite Oliver Reed in the movie about Libyan Omar Muhktar. Or most importantly, my wife's birthday. . .

Perhaps Blue Devil Knight has some comments on why it does work.

What the frack?

2009-03-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

I drew against Ed. Either something is wrong with him or I'm getting better. . .or both. It was weird game - if I get the time to post it I will. Meanwhile, the dreariness of the Northeast continues. . .study time suffers and I'm not getting in a whole lot of games in the past two weeks.

Anyone got any news on the USCF? I became a Lifetime member last year but don't know if they are still solvent. . .probably threw away $1000. . .

Philadelphia Chess at The Watermark

2009-01-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

So Wednesday night I'm in downtown Philadelphia and I don't want to go out to eat. I fire up Google and look for Philadelphia chess. Sure enough, there is a page I find:

The Watermark at Logan Square East
(Right off 17th & Vine St.)
Two Franklin Town Blvd
4th Floor
Wednesday & Friday
7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

It's only 2 blocks from my hotel, so I brave the mean streets of Philadelphia and walk up in the brisk, cold night air. I walk into the building, thinking I'm entering a hotel. . .

My first clue of something being amiss was when I get on the elevator and a whole gaggle of really ancient people get on the elevator with me.

"Gloria, did you see that The Pit meeting is in 20 minutes?"
"No, Margie. It's not tonight. It's tomorrow. They changed the schedule."
"Oy! Why do they always do that? It's so annoying!"
"Huh? I can't hear what you said. My batteries are getting weak on my hearing aid..."

I get off on the 4th floor. More ancient people. I see a dining room to my left. Filled with ancient people.

A receptionist sits idly nearby. I walk over to her and inquire "Where does the chess club meet?"
Looking slightly annoyed at having to answer a coherent question from someone not quite as old as dirt, she gets up and announces she will ask the manager. She returns and points me down the hall. "It's one of those 2 rooms at the end."

I walk down the hall and off to my right sits 3 more ancient people silently staring at some still life paintings. No. They are asleep in front of some still life paintings. Perhaps this is a performance art piece. Almost alive in front of still life. The irony strikes me as acutely funny. I start to giggle but stifle my snerks.

Off to my left is a darkened room. Looks like one could play chess here. I sigh. Clearly I have wasted my time coming to this place. I walk back down the hall to the elevator to escape.

3 really, really ancient people are coming towards me as we head toward the elevator. One is pushing a wheel chair with one ancient being. Another is using one of those rolling walkers, but his back is so weakened by world, he is completely bent over as he shuffles his feet and he stares at the floor.

The wheelchair guy is telling the pusher "No Arnie, I don't want to go in the elevator. You need to go up, not me!" Arnie doesn't respond. Maybe it's because Arnie has two hearing aids that don't seem to work. Arnie keeps pushing towards the door as it opens up. The wheelchair guy finally grabs a railing and forces the wheelchair to a stop. Arnie keeps trying to push wheelchair guy onto the elevator. The whole thing is both sad and comical.

After holding the door elevator door open for too long, the alarm goes off. Chaos reigns. Ancient beings awaken from their walking slumber. "Alarm! Is there a fire? I gotta go get my Irving!"

Attendants rush over. Arnie relents and the wheelchair guy is rescued from a certain unwanted elevator trip. I finally step onto the elevator. Ancient beings stare into my back. I feel their glare. I exit the building and step into the Philadelphia night. The mean streets aren't the only place one must take care, I realize. Arnie may come for you. Beware.

Ah, Philadelphia. The City that loves you back. . .

Thanks for the Welcome Home!

2009-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

So I shamelessly prodded BDK to give me some notice to the chess blogosphere and he obliged. Glad to see I can still get some cred from my old blogmates.

For the record, even though BDK feels it a fault to root for North Carolina and not the Dukies, Jay Bilas thinks North Carolina is still the best team in the country, despite their #5 ranking. . .

Anyway, glad ot see Blunderprone and Tempo are sill around. I plan on cruising over to some of the old guys and see if they are still breathing. . .

Right now I'm sitting in O'Hare waiting on my late arriving flight from Boston that is supposed to take me to Philadelphia. . .jeez, one snow flake and these Yankees go to pieces when it comes to air travel. . .

Oh well, maybe The One will fix everything for us after he gets sworn in tomorrow. . .

Going Old School

2009-01-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

What the frack happened to the chess blogosphere? I go away for a little while and everyone disappears? Jeez, did my absence depress everyone that much?

Seriously, where is the the fracking controversy? The passion? The contentious patter?

Someone go find Patrick so I can tell him what a jackass he is. . .

:)

J'adoube is in the house. . .

2009-01-12T15:02:00.001-08:00

I'm back.

Well, I never really left - playing chess - that is.

I've been playing with some degree of regularity, but just not blogging. Not surprisingly, my game has improved. Furthermore, I have been using some materials that I bought some time ago to improve my game, and it has been working.

The last tournament I played in I was able to hang in very tight for 21 moves with a 1900, playing near perfect moves - Ed can attest to this.

As a matter of note, the French line played in the game was one which some hotshot GM over on ICC claimed was All That, but I refuted it in a posting right here a few years ago.

Anyway, it made my opponent sit up and take notice - he is supposedly one of the better players against the French, but he was baffled. If time permits, I might post the game - even though it was a loss, it was probably one of the best games I ever played.

A tournament is coming up in Oklahoma City but I can't make it - gotta catch my flight out Sunday afternoon, so I would have to leave around noon. If I can get a bye for the last round I may go.

Anyway, I'm working in the Philadelphia area, so any of you folks out there who want to meet over at King of Prussia mall or if you're near Exton, let me know.

I'm be posting at least once a week, so tune in, turn on and drop out. . .er wait. . .I mean, um, whatever. . .

White to move and win

2008-12-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

From a real blitz game I played. My opponent was rated 200 points higher, but I guess he hadn't done the Circles of Death. Black just took my Bishop on d3 and to him it looked very bad for me.

Take a shot and see what you find. . .right click and highlight the next few lines for the answer. . .

1...Qxd8+! 2. Rxd8 Rxd8+ 3. Kg7 Rxc3 g5 29. fxg5 Black resigns.

I am gay

2008-08-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Steve Jobs,

I am writing to tell you that I am gay. Of course, the sexual preferences of individuals is of no concern to you, but I want to tell you why I am gay.

You see, for years and years I was a hardened PC user. I started out on the Apple IIe decades ago, but once I became a software engineer, that was over. I used Microsoft because, well, that was really all the workplace allowed.

I scoffed at Apple and the hardware you made. In fact, for many years, when people asked why didn't I use a Mac, I said it was because it would make me gay. How so? Well, remember for years you had the rainbow Apple logo, and of course that rainbow is the symbol embraced by the homosexual community.

I always got a good laugh out of this.

But things have changed. I am now an Apple owner.

Why, do you ask?

Two reasons:

Microsoft Vista
Dell computers

I have had it with the PC world. I don't think I need to explain why Vista helped me become an Apple user. In 25 years as a software engineer, I haven't come across a worse operating system. It's awful. It sucks. It blows. I hate it and Microsoft with the passion of Hell itself.

As for Dell, well, that's easy. Over two months ago I ordered a Dell XPS m2010 - the uber-laptop: 20 inch screen, 500gig Raid 0 HD, 2.6 Dual core chip, XP (not Vista), the works. Over $4500 in cost. It was a server grade laptop. I was ready to rule the world. Delivery time: 2 weeks. Then 3 weeks. Then 4 weeks. Then 6 weeks. Then 8 weeks. Dell slipped the ship date more times than Bill Clinton tried to slip his weeny on White House interns.

I finally cancelled the order. I was furious. I gave up. I surrender. I ordered a Mac.

Thank God the Apple logo is now solid white. . .my gayness won't show so much now. . .

Black to move

2008-08-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

A recent game I played and won easily playing Black. White is down a piece but fought on. . .Black to move.

Non-chess alert: Chess readers ignore this rant

2008-06-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

I hate Microsoft.

I hate them with the passion that fills Hell itself.

Okay. . .I don't hate everyone at Microsoft. . .I just loathe those people who are responsible for Vista.

Easily the worst operating system in the history of the world, Microsoft went over the edge this time. I have had put up with their insufferable arrogance, the lack of support, their sloppy coding. . .but having to put up with this abomination is beyond the pale.

I hope every person who is responsible for Vista has to go to prison, is violently sexually assaulted multiple times each day and is forced to eat rabbit pellets for meals.

I will say the one bright spot in all this is the terribly funny Apple ads on television making fun of Microsoft. They're beyond hysterical. . .and spot on.

Vista. . .Microsoft's monument to stupidity. Take a bow Bill. . .but don't bend over for the soap. . .

J'adoube's California Adventure ending

2008-06-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

. . .and a nightmare this place is. . .

Goodbye smog.

Goodbye jammed freeways.

I'm going home. I've had it. I can't stand it anymore. This place is insane. Thank God I'm not going to have to be here anymore.

Goodbye California Crazies.

Adios Los Angeles. Good riddance.

Return to Market Street

2008-05-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

The sights, sounds, smells. . .they're all the same. Trolleys clang by, alerting would-be passengers, honking horns, impatient cabbies cutting off unsuspecting drivers.

It's Fifth and Market Street in downtown San Francisco on a brisk, sunny Sunday afternoon.

And I have returned.

Dressed in layers of unclean hooded sweatshirts, homeless men hunched over chess boards furtively move pieces in search of a prize - money from the casual passerby who falls into their net.

I look over several of the boards, searching for familiar faces. To my right stands an older homeless man. I remember him. He's Slavic looking and sounding. I remember he was a decent player. I look at a Hispanic player. He looks familiar, but I can't determine if he was the same person I played two years ago on this very street. I wonder if he is even still alive.

Several tables open up. A youngish black man calls my way. "You got time for a game?"

Sure, I respond. I sit down to the table. The white pieces in front of me show the grime of the city on them. They aren't really white anymore. Discolored from exposure, they are yellowed. I wonder how many people have played with these pieces. Perhaps hundreds.

As I am sitting down, my opponent queries me. "You know the rules?". Yes, I reply, I think I understand the game. "No, the rules here," he responds. No, I say. "You lose, you pay 50 cents a game." I agree to the terms.

I move. D4. My opponent picks up my pawn. He grabs a Black pawn, shuffles under the table. I look on, puzzled. If I lose, I have to pay. Surely I should at least get the white pieces.

Not here. These are street rules. Okay. I can play street rules. I point to his right hand. The black pawn rolls out of his hand.

We reset the pieces. My opponent plays 1. e4. Inside, I am smiling. There are rules I learned on the streets long ago. Never let anyone know what you are thinking. Or feeling. Become an enigma.

1. . .e6. I love the French. 2. d4 d5 3. e5.

The French Advance. It's going to be a fun game. I just recently went back over the French lines with Chess Position Trainer on the flight to San Francisco from L.A. 3. . .c5.

My opponent hesitates. He seems slightly puzzled. He starts to take my c5 pawn. He withdraws his hand. 4. c3 Nc6. 5. Bb5.

OMG. He going to fall for that old trap? Pedrag taught me this years ago. Is this guy setting some street ploy to nuke me? I don't care. I play what I know. 5. . .Bd7. He starts to take my knight. He hesitates again. What is he planning? Am I going to look foolish out here in front of everyone.

Not to worry. He plays into the trap. He goes a pawn down. His position deteriorates. I go up another pawn. And then another. I trap his knight that he played too far forward. 15 moves into the game he resigns. He points to my 3 pawns - "Too much. I couldn't win."

I am ecstatic. These guys play all day. This is how they survive. If they don't win, they don't eat. And I just beat one of them. I get up and reach into my pocket. I pull out a 5 dollars and hand it over. I enjoyed the game, I tell him. Even though I won, it and I don't have to pay, I want to. What's your name, I ask him. "Charles," he responds. I introduce myself as the Vice President of the Oklahoma Chess Association. He looks at me. He knows he's been set up. Charles, I tell him, I write a chess blog. People are going to read about you.

A couple of things I figure out from playing and watching the games on the street. These guys don't play mates. They specialize in going up a few pawns and then overwhelming their opponent with multiple Queens.

Two years ago I came out here and did okay, but not as well as this. I feel better about my game. Even if he wasn't the best street hustler out here, I still won.

It's good to be back on Market Street. It's good to be back in the game.

California Dreamin'

2008-04-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

At last, J'adoube the Off-Center Knight makes sweeping entrance back into the blogosphere. . .fresh from California meatspace. . .

Alas, I have to say that J'adoube's California Adventure isn't over. It appears I'll be trekking back and forth from Middle America to the Inland Empire after my Torrance/Redondo Beach gig is up. . .or possibly up further north of Burbank.

The travel aside, Southern California winters are a heck of lot easier to endure than the central plains where I live. The wildfires are relatively common in Oklahoma, so the SoCal wildfires aren't much of an adjustment.

The real disappointment has been the chess community out here. Aside from Lawndale and Santa Monica, I can't find any real chess clubs local. And they have to be local - driving here is insane. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than get on the 405 after work. Driving to Santa Monica wouldn't be too harsh if I went up the PCH, but it's just too much hassle. I can't see how these people stand it here. I work with folks who only live 35 miles away and it takes 1.5 hours to get to work. It's just nuts.

Next week is the uber-geekfest - JavaOne, and J'adoube and J'adoubette will spirit themselves away this Friday to San Francisco for a week of overdose on technology- at least J'adoube will. J'adoubette will once again enrich the merchants of Chinatown spending the hard won earnings J'adoube has earned from some very demanding clients. . .

I still play online but clearly my game has suffered. Not so much for tactics but openings. . .

I read the blogs when I can but it looks like the neighborhood has changed some. So, has anybody made GM yet?

L8r. . .

Watch this space

2008-04-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Watch this space for an update soon. . .

Life in LA

2007-11-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Don't move to Southern California. It's nothing like what you see on TV.

Here's a list of reasons why you shouldn't move there:

Smog
Traffic
Cost of living
Congestion
Wild eyed liberals
Wild fires
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Streisand
Hollywood
Outrageous Taxes
Facist Political Correctness
Nancy Pelosi
Absurd obsession with Environmentalism - the New Religion.

The list could get longer, but why bother. The reality is, unless you are extraordinarily wealthy, you can't afford to live there. My house in Tulsa would cost over a million dollars in Southern California.

Move to northern California. It's beautiful. And despite everything else about it, I love San Francisco.

I have yet to find any chess players, BTW. I work at a a client site with a bazillion Indian H1B's and I have yet to find a single one of them that plays the game they are largely credited with helping invented. . .

J'adoube in L.A.

2007-09-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Any Knights or readers in the L.A. area? I'm there next week and looking for a game. Leave a comment.

Could this be the end of J'adoube?

2007-08-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

After a whirlwind day trip yesterday to the Windy City, yours truly, J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight, has accepted a position as Principal Consultant and J2EE Architect with a firm based in Chicago.

Although I will office out of Tulsa, I will be working in L.A. and NYC, with trips to other major cities as the market demands.

This means several things:

My amateur chess career is, for all intents and purposes, over. Although I love the game and will fit it into my life a time allows, the demands of staying on top of emerging technology and my work, with so much travel, will consume most of my time.
I will submitting my resignation as Vice President of the Oklahoma Chess Association. There just isn't enough time in the day for this.
There will be time for side trips to many locations on weekends, so maybe I will get a chance to meet many of my chess friends across the nation. For instance, I should be travelling to Seattle, so maybe The Bald Idiot will be up for a game or maybe Pedja, who nows lives in Cincinatti.
And finally, this blog will likely go dormant. After I start my new position and things shake out, it's entirely possible that I may find some time while on the road to restart my chess training. We'll see.

I'll still see you guys on FICS and ICC and stop by your blogs, but only after I've had my daily dose of Slashdot, The Serverside, Engadget, TechCrunch, CNET, Wired and Lifehacker. . .

See you in the funny papers!

Missing in Action

2007-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. . .

I bought a new house. I have been packing and unpacking since June.

The new job keeps me busy. Telecommunting cut out about 90 minutes of my time each day. Now I have to actually go someplace to work. That sucks eggs. . .

I play chess a couple times a week. I suck eggs.

I can't remember the last time I had a decaffeinated, non-fat, 1 pump Venti mocha from Starbucks, and they are now just down the street. That sucks eggs too.

Mostly though, I can't remember this summer. The last time I looked around, it was April 23 and I just looked up and football season has already started.

WTF?

Expect to see me back in action towards the end of August. By then I will have painted the privacy fence, fixed the driveway concrete, put up the security lights, figured out how to hook up my new LCD HDTV, unpacked my home office, assembled the lawn furniture, yadda, yadda, yadda. . .

So did Blue Devil Knight work on this?

2007-07-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Click the link for the latest in brain science in a Scientific American article about research done at Duke University.

The big question is: So did Blue Devil Knight work on this?

WTF?

2007-07-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Survey

2007-07-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I'm done. Tempo - you're it! See this link for more info!

1) Blogger name and URL?
J'adoube. . .the off-Center Knight
j1mb3d3nbaugh.blogspot.com

2) How did you learn about the Circles?
Found the de la Maza book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble

3) When?
January 2005

4) How long have you been going through the Circles, or if you have finished, how long did it take?
6 months. I finished in July of 2005. I modified the plan to not progress until I could get 100% of the problems correct for each level in the CT-ART software. I only did through Level 50 in CT-ART.

5) How is your progress?
Finished

6) Would working with the Circles alone work well in terms of chess improvement, or does it help more to join the Knight Errant to monitor and discuss the Circles?
Better to join the Knights and have a support group. I almost quit but for their encouragement.

7) Are you a scholastic player?
No.

8) Would you recommend this method, the Circles, to scholastic players?
Yes.

9) Do you use other chess training methods along with the Circles? If any, could you summarize them??
Yes, I use similar techniques for training openings, endgames and strategy - I use Personal Chess Trainer and Chess Position Trainer for this.

10) Any general comments about chess training or the Circles you'd like to provide?
The Circles are generally a good idea, but you should use the Russian techniques of doing simpler tactics only and not extremely hard ones. Dan Heisman gave me this advice.

Background processes

2007-07-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

I suppose Professor Blue Devil Knight might have the quickest access to explaining the phenomenon, but it is still fascinating to me how the human brain can do background processing of information. Recently I read some on the subject (I'm an avid Google Reader user - all the latest and kewlest geek news can be found there) and still don't understand the processes that make it possible, but it's manifestation is always surprising.

Concepts that I first have difficulty comprehending become crystalline to me after a nights sleep or in the most recent case for me - a layoff from intense studying.

Since April I have severely restricted my study - life got in the way - and yet, just yesterday, I was sitting at Starbucks with Ed going over a variations of a d4 opening - 12 moves deep - without benefit of board or pieces - blind chess. After discussion, I noted to Ed that one year ago I don't think I could have done this.

I recall The Bald Idiot telling me some time ago that it really becomes quite easy after a while - I always thought it was the result of some uber-intelligence - but I also recall experiments with GM's who could recall positions after just a second or two of study. . .it all comes back to pattern recognition.

Anyway, I'm beginning to think that this game of chess is really easier than I thought - you just need to spend a lot of time playing to to get good. . .

This Week's Chess Genius Find the Crushing move -

2007-06-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

And why wouldn't it be one of the best known and oldest Knights?

Sancho for correctly deducing the Rook lift - Rf3! is this week's Chess Genius!

Rybka gives White +-3.46 after looking 7 moves (14 ply) deep.

Here's the analysis for 7 moves deep:

Analysis by Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit :

1. +- (3.46): 18...Kd8 19.Rxe3 a6 20.Ne6+ Ke7 21.a4 bxc4
2. +- (3.66): 18...a6 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.Ne6+ Ke7 21.Qc3 Rb8 22.Nxf8+ Kxf8 23.Re6 Qd8 24.Rxd6 Rb6 25.Qa5
3. +- (3.76): 18...Rb8 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.Ne6+ Ke8 21.Rb1 Ba6 22.f5 Rg8 23.cxb5 Bb7 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.Rd1
4. +- (3.99): 18...a5 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.Ne6+ Ke7 21.Nxf8+ Kxf8 22.Re6 bxc4 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Rxf6+ Kg7 25.Qc3
5. +- (4.02): 18...Ke7 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.a4 b4 21.a5 Qb8 22.Re1 Bb7 23.a6 Bxa6 24.Ne6+ Ke8
6. +- (4.11): 18...Ng4 19.Nxh7 bxc4 20.Qxg6+ Kd8 21.Rb1 Re8 22.Bxc4 e2 23.Bc3 Kc7 24.Be1 Rg8 25.Qd3
7. +- (4.12): 18...Bb7 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.Ne6+ Ke7 21.a4 bxc4 22.Bxc4 Nxd5 23.Bxd5
8. +- (4.13): 18...Qa5 19.Rxe3+ Kd8
9. +- (4.34): 18...Ba6 19.Rxe3+ Kd8 20.Ne6+ Ke7 21.a4 bxc4 22.a5 Qb4 23.Nxc5+ Kf7 24.Nxa6 Qb7 25.Bxc4
10. +- (4.36): 18...Rf7 19.f5 Ne5 20.fxg6 hxg6 21.Bxe5 Bf5 22.Nxf7 dxe5 23.Rxf5 gxf5 24.Nxe5 Ne4 25.Rf1

Congrats Sancho, this weeks Chess Genius!

Find the crushing move

2007-06-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is from a game last weekend. The problem is that I didn't blunder, but I did fail to find the crushing move.

Rules:

No cheating. Shut down that chess engine.
The winner gets widely acclaimed as this weeks Chess Genius.
Don't feel badly if you can't see the move. Even Ed didn't get it.

White to move

Oklahoma State Championships

2007-06-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss.

That's how I played. It appears that the draws were possible wins and the one loss may have been a win as well, but I suppose Ed and I will have to go over the games this week to make sure.

The best part of the story appears to be that, as best everyone can tell, is that I made no significant blunders. In my first game I took a huge chance and sacrificed a pawn for development and initiative. It appeared to have worked as later I regained the pawn, had more active pieces with Queens still on the board and the opposing King having given up castling rights. . .but the follow through was lacking. I'm still unhappy about that loss.

I'll try to do a video on that game as it appeared the advantage swung back an forth until the end.

Overall, it was a good chess weekend and Bill Hall, the Executive Director for the United States Chess Federation, was on hand to honor the Oklahoma Chess Association (OCA) for the greatest percentage membership increase of any chapter in the U.S.

I got to meet and talk with Bill at some length Friday night at our chess club and it was interesting. IMHO, I'd say that we have a great deal of work to do here in the US to fix the problems we have with our USCF, the least of which is to make sure we get Sam Sloan off the Board in this election cycle.

Oklahoma's own Jim Berry is running for the USCF Board and is being endorsed at all levels. We await with bated breath for the results. . .

In other news, Oklahoma led the nation in just passing the first State Chapter Bylaw that requires voters in the USCF State chapter to be at least 16 years of age, however, to assure that the youth are fairly represented, we allowed parents to vote in our elections by merely purchasing an OCA Family membership. I humbly report that I offered the amendment that allowed for the parent participation, which was passed by unanimous consent.

Boylston Chess Club and Mechanics Institute, you guys better get on board! Look for something similar to be passed at the national level, urging the rest of the USCF affiliates to do the same. . .

And finally, my chess coach, Ed Boyle, was elected to the OCA Policy Board, however, as the Vice President, I still outrank him. . .[grin]

Would you be interested?

2007-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you gentle readers: Would you be interested in this?

Update: It's obvious - the answer is no. Never mind.

"Big one's out of little one's. . ."

2007-06-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

This is a chess story that begins with America's deepest secrets. . .

My grandfather was a cryptographer. He worked for the NSA - National Security Administration - only when he started it wasn't called that. He broke codes, ciphers etc. He also helped design some of the early computer systems that were used for code breaking.

For the longest time I never knew what Grandad did for a living. Whenever I asked him, he always gave the same answer:

"I make big ones out of little ones."

Very funny, Grandad, I would think.

One day when I was about 13, I had a book on ciphers with me in the car. I was working on some simple ciphers I could use in school so messages I passed onto friends, if intercepted by the enemy (read teacher, or bullies), couldn't be read,

My mom looked over and saw the book and said "Oh my goodness!".

"What?" I said.

"That's what your grandfather does."

"Granddad is a cryptographer?

"Yes. That's why he couldn't tell you what he did. His job is classified."

The next time I went to see my Grandad, I didn't say hello. I simply walked up to him and handed him a 50 word cipher. He looked down at the paper and chuckled. "C'mon" , he said.

We sat down at the dining room table and within minutes he had the message deciphered. He then proceeded to tell me stories about his experiences inside America's intelligence agencies. It turns out that his first few days on the job, the US had intercepted a Russian message that everyone had been working on for months and no one could break the code. They put him on this message as well and within no time, he had broken in on a French word. Shortly the message was decoded and was on President Truman's desk within 30 minutes.

And now the chess relevance.

Grandad went on to tell me about his training. It seems that the first 6 months, all he did was crossword puzzles, brain teasers and logic puzzles. For 6 months. Over and over.

Sound familiar?

So why do I bother studying obscure openings, then?

2007-06-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

As if it wasn't hard enough to try to remember the Zorinovich variation of the Pursers Gambit variation of the Closed Sicilian (there is no such thing. gotcha), now science tells us we're supposed to forget in the first place. . .tell me again why I bother to study?

Forgetfulness is a tool of the brain

NewScientist.com news service

A note to the forgetful: be thankful you don’t remember everything. It means your brain is working properly.

According to a new study, the brain only chooses to remember memories it thinks are most relevant, and actively suppresses those that are similar but less used, helping to lessen the cognitive load and prevent confusion. Read more.

BOYCOTT MON ROI!

2007-06-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

BOYCOTT MON ROI!

I wouldn't use their product if it was the only thing available and 5 ninja's threw spears at me if I didn't.

In fact, in 5 years my cell phone will be able to do the same thing their product does, so Mon Roi can kiss my rosy red arse. I wouldn't own a Mon Roi. . .I'd be afraid of how much less people would think of me - kinda like the caveman on the Geico commercials that bought his insurance from them and all the other cavemen derided him.

Of course, I understand the Mon Roi CEO is a lawyer and you know the difference between a lawyer and a catfish: One is a bottom feeding scum sucker. The other is a fish.

Just more evidence. . .

2007-05-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well, if you didn't believe me when I asserted months ago that playing like a computer is the way to go, read this article on Slashdot:

"According to the recent Face Recognition Grand Challenge, The match up of face-recognition algorithms showed that machine recognition of human individuals has improved tenfold since 2002 and a hundredfold since 1995. 'Among other advantages, 3-D facial recognition identifies individuals by exploiting distinctive features of a human face's surface--for instance, the curves of the eye sockets, nose, and chin, which are where tissue and bone are most apparent and which don't change over time. Furthermore, Phillips says, "changes in illumination have adversely affected face-recognition performance from still images. But the shape of a face isn't affected by changes in illumination." Hence, 3-D face recognition might even be used in near-dark conditions.'"

In other words, computers are given algorithms to process information just the way we do. Just like I asserted months ago - computer moves are human like. It's just that they are so sophisticated and GM-like, patzers like us Knights can't understand them. So if a computer plays like a GM and we all want to play like a GM, why wouldn't you want to play like a computer? Hmmm?

What in the world is J'adoube doing?

2007-05-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ever feel the need to be totally tuned to the life of J'adoube? Or your favorite Presidential Candidate? Or some lamer from the other side of East Jesus?

Then Twitter is your answer! Over on the sidebar, you can see whatever it is I am doing at the moment - the Twitter API allows you to update from the web or SMS text messaging.

The guy who invented PayPal came up with this one and now that it got a hype from Wired, expect everyone to be twitting. . .

Peace in our lifetime

2007-05-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I typically don't write about chess politics, especially Oklahoma chess politics, because of how messy it is. Suffice it to say that it was ugly and since I am the Vice President of the state USCF chapter, OCA, my comments must be measured.

Until today.

So, with great pleasure I note here today due to the extraordinary efforts by USCF President Bill Goichberg, OCA President Chuck Unruh and OCF President Jim Berry, we have peace in our lifetime.

After years of contention, accusations, lawsuits and recriminations, there is now an agreement between our organizations. Meeting this past weekend at a summit arranged by Goichberg during the US Chess Championships in Stillwater Oklahoma, Unruh and Berry hammered out an agreement, with final wording being approved by both organizations boards today. You can see the official announcement from Bill Goichberg in the USCF forums here.

Congratulations to Bill Goichberg, Chuck Unruh and Jim Berry.

Now, let's play chess!

50,000 foot view

2007-05-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Because I have been playing very little chess recently and studying not at all, my perspective has changed substantively on the game.

Because I was so focused on a narrow view of the game, I hadn't the ability to view the game more holistically, if you will. Specifically, I am now able to view the game from a distance. This sounds odd, but it is unique in that I've never looked at the game the way I have now.

The game seems much simpler than I have imagined it. I can see the larger picture far easier. It's as though a synthesis of all that I have consumed over the past 3 years has rumbled around in the back of my unconscious mind over the past 4 weeks and a coherent understanding has emerged.

If you're confused by this kind of warm-fuzzy, touchy-feely psycho-babble and are thinking that perhaps Tempo, Blue Devil Knight or Transformation has hijacked this blog or that perhaps a group of Hari Krishna's have converted me and I now seek unity with The One, well. . .don't worry. I'm still the great Ole lovable Klingon I have always been.

It's just that I'm in touch with my inner-Chess geek, I guess. . .

Tech Overload

2007-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

XAMPP, Joomla! Apache HTTP, PHP, Filezilla, MySQL, Web 2.0, Mercury, Flex, osCommerce, AJAX, JavaFX. . .these are the things that have been keeping me busy the past two weeks and not one of them are chess related. . .

Life has overcome chess for the moment. Specifically, all things geek has overcome life for the moment. Besides keeping up with the goings on in San Francisco at JavaOne last week via the network (the Web for you uninitiated), I have been immersed in ramping up on nurturing my inner Geek. I've only played two chess games the past two weeks. Pathetic.

But to be honest, technology and all things Wired are my first love (well, after God, family and friends, of course). I'm a Slashdot Science Channel kinda guy. . .

Did you hear? Two more Star Wars movies are in the future! George Lucas let it be known two made for TV movies will be coming out - neither will involve the Skywalker family, but still - more Star Wars movies! Thank you George!

Today I will study chess, however. Time to strap it back on and get back in the groove. Let's see, the horsey moves in an L-shape, right?

If it's Friday, I should be in San Francisco. . .

2007-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

. . .but I'm not.

Drat. Every year I go to the uber-Geekfest called JavaOne in San Francisco with the rest of the l33t h4xor, but not this year.

Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled I got a new gig just four days after being axed at my last job, but I really am missing the show this year. Plus, I wanted to go back to Market Street and Fifth and crush the street players.

Nuts. Well, there's always next year. . .

A J'adoube Life

2007-05-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

4/23/2007 9:00 am CDT: J'adoube meets with boss.
4/23/2007 9:01 am CDT: Boss lays J'adoube off.
4/23/2007 9:10 am CDT: J'adoube calls wife with news of layoff.
4/23/2007 9:15 am CDT: J'adoube calls recruiter with news of layoff.
4/23/2007 9:30 pm CDT: J'adoube goes to bed. Tosses and turns all night.

4/24/2007 7:30 am CDT: J'adoube gets up. Tries to concentrate on chess. Fails miserably.
4/24/2007 10:30 pm CDT: J'adoube goes to bed. Tosses and turns all night.

4/25/2007 8:30 am CDT: J'adoube gets up. Tries to concentrate on chess. Fails miserably.
4/25/2007 11:30 pm CDT: J'adoube goes to bed. Tosses and turns all night.

4/26/2007 9:00 am CDT: J'adoube gets up. Tries to concentrate on chess. Fails miserably.
4/26/2007 11:30 pm CDT: J'adoube goes to bed. Tosses and turns all night.

4/27/2007 8:00 am CDT: J'adoube gets up.
4/27/2007 8:27 am CDT: Recruiter calls J'adoube. Says he has opportunity. Can J'adoube be available for possible interview on 4/30/2007?
4/27/2007 11:30 am CDT: Recruiter calls J'adoube back. Client wants to meet J'adoube at 3:00 pm that day.
4/27/2007 3:00 pm CDT: J'adoube interviews with 3 technical team members from client. Client informs J'adoube decision should be made by 4/30/2007.
4/27/2007 4:30 pm CDT: Recruiter calls J'adoube. Client wants J'adoube as soon as he becomes available.

4/27/2007 11:30 pm CDT: J'adoube goes to bed. And sleeps.

Update 5/2/207: Because I have to get up early and actually go somewhere to work, as opposed to just walking from room to room in my house, my schedule is completely wrecked! Very little chess this week as I have been concentrating solely on Java technologies. Ed complained that i was missing in action from Starbucks in the evenings - this is true. I have been installing tons of development software on The Beast in the evening, as I am now also freelancing jobs off the internet. Ed, if you are wondering where I am, check out the Oneok Plaza in downtown Tulsa. . .

The Return of Rxd6

2007-04-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

The smoking lamp is out, the beverage of choice is Diet Coke and the subject is controversial! It's the Return of Rxd6!

Let the carnage begin!

Podcast here.

The Return of Comments

2007-04-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Since everyone seems to have settled down, I guess I'll turn comments back on. . .BDK, I haven't checked to see if you win the bet or not, though. . .

10k

2007-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Because I have head hunters working for me to conjure up some employment opportunities, I don't have a whole lot to do except play chess and drink coffee. I've also fired up the social network and folks are sending things my way to look at. . .

I spun up the numbers from PCT on how many problems I have done so far. It's just over 10,000. Sheesh. I've also fired up the CTB software and put it on the hardest level (which is about equivalent to Level 10 on CT-ART) because the PCT problems were just too easy. These are easy too but it's the right thing to do - the Polgar Brick problems were just too hard and don't follow the training suggested by Dan Heisman (which is the training plan the Russians used. . .) and that is - do easy tactical problems.

Anyway, that's what I'm doing. . .and trying to keep my mind off the job situation. . .

Me too

2007-04-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

I just got laid off today. I thought this was going to happen last Christmas, but then things seemed to look ok. I guess not.

I don't know what my status as a blogger will be. I'll continue to update as time allows, but for now my job is to look for a job.

Wish me luck.

This says it all

2007-04-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been reading some silly prattle about some old anti-Silman comments I made a while back ['most serious players think Silman is a joke. . .as do I. "Imbalances"? Jeez. . .next thing you know we'll have "aura smoothing techniques" and "chakra readings" for chess. . .what a nitwit.']

So, I went on ICC and asked folks what they thought about Silman's books. I recorded the console for the comments and made a snapshot of the funniest line I have ever heard about Silman's books. If you click on the image below, you can see what IM Ben Finegold thinks of Silman's books - his comments are on the bottom. . .seems I'm not alone in my opinion. . .

I almost hurt myself laughing about this. . .

Today, we are all Hokies

2007-04-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

It was easy during my college years to make fun of Virginia Tech students.

Backwoods. Hicks. Gooblers. Hokies. We called them all these things.

It was easy to make fun of Va Tech students.

If you couldn't get into a real university, you could always go to Virginia Tech we said. Some of my high school classmates went to Va Tech. I played football with them. I had friends from across the state of Virginia who attended Va Tech.

It was easy to make fun of Va Tech students.

And now, 33 students and professors lie in morgues tonight because some madman didn't take his medicine and go to counseling.

Gun control wouldn't have helped. The guns were bought legally. A long time before the shooting.

A waiting period wouldn't have helped. The guns were bought legally. A long time before the shooting.

Tonight, the streets of heaven are too crowded with young people taken from us too soon. Too tragically.

I won't ever make fun of Virginia Tech again. It hurts too much. It hurts us too much.

Today, America hurts with Virgina Tech.

Today, we are all Hokies.

Hoki, Hoki, Hoki, Hy.

Nazi Bastards

2007-04-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a totally non-chess related blog entry. Read on at your own risk.

I hate Nazism. I loathe people who embrace it.

As if it wasn't bad enough that Germany gave use Engels and the failed ideology of Communism, the had to give us Nazism as well and they have managed to infect the world with both. Being of German ancestry isn't all I had hoped it to be, I suppose. . .

What's all the fuss, you say? Tonight my wife is to sing in a choir as part of a very large city-wide gathering of Christians and Jews in Tulsa to honor and support Israel. I was going to take my 7 year old granddaughter to watch her. But now I can't.

The Nazi's are showing up to protest.

It's hard to believe that in a city so heavily Christian evangelical that the Nazi's could scrape together enough of their scum to even mount a decent size protest. I guess they are importing some in from around the region. Security will be tight. The police will be out in force.

I'm not exposing my granddaughter to that. There's enough hurt in the world waiting for her as it is. No need to rush her into it.

In the meantime, I'm torn. As much as I hate Nazism and as stupid as I think someone like Don Imus was to make his racist remark, I completely support their right to say what they say and to be what they are: White Trash.

It's too bad Nazi's are out of season right now. . .I'd love to go bag my limit. . .

The Continuing Saga. . .

2007-04-14T13:31:00.001-07:00

The smoking lamp is out. The beverage of choice is Diet Coke. The podcast here.

Chess Jedi tools. . .

2007-04-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

A little video using Chess Position Trainer. . .

And now, a few words from our sponsor. . .

2007-04-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, Blue Devil Knight did it, so am I. I'm going to go political as well for a change.

Firstly, read Blue Devil Knights latest blog about the lying bitch who tried to destroy the lives of 3 Duke Lacrosse players.

Second. Liberals: Kiss my ass. And apologize to the nation. You know who you are. I'm not talking about all liberals. There are some Knights Errant who are liberals, but those guys actually think and use their brain. I'm talking about you dumbass Move.org types and the rest of you jackasses out there that convicted these kids in the press because they were "rich frat boys".

You're a disgrace to the nation. And to liberalism. I was a liberal in my younger days (before I started paying taxes and a mortgage and had children, etc.) and if this is how liberals act these days, than thank God I got over it.

Ok. . .got that off my chest. . .sorry I went postal there guys. . .I don't hate liberals. I just hate the way they want to implement their ideas. As a libertarian/conservative, I have the same goals many liberals have - social justice, peace, prosperity for all. But how they want to get there is just plain stupid. I refuse to bend over and let the government use me like a woman, but that's just how the libs think we should achieve these goals. Frack that.

Back to chess. I have another video blog coming out soon, maybe later today. I've been playing and studying like crazy. Endgames. Openings. These are the big areas of concentration right now, but I'm still ploughing through the Art of Attack in Chess by Vukovic. And listening to chess lectures at ChessLecture.com. Those lectures are really good. I recommend the site to everyone.

Ok, that's all for the moment. Let the hate mail begin. . .

The Nez Strikes Back Redux

2007-04-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Something different. A Sicilian by Nezhmetdinov. . .and a stunning sacrifice exchange.

Podcast here.

Update: New technology. Getting closer to the product I want to deliver. . .

A Day in the Life. . .

2007-04-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

It's tough being me. . .ROFL!

Qui Gonn Jin told the young Anakin Skywalker the life of a Jedi is very difficult. So it is with a Chess Jedi. . .a short 10 minute video about the drugery of incessant training. . .

J'adoube podcasts are coming! That's right. . .you will soon be able to waste your life listening to J'adoube drone on endlessly for hours. . .[grin]

Update: They're here! J'adoube podcasts! Click on this link, choose the IPod download type next to the download button and you're there!

The Future of this blog

2007-04-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

I've so fallen in love with chess videos that I have almost forgotten how to write a blog entry. To be honest, I think video entries are the future for this blog. Firstly, they are incredibly easy to do now and second, I think that several of the new tools I have installed recently are going to improve the quality and production value even more. Of course, it may be that I have just fallen in love with the sound of my own voice. . .

I'm thinking of doing a video spoof of some sort. Since I am a total Star Wars geek fanboy, it will most likely be some type of chess related Star Wars fan film.

I have been continuing with The Plan. Those of you who follow this blog know it as an insanely intense study program. In the past month I've been playing lots more so less study, but I still do lots of endgame and opening work.

I have really started to dig into the French Winawer and Modern. I have gone really deep into the theory and I recently got to test drive the Winawer in a blitz game but my opponent played the 8.Nf3 line rather the more common 8.Bd3, which I didn't know all that well but still managed to stay on book. One of the kewl things about the French is that all the variations have the very same thing in common so it's easier than some openings to make good moves.

The Steffan Pedersen books on the French are very good, but frankly I think they might be a little out of date. I checked them against the lines in Chessbase and I think there have been some new developments since he was published. I need to update to Mega Database 2007 before I am sure though. I guess I'm going to have to stay abreast of developments, which means most likely having to download TWIC to make sure I am up to date on the latest trends.

I also belong to ChessLecture.com and I've started listening to the videos by the GM's and IM's. It's just so much better to listen to someone explain what the point of Black's moves are in the QGD than just read a lot of text. . .I'm telling you guys - video is the way to go. . .

One final comment: I've been reading through some peripheral blogs (non-Knight) and I guess I am just too intense about getting better at this game for some people's taste. However, I just can't imagine approaching it any differently. It's been the same all my life - shoot to be the very best I can be no matter what I am doing. If not, why bother in the first damn place? I guess that's what separates me from some '60's hippie and why I didn't do the Peace/Love/RocknRoll thing. . .I was too busy trying to excel and not smoke dope all the frackin' time. . .

Being a grandfather hasn't changed everything in my outlook, I suppose. . .[grin]

Return of the Challenge

2007-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Another Starbucks Challenge Round between Ed and myself. . .

Attacking chess

2007-03-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: This video had been updated!

An example using attacking ideas I learned from the Vukovic book.

Also, a quick comment about the North Carolina loss. . .

Art of Attack in Chess

2007-03-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

I love this book. It reminds me of Baburin's book. Below is a video analysis of one of the games Vukovic presents.

Sweet 16

2007-03-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when my interests split between all my normal diversions and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships.

My mighty Tarheels are in the Sweet 16 and face the California Condoms (aka USC Trojans). Afterwards they will face Vandy or G'town. No worries.

So, I suppose after we beat Ohio State, we'll face off with the Florida Gaytors, but it would be much more interesting to play Kansas, considering how long UNC coach Roy Williams coached there before he came home to Carolina. . .

An Anti-French line?

2007-03-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's always a risk when you disagree with and IM or a GM, but in logic, they teach you to argue the facts and not by authority.

IM Dennis Monokroussos gives this line on his blog and I was at first baffled by it, but it appears to have some flawed assumptions. See my video below. With all due respect to Dennis, I think that his line gets refuted with just a little preparation. . .

It's March Madness!!!!!!

2007-03-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!

Tomorrow, the Mighty Young Men from UNC - The University of North Carolina (aka The University of National Champions) begin their trek to another National Championship!

The Mighty Young Men from UNC - The University of North Carolina (aka The University of National Champions) lead the way for the Atlantic Coast Conference with a dominating 7 teams in the Big Dance from what is easily the best conference is college basketball.

Expect the Mighty Young Men from UNC - The University of North Carolina (aka The University of National Champions) to come out of the East bracket and onto the Final Four. Perhaps the only real competition will come from Texas - who I expect to face the Mighty Young Men from UNC - The University of North Carolina (aka The University of National Champions) in the Elite Eight. Boston College will get whipped and Georgetown will fall as well.

Meanwhile, arch rival and the ever-hated Duke Blue Devils, a weakling team coached by Mike "Big Nose" Cry-a-chevy-ski plays in the other side of East Jesus in some no name town. . .just like they should.

J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight and the entire J'adoube Clan are rooting for the Mighty Young Men from UNC - The University of North Carolina (aka The University of National Champions) and all ACC teams, except for arch rival and the ever-hated Duke Blue Devils, a weakling team coached by Mike "Big Nose" Cry-a-chevy-ski.

GO TARHEELS!

White to move

2007-03-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

From a game I played recently. Find the proper continuation.

White to move

Book Review: I play against pieces by S. Gligoric

2007-03-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a little burned on doing PCT exercises and Openings training, so for a change, I picked up my copy of I Play Against Pieces by Gligoric. I thought it would be a good offset for all the books I have read recently about pawn play.

Whatever opinion I may have had about this book has changed for the worse. I thought the idea of the book would be to discuss ideas about piece play on the board, but as I started reading more and more through the book, I realized that Gligoric's point was that he played chess - not mind games. I suppose this may have been a response to some of the craziness that was going on in the chess world back in the late 60's and the 70's - all the mind games that went on with Fischer, et al.

Now don't get me wrong - Gligoric was an excellent player and since my own chess coach for a long time was also a Serbian, there was a slight bias in liking Gligoric. However, the book itself is just a dry annotation of lines and variations - not truly explaining all the ideas behind the moves, which means I have to look through the variations and figure out the ideas for myself. If I wanted that, though, I can just fire up Rybka and watch him churn through 15 ply deep and then figure out for myself what was going on.

The personal information on Gligoric is interesting - he lived in interesting times - fighting in WWII and then living under the heel of a morally corrupt and ideologically bankrupt political system.

However, if you want to review his games, I suggest just filtering Chessbase and pulling up his games - they are already annotated for the most part. Use the money you save on this book to buy a nice bag of Arabica and brew it up.

Pleasant chess to all.

A Tarrasch. . .well, kinda. . .

2007-03-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

Not really a Tarrasch, but many of the Tarrasch ideas and somewhat like the examples you can find in Meeting 1.d4. . .the pgn is below. . .

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3
Nf6 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O Bg4 (7... Be7 {Book} 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6
11. Be3) 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Qa4 O-O 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Nc3 h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Rad1
d4 (13... Rfd8 14. Rd2 Rac8) 14. Ne4 Qe7 15. Nxc5 Qxc5 16. Nxd4 Nxd4 17. Qxd4
Qxd4 (17... Rac8 18. Qxc5 Rxc5 19. Rd2 Rc7) 18. Rxd4 Bxa2 (18... Rfd8 19. Rfd1
Rxd4 20. Rxd4 Rb8) 19. Ra4 Be6 20. Bxb7 Rab8 21. Rxa7 Bh3 (21... f5 22. Bf3
Rxb2 23. Re7 Rb6) 22. Rfa1 Rfe8 (22... Bc8 23. Bxc8 Rfxc8 24. Re7) 23. e3 Re7
24. Be4 Rxe4 0-1

An "A40" game. . .unusual opening. . .

2007-03-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

A new game for review. A quick game with fewer mistakes and an interesting end. . .

This blog has changed

2007-03-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

Recent events have forced me to take some drastic measures. Because there exists a few folks who feel entitled to force their opinion upon me or engage in epithets and insults, I have decided upon action to remedy this. Thusly, witness the following:

This blog is written by, for and about me and my chess experiences. I always feel flattered when folks actually read this blog and give feedback. It's even a little ego boost to think people would take the time to read an amateur writer (ok, I have been published commercially as Java programmer, but you know what I mean), but I especially appreciate the support so many folks provide.
Just because you are a higher rated player, don't think I will necessarily accept your advice. I won't dismiss it out of hand and IF you have earned my respect for your opinion I'll take it under advisement, but unless you are a Master or higher, I've beaten better players than you and I am more likely to listen to my coach, a Correspondence Grand Master.
Don't take things personally unless I tell you they are personal.
Don't get personal.
Debate the ideas.
I know I make controversial statements. Welcome to the Internet.
I know I have a big ego. Welcome to the Internet.
I have turned the comments off. I have provided a flooble comment box out to the side and if you want to comment, do so there out in public where everyone can see it. Maybe the light of day can instill some civility. I can only hope. . .
I am a grizzled veteran of Usenet. I don't do flame. Take it elsewhere.
If a flame wars start up again, I will make this blog private to invited readers. I simply won't allow people to come into my space (no pun intended) and engage in the kind of hatefulness we've recently witnessed.
The Internet creates a lot of false courage. Sometimes people make mean spirited statements simply because they can hide behind the Internet. Imagine the person you are writing to is standing nose to nose with you and then decide if you would still make the statement.

I like writing this blog. It's fun. I know it's widely read and I appreciate folks who take the time to read this, but ultimately, I won't engage in self-destructive behavior. I have way too much going for me to do that.

Pleasant chess to all.

Revenge of the Benko

2007-03-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

A regular Greek tragedy, this game. I lose magnificently against a Benko. Call me Sophocles. . .

Video annnotation

2007-03-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

I made a video of a game I played recently and evaluated, primarily to see how close I came to playing the best lines on each move. It is actually fun doing these - I have made 3 so far and plan on posting them.

In the Starbucks© Challenge, Ed evened the score, winning round two. Round 3 to be played soon.

P.S. I know I made some evaluations errors in this video, but I was trying to keep it close or under 20 minutes and speeded along, so if you see them, I guess be aware that I also found them, but feel free to point them out just in case I missed them.

P.P.S. Last night at the club I beat a player that I hadn't beaten ever in the past two years. This is the year of the breakthrough, I think. Finally.

How I play a simul. . .

2007-03-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

J'adoube stuns Chessworld Virtuoso

2007-02-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Shock erupts! Lions whelp in the street! Women and children run screaming into the night!

J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight stunned Chessworld Virtuoso Rev. Ed in a thrilling tactical slasher.

Rev. Ed, a Class A player rated 1827 USCF, and who has never lost a single game on the turn based playing site Chessworld, dropped the first of a Starbucks 12 game Over The Board tournament to the lowly patzer, J'adoube. Departing from his typical solid playing style patterned after the Rybka chess engine, J'adoube adopted a slashing tactical ploy, sacrificing the exchange and a pawn for a massive attack.

In the post game conference, J'adoube remarked "The game was really an hommage to fellow Knights Errant Temposchlucker, Sancho Pawnza, Blue Devil Knight and non-Knight Patrick, all of whom encourage me to abandon any attempts to play lines like the chess engine. I did it for them."

Meanwhile, Rev. Ed commented briefly "Well, he is a student of mine, so of course I expect him to win sometime against me - just not this soon!" Rev. Ed admitted he played the Grunfeld against J'adoube's stalwart 1.d4 to confuse the lowly patzer, but misplayed an early move, allowing J'adoube to equalize and attack. "He went right after f7, just like I always emphacize."

-------------------------------------------------

Ok seriously, I beat Ed tonight while we were over at Starbucks and he is a Class A player rated 1827, so I'm pretty happy about this. We went over the game and he actually had me beat but just plain missed a move after I baited him with a free Knight. It was a simple mating attack but I guess Kramnik isn't the only one who can miss these kinds of things. Of course, we have 11 more games to go and now Ed will bear down on me, determined to crush the life out of me. . .[grin]

Pleasant chess to all.

Play like a Grandmaster - or a chess engine. . .

2007-02-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

Tempo has presented a differing opinion to my approach to training games, with certain criticisms based his experience.

The problem with arguing against my approach is that it's difficult to dispute the facts. Let's take a trot back to Toiletgate, that infamous time when Topalov's manager, Silvio Danailov, complained that Kramnik was using a chess engine to make his moves. Remember the metric he gave: Kramnik was making about 80% of the top moves suggested by Fritz. Kramnik's team shot back that Topalov had made close to 80% of the top moves suggested by Fritz in the San Luis tournament.

And to top it all off, the other 20% of their moves were so close to the top move suggested by the chess engine that it really came down to a matter of style, blunders notwithstanding.

So, I guess if I'm going to try to make moves like a Grandmaster, it wouldn't hurt to use a chess engine to evaluate my games. I mean, if I can get 80% of their moves, I'm 80% of the way to playing like a GM. . .

Pleasant chess to all.

P.S. Chess engines aren't right because they say they are right. Chess engines are right because they win! :)

Training games

2007-02-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

Whilst in the midst of continual training under The Plan, I naturally want to take some of my new skills out for a test drive, so I've been playing more training games, whereby I play a game and then closely review the moves for The Top Choice. It doesn't matter so much whether I win or lose the game (ok, I'm lying. I hate losing.), but it is important to see if I'm making the best move under the circumstances. Using this technique, it becomes less important how good my opponent is - in this approach I'm really playing against perfection. . .in the form of Rybka for now until something better comes along.

Anecdotally, it appears when there is ample time, I am able to make many correct choices, however, I still manage to make some bonehead moves - not blunders - but poor strategic choices. Naturally, when time begins to shrink, I begin to make more defective moves. I'm thinking about cataloging these defective moves and developing some type of remediation. I suppose this is similar to the Chess Exam, but it will tailor precisely to my weaknesses. . .

Since I changed the parameters on PCT, the going has been much slower (every problem must be done perfectly before advancing - and some of the endgame problems are 9-10 moves). While the endless repetition seems to dull my senses, it is helping. I can notice in all my games I "see" more of the board rather than just focused areas. This is directly the result of practicing strategy problems on PCT and in doing so, I end up with better and better positions, which according to J'adoube's Law of Tactics, gives me more tactical opportunities. . .at least that's supposed to be a big part of the explanation of why Morphy spanked Anderssen. . .

Still not a believer? Well believe. 'Cause it's true.

2007-02-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

Still don't think chess engines can evaluate like Grandmasters? Remember this position? It's Kasparov-Topalov 1999, Kasparov's "Immortal" game.

Topolav

Kasparov
White to move

Guess what Kasparov played? 24.Rxd4!!

Gentle Tom over at Streatham and Brixton posed the question - Did chess engines find this move? They didn't used to. In fact, to quote the Gentle Tom, "they were miles off."Well guess what. . .look below at the Rybka 2.3 evaluation. . .

1. (-0.29): 24.Nc6+ Bxc6 25.Qxd6 Rxd6 26.dxc6 Kb6 27.Re7 Rxc6 28.Rxf7 Re8 29.Bf1 h6 30.f4 Ne4
2. (-0.37): 24.Rxd4 Kb6 25.b4 Qxf4 26.Rxf4 Nxd5 27.Rxf7 cxb4 28.axb4 Nxb4 29.Nb3 Bd5 30.Rf6+ Nc6
3. (-0.62): 24.Qxd6 Rxd6 25.Nc6+ Kb6 26.Ne5 Rf8 27.Rd2 Rxd5 28.Rde2 Bc6 29.Bg2 Rd6 30.Nxc6 Rxc6

Look at the second choice. Wow. Sacrificing a Rook for a pawn for active play? A chess engine suggested that? Wha. . .I thought chess engines were soooo materialistic. I thought chess engines didn't make moves like this? Mig Greengard called this move UNBELIEVABLE!!

Well, believe it. A chess engine found it. So. . . .

All you folks who were ripping me in my last blog entry about chess engine evaluations, don't tell me chess engines can't evaluate like a human or play great, "Immortal" games. Sell that somewhere else, 'cause we ain't buying here. . .
:)~

Pleasant chess to all.

P.S. Hat tip to Gentle Tom for inspiring this blog entry.

Chess engines

2007-02-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

I've written about this before but I guess there's still this common misconception about chess engines that, while pervasive, is just plain wrong.

Computers do a great job at evaluations. A great job. Better than just about everyone. If they didn't, they wouldn't be playing above everyone else's head. Humans could just exploit the evaluation flaw and win all the time.

But we don't.

There are numbers of criticisms about chess engines - too materialistic, non-strategic, yadda, yadda, yadda. . .

Folks, if you can think it, it can be encoded. Period. And if it can be encoded, then it can put in a chess engine.

And do you think the programmers just sat around and not do anything about all the criticisms about chess engines? I remember years ago one of the best ways to beat computers was through pawn play because chess engines weren't that good at it. Not anymore. You can't use that strategy to beat them now. The same for all the other weaknesses.

They got fixed.

Now, I've never seen the code for Fritz or Rybka or any other engine, but I can guarantee you that there are subroutines (objects for you OO guys) for every kind of situation: Openings, endgames, strategy, tactics, checks captures, threats, doubled pawns, weak squares. . .you get the idea.

Just how hard do you think it is to write code that says "If a file is open, place the Rook there"? Or "Double your Rooks" or "Sac the exchange to create piece activity" or "push passed pawns"?

It's just not that hard. And the programmers never stop. They keep picking the brains of GM's, adding onto the code, making it more efficient, adding more subtlety, more finesse. And the chess engines just get better and better. And since chess engines are bereft of emotion, playing "stunning" moves don't stun the machines so there's no psychological impact - "stunning" moves lead to stunning losses.

But I guess the biggest factor for me is this: Why in the world would you not want to play a line suggested by the strongest player?

Sorry, but if I have a choice between playing a line recommended by a 3000 ELO chess engine and a 2700 human, guess who I'm going to listen to?

Pleasant chess to all.

Feel the burn

2007-02-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

For years when I weight trained, there were always two groups of lifters - bodybuilders and powerlifters. I didn't really have the genetics for body building naturally so my only choices were to stab myself in the arse with a needle full of D-bol or to take up powerlifting.

Since I had no desire to see my testicles shrink to tiny marbles, I opted for the second. When you bodybuild, there is always the desire to do max reps - burn out we called it. Essentially, the muscle does so many repetitions the lactic acid that builds up becomes a burning sensation.
One of the other things you strove for was to recruit every muscle cell. Essentially, a muscle will only recruit as many cells as needed to move a weight. So, you lifted heavier and heavier weights, recruiting more cells. The idea was to do enough repetitions so that all the muscle cells were recruited. It was usually an exhausting workout. However, even though you got strong, you never got as strong as the powerlifters - but the bodybuilders got all the attention because they were the pretty boys.

Powerlifters, on the other hand, were the big burly guys and their workout was almost a joke. You might do 1 repetition and then rest for 10 minutes before doing another one. The weights per repetition were huge however. You might do 80% or 90% max lifts but maybe only five lifts the whole day.

So WTF does this have to do with chess?

Slow games and blitz. I almost see blitz chess as bodybuilding - pretty, intense, polished and glitzy.

The really heavy lifting gets done with slow games. Slow games build your strength but like powerlifting, you can only do so much because each game requires max effort and then you must recover.

Hmmm. I think I've just talked myself into a strategy for how many STC games to play each week. . .

Pleasant chess to all.

Meeting 1.d4 and PCT upgrade

2007-02-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Meeting 1.d4
In the world of chess literature, entire forests have been cut down to provide the paper for the mountains of books written on any one of the 10 bazillion variants of the Sicilian, Ruy Lopez, King's Indian as well as books on how to defend against them, but there is a dearth of written text on the Tarrasch to defend against the Queens Gambit (and not have to learn a mountain of QG theory). Perhaps because 1.e4 has been so heavily marketed to chess players that 1.d4 opening books (or their defense) just don't sell as well or perhaps because of the notion that the Isolani is to be avoided - I don't know (although I do know that the Isolani can come out of a Sicilian or any other number of e4 openings). But like the great master cautions, though, the player who fears the isolated d pawn should give up chess. . .and I don't scare easily. . .

So when I went hunting for a good book on the Tarrasch, I didn't find much. Although that made the evaluation process quicker, it sure made me feel discouraged about playing this line. . .until I read the names of some of the great masters who played it.

Meeting 1.d4 is a great book and although it's not a 1-pound tome it is chock full of good ideas. The presentation is not quite as brain stimulating oriented as one might find in other books - in fact it's rather dry - but it does open up a whole world of ideas for the Tarrasch I was unawares. Like the French, the Tarrasch's foundation is built more upon ideas and themes and while there is some theory to learn, it's a natural set of moves that don't obscure the motive.

Personal Chess Trainer
The folks who wrote PCT apparently don't do much for notification of upgrades so when I stumbled across the 2.0 version (I had 1.09) I was eager to install. I'm glad I did. For me, doing PCT is like doing the Circles all over again, but I don't mind. Being a 2 time graduate of the MDLM technique can't be a bad thing. One thing I am able to do now is automagically make myself repeat a problem if I missed a move - until I get it perfect - something like what Tempo did on CTS. I don't recall seeing this repeat function in earlier releases, but this release had special prompts to do so, thus I am repeating problems many times more. Like the saying goes, amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

As many times as I'm having to redo problems, I'm getting real professional. . .[grin]

Pleasant chess to all.

10,000 more

2007-02-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

I've gone through the history in PCT and I've done around 10,000 repetitions of Strategic, Endgame and Tactical problems so far.

I have dubbed it the Circles of Death II.

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 2 years (this July) since I finished the original Circles. It seems like it was almost yesterday. Anyway, it looks like when I finish PCT I will have easily done 50K repetitions and if I include everything I have done since January 2005 - my total will put me somewhere near 100,000 problems. That's just nuts. Totally.

Of course, the question I have is this: Do the Knights Errant have two totally insane wacko's on both sides of the Atlantic obsessed with doing chess problems? Am I just as crazy as my buddy Tempo? Oh well, I'm in good company. . .

Someone come take me away and put me in the funny farm. . .

Why I study Endgames

2007-02-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Below is the best example. I played what was close to a flawless game, with only 4 sub-optimal moves. They weren't bad moves, but they were far enough from the best move to cause me to rate them sub-opt moves. That is, up until move 40.

No less an authority than Dvoretsky (or Nimzovitch, depending on who you source the quote from) stated emphatically (not understated, like me [grin]) the following: "Passed pawns must be pushed."

Being mindful, I push the d pawn almost without thinking, as this was only a 15 minute game and I was down to 5 minutes. Once again adherence to the general principles bungles the game and assures a draw in a clearly won position.

Fortunately, my opponent was worse at endgames than myself and I grabbed the win, but this is another clear example that part of my endgame suffers. Blind submission to chess dictum is a terrible sin and a sure way to lose a game. Note to self: Don't do that, dummy!

PCT is moving into more Rook endings so hopefully I will be able to move past this problem. I've already solved the King/Pawn and King/Bishop endings and could hold my own with anyone, but Rooks are still weak.

Back to the grindstone. . .

Now accepting applications

2007-02-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

As promised in this blog entry, I have the solution to the question: Can the average guy become a GM?

J'adoube. . .the off-center Knight is now accepting applications for the following study:

Obtaining a FIDE Grandmaster title

The applicant(s) should be of at least average intelligence, possess an obsessive desire to obtain 3 GM norms, be prepared to work some overtime on weekends (tournament play), play and study chess at least 40 hours weekly under the tutelage of at least two world class chess teachers.

The applicant will study and commit to memory tens of thousands of tactics, endgames and strategic positions, learn numerous openings and play thousands of slow time control games.

Compensation will include full medical, dental, vision (and when necessary, psychiatric) benefits, 3 weeks annual vacation, paid memberships to ICC and Playchess. All expenses for lessons are fully paid. All travel to tournaments are fully covered as well as entry fees and expenses.

The accepted applicant(s) will sign a 7 year contract and will released at the end of the 7 year term. Six figure salary minimum.

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Oh yeah. . .all this is predicated on a patent I own a percentage of provides me with the millions of dollars needed to fund this study [grin]. . .

Important lessons

2007-02-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

I played two STC within 24 hours and I have learned four important lessons. Below is a game I played on Playchess.com today against a Benoni. My opponent, rated almost 200 points higher than me, goes off book at move 5. If you look at the game, you immediately see the weaknesses this off-book move makes. It surprised me to see a move like this from someone rated this high, but therein lies the first lesson:

Ignore opponents ratings.

To be honest, I do this when I play lower rated opponents, because I assume they are suffering from the same obsession I do - to excel at playing chess - therefore, I assume they are an extremely dangerous opponent. However, when I played higher rated opponents, I neglect to ignore their ratings and automatically assume they will play extremely well. This bigotry, if you will, causes me surprise in a game. Lesson 2:

Ignore opponents ratings

My opponent asked for and got a draw at move 13 because I assume that if you accept a G60 60 game and then ask for a draw after 13 moves, you're not really interested in playing and I won't get a good game from you. It was unrated anyway. Rybka, Fritz 10 and Shredder have me +1, +2, +2 respectively. I knew I was winning and had planned 13...Rf3, piling up in the Knight. Oh well. . .

The last two lessons learned concerned the game last night.

Don't always simplify when materially ahead. This is only a general principle.
Look deeper for play

I was in a situation that looked like I should simplify. I had a Knight for two pawns and Rook against Rook. I thought I should simplify by eliminating the Rooks and let my Knight dominate the pawn littered board. Wrong. Deeper analysis after the game revealed the ability to dominate easier with more material. Secondly, I had a won end game (it ended in a draw also - again my opponent was rated 200 points higher) if had looked deeper. Rybka revealed a nice positional line that I had briefly considered but dismissed because of the complications. I have attempted to adopt the "play simple, logical chess" philosophy, but it's clear that won't suffice.

The Argument that won't Die!

2007-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is better than a Sci-fi version of a bitch slapping, mud wrestling contest between Jolene Blalok (T'Pol on Star Trek) and Tricia Helfer (Caprica Six on Battlestar Galctica). . .

The emotional response to my post criticizing BDK's coach for telling him he could never become a GM is explosive. On one hand, we have one group who says Nyet! It can't happen! Contra wise, we have another group citing examples of players who became GM's after age 40! I got sermonizing responses, sharp responses, but most of all, there was just a lot of responses. Everyone has an opinion on this! What fun. . .I feel like Rush Limbaugh on ESPN talking about Donovan McNabb [grin].

There's only one way to answer the question: Can your average guy become a GM? Stay tuned to this blog for details. . .

The End

2007-02-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

So wrote the tragic 60's rock star Jim Morrison. In an oblique reference to some Haight-Asbury friends, Jeremy Silman jokingly writes in the introduction of his latest book, Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master, that his latest book was the product of endlessly listening to The End, a signature piece from The Doors.

Silman's latest book could end up being his signature piece as well. Despite the disappointment of his earlier books (and subsequent rewrite in some cases because they were so error riddled), Silman has done much better in this book. Surpassing the mundane and pedantic efforts of other authors, I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only has Silman skillfully covered the basics of endgames, but the presentation is far superior to previous efforts. It appears he had some good advice on layout and useful tricks for memory techniques.

Silman presents not only the usual suspects of the endgame (the Philidor and Lucena positions for instance), he didn't forget useful techniques such as virtual opposition (he uses the term "magic square" which sounds a little silly to me, but whatever. . .) and many other typical endgame theories.

That aside, I was disappointed to read Silman's comment that beginners really needn't worry too much about endgames. This is just plain wrong and we know it from experience. Students under the old Soviet system started out learning endgames first because there were so many techniques they could learn that applied to other parts of the game as well. As long as western players continue to be counseled to ignore endgames until later in their chess career, they will be continue to be mocked by accomplished chess players from the East.

The other thing that struck me as odd was the division of the book by ratings. While the concept is not necessarily odd, what he found to be master level endgames material was baffling to me, not in that it was difficult, but that it was something I would have thought would have to be mastered by Class C players. Again, I think this underemphasis on endgames to be part of that earlier advice.

Despite all this, I would surmise that if you bought this book and mastered it, you would be a complete endgame player. Although I don't find a whole lot of material that I don't already know in his book, it is going to be a useful reference and I suspect will accompany me to all my tournaments from now on.

Most of my endgame training came from Predrag Trajkovic (an Eastern Bloc IM who started out training me on - what else? endgames!) and more recently from Personal Chess Trainer. So, either method could work - buy Silman's book or buy PCT and get yourself an accomplished coach to help explain the theory.

Either way, start endgame training early and often. . . or ignore it at your own peril. . .

Pleasant chess to all.