9/20/2006
And I thought I was indefensible
Apparently this blogger disagrees. He has other posts about backwards pawns too.
MF Yanks worship Caissa, while cruising to Playoffs
As I mourn my redsox this September the Boston herald decides to illustrate the MFY's composure with this statement.
I bet if Curt Schilling played Chess instead of video games the sox would still be in the post-season chase!
While pitcher Cory Lidle gave the media a vague-sounding medical dissertation about how his fingers are hurting because he’s throwing a splitter too much, backup catcher Sal Fasano and pitching coach Ron Guidry were enjoying an intense, quiet game of chess.
I bet if Curt Schilling played Chess instead of video games the sox would still be in the post-season chase!
9/18/2006
Unification? Whoopty doo
So there's this big match coming up. I guess I should be thrilled, I've kind of followed the destruction of FIDE since Kasparov initially split 15ish years ago. However, as long as Kirsan the criminal is president of FIDE a dubious cloud will hang over any championship.
I guess we can all hope for some good Chess. Starting Sept 23rd Topalov and Kramnik will play a 12 game match in Elista, Kalmykia. Topolov is the FIDE champion having won a tournament for the title early this year. Kramnik holds the "Classical Chess" title when he won a match vs. Garry Kasparov before Kasparov officially came back to FIDE. This match is supposed to unify the titles and again bring the Chess Championship title under FIDE and Kirsans control. I think there is still some animosity about who gets a "title shot" and who doesn't since Kramnik has slid down the world ranking list since he defeated Kasparov.
At least when this is over I will hopefully be able to just say "The Chess Champion of the World" and not have to launch into some lengthy explanation.
I guess we can all hope for some good Chess. Starting Sept 23rd Topalov and Kramnik will play a 12 game match in Elista, Kalmykia. Topolov is the FIDE champion having won a tournament for the title early this year. Kramnik holds the "Classical Chess" title when he won a match vs. Garry Kasparov before Kasparov officially came back to FIDE. This match is supposed to unify the titles and again bring the Chess Championship title under FIDE and Kirsans control. I think there is still some animosity about who gets a "title shot" and who doesn't since Kramnik has slid down the world ranking list since he defeated Kasparov.
At least when this is over I will hopefully be able to just say "The Chess Champion of the World" and not have to launch into some lengthy explanation.
Paranoia over the board
This post at the Boylston Chess Club blog revels in a rules changes that mandates a player must move and then write down his move, not vice-versa. Apparently it is "note-taking" if you write down a move before its made. Honestly this doesn't send my blood pressure sky-rocketing to dangerous levels.. but I think its a pretty weak rule.
First let me decribe my typical move process.
1. Write down opponents recently made move
2. Analyze position
3. Select a move
4. Write down selected move
5. Perform "blunder check"
6. Make move
7. Press clock
The action of writing the selected move, then performing the blunder check breaks your train of thought enough to sometime catch overlooked and often obvious mistakes. I find it a useful tool. Its also a tool that may come into play once every 2 or 3 games. I do on occassion change my mind after writing down the move and performing the blunder check, but not frequently enough that it should bother any one.
And that brings me to the real issue I have here. Why does any one care what I've written down. Look at the board and the position instead of what I am doing. That is what chess is all about. It was brought up that people could potentially come to the board and write down reams of notes that they had crammed just prior to a game. To this I call hogwash. In all the tournaments I've ever been a part of I've never seen anything even close to this.
I'm unsure where I actually stand on note-taking .. I mean actual note taking .. not just writing down your move before the move is played. It some respects I don't see the problem with someone writing down a line as they work it out at the board. Its their time on the time control. Why should someone who works better on paper be penalized over someone who works best in their head. Come to think of it, I don't like when someone looks up and to the left during a game. That indicates the brain is accessing long term memory and gives me a distinct disadvantage. Can we outlaw that too?
Anyway even IF note-taking should be illegal I think tournament directors should decide what is and isn't note-taking on a case-by-case basis. This rule is a bit far reaching and misguided in my opinion. At least if it was a TD decision and I didn't like a particular decision I could just boycott tournaments directed by that particular TD in the future.
Anyway let the debate rage on. At least I've tried to formulate a counter argument and I feel a bit better about the whole issue now that I've said my peice.
Edit: For the record while I pre-write my moves, I never have attempted to "cover them up". Either way I direct you to my previous comment, "who cares what I'm doing, study the board bloke".
First let me decribe my typical move process.
1. Write down opponents recently made move
2. Analyze position
3. Select a move
4. Write down selected move
5. Perform "blunder check"
6. Make move
7. Press clock
The action of writing the selected move, then performing the blunder check breaks your train of thought enough to sometime catch overlooked and often obvious mistakes. I find it a useful tool. Its also a tool that may come into play once every 2 or 3 games. I do on occassion change my mind after writing down the move and performing the blunder check, but not frequently enough that it should bother any one.
And that brings me to the real issue I have here. Why does any one care what I've written down. Look at the board and the position instead of what I am doing. That is what chess is all about. It was brought up that people could potentially come to the board and write down reams of notes that they had crammed just prior to a game. To this I call hogwash. In all the tournaments I've ever been a part of I've never seen anything even close to this.
I'm unsure where I actually stand on note-taking .. I mean actual note taking .. not just writing down your move before the move is played. It some respects I don't see the problem with someone writing down a line as they work it out at the board. Its their time on the time control. Why should someone who works better on paper be penalized over someone who works best in their head. Come to think of it, I don't like when someone looks up and to the left during a game. That indicates the brain is accessing long term memory and gives me a distinct disadvantage. Can we outlaw that too?
Anyway even IF note-taking should be illegal I think tournament directors should decide what is and isn't note-taking on a case-by-case basis. This rule is a bit far reaching and misguided in my opinion. At least if it was a TD decision and I didn't like a particular decision I could just boycott tournaments directed by that particular TD in the future.
Anyway let the debate rage on. At least I've tried to formulate a counter argument and I feel a bit better about the whole issue now that I've said my peice.
Edit: For the record while I pre-write my moves, I never have attempted to "cover them up". Either way I direct you to my previous comment, "who cares what I'm doing, study the board bloke".
9/14/2006
Oh Em Geee
I read Chessbase just about everyday, and they often have pictorial reports with stunning chess footage but this article takes the cake. I've played chess with an attractive female before a time or two... but not with anybody THAT perky.
Just a fair warning, this could be concidered unsafe for work content.
Just a fair warning, this could be concidered unsafe for work content.
8/22/2006
Crushed by a Patzer
Just thought I would post a note so people can see that I'm still playing a bit. Our very own Irish Patzer laid the smack down on me in this Time for Chess game. Hope everyone's studies are going well. Maybe once it gets a bit colder outside I will feel more like cozying up with some problems again.
[Event "Challenge"]
[Site "http://www.timeforchess.com"]
[Date "2006.07.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stonedog"]
[Black "St Patzer"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "2243181"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nb1c3 Bf8b4 4. e3 Ng8f6 5. Bf1d3 dxc4 6. Bd3xc4 O-O
7. Ng1f3 a6 8. O-O b5 9. Bc4b3 Bc8b7 10. Bc1d2 Bb4d6 11. Bb3c2 c5
12. dxc5 Bd6xc5 13. e4 Qd8b6 14. e5 Nf6g4 15. Nf3g5 Bc5xf2 16. Rf1xf2 Qb6xf2 0-1
[Event "Challenge"]
[Site "http://www.timeforchess.com"]
[Date "2006.07.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stonedog"]
[Black "St Patzer"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "2243181"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nb1c3 Bf8b4 4. e3 Ng8f6 5. Bf1d3 dxc4 6. Bd3xc4 O-O
7. Ng1f3 a6 8. O-O b5 9. Bc4b3 Bc8b7 10. Bc1d2 Bb4d6 11. Bb3c2 c5
12. dxc5 Bd6xc5 13. e4 Qd8b6 14. e5 Nf6g4 15. Nf3g5 Bc5xf2 16. Rf1xf2 Qb6xf2 0-1
7/25/2006
Sloan and Moan
The Sam Sloan fiasco is crazy. I think he is likely just what the USCF needs to get off its duff and change some things that need changing. No one is asking you to let your kids spend the night at his house. If you don't trust him with your kids, don't let your kids be alone with him.
This is a win / win for the USCF general membership. Either he will change things for the better... OR ... he will make such a nuisance of himself someone will step up and do something about it and maybe THEY will then have the support to make the necessary changes in the USCF.
This is a win / win for the USCF general membership. Either he will change things for the better... OR ... he will make such a nuisance of himself someone will step up and do something about it and maybe THEY will then have the support to make the necessary changes in the USCF.
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