Chess - a gentlemans game!

Originally posted by utherpendragon
Chess- A Gentlemans Game ! It surely is.

I'm not so sure, especially after reading 'This Crazy World of Chess' by former US Champion Larry Evans. Besides, from my OTB experiences, it's just as much a game for arrogant teenagers and people lacking the capacity for 'normal' social interaction. Having said that, i have also had the pleasure of playing against some true gentlemen (and ladies).

tournament chess

Chess mom, Dexters Lab, if you got a spare seven minutes have a giggle.

YouTube

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
its not your inability yet my friend as you perceive it, for to be sure Morphy was a great player, the best of his time, and when we look at his games, are they not beautiful? why was it that Morphy was able to deafeat Andersson? it could not have been that his imagination was greater, for Andersson in this regard is unsurpassed, nor could it be hi ...[text shortened]... little by little our understanding and thus our appreciation grows 🙂

Thanks Robbie. Great game. It's awesome how things can appear so easily done. Don't get me wrong. I would consider myself pretty "lehman" when it comes to playing chess. I do recognize that time and patience will improve my game. I like to talk about it, but am very green at all of the opening and positioning concepts. So they are all filling my head like a big rush of info. Confusing and dizzying my ideas. I have to slow it down and quit giving pieces away before I move to the next level. I had a hot streak that got me over 1200, I've blundered my way back to about 1150. I'll get back up there though. Soon it will all be more clear and I will move up my numbers. I just know I have a lot to learn. So that is where a statement like "my inability to play chess" comes from. You guys here have a lot of good input that I try to soak up. It's helping........helping confuse the crap out of my openings. LOL It's all good though. Some days, I'm on fire. Other days, I have no idea what I am doing. It all has to do with positions I've seen vs. positions I haven't seen. Someday, I will be among the "know's what he is talking about"'s. LOL For now, I'll just play chess when I can and hang out in the forum. 😏

Originally posted by Eric LeFavour
Thanks Robbie. Great game. It's awesome how things can appear so easily done. Don't get me wrong. I would consider myself pretty "lehman" when it comes to playing chess. I do recognize that time and patience will improve my game. I like to talk about it, but am very green at all of the opening and positioning concepts. So they are all filling my s. LOL For now, I'll just play chess when I can and hang out in the forum. 😏

i meant to say my friend, that with a wife and kids, time is of the essence, no doubt! you asked for some book recommendations and i meant to post some, but i remember there was a great thread by Paulbuchmanfromfics, who reviewed literally hundreds of books that he had bought and read.

there is a plethora of chess books, some that are for pure entertainment and others that resemble knitting patters, honestly i got this book on the petroff defense, its like in machine code or binary or some strange language, just variation upon variation and is practically useless!

for beginners everyone recommends Irving Chernev, logical chess move by move, its very cheap but also very instructive.

the books that have/are helping me the most are, 'a guide to good chess', CJS Purdy, and his second book, 'the search for chess perfection'. the first one is an excellent little book, was quite hard to find , but worth it. it explains almost everything,

Part 1 - first steps, some general advice, fundamental principles, double attacks, combinations, ties pieces

Part 2, how to play the opening, general principles, where to put your pieces, the pieces one by one, a complete opening discussed,

Part 3, the middle game, weak pawns and weak squares, the play for position,

Part 4, the end game, end game strategy, general rules for endgame, the rook in endgames, some more vital principles, end game essentials, pawn endings,

part 5, a complete game discussed.

its in old style notation, but is easily learned, and a little book like that, given some attention will get you well beyond 1200-1600, no problemo!

the other book that i am reading, well among others is a book called simple chess and deals with positional concepts, outposts, weak pawns, open files, half open files, the minority attack, black and white squares (colour complexes) and space

wish you well my friend - regards robbie.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
i meant to say my friend, that with a wife and kids, time is of the essence, no doubt! you asked for some book recommendations and i meant to post some, but i remember there was a great thread by Paulbuchmanfromfics, who reviewed literally hundreds of books that he had bought and read.

there is a plethora of chess books, some that are for pure en ...[text shortened]... and white squares (colour complexes) and space

wish you well my friend - regards robbie.

Thanks Robbie, I'll check into those. You are right, to my 9 year old daughter (who isn't a bad chess player herself), I'm the best that ever lived. 😏 Keeping that in mind, I sleep well at night. Knowing.......I'm the best that ever lived! 😉😀😏

Originally posted by utherpendragon
It was an oversight on my part and I apologize for that. You fail to mention I did give you the standard greeting in our other game that we started at the same time.You know,the one your whuppin my butt on 🙂

OK .. no apology required. You did me nothing. I just decided to point out that for someone whose hands were dirty (so to speak), you are really not above reproach yourself.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
there is a great story in which Nigel short extended his hand to a player (Cheparinov) and it was ignored.

Sunday's handshake affair shook Wijk aan Zee 2008 – and most obviously Nigel Short, who was staying in the same hotel as we were and with whom we imbibed in a midnight drink. The English grandmaster was still shaking as he sipped his glass of ...[text shortened]... f the game into ill repute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Gb4lJeXqI

Interesting story .. 🙂

Originally posted by Eric LeFavour
Thanks Robbie, I'll check into those. You are right, to my 9 year old daughter (who isn't a bad chess player herself), I'm the best that ever lived. 😏 Keeping that in mind, I sleep well at night. Knowing.......I'm the best that ever lived! 😉😀😏

lol, Simply the best! 🙂

Originally posted by Rajk999
Interesting story .. 🙂

Raj, did you watch Dexters lab, honestly its funnier the second time round, ah that was when the cartoon network was really awesome. 🙂

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Here's an example of gentlemanly behaviour from yesteryear.

Capablanca was playing Milan Vidmar in a tournament in London in 1922. The game was adjourned with Capablanca in a winning position. The rest of the story is best told in Vidmar's own words:

"When we parted I told Capablanca that I'd probably have to
lay down my arms soon. We spoke ...[text shortened]... me as 'the man who played the FAIREST
move ever seen in England.'"

Fantastic account of noblesse oblige. Thanks, Fat Lady. Great thread, Robbie.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Fantastic account of noblesse oblige. Thanks, Fat Lady. Great thread, Robbie.

Some other interesting info about this game:

Capablanca won the tournament (London 1922) with 13/15, Alekhine was 2nd with 11.5/15 and Vidmar 3rd with 11/15, so if Vidmar had taken the win on time he would have been =1st with Capablanca.

Capablanca was six years into an unbeaten streak that would last until New York 1924 (where he was finally defeated by Reti), so Vidmar could have halted that two years early!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Raj, did you watch Dexters lab, honestly its funnier the second time round, ah that was when the cartoon network was really awesome. 🙂

Nope. Did not have that in my time. Whats particularly good about it ?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
i meant to say my friend, that with a wife and kids, time is of the essence, no doubt! you asked for some book recommendations and i meant to post some, but i remember there was a great thread by Paulbuchmanfromfics, who reviewed literally hundreds of books that he had bought and read.

there is a plethora of chess books, some that are for pure en ...[text shortened]... and white squares (colour complexes) and space

wish you well my friend - regards robbie.

I was looking to buy that but it is very expensive on amazon, does anyone know were I can get it cheaper?

Originally posted by orion25
I was looking to buy that but it is very expensive on amazon, does anyone know were I can get it cheaper?

Orion, which book is it you are interested in?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
i meant to say my friend, that with a wife and kids, time is of the essence, no doubt! you asked for some book recommendations and i meant to post some, but i remember there was a great thread by Paulbuchmanfromfics, who reviewed literally hundreds of books that he had bought and read.

there is a plethora of chess books, some that are for pure en ...[text shortened]... and white squares (colour complexes) and space

wish you well my friend - regards robbie.

Hard to find? No, you're just bad at looking. Its in every bookstore I go to. Old notation? No, only if you have an older edition. The 12th edition is in algebraic notation.