Of Lingerie and Spelling Bees

My laptop computer with Chessbase is in the repair shop at the moment, so I can’t upload chess diagrams. So I’ll just go off-topic completely. This morning as I was jogging I passed a hand-lettered sign that said “<– Lingerie.” It...

The Van Damme Truck Trick

I’ve got a new tactical trick for you! Of course, there is nothing new under the sun in chess, but this is a sneaky trick involving two rooks that I don’t think has ever been given a name before. (I hope someone will correct me if I’m...

US Amateur Teams

It’s been a while since my last tournament, as some of you may have noticed. Let’s put it this way: When I played my last tournament, the baseball season was still going, IM Emory Tate was still alive, and there had been only one Republican presidential...

Not Playing in Reno

Alas, this weekend I am not playing in what is usually my favorite tournament of the year, the Western States Open in Reno. I could give you a complicated explanation, but the simple explanation is family reasons. So I’m stuck at home with nobody to play but my...