by scribe | Jan 3, 2012 | current news, tournaments
The New Year Open ended yesterday on a very positive note for me. After winning zero prizes and having zero good tournaments in 2011, I broke both streaks. I’m not sure exactly which prize I’ll win, but I’m in line for either a tie for third place or...
by scribe | Jan 1, 2012 | current news, games, positions, tournaments
After taking most of the month of December off, I’m back and here to wish you a happy new year chessically and otherwise. To get 2012 off to a fast start, I’m playing in the New Year Open at Santa Clara, a Bay Area Chess event. Unfortunately it does not...
by scribe | Dec 10, 2011 | current news, tournaments
I know you’re all wondering why I haven’t posted here for a few days. Right? You’re all wondering that, aren’t you? Well, the short answer is that I had a big deadline to meet this week which has basically devoured all my free time. But now...
by scribe | Nov 10, 2011 | current news, games, off-topic, ruminations, tournaments
I suspect that everyone reading this blog can figure out the following riddle: He’s been played with for centuries and lives the majority of his life one step at a time, often moving between darkness and light, and when he’s trapped, his life is over. This...
by scribe | Oct 29, 2011 | endings, games, tournaments
The Four Endgames of the Apocalypse are the most notorious “common” endgames in chess, endgames where normal chess concepts go out the window and which lead otherwise sane chess players (??) to pound their heads in frustration. They are: K+Q versus K+R...
by scribe | Oct 23, 2011 | current news, ruminations, tournaments
Extra! Read all about it! The Western States Open concluded tonight in relatively predictable fashion. Sergei Kudrin, who was leading after round four (see my previous post) played two draws that must have lasted about twenty minutes total. That gave him a 5-1 score....
