by scribe | Dec 24, 2015 | openings, ruminations
Of course this is a rhetorical question, but really. Earlier this year I wrote a series of posts called Grading the Openings looked at the winning percentages of each of the ECO opening classifications in master play. There’s a small but undeniable difference...
by scribe | Nov 30, 2015 | current news, literature, off-topic, ruminations
This weekend the British science fiction show Doctor Who, of which I am an avid fan (though not a rabid fan), had an episode that can only be described as an instant classic. Over the weekend its user rating on IMDb was 9.7 stars out of 10, which would make it the...
by scribe | Nov 22, 2015 | current news, games, people, positions, ruminations
“Hey, I just saw this great game by some kid from Brooklyn, Bobby what’s-his-name … you won’t believe it, he sacrificed his queen and won, like, 15 moves later. Here, let me show you!” Among all the possible conversational gaffes that a...
by scribe | Oct 30, 2015 | games, positions, ruminations
Today I swear I played my last game ever against my computer. If you ever see me playing one again, you have my permission to come over and unplug my computer. I know that I’ve written several entries about “Matrix chess,” and I’ve enjoyed...
by scribe | Oct 18, 2015 | Chess Lecture, current news, games, people, positions, ruminations
I couldn’t believe it when I got into Facebook this morning and saw a stream of testimonials to Emory Tate. International Master Emory Tate: many times Armed Forces champion, a person full of wit and passion (especially for chess), and a chess player second to...
by scribe | Oct 13, 2015 | current news, endings, people, positions, ruminations, tournaments
(1) Way to go, Ted Castro! I hope you aren’t too disappointed by losing your last match. I can give you nineteen thousand reasons not to be disappointed. (2) The commentators pointed this out, so I will too: You never saw so many relaxed, happy faces before the...
