by scribe | Jan 12, 2011 | openings, ruminations
There’s nothing like a little blog debate to start the year! Dennis Monokroussos, on his “Chess Mind” blog, has posted a rebuttal to “Dana’s Opening Philosophy.” Please go over there and check it out (and then come back here!). I...
by scribe | Dec 22, 2010 | Chess Life, ruminations, tournaments
The U.S. Chess Federation keeps upgerading the quality of its member statistics. The latest goodie is a “Game Statistics” page, which lets you see things like this: Your overall won-loss record since 1991. Your won-loss against each 100-point rating tier....
by scribe | Nov 20, 2010 | people, ruminations
Yesterday I got a surprise package in the mail from the US Chess Federation. As I wrote in this entry, the USCF recently changed its rules for awarding the title of Life Master, and also Life Everything Else (Candidate Master, First Category, Second Category, etc.)...
by scribe | Oct 15, 2010 | current news, ruminations, tournaments
These are four words that I never thought I would get a chance to say. But now the US Chess Federation has gone and changed the rules! As many of you probably know, the USCF used to have a Life Master title that was based on rating: if you played 300 games with your...
by scribe | Oct 14, 2010 | people, ruminations
Last night I watched Survivor on television for the first time this year, along with my wife, who watches it religiously. I unexpectedly got a giggle out of the preview of next week’s episode. The biggest loudmouth on the show, a guy named Marty Piombo, is shown...
by scribe | Sep 30, 2010 | chess clubs, literature, positions, ruminations
While the rest of the chess world is focused on the FIDE elections and on the World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, and American chess is focused on the US Chess League, I’ve been enjoying a chess break. No study, no tournaments, no ChessLectures (with...
