by scribe | Sep 13, 2020 | chess clubs, games, off-topic, ruminations
The year 1974 spread over my junior and senior years at prep school. As usual, I played no rated tournament chess during the school year, but managed to cram in four tournaments during the summer. It was again a good year for me, with a won-loss record of 16.5 –...
by scribe | Sep 7, 2020 | chess clubs, games, literature, people, tournaments
As we move forward through the years, we come to an unexpectedly sad entry. It’s not that 1973 was a bad year. Quite the opposite! It was a great year, in which I played four tournaments, won three trophies, scored 14-6 (close to my best year ever), and advanced...
by scribe | Jul 26, 2020 | chess clubs, games, people, positions
Yesterday I played my first live, in-person chess game since the coronavirus pandemic started, in early March. To be precise, March 3 was the last date when the chess club at Aptos Library met. Most likely I played one of the kids that day, although I don’t...
by scribe | Jun 30, 2020 | chess clubs, Chess Lecture, games
My computer issues have been taken care of, thanks to one of my readers, Marshall Polaris. Marshall is a Kolty Club member, a fan of this blog, and was also a participant on the Kolty Club team in the U.S. Amateur Team West tournament back in February. (Back in the...
by scribe | Jun 18, 2020 | chess clubs, games, openings
Just when I think I’m wasting my time playing so many games against the computer, along comes a game like this one! I’ll show you the end first. Position after 23. Qc5. Black to move. FEN: 2kr4/ppp5/6p1/2Q3P1/4PP2/5KN1/PPp4q/R4B1r b – – 0 23...
by scribe | Apr 19, 2020 | chess clubs, games, openings, ruminations
There’s a saying that I’m really starting to like: “Long think, wrong think.” In game after game, both against the computer and in tournaments, it seems as if my weakest moves are the ones I take the longest on. A long think is usually a sign...
