Chess

Jr - the bus station comment was prompted by what you called me in the Karl Rove thread (which came out of nowhere - just you trying to provoke something). I won't get into a "you started it" squabble though because you'll just get frustrated and probably end up smacking the nearest woman because of it.

Whoops - I'm sorry.

I apologize if the sucking cock at the bus station or smacking women around comment cut too close to home. See - now I've apologized.

 

I'm sorry I accused you of bestiality.

I actually meant pedophilia.

If you're not blogging, does that mean you're on your 6th beer?

 

Controlling the 4 "X" squares should be the key to any good opening, IMO.

By 'controlling,' I mean either occupying the square, having a direct line on (say a bishop on a unobscured diagonal path to the squares) or being able to reach directly (a knight which can reach the square on it's next move.

 

I heard the same strategy applies to this ...

 

Here is an example of a very solid opening by white (and black). I think this is called the "Sicilian" opening. White has pressure on or controls each of the 4 center squares. And white has multiple forces to bear on each square. The more "lines of defense" you can have on each center square (in the opening) is key as well. For example, white occupies D4, but if black takes D4 with its pawn, white also has the knight on F3 which can retake the square (of course, black's knight on C6 can retake it after that).

This is just one possibility, but it gives you a visual example of what many are mentioning here. Hope it helps.

 

Barry Bonds would say that your taking of his pawn with your horsey is racially motivated; white horse? black pawn? Chess is a racist game!

 

"Always bet on black (at least as long as you can outrun the IRS)"

 

Haven't seen Snipes in a flick since White Men Can't Jump; that said, what ever happened to Rosie? She had a nice little 2-year window of hotboxdom.

 

If you'd rather humiliate yourself against artificial intelligence rather than fellow humans, I highly recommend this chess engine, which will not only expose your glaring weaknesses, but taunt you when it polishes you off:

http://www.accoonachess.com/playai.php

I spent two months--as the deadline to turn in the manuscript for The Kings of New York fast approached--engaged in a futile battle against this obnoxious little bundle of zeroes and ones on the "easy" setting. Even the "take back" function could not rescue me from my own futility.

And Songbird, you are not the first male chess player to be distracted by the presence of an attractive female. (Imagine being a 15-year-old boy.) Though my favorite story came from one of the kids in the book whose friends say he lost a game because his opponent looked like Michael Jackson.

Michael Weinreb

 

When I focus I can play well even though I don't have the memorization skills that make good players elite. When those players are my competition I have fun with the game, and every move is unorthodox to throw them off. I don't do it to win, though sometimes I do. Sometimes I feel like a vulture and just go after as many pieces as I can, regardless if I win or lose. Chess is a wonderful balm some days to clear the mind.

My introduction to the game was at summer camp before my 6th-grade year. The guy who taught me was a brainiac, the best player at camp. I beat him the second game we played, and he refused to play me again. That was sweet Bootsian satisfaction.

 

Michael,
How do you castle in that game?

 

Just click on your king and scootch it over a couple of spaces (a green square should light up over there). As long as you're eligible to castle, it should work.