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For years I've been playing on roll-up boards and plastic club pieces. I decided it was long past due that I invest in a serious wooden set that any master would be pleased to play on in a high-stakes game.
First was the issue of pieces. There ar... | Read More
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While it's been pretty well known the Petroff is an effective defense for holding the draw, I've long held the stance that it is even more effective in computer assisted or 'centaur' games. I didn't just decide this out of the blue, but rather I c... | Read More
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When I get enraged over jerks and idiots on forums, I've lately taken to logging into playchess and taking my anger out on random guests in 5-min blitz. It's strange but, when I get angry with myself, I play below my normal level. On the other han... | Read More
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Coming out soon is John Watson's new book on a complete repertoire for white involving 1.d4 and 2.c4. I'm very excited to read this new book when it comes out, and I was honored once again to do the cover art for it.
This time, we decided a milit... | Read More
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The title may be a little extreme, but I got very curious about the concept. I chose to use ICCF games to get a solid pool of computer-enhanced game results. The arrival of multi-core computers and ever-stronger software like Rybka and Houdini ... | Read More
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On ICCF where deep engine analysis drives most of your opponents' moves, it becomes paramount to be well-prepared in the opening. My own method is to create a database of all ICCF games played (they can be downloaded from the ICCF main web site). ... | Read More
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I started playing 3-minute blitz tournaments over at another online site where you pay an entry fee in the form of cubits, hoping to take the top prize of nearly triple your entry fee. This adds intensity and pressure to perform well, actively ... | Read More
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I didn't have the benefit of learning chess as a child. Instead, I picked up the game well into my adult years. As a result, I'm far too slow to play bullet to my own expectations of skill now that I'm nearing 40. 5-min blitz on the other hand,... | Read More
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Probably the highlight of my chess career as a class player was my win against NM Austen Green in an OTB tournament a couple years ago. I had recently taken up the french defense and modeled my repertoire after IM Ari Ziegler's Chessba... | Read More
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Game 2 of the 1997 Kasparov - Deep Blue match was the subject of much controversy and debate. Kasparov resigned in what looked to be a hopeless position. Shortly after, gossip began spreading like wildfire that Kasparov missed a draw by perpetual!... | Read More