RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5

BN vs RB

1. c4

Holiday Greetings to you too.  I'll bet it's cold up there!  It's even going to be cold here in Houston for a couple of days.

-Bobby

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2.Nc3(Hb1)

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2.Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3.Nf3

I just read your blog on names for chess pieces.  For the bishop, I would suggest "Archer", as the piece movement suggests the flight of an arrow.

Hope you're keeping warm.  Having lived so long in Texas, it's hard to relate to the thought of temperatures below freezing.  We think it's cold in Houston when it's just near freezing.

I've been to parts of B.C. (Vancouver & Victoria), so I know some of the beauty of that area. 

We may be about the same age.  While in grad school, I was inspired by Bobby Fischer to study chess and become a better player.  I am now retired from my previous career as a systems analyst, and work part-time as a chess instructor in after-school "chess clubs".  Fortunately, one need not be a chess master or expert to teach kids the game.  By the way, I also am an amateur musician and play the alto sax.

-Bobby

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8)

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2.Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3

I'm 61.  I learned the alto sax in Jr-high school, but my musical tastes have changed a lot since then; it's not the instrument I would choose today.  I like most types of music, but listen mainly to "Early Music".  I do volunteer work for Houston Early Music: (http://www.houstonearlymusic.org/)

I also like bluegrass music, Alison Krauss for example.

Hope you enjoy the holidays.  My wife and I will probably enjoy some quiet days at home.  She is still a full-time State employee so the xmas holidays are a much-needed break for her.

-Bobby

Hi, Rob!

Thanks for the interesting links. I enjoyed them all.  In April, Houston Early Music will present a concert featuring Richard Savino on theorbo.   He has performed many times in Houston and has been well received.  If you are not familiar with him, here is a link:

http://www.magnatune.com/artists/savino

http://www.houstonearlymusic.org/front/season

Yeah, the saxophone is not exactly a "period" instrument for early music, but I sometimes play Bach.  A friend once gave me an intro lesson on recorder, but I really didn't have the patience to learn a new instrument.

I already have a couple of plastic sets, and of course the Seirawan pieces from House of Staunton, but have seen no problems like you describe.  Anyway, what I received from them yesterday is a $10 gift certificate, so I'm thinking of just ordering another set of the $9.95 Seirawan pieces.  I'll just have to pay shipping.

-Bobby

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2.Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Nd4 5.Bg2

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2.Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Nd4 5.Bg2 d6 6.Nxd4

Happy New Year to you!  Getting some snow up there?

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4

Thanks, Happy New Year to you and your wife also.

RB vs BN 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8)

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3

Sorry, but I think your move in game one is illegal, according to Seirawan's rules at:

http://www.seirawanchess.com/index.html

"When a player first moves a piece from its original square, that player has the option of placing the Hawk or Elephant on the vacated square, as part of the player's move."

Your only rook that could move to d1 has already moved in move 7.  (7.O-O). So you can move it of course, but can't drop the Elephant.

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9.Bf3

No problem.

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1)

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1) d5 13.cxd5

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1) d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Bf3

No problem; I've been busy too.

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+ 14. Hxe3 Hxe3+

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1) d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Bf3 Bb4+ 15.Bd2

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+ 14. Hxe3 Hxe3+ 15.Qxe3 a6

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1) d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Bf3 Bb4+ 15.Bd2 0-0 (Ee8)+

16. Be2

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+ 14. Hxe3 Hxe3+ 15.Qxe3 a6 16.a4 Qc7

BN vs RB

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3(Hb1) Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nd4 exd4 7.Ne4 Bf5(H) 8.d3 Bh3 9. Bf3 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c6 11.e3 dxe3 12. Bxe3(Ec1) d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Bf3 Bb4+ 15.Bd2 0-0 (Ee8)+16. Be2 Hg4 17.Bxb4

I'm enjoying your discussions with Panzershiff.

RB vs BN

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+ 14. Hxe3 Hxe3+ 15.Qxe3 a6 16.a4 Qc7 17. b3 Eg6

Thanks for putting me out of my misery in game 2.  Congratulations on your good play.  What was I thinking when I played 4.g3? I should have known better.  Let's finish game 1 before starting another.  Yeah, Panzer has beaten me in one game, and I'm barely hanging on in the other.  BTW, I'm a Texan, but never voted for a Bush. 

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6(Hb8) 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O(Eh8) 9. Rd1 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Hxe5 11. Bf4(Hc1) Hg4 12. f3 Bc5+ 13. Be3 Bxe3+ 14. Hxe3 Hxe3+ 15.Qxe3 a6 16.a4 Qc7 17. b3 Eg6 18. Rac1(E) d6

Right on, regarding Molly Ivens, I loved her columns.  Prior to G.W. Bush, we had a pretty good Texas Governor, Ann Richards.  At the 1988 Democratic Convention, she famously remarked, "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Richards