I feel like bragging a little today.

That is a nice miniature, and I think it's cool that you get to play chess with your grandfather!

Cherish these moments.

My grandfather taught me chess when I was four or five. Only played sporadically ever since, until August 2014, when I decided, more or less on a whim, that I needed to become a good chess player. I have not reached my goal, but I am working on it every day. I'm a very tactical and aggressive player who tends to look for captures first and everything else afterwards, so I was slightly pleased with myself for managing to leave the two rooks and the knight on a5, and look for a mate rather than simply grabbing material.

I can tell you're not a Paul Morphy fan because you didn't choose 16. Nxh8#.

The popularity of chess in Norway has sky-rocketed after Carlsen became world champion. While I do (usually, with a few exceptions) cheer for Carlsen in tournaments etc., he wasn't my primary inspiration for improving my game. I was actually looking at the Sinquefield Cup on TV, and I started to think:

"Hmm. I don't understand a word of what they say. Why don't I understand a word of what they say? I'm relatively smart, so why am I so bad at chess? Solution: I need to get good at chess." And after that day, I've been practicing every single day.

I am a member of the local club already, and one of the lowest-rated players there! My club leader claims I have some potential, though.

The knights were so pretty and symmetrical already. I didn't want to ruin the pattern. XD

Pretty victory indeed.

I like it, great game.

Nice game!! Very instructional for lower rated players on how to exploit an opponents weak moves. Congrats!

I think I was actually stealing ideas for the double knight fork from Kasparov's game against David Letterman. Kasparov should have copyrighted that one, or he risks having stupid newbies like myself plagiarising his concepts.

22. Qxf6+ was a real bone-cruncher.

Also, Letterman didn't do so badly, given that I had no idea he plays chess.

True. Loved the queen sacrifice in this game. And yeah, while I don't think Letterman had any idea what he was doing, it's not so bad; against Kasparov, I'd hardly do better myself (though I'm kind of horrible anyway).

It's only the second time I catch myself stealing an idea from a champion player. I also copied a sacrifice from Tal at one point. Wonder why I even remember these games, while I can barely find my way across the board on my own.

I'd hardly do better myself (though I'm kind of horrible anyway).

while I can barely find my way across the board on my own.

No need to qualify every sentence with a self-derisory remark.

We are all "kind of horrible", and anyone who can play the "Grandpa Game" can play a bit.

Chin up.

Probably, Brian! I'm going to keep stealing ideas from the masters.

Meh, I guess I do have this self-deprecating habit. Yeah, I'll try to mend that at some point, probably.

I liked both games, both you and Kasparov did very fine :)

I think grandfather made a  mistake with 7f6. I would have gone NxBc3, that knight on the edge is absolutely worse than the bishop on c3.

Very nice game. And it was aesthetically pleasing!   

Yes, I was wondering all the while why he didn't just take the bishop and get it over with. The answer is probably that I simply have more theoretical chess knowledge than him, so I know that you shouldn't move a piece twice in the opening, that 'a knight on the rim is grim', etc.

Of course, he should also have blocked 14. Qe2+ with the queen, and lost one or two rooks rather than the entire game. That was another mistake I spotted long after the game was played.

Thank you, Ronin, I really appreciate that … And yes, I think I will share this in the dojo sometime during the week, once I gain the upper hand in my wrestling match against this essay.