I remember as my understanding deepened in chess I would get over-confident playing my friends, often losing silly games simply because I wouldn't look over the board or I would miss their ideas. I played happily assuming that my position had to b...
Chess is for smart people. I would probably have to agree with that. It's why chess is merely a hobby for me and not a moneymaker. To the uninitiated I can talk a pretty good game. I can wow the neophyte kibitzers with terms like Prophylaxis, En...
I recently finished the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And SURPRISE... my Male superego is still intact. An excellent series if you get the chance. The movie for the first book "Twilight" is coming out this December I believe. Definitely le...
"War is a continuation of politics by other means!" Carl von Clausewitz This famous quote has been interpreted many different ways by many different scholars, historians, bar room philosphers etc. When I ponder it, I seem to come to the concl...
We all remember the moment. Ben Kingsley staring at the monitor, his jaw goes slack, his eyes widen just a smidgeon, and then he says it... "That was a mistake." Questions abounded, everyone studied the board for the slightest clue what...
I have spent a fair amount of time over the past month or two reading as many blogs as I could find on chess.com. It's an interesting assortment of styles that exists here. There are some talented chess players sharing valuable tips and tricks, th...
It always takes me a little time to decompress after a vacation, but I think I'm now fully back into the swing of things. Yes yes, I can feel the dreaded black cloud of hopelessness surround me as I approach my office. And as I ...
It's vacation time for the Og family. Five kids in our new van for 10 hours.... ahh!!! Few experiences bring out the ol family ties like a confined space and a trip that always seems just a few hours too long! But it's my wife's family...
I've just recently turned 200 wins old here at chess.com, and I think I did feel a few shiny new IQ points added to my total. I didn't do it without losing a fair amount of games, some real embarrassing ones too. But in honor of mysel...
I found myself recently in the lobby of a car dealership waiting to hear very bad news. We were buying a minivan... an endeavor which holds its own horrors for any male (my five kids just won't fit in that damn ferrari, no matter how I stack t...
I've taken a dangerous step toward the dark side. I've long railed against this generation's fascination with video games. I've marvelled at people I've worked with... 20+ year olds living with their parents, working part time....
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Here is simple puzzle... one move... can you find black's clearest win? ** ** ** If you found it, you probably say "Of course, it's a very clear position." And truth be told it's not very d...
Occasionally in my chess studies I will look at a player who I haven't really taken much notice of. I'll go to chessgames.com and just peruse through their games. I find it's fun to explore the brilliance of players who history may lar...
A week ago there was horrible joke... a whisper in the wind of my mother in law coming to live with us for a while. Of course it was just a joke... 3 days ago I heard she moved out from her boyfriend's home, and got laid off of her work....
My boy lost a tooth the other day. It had been loose for a few days and it finally came out. He was so excited to finally get a dollar from the tooth fairy. I came downstairs today to find him on the couch wrenching at the tooth next to the one th...
Now and then life calls for us to do something that feels a little unnatural. You know it's the right thing to do (or perhaps you are simply going with the status quo) but it just creates such a controversy inside you. In the end, you hope for...
Much debate has arisen from the passing of Bobby Fischer as to what his status should be: Hero, or scumball. I am no authority on chess, so I cannot properly put him in his rightful place in chess history. Nor am I an authority on the human soul, ...
One of the beautiful things about chess is finding your way out of a tough spot. I can't count how many times I've had an attack going, and I played a move which seemed crushing, only to find my opponent had a forced sequence out trouble. ...
Every year I get a pretty heavy dose of sick shortly after Christmas. This years version wasted little time and hit me new years eve. There I was enjoying time with family, eating all the finger foods and BAM... body aches.. congestion... I basica...
Oh yeah baby... the big one is over. And I can honestly say, I've never been happier to see it so. Actually, I don't think I've ever been happy to see Christmas over. This Christmas was different somehow. I had a wonderful time, I got ...
Batgirl posted a good blog about a well-known Fischer game, in which Fischer flashed his tactical genius. http://blog.chess.com/batgirl/a-rather-well-known-game In the comments to that game is posted a wish that they (the poster) could see&n...
Being a Dad is one of the most daunting callings in life. At times I don't fully appreciate the expectations my kids have for me. My kids watched me resign a game on chess.com the other day. They asked me what happened, and I told them I had l...
Thanksgiving is over, and December waits ready to pounce around the next corner. It is a time when Christmas dominates the senses... be it sight... sound... taste. I am not a bah humbugger... Now that just sounds wrong doesn't it. I am actual...
Just thought I'd take this strange occasion to spread a little gratitude around. A few things I'm grateful for: Chess.com - YESSSSS Chess - What a wonderful way to pass the time. I wouldn't say it defines my existence, but it sure...
I have two basic weaknesses in chess, and all my other weaknesses basically fit as subsets of these two weaknesses. These are (and these are in no particular order) 1: understanding what is about to happen, and 2: understanding what the hell ...
