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My thoughts on chess and life...

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Women Only Events - Good or Bad?

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sun Jul 15, 2007 3:55am.

The 2007 US Women's Chess Championship is starting tomorrow in Oklahoma and should provide some interesting chess games. However, I must admit to having mixed feelings about women-only events in chess. Lots of sports have separate tournament... Read more »

My Chess 'Den' Dream

Submitted by SonofPearl on Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:14am.

Thanks to my financial prudence and legendary miserliness I will shortly be moving from my current, cramped, 2 bedroomed home to a considerably bigger 4 bedroomed house.  As my wife and I don't have any kids, there should be plenty of ro... Read more »

I love chess, but...

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sun Jul 1, 2007 1:41pm.

I love chess.  "How much?", I hear you cry.  A lot - honest.  Most of my spare time is taken up with chess which makes what I am about to admit all the stranger. I like to read my chess books (I've got about 50 so far,... Read more »

Teaching chess to my wife

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:36pm.

I have been happily married to my wonderful wife Catherine for 7 years and although she loves me, she doesn't share my passion for chess.  As a result, she has tolerated my addiction with (mostly!) good humour but has never expressed any ... Read more »

Is playing chess good for you?

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:56am.

The great Benjamin Franklin (pictured) was a big chess fan.  His essay on the 'Morals of Chess' is well known.  A flavour of his opinions can gained from this quote: "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement. Severa... Read more »

Chess gamesmanship - a confession

Submitted by SonofPearl on Fri Jun 8, 2007 12:06pm.

I have something to confess.  I wish to seek forgiveness from the Goddess of chess, Caissa (pictured!)  My actions as a foolish youth have troubled my conscience for over two decades and I feel that I the time is right to prostrate myself before... Read more »

The best advice I ever received

Submitted by SonofPearl on Wed Jun 6, 2007 1:53pm.

A while ago on my blogger blog I received what I think is perhaps the best chess improvement advice I have ever received.  I thought it might be of interest to Chess.com members, so I repeat it below:   For background info, I'm 35 yo... Read more »

Pawn Power

Submitted by SonofPearl on Tue Jun 5, 2007 10:54am.

The theme of my last blog post – the terminology used in chess leads me nicely onto a book that I recently started reading. ‘Pawn Power’ by Hans Kmoch was originally published in 1959 and I have the more recent Dover reprin... Read more »

Zwischenzug (bless you!)

Submitted by SonofPearl on Mon Jun 4, 2007 11:41am.

Chess has many technical terms for various concepts that are unfamiliar to those who haven't sampled the delights of the game.  If you say you are having trouble with "interference" for example, most people will probably think y... Read more »

Too old for Chess?

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sat Jun 2, 2007 2:14pm.

As I surveyed my face in the mirror this morning I reflected on the fact that although my hair may be starting to turn grey and also wear inexorably thin on the crown of my head (damn that male pattern baldness), at least I have gained the wisdom ... Read more »