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Le blog de la Batgirl

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This blog, like most of what I write, focuses on the historical and cultural aspects of chess - with a few rants thrown in for good measure.

I don't accept friend requests; I don't play chess here; and I don't generally respond to notes, but I will respond to messages if they seem to have a purpose other than meaningless chat.  I'm only mentioning this so everyone knows there's nothing personal in my lack of response to any of the above.



    • Prince Dadian Games, Pt. II

      I recently came across some games of Prince Andrei Dadian of Mingrelia that I hadn't seen in any database.  I had published some of them elsewhere, but wanted to put them all into this series. Chess has been called the Game of Kings.  It seems... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Feb 9, 2012
      • | 2531 views
      • | 16 comments
    • Prince Dadian Games, Pt. I

      I recently came across some games of Prince Andrei Dadian of Mingrelia that I hadn't seen in any database.  I had published some of them elsewhere, but wanted to put them all into this series.Because of their innate beauty and creativity, many g... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Feb 6, 2012
      • | 2674 views
      • | 2 comments
    • Petroff

      Ivan Alexandrovich Butrimov, who was born in St. Petersburg March 7, 1782, produced Russia's first chess book, Chess Play, in 1821.                                                      Below is th... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Feb 1, 2012
      • | 2595 views
      • | 7 comments
    • Walker on M'Donnell and Labourdonnais

      The Chess Player's Magazinevol. II, 1864edited by Johann Lowenthal An excerpt from a letter from George Walker to the editor in response to a series on the M'Donnell-Labourdonnais match presented in the magazine . . .Alexander Macdonnell, the s... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 26, 2012
      • | 1756 views
      • | 2 comments
    • Unusual Notation

      I'm an algebraic kind of girl.  I learned to play chess on a computer and that notation comes most natural to me.  In the course of reading old texts, periodicals and books, I've had to transpose descriptive into algebraic notaion, though I hav... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 23, 2012
      • | 2989 views
      • | 18 comments
    • Pictures of the French

      Josephy Méry, as far as chess players are concerned, is remembered for three things: -With Labourdonnais, he founded Le Palamède, the first chess magazine.-He authored the poem Une Revanche de Waterloo (1836), celebrating Labourdonais' victory ... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 19, 2012
      • | 2249 views
      • | 6 comments
    • Karff's Revenge

           In 1937 Adele Rivero won the championship of the National Chess Association.  The tournament that decided the championship began as the Marshall Club championship for women in 1934, refereed by Frank Marshall himself and organized by hi... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 15, 2012
      • | 2110 views
      • | 6 comments
    • Chimp or Chump?

        I really do like chimpanzees in spite of the fact that they can be ferocious and even vicious. There is something compelling about their nature. Chimpanzees are not just primates, but the animal closest to humans in DNA and intelligence.One h... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 11, 2012
      • | 3275 views
      • | 15 comments
    • Muzio Madness Pt. III

      The Double, or Wild, Muzio There happens to be several openings or variations that fall unter the umbrella of either "Double Muzio" or "Wild Muzio."  They all involve the sac of two pieces in the openng. The most common moves are -1. e4 e5 2. f... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 8, 2012
      • | 2649 views
      • | 19 comments
    • Muzio Madness Pt. II

        "One of the most beautiful openings. It involves the sacrifice of the King's Knight, but is not considered safe, as it is believed to admit of a perfectly satisfactory defence, and therefore to be disadvantageous to the attacking player, on a... | Read More

      • batgirl
      • | Jan 4, 2012
      • | 2485 views
      • | 15 comments