...in chess as in life.
One of Bobby Fischer’s famous utterances is that “Chess is life.” For him that statement may have had a more literal interpretation than for most of us, but metaphorically I do believe that chess is life. However, life is not a chess game ... Read more »
When I studied the life of Richard Réti, I discovered that I have two things in common with him. First, we both started our chess careers with an “inauspicious” beginning, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. They were writing about ... Read more »
This blog will begin and end with my two favorite practical chess jokes. In my recent blog, “What’s Inside YOUR Chess Mind?” I presented 10 chess positions discussed by Aagaard in his book that attempts to gain insight into the minds of ch... Read more »
The hypermodern Pirc Defense, which begins 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 is named after the Slovenian player Vasja Pirc, who was born in Idrija on December 19, 1907. Pirc had both victory and defeat in the Slovenian capital city of Lj... Read more »
One of my most popular blogs is The Longest Possible Chess Game and I thought it would be interesting to look at the other end of the scale and consider not only the shortest game possible, but also other kinds of chess shorts.There are eight vari... Read more »
Aagaard’s book Inside the Chess Mind reminds me of my typical game. It’s brilliant in conception, but falls short in execution. In this thin text Aagaard presents the reader with the following 10 challenging diagrams: For all b... Read more »
All chess players have heard the famous maxim by François-André Danican Philidor (1726 – 1795) that “Pawns are the soul of chess,” and most are probably familiar with Philidor’s Defense. But what was he thinking when he suggested 2…d... Read more »
Raymond Smullyan is one of those towering intellects in the tradition of Da Vinci and Godden. His Wikipedia page describes him as a “mathematician, concert pianist, logician, philosopher and magician,” to which I would add Professor Emeritus... Read more »
Petrov’s Defense, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6, is another one of those defenses whose creator was not the player honored with its name. (Or is it the defense that is honored with the player’s name?) The defense was known in Lucena’s time, which ... Read more »
In Part 1 of this blog I discussed mental processes for move selection as advocated by authors such as Silman, Purdy, and Heisman. I also noted the extreme difficulty of actually putting into practice any kind of thinking technique. I would no... Read more »
kurtgoddenUnited States
If you are intellectual or just like an occasional chess chuckle, then I think you will like my blog. You can get chess tips and tricks from anywhere, but where can you read about my topics? (Answer: only here.)
I especially enjoy your comments and encouragement, so please communicate if you see something you like.
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Most Popular (at least 1,800 reads):
Elo to Glicko: Your Rating ExplainedStill a Victim of ChessAnd the Best Player Ever is...The Longest Possible Chess GameThe Devil's Dictionary of ChessChess is Bad for Your MindThe Passion of Chess6 Pawns on a FileChess CheatersBlindfold ChessChess Jokes: Practical and Otherwise
Blogs that I Personally Like:
Chess is Good for Your Mind
Best Chess Quotes You've Never Seen
Even the Gods Can Blunder
A Tour of the Knight's Tour
How Your Chess Program Defeats You, part 1
Chess Comedy!
Chess Jokes: Practical and Otherwise
Be a Six-Sigma Chess Player
Chess Boxing
The Devil's Dictionary of Chess
Who was Giuoco Piano?
Which Openings Should You Learn?
My Continuing Series of Blogs Named after Players:
The Names behind the Openings, Part 1
Bird to Bogo
Caro, Kann and Chigorin – Openings Players
Evans and Göring: Gambiteers
A Greenfield Opening
Who Suggested 1. b3 ??
Nimzowitsch (in 4 syllables)
Petrov and the Mysterious Morphy Self-Mate
What was Philidor Thinking?
The Inauspicious Réti