Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/language-of-chessSun, 05 Oct 2008 02:29:53 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/language-of-chessI 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/a-few-puzzlesThu, 04 Sep 2008 02:22:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/a-few-puzzles"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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/the-worth-of-a-gameFri, 01 Aug 2008 03:52:04 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/the-worth-of-a-gameWe 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/that-was-a-mistakeFri, 25 Jul 2008 04:30:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/that-was-a-mistakeI 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/to-blog-or-not-to-blog2Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:55:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/to-blog-or-not-to-blog2It 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 ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/turning-timeSat, 12 Jul 2008 22:06:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/turning-timeIt'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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/vacation-timeFri, 13 Jun 2008 23:14:27 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/vacation-timeI'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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/happy-200thSat, 24 May 2008 03:38:50 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/happy-200thI 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/economySun, 11 May 2008 04:03:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/economyI'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....http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/stinking-gamersWed, 09 Apr 2008 03:53:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/stinking-gamers** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-than-meets-the-eyeMon, 24 Mar 2008 01:22:50 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-than-meets-the-eyeOccasionally 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/michael-adamsFri, 07 Mar 2008 05:09:21 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/michael-adamsA 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....http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/muddy-in-lawMon, 03 Mar 2008 03:43:04 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/muddy-in-lawMy 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/mysterious-movesFri, 22 Feb 2008 00:38:23 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/mysterious-movesNow 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/correct-playMon, 11 Feb 2008 13:16:17 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/correct-playMuch 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, ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/fischers-legacyTue, 22 Jan 2008 01:17:47 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/fischers-legacyOne 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. ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/the-best-defenseFri, 11 Jan 2008 03:27:52 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/the-best-defenseEvery 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/guitar-heroThu, 03 Jan 2008 01:50:00 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/guitar-heroOh 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 ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/post-holiday-bluesFri, 28 Dec 2007 02:48:19 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/post-holiday-bluesBatgirl 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/i-could-do-thatSat, 08 Dec 2007 03:43:33 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/i-could-do-thatBeing 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/i-am-daddaTue, 04 Dec 2007 02:47:51 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/i-am-daddaThanksgiving 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/tis-the-seasonWed, 28 Nov 2007 01:06:45 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/tis-the-seasonJust 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...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/giving-a-little-thanksThu, 22 Nov 2007 00:11:02 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/giving-a-little-thanksI 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 ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/minority-attackSat, 17 Nov 2007 04:23:05 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/minority-attackI have been asked many a time how I make time for chess with five kids. One person ridiculed me saying that 'only a very bad father would keep up this kind of time on a chess site while neglecting his duties as a husband and father.&...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/time-for-chessThu, 15 Nov 2007 01:19:37 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/time-for-chessThe history of collective chess knowledge has always been a topic that has interested me. Russian articles and games and analysis from Russian tournaments were goldmines of information for the world's top chess players 20+ years ago. I once s...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/technolojee--progrissSun, 11 Nov 2007 02:16:28 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/technolojee--progrissHow much is the initiative worth? Depending on your style of play and your opponent, it may be priceless.  In the following game I played a player who outrated me by close to 200 points. We had played one time previously and he tore through m...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/power-of-the-initiativeMon, 05 Nov 2007 02:34:31 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/power-of-the-initiativeThe topic of cheating has come up (as is natural I'm sure) quite a bit lately in the Chess.com threads. Many people express dismay at the very thought of it. Almost everyone spews out the seemingly universal belief that "Cheaters only che...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/cheatingSun, 04 Nov 2007 03:16:13 -0800http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/cheatingChildren have wonderful ways of expressing their love. My one year old sleeps with me and my wife, right in between us to be exact. She loves to feel the safety of laying between us, and at times will express her gratitude. There is no higher expr...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/art-of-defenseThu, 25 Oct 2007 02:23:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/art-of-defenseIt has been said that Chess, like art, has the power to make men happy. It also has the power to piss me off big time. I can stare at a position FOREVER and still not see some of these combinations that seem obvious when I'm shown them. I...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/chess-beautyWed, 24 Oct 2007 01:51:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/chess-beautyMore musings over missed opportunities in today's blog. First comes a blitz game where I actually did make the first move, but I didn't see the main threat of the move I played. My opponent did... **** **** **** **** *********************...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-missed-moves-and-matesSat, 20 Oct 2007 00:03:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-missed-moves-and-matesBreaking down a combination can be a fun thing to do. I played a combination that was not so deep or difficult to find, but it took a lot of planning out before I built the courage to pull the trigger. It's not that the combination&n...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/breaking-down-a-combinationThu, 18 Oct 2007 01:53:04 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/breaking-down-a-combinationMore missed mates!  WOOHOO. Actually some may not be mates, but promising continuations. The first one is a simple combination I missed with the black pieces. The rook can't be taken, the continuation shown shows why. The second game woul...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-missed-matesFri, 12 Oct 2007 03:42:27 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/more-missed-matesMy damn fridge went out this week. It was a good fridge. It was cold. The freezer was really cold. It kept my eats cold. I wanted my eats cold and my fridge would keep it cold. It was a good fridge. It is now a damn fridge. It doesn't keep my ...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/knb-vs-kWed, 10 Oct 2007 23:47:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/knb-vs-kI showed up to work today to see a minivan parked next to my place of employment, and two boys (roughly 5 and 3) with their pants down around their ankles urinating on the building. And the thought crossed my mind... "Not a day goes by that I...http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/missed-matesFri, 05 Oct 2007 22:01:53 -0700http://blog.chess.com/oginschile/missed-mates