So what's a plan?
If you're a computer I don't suppose you really need to plan (since you can see most everything anyw…Candle in the Cold War
Sometimes when things look bleak, it can be oddly beneficial to recall other moments when darkness s…The Great Bicentennial Chess Tour of 1976
What do you do after you've just graduated high school and the long summer beckons? Drive clear acro…LESSONS: Pulling a Judkins
Sometimes--especially if your position is a bit doubtful anyway--it's a good idea to be daring. Very…Stuff I've picked up from the Puzzles
There are things that happen over and over again (at least in the Puzzles!) and it might indeed beho…LESSONS: "Your queen's in New York City!"
One of the things that helped my progress was the (admittedly rather gradual) realization that my pi…"C'mon, not another #@$*!!()** B vs N thing!"
Most discussions of the subject focus upon the individual powers of the two pieces: one its propensi…The Quiet Genius
The chess world is forever fraught with young hotshots--those who spout on and on about Kalashnikovs…LESSONS: "How come they always play Kb1?"
I remember how this one used to annoy me when I was starting out. All the experts would say speed wa…LESSONS: My First Master
Finally--after 3 1/2 years of tournament play--I went up against my first master... :)"Make all the mistakes you can!"
You hear a lot of teachers (and not just in chess) advocating the early overcoming and removal of "b…LESSONS: The Importance of the Center
When my much higher-rated opponent (playing White) seemingly castled right into my upcoming attack, …The Reason For All Those Goofy FIDE Title Names
If you've ever wondered how it all happened, this account should help straighten things out...well, …"AN ELEMENT OF CONTRADICTION"
Sure, everybody knows about "military intelligence" and "civil war" (not to mention "jumbo shrimp").…The craziest game I ever played
Even though it happened way back when--and it wasn't even a USCF game--this is still the one with th…Con
The first chess club I belonged to lasted only a summer before they ran out of funds (or something l…"Oh Lord! Stuck on the Internut again"
Whenever all the aggravations of being online get you down, simply sing along with me to the followi…My 3 Paul Massons
There used to be an annual summer outdoor tourney held up in the mountains of Saratoga CA, well abov…Fremont Open
(Return with me to the thrilling days of yesteryear--when tournaments actually lasted an entire week…