In need of rest.

I've been going hard this past couple of weeks. Drinkin, partyin, and workin. Its a never ending cycle. Started running again and its really wearing me down. I'll post more later.

A couple of pawn mates.

Since focusing solely on tactics I have had some wonderful games of chess at gameknot. I've had some excellent wins in the craziest of ways. Last night I can truly say that I dished out my first draw in a lost position. I was down two minor pieces, in a bad position, and somehow found a perpetual check. I will post that pic later. The Chess Tactics Server gets all the credit. Seems like most of the lasts posts have involved the CTS but it deserves it. Above and below you'll see two blitz games where I mated with a pawn. I've always seen games with a pawn mate but was unable to do it myself.

In the Dec issue of Chess Life for Kids I saw a small quote.

Strategy = Position = Tactics

I think this is an excellent little idea to remember. I'm constantly finding myself setting up my pieces in good positions and then 'finding' interesting tactics.

Chess ratings and websites.

The pic above is from my recent training session at the Chess Tactics Server. This tactics training site is by far my most favorite. Everyday I try to do at least 100 and the above session is a chart showing my progress over the last 200 problems. I just finished 120. This site has really changed the way I play chess and has improved my blitz ability greatly. It has also made chess more fun for me. I am buying myself an ICC account soon so I can play some 5 min blitz and bullet games. I can't wait! Gameknot has good blitz but the only drawback is that it is 10min for each side and the moves aren't recorded. ICC records all moves and you can choose 2,5,10+ min games. 10 mins is good but I feel like it still gives someone too much time to think. I will post more on ICC as soon as I get my account opened up. Its 60$ so its gonna take me a couple of weeks to save up. Now to my chess training schedule!

1. Tactics training: 20 mins everyday: http://chess.emrald.net/

"Until you are at least a high Class A player: Your first name is 'Tactics', your middle name is 'Tactics', and your last name is 'Tactics'."

I don't know who did that quote but its helped me out a lot. Until you get into real 'positional' types of situations you should just learn tactics. Since I play in many correspondence games though its good to do some positional training.

2. Knight movement training: 5-10 mins everyday : download the game "Crazy Chess"

This game is all over the Internet and it really helps you develop a 'second awareness' of knight movement. It helps you come up with crazy paths for your knights and helps determine the path of the opponents knights. The game is a bit cheezy but very effective.

3. Endgame training: 20-30 mins everyday : Silman's Complete Endgame Course

This book is the shiznuckle. Its only 16 bux right now on Amazon and well worth the time. The reason I study endgames is because it knocks out two birds with one stone. IMO endgame study really helps out with endgame tactics/knowledge and positional awareness. Studying endgames has really helped me with positions and the 'subtleties' of chess. One small pawn move or unorthodox knight move can drastically change the positions of both players. I highly recommend studying endgames. Other books are Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics and Complete studies of Gehnrick Kasparayan.

4. Openings Training: 20-30 min everyday : Opening books and Pawn Structure chess

I'm constantly getting trapped in the opening. After studying a few books, not so much. Pawn structure chess is a great book and teaches you to feel out positions and their tactics. If one pawn moves in an opening you have the knowledge to switch your defenses... much to the surprise of your opponent. I'm still going through this book. Its very in depth. With my correspondence games I have a bunch of opening books which I go through when I play. This is legal and lets you learn the openings well. I DO NOT use the databases on the site. You don't really learn that way. Researching and reading puts the ideas into your head. Its kinda like using the spellcheck in a document. You know the spelling but can't really do it right. I'm currently obsessed with 'hypermodern' openings so my boots are on the Reti, the Tango, the Nimzovich defense, the Alekhine, the English, and Hypermodern openings.

I don't do much middlegame training but I feel I train enough. My brain hurts some nights from studying but its ok. It'll all be worth it in the end. If you have an effective training schedule post it up. I'd love to hear from you.

rainy Sunday.

Finally a day off. What a day it is too. I got drunk last night watching SNL. Woke up and decided not to go running. Its the first time in a few weeks that I haven't went running. I'm sure I'll be ok though. Everyone needs a break now and then. Currently I am posting from my favorite teashop Teavolve and am enjoying a nice pot(2nd) of green tea. I forgot the name though. Its just me, you and Angelo Debarre in my headphones. The day looks promising though. I'm going to the RAVENS game! Woohoo. I don't watch much football but I do know that the Ravens almost took out the undefeated Patriots last week. So it should be a good fun game filled with drunken debauchery. Ahhhh... life is good.

Ok.. I'm tired of typing. Back to my tea, chess, and gypsy jazz.

No Interwebs better Life.

So.... I've been out of Internet for a week or so at my house. I'm posting from my work in DC. A bunch has happened and I have a ton of pics to upload but my computer won't take my USB drive. Security reasons. All USB drives have to be reported to security and 'cleared'. This I find highly amusing. The reason being that anyone with an internet email account can simply login and send themselves a zipped file of all the documents they need. Or simply upload to a file transfer site like megaupload.com . I hope they don't read this... they my take my interwebs away at work... and i need them. So... onto my week.

Teavolve.

I've started going to this nice tea shop by my house called Teavolve. The place is pretty trendy but suprisingly 'inviting'. I went a couple of times afterwork to try out some teas (and use the internet.. free wifi). After ordering some tea they immediately liked me because I don't take any sweeteners and I like the natural, unflavored teas. We had fun drinking and talking tea together. I shall go back again. The first time I went I ordered the Silver Needle white tea. It was supposed to be natural but I tasted a bit of fruitiness to it. Something like apricot. I asked them about it and they say their distributor may have gotten one with some type of flower in it. They sell more scented teas there than anything else.. so I get the slim pickins but boy are the pickens good. YeeHAW! Never the less, I bought two ounces of this Silver Needle and drink it constantly. White is better for you and its subtle taste is one to be admired. The second time I went I ordered a pot of Oolong. I forgot which type but it was the natural one. It was great! I got a little jacked from the caffeine but not as bad as I do on black tea. I realised that I was making my Monkey Pick Oolong at home wrong and need to use more of the tea and steep it for a minute or so longer. Since their advise on this my Oolong has been excellent.

Ever since I've lost the internet I've experienced a better life. I'm watching all my black and white films again, studying chess more, cooking more, and doing more chores. Its funny how I constantly seek out tv or internet and amazing how it engulfs my life. Without these things I find myself doing the things that I really want to do. Being the man that I want to be. Its great but I do miss my internets. I guess they both cause me suffering, its the desire I need to eliminate.

Studying chess is going well. I'm doing about 100+ tactic puzzles a day and finally getting back into my endgame studies. Its been a while since I cracked open those books and I'm finding them easier to grasp. I guess its good they were boxed up for a while.

Nothing much has happened since. If I think of something I'll let you know.

The Meatloaf of Pigtown

Tip and Sandy's : Pigtown Meatloaf

2 lbs Ground Beef
2 cups Bread Crumbs
1.5 cups Ketchup
1/2 Large Red Onion chopped
2 Med. Carrots shredded
2 Med. Jalapenos shredded
4 Garlic Cloves chopped
3/4 Can of Campbell's Condensed Onion Soup
1 tbl spn Mustard powder
1 tbl spn Cinnamon
1 tbl spn Pepper
1/2 tbl spn Salt
3 tbl spn Worcestershire sauce


Directions: Mix all ingredients together and place in two loaf pans. Spread a thin layer of ketchup on top of meatloaf. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loafs for 45mins or until loafs are thoroughly cooked.

Option: Replace Cinnamon with Nutmeg or mix 1/2 tbl spn Cinnamon w/ 1/2 tbl spn nutmeg. (Thanks Keith!)

Well that was just crazy.

Donuts. Not for the weak.

I haven't posted in a while due to the hectic holiday weekend. Thanksgiving was great. I had two dinners. The first was at my the grandmothers house of my friend Ping. Ping is short for Kai Ping which is his name. His name is also Steve. His grandmother is awesome and throws one hell of a party. There was all the traditional fixings there but there was also chinese food and kimchi! Oh my Buddha, my new favorite food is Kimchi and mashed potatoes. I don't know what it is but it is delish. (yes, i just said delish). Hahahaha.. my favorite night from the evening was, ' Where's the whiskey? Oh, we have to hide if from my uncle.' Man he was old too. After hearing those words I had a vision of me in the future. My second dinner was also grand. The chef Daniel Eagan aka Joseph of McLean cooked up a good ol' american style thanksgiving at the house. I brought the ham and the roast was off the chain. Oh.. and I got drunk.

Here's the best part. I got to wake up the next morning and go to work at my second job. Working retail at the mall on black friday. Sounds great doesn't it. I didn't leave the register except for 20 mins in my 7 hour shift. The place was packed and the day went by fast. Needless to say the whole weekend was like this. I was so so exhausted from the weekend I took Monday off from my job just to 'sleep'.

Monday was good though. I watched a bunch of B&W flicks, learned the king vs k/b/n checkmate (still don't really have it), and ate a bunch of ham and Arroz Caldo. Hmmmm... maybe I should post my recipe. I think I'll post my blabe's and my PigTown Meatloaf first. I will post that soon. I love it. Well, I think I might go run a mile downstairs. My shoes are in my bag. Might.

Nice.

I had Sunday off and it was glorious. Had breakfast at the Barnside Diner in Alexndria and then went shooting. I tried out the Glock 40 and I like to feel of it better than the 45 1911. Then got drunk and watched the games. I don't watch too much football. Definitely do not have a team and can only name a few players but I do love watching a good game. Honestly, I never appreciated football until I took chess seriously. The strategy is definitely interesting in football. Too bad all the pieces are the same just different body types. I wonder if in the future all the body sizes will be the same and everyone could do every job on the field. Eh.. that would be stoopid. Ok.. i'm tired and am just rambling on... see yah tomorrow.

Oops, i forgot about the training. I'll try to do it tomorrow.

Some nice mates....

Well for me at least.

I play blitz on gameknot.com frequently. Its a great way to stay on top of your game and learn to think quick. The competition is vicious on the weekends and mostly in the evenings. Of course me having two jobs this is when I play. I enjoy playing these people but its interesting because in the beginning of the night I am fine but by the end I'm usually as drunk as a Cedar Waxwing during berry season. I have two snapshots of some mates I've done and would like to share them.

1. Crazy Mate

This mate was crazy because I was drunk as all hell and only had one thought on my mind. 'take away escape squares'. It worked out so well that I ended up checkmating the guy. To his surprise and mine. (The king on f5 was checked by the rook on g5 which was protected by the knight on e4. The bishop on f6 could not take because of the pin by the queen on f7. With the rook check I sac'd my knight and then mated with Qh7#(mate).) I love playin chess shitfaced.

2. Drunken Mate

There isn't much to this mate except that it was a fight till the end! Or more like a stumble to the toilet. This kid was schooling me. By looking at the picture you can see that I am down a piece and down an exchange. One less rook and one less minor piece. I was running hard from this kid and decided to go all out and launch a queenside attack. My first plan was to make the long pawn chain and trap his pieces, then trap his king in the corner and mate him. His mistake was leaving the pawn chain intact. I was amazed that I mated him and was proud that 'I never gave up'. Even if it was alcohol fueled and more of a Red Dawn, Wolverines!!!!, mentality.

Ahhhhhh.... Chess and Liquor. Is there anything they can't do?

Tomorrow, if I remember, I will post my online training schedule for chess.

A night off.

Finally I get a night to myself away from the restraints of Haggar. I'm about to study some chess and thought I'd post this up before I studied and called my lovely girlfriend. I finally received this Pawn Structure Chess book and although I have only finished one chapter I have used some of the concepts already. Pretty interesting stuff. I will post more on it the farther I get into it.

I just cooked up some Fried Chicken and it was glorious although I do feel like I'm going to explode. I always make too much food and I always eat it all. Again, moderation is not my best aspect. You will see this as a recurring theme as I see it everytime I look at my belly. What a glorious belly it is. Don't touch my baby!!!!