Monday, May 31, 2004

Experience at the Internet Chess Club


Internet Chess Club

The Internet Chess Club has a one week free trial and states that "the Internet Chess Club is the longest running and most vibrant chess community on the internet."

You have to download the free chess program
BlitzIn 2.34 for Windows
in order to play.

I tried some of the blitz games. Fun but I prefer normal chess.

Chess Experience at GameKnot.com


Chess Experience at GameKnot.com

I like the user interface here and the idea one can play several games at one time, so I will probably play some more games here.

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Chess Queen History


Chess Queen History

The New York Times has a Book Review by Liesl Schillinger on the book, "'Birth of the Chess Queen", authored by Marilyn Yalom, a Stanford University "gender scholar". The book discusses the history of chess and particularly focuses on the Queen.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Magnifichess Game 1 at GameKnot


Magnifichess Game 1 at GameKnot.com

Well, I won my first game at GameKnot.com but I sure am rusty at chess, making some grievous errors at the beginning and winning only because my opponent lost his Queen early in the game and then put up a valiant battle with his bishops. As a result, definitely an interesting chess match which I ran under the name "Paris in the Spring" because I wanted to try out the French Defence (at least in appearance) and because it fit the time of year and mood.

[Event "Paris in the Spring"]
[Site "http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=1837861"]
[Date "2004.05.29"]
[White "wwcom1"]
[Black "magnifichess"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1200"]
[BlackElo "1200"]
[TimeControl "1/259200"]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Termination "normal"]

1. Nf3 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. O-O Nbd7 5. Re1 Bd6
6. Nc3 c6 7. Nd4 a6 8. e3 Rb8 9. Nf3 h6 10. d3 b5
11. e4 Bb7 12. a3 Ne5 13. b3 Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 c5 15. e5 d4
16. Na2 Bxf3 17. Bxf3 Nd5 18. exd6 Qxd6 19. Re4 Nf6 20. Bf4 Qd8
21. Re5 O-O 22. Rxc5 Rc8 23. b4 Nd5 24. Bc1 Qf6 25. Kg2 g5
26. Bb2 Rxc5 27. bxc5 Rc8 28. Re1 Rxc5 29. Nb4 Nxb4 30. axb4 Rxc2
31. Rc1 Rxb2 32. Rc7 g4 33. Rc8+ Kg7 34. h4 Qxf3+ 0-1

Magnifichess (TM) Chess Blog Launched


Magnifichess Chess Blog Launched

The Magnifichess Chess Blog - a play on words for this magnificent game - was launched on May 29, 2004.

We will post interesting chess stuff here as we find it.

Start at Chessville for interesting chess quotes

or go to the Chess Blog for Chess is Fun by Jon Edwards, United States Correspondence Chess Champion

or go to The Daily Dirt Chess Blog for "insider news and views"

or ChessOps for the basics on Chess Openings

or go to GameKnot, which I found by looking for a quote by Bobby Fischer, which got me interested in chess again, and a site at which free multiplayer chess is possible.

I play under the name of Magnifichess at GameKnot - but after not playing chess for the last 20 years and having more or less forgotten the openings - without using any computer assistance, which is prohibited - the old and new generations of chess freaks will probably give me a lesson or two in the course of my matches. As usual, I play too fast - which is more fun - but it is then easier to make mistakes and overlook dangers one sees initially and then forgets. We shall see how it goes.