Chess match(es)

That does make me feel better (although only slightly). I very rarely spend more than a minute or two deciding on my next move.... Generally speaking, if I don't properly sight the board almost immediately, I'm probably not going to do so at all.

Of course that's excepting end-game play, which (like the last game) often depends on simple arithmetic: how many moves will it take to queen his pawn, and how many moves do I have available to stop him, and if I do so will I have enough moves to advance my own pawns, etc..

None of that rambling is intended to take anything away from Mark, by the way. He knows his chess, and the record clearly shows one win by me and two wins by him -- plus a game he would probably have won, but resigned so we could start a new one. So the score looks to me like 3-1 ....

That's the problem with chess, of course: no matter how I bullshirt and pontificate and make excuses, I can't hide from the actual win/loss columns.

 

Mark has come out swinging on both games, trying to aggressively dictate the tempo.

[Event "Casual Game"]
[Site "http://www.itsyourturn.com"]
[Date "2010.11.30"]
[Round "*"]
[White "mark775"]
[Black "troy2000"]
[Result "*"]
[Ply "10"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Ne5 O-O
*


[Event "Casual Game"]
[Site "http://www.itsyourturn.com"]
[Date "2010.11.30"]
[Round "*"]
[White "troy2000"]
[Black "mark775"]
[Result "*"]
[Ply "9"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 Nf6 4. e3 Ne4 5. Bd3 *

No guarantees he won't get away with it, of course; he's a strong player. But I been there, done that....

 

I found something we can play for - Clark Gable's recipe for mint julep!
Here we are;





There are learning opportunities here for the studious - See if you can figure out where I'm going with this...

 

...When you find out, let me know!

 

Troy's AWOL for awhile but we are here, now.

 

Troy's catching up on some of the family time, doctor's appointments, lab tests, dental work, laundry, vehicle cleaning and honey-do lists he's fallen behind on the last month or so, from working so many overtime days and nights...

I gave away a knight in one of the games already, and Mark didn't even say 'thank you.'

 

Finally sat down, poured a drink and moved.

And I also confirmed yet again what I've known for years: you can buy cheap straight bourbon that's quite drinkable, if you look around. But there seems to be no such thing as a decent cheap scotch; you get what you pay for.

I just brought home a bottle of generic blended scotch whisky, and it tastes like the barley malt was smoked using horse manure instead of peat. It is hands-down the nastiest stuff I've poured in years....

 

Stop playin' lit, Brother.
...If you win, I'll not live it down!



On second thought, give me some of that hootch!

 

Unfortunately, I was still sober when I gave that second piece away. I had just poured my drink and sat down. I don't remember the last time I played a game and flat gave away two pieces in the first fifteen or sixteen moves, but I was probably a child....

And you were there to take proper advantage, of course. You stayed lined up on the bishop and waited, because you knew it was in a cramped position.

And believe me, you don't want any of this hooch. It's the crappy scotch I was belly-aching about earlier, and it doesn't get any better after a couple of drinks. I may actually pour the rest of the bottle down the sink for drain cleaner. It's that bad.

If you ever see Prestige Edition Blended Scotch Whisky on the shelf, give it a pass. The shame of it is that some Evan Williams bourbon was right beside it for the same price, and EW is drinkable.

And of course, I could've stopped being a cheapskate and reached for the Maker's Mark on the top shelf....

 

Sorry about the slips there but no big deal - we all do it. I was just watching game 12 with Topalov and Anand in April, I think, and stubborn Topalov opened with pD4 every time he had white and lost or drew each time - His ego was saying "I can beat you with an inferior opening" but Anand said over and over "thank you for the World Championship"!
I've just in the last few years sampled some single malts but I don't know enough to comment (I was sold on a couple different ones but can't remember...). I enjoyed everything I tried (I have a friend that's into it) but they were all different. My unrefined tastes are satisfied with Jameson's.
Here's what Troy was talking about. He didn't realise I was lurking for the cheap win and I have to admit, I feel kinda dirty , like getting your *** handed to you an entire game, then sneaking a rook into the king's castled position for the luck win:


Oops, wrong game. Justa minute.
Here:

 

Actually I knew I had the bishop in an untenable position, and I should have swapped it out while I could. I just kept putting off doing it....

Ah well. I think I'm making things a little more interesting for Mark in the second game.

By the way, Fischer didn't think Pd4 was an inferior opening. He crammed the Ruy Lopez opening down his opponents' throats on a regular basis throughout his career, even though they knew months in advance it was probably coming. Of course, he was Bobby Fischer....

 

"Best by test - 1.pe4." - Bobby Fisher. Tho he did, I think, play pd4 in the final against Spaskey.
You spend so much time lurking, I thought you were just going to camp there. Damn, I had all manner of mischief planned for that horse!

 

"Chess is not like life...It has rules." - Pasternak



Sorry, Troy. You forgot that my pawn was no longer pinned by the mate threat.
What a messed-up game. We went from your initiative buying tempo and a slight lead, I think, to a horrible position. It pisses me off that a blunder can ruin a perfect battle.

 

The best way to use Jim Beam:

 

I roll them golf ball size.