Interlude: The Temper Trap

Word of the day: wanton

Field (2175) – Slater (2080)  Cincinnati Open 1947 (approx)

1.e4 e6  2.d4 d5  3.e5 c5  4.c3 Nc6  5.Nf3 Bd7 

6.a3 c4  7.g3 Qb6  8.Bg2 f6  9.Qe2 fxe5  10.Nxe5 Nxe5

 11.Qxe5 Nf6  12.0-0 Bd6  13.Qg5 0-0  14.Nd2 Rae8 

15.Nf3 Ne4 

16.Qe3 e5  [see diagram 1]

“Wanton” comes from proto-Germanic roots meaning something like “lacking” + “discipline”; in old high German it means “ill bred”, or as my friend Cassandra used to say, “Ain’t got no home training.”

Should not be confused with the Chinese appetizer.
17.Nxe5 Rxe5 

18.dxe5 Bc5

19.Qe2 [see Diagram 2]

19…Nxf2

How much cooler can it get than sacrificing a pawn WITH CHECK? When you’re already down material? And the answer is: None. None more cooler.

20.Bxd5+ Kh8

21.e6 Bc6

White makes a second consecutive boo-boo.

22.Qc4 Bb5

23.Qb3 Ng4+ 

24.Kh1 Rxf1+ 

25.Kg2 0-1

Oom pah pah

The Traveler’s Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum.

It’s in Okemos, MI. Waiter seemed very knowledgeable about beer. Didn’t quiz him on tubas.

Thanks for stopping by

First Reassembler regular to show up: David K, right out of the blocks (mid-Jan 2007).

Early comments from colleagues such as Rob O’Regan, Michael Goldberg, Michael Fitzgerald, Christopher Murray, David Churbuck , Fred Hapgood most ardently appreciated.

First Matt Phelps comment: Feb 19 2007.

Chessloser: April 2007. (I include Chessloser because I want to be cool by association :)

First Liquid Egg Sighting (that I can find, tho I thought it was earlier): June 2007. Tim N: June 2007. Howard G: July 2007. Greg K: September 2007. Also notably early: Harvey R., Blunderprone.

Niagara Falls

173 feet high, estimated 4 million cubic feet of water over the edge each minute, “the most powerful waterfall in North America.”

Here’s the Maid of the Mist, bringing passengers right to the foot of Horseshoe Falls, shot on my iPhone from the Canadian side.

We also went “behind the falls”, ie down an elevator and along a tunnel that leads into the rock, and out to a narrow viewing aperture that allows you to see – well, you can’t see or hear anything except 4 million cubic feet of falling water.

Eat, Papa, eat! Nobody likes a skinny Santa

Just back from visiting friends in East Lansing, where I heard it from two different people on the same day: Nobody likes a skinny Santa! It’s a standard exhortation for people my age, another gem from Romeo Muller.

Here’s the thing: I ate.

I ate fantastic Mexican at Pablo’s Panaderia in Old Town Lansing – enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and my first sope, just to see what that was. And another great lunch at Mama Bear’s - a tempeh sandwich with tabouli. And an excellent Ethiopian meal at Altu’s. And an amazing travel dinner in Syracuse at Lemongrass – spicy Prig Pau with pork tenderloin and basil and lots of tasty hot peppers.

Net result? Lost two pounds.

Based so far north, Santa might have too much hardtack with lard. He would probably cut a svelte figure and have more energy if he ate more hummus.

The valley of death

An interpretation of this data:

I was a 2153-rated expert who abruptly lost his tactical acumen but who, via herculean effort involving  a decade of intense study of classical openings, positional concepts and endgames, completely remade himself into … a 2153-rated expert.

Um, yay?

Interlude: Tristan Clopet

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YALJ0ZXG59o]