Category: General

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Do Tough Things

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I read an interesting post on a computer chess forum last night. It began: Dixondeuxyeux’s Post I thought I would share a few observations that might be of interest to some of you. It was Mark Twain who wrote, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I like this adage because it is a humbling reminder that the game we enjoy so much is a brutally honest and cruel taskmaster. It is believed that after the first nine moves of any game, the possible continuations outnumber… Continue Reading

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Never Resign!!

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The Moral Lesson I love this video. We’ve all been there, so we can relate. We’ve all screwed up. You don’t have to play chess or even understand the rules of the game to know exactly how Alexandra Botez feels. Chess is a very difficult, humbling game. But that’s the point. If we only attempted to do what was easy, we never would grow and mature as chess players, as human beings. I love the raw energy of this video: Alexandra Botez’s obvious frustration. Her cathartic scream… Fuck!! How she wards off tilt and steels her nerves. Her determination to… Continue Reading

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Chess.com Hans Niemann Report

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Chess.com released their Hans Niemann Report. In the report, the Chess.com Fair Play Team concludes Hans Niemann “has likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events.” Fair Play Team’s Report The report includes several tables and charts of statistical evidence, a description of Chess.com’s cheat detection system, along with numerous emails between the Fair Play Team and Hans. In his email responses to questions asked by the Fair Play Team, Hans confesses to cheating online. Regarding Hans’ game against Magnus Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, the Fair Play Team states, “In our view,… Continue Reading

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Hans Niemann Is an Andy Kaufman-Like Character

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I posted the following message on TalkChess, a forum focused on chess engine programming. The topic is tangentially related to chess engine programming. Drama in the World of Chess Nineteen year-old Hans Niemann, unknown in the world of elite chess until very recently, sporting an improbably flat then steep rating progression, defeated World Champion Magnus Carlsen in a tournament game. Did Hans cheat? Did he receive computer assistance? Or did Magnus play poorly? My Thoughts (Posted on TalkChess) Hans Niemann strikes me as an Andy Kaufman-like character. You know, someone who gets off on people hating him, loves playing the… Continue Reading

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Judit Polgár Crushes Magnus Carlsen

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I was up late last night playing chess online. Man, chess is a difficult game. It requires a humble attitude in order to accept losses and invest in the play and study time necessary to gradually improve. Which I’ve not done because I keep tinkering with my chess engine (a programming pursuit) instead of working on my game. Anyhow, after getting my ass handed to me online, I thought I’d spend time today to write a blog post about recent news that shocked the chess world. Last month, Magnus Carlsen was in Madrid, Spain where the Candidates Tournament was held.… Continue Reading