My Life...Retirement, Chess, and Roller-coasters

I am curious

2011-11-03T09:19:00.002-06:00

I was sitting around the mansion and thinking about this blog. It has been over a year since my last post. Does anyone actually read it? I don't get any comments, so I have no real idea. Anyway, I was just curious...is there anyone out there?!

The Colors of Fall

2010-10-27T12:54:00.005-05:00

A quick walk around the neighborhood with my camera and I was able to find some spectacular autumn colors. I love it when the leaves change over to gold, orange, red, and yellow.

It lets you know that God loves variety and that is a great thing!

Autumn Time

2010-10-13T13:17:00.004-05:00

It is Autumn here at the mansion, so it is our tradition to have the help (mainly me) put out the bales of straw and the scare crows. It is nice to dress the place up a little bit with the yellow flowers. Yes, a lovely addition. Here is a close up of the arrangement for your enjoyment.

The trip aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief is past the planning stage and into the all paid for stage. My reservation is complete and I will head out the first week in December. I am kind of looking forward to getting away and enjoying Los Angeles.

Improving the Mansion

2010-09-29T12:03:00.005-05:00

What was desperately necessary at the mansion this year was a replacement for the old stair way out the back door. It was rotting and falling apart. So with the help of a quite a few dollars , I hired a construction crew to build me a nice new cedar deck. To tell the truth, it was a bit of an over kill because it has half the square footage of the house, but the design ties the back of the house together nicely.

After adding the stain it really catches the eye or as they say in design class "It pops". I always laugh at that term. What ever happened to the words "groovy" or "far out"? Yeah, I am so old!

Anyway, my neighbor dropped by yesterday to enjoy the deck and we spend about an hour laying about it. Now let me tell you, my neighbor is one cool cat!

Getting Restless...Time to Plan Some Train Travel

2010-09-27T12:57:00.004-05:00

It's late September and only my second post of the year. Honestly, I haven't been playing chess or doing much of anything except my homework from the management courses and household chores. What a boring life! However, I am planning a small train trip from Kansas City, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California, to add some excitement to my daily routine. What a pity I didn't get a chance to ride the original ATSF Super Chief. Now that was a train to remember. It had all private rooms, meaning it was first class travel only. All meals were made to order from fresh ingredients and served on china plates in the diner car. As for me, I get a substitute from The National Rail Corporation, AKA Amtrak, that carries the name Southwest Chief. There will be no china plates and the meals will have a different method of preparation. This train isn't all first class travel either, it has both private rooms and coach seating. I went with a small private roomette that is a sitting room by day and a bedroom at night. All the meals are included in the price of the fare, which is good because I will be riding for over 37 hours and one must eat. Train travel is relaxing to me. You spend your time in lounge car sight seeing or enjoying an adult beverage. Also there is the aforementioned meals where you meet new people and enjoy a nice conversation. Of course, you can retreat to your room and read a book or have a quick shower. So I must get busy with my plans and book early to get the best fare.

2010's First Post

2010-03-18T13:24:00.004-06:00

The trouble with keeping a blog is you must have something interesting to write about. Unfortunately my life is pretty much the same day after day. I have good intentions of doing things (like this blog) that never seem to get done for some reason or another. For example, this photo of the Christmas tree was supposed to be a post around the time of that holiday. Oops! See what I mean. I have other ideas and photos for posts as well. I have have made two train trips in the last 6 months and those would make excellent posts, if only I would stop being lazy. Anyway, enjoy the photo of the tree!

Christmas Lighting at the Mansion

2009-12-02T09:28:00.006-06:00

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! This is the 916 sq. ft. mansion I am always talking about. Isn't it a real beauty? One can only imagine the amount of cussing that went into those outdoor lights that were hung on a blustery day. Anyway, when I was done I waited until the optimum time of day to capture this photo for all the faithful readers to enjoy. Happy Holidays to all.

A Short Amtrak Journey

2009-10-12T11:32:00.006-05:00

Seeing such scenery was in my mind when I day dreamt about my retirement. I love to travel and visit new places and people. Even with my disabilities, I thoroughly enjoy getting out and about. So, the last week of September I purchased an Amtrak ticket and went to visit a small town in Missouri that reminds me of the Rhineland. The town of Hermann has rolling hills that provide the right climate for growing grapes and this area sports seven wineries. Of course, I went to a wine tasting, but the real purpose of the post is train travel in United States.

I took this photo aboard the Amtrak's River Runner. The train departed Kansas City's Union Station at 7:30 am for the four hour trip to Hermann. The first thing I noticed was the coach car's cleanliest. I can't report that it was spotless, but it was in very good condition and that includes the toilets. My seat was wide and comfortable and the ride superior to the European trains I rode during my visits to the continent. The River Runner name is apt because the rails following the Missouri River and scenes such as the one in the first photo present themselves during the trip. Additionally, this train doesn't have a Dining car, but does have a cafe car with picture window seating and you can find some good snack foods for a reasonable price. Service aboard Amtrak might not be the quality I experienced aboard the Queen Mary II, but it was far better than what I experienced aboard British Rail.

Just so we can compare and contrast the differences, here is a British Rail car. The first impression is that the cars are much more narrow. Same for the seats. Also the ride is harsher and you should bring a pillow or your rear might be a wee bit tired from the journey. British Rail did provide a cafe service and their trains are faster; this one did 125 mph routinely. Cleanliness was about the same as Amtrak in coach, but the toilets were appalling!

I plan to support Amtrak by traveling with them as much as I can. The passenger rail service in the United States was the envy of the world in the 1920's and I for one would like to see its glory return. As I child I read stories of rail travel that made my imagination dance in delight. I am sure many feel the same way as I. Please support our nation's passenger rail service so our children can delight in train travel in the future.

The View from the Bridge...Eye, Aye, Sir!

2009-07-07T10:54:00.005-05:00

This is the rather fetching view from Westminster Bridge, London, United Kingdom. This bridge links Palace of Westminster on the West bank of the River Thames with County Hall and the Eye of London on the East Bank.

Transatlantic crossing!

2009-07-03T13:33:00.005-05:00

Whenever the Retired Pawn travels, he does so in style. This doesn't mean that loads of money is spent. Oh, no! I tend to get the best deals one can have. This is how I was able to make a round trip Atlantic crossing aboard the RMS Queen Mary 2. Trust me, I am a man of limited means, but there are some deals one shouldn't pass.

Interestingly, there is little chess play aboard. One day, I found a game with a bright young lady. There was a temptation to crush her, but I refrained and just let the game end as a draw. No sense destroying her like for the game for my ego's sake. The other on-board chess players should take lessons from the young lady, as she at least knew how the chessmen moved.

My Manila Trip

2009-04-15T12:29:00.006-05:00

Almost two years ago, when I was in an English Composition class, the professor gave an assignment to write about a place that the student has never been, but would like to travel to. I chose Manila...how prophetic! The old story is in italics with new information in standard text.

The place I would like to travel to, but never have been, is Manila, Philippines. Ever since I joined the U.S. Navy, returning sailors have told me of this beautiful and unique Pacific Paradise. Using my imagination, I picture Manila Bay as if I had navigated its waters; a picturesque volcanic island covered with lush green vegetation...

and a protected harbor along the shoreline.

Wow! It is amazing how accurate my mind's eye saw what I had not yet seen.

Coming ashore, Jeepney drivers greet me and offer transport in refurbished Willis Jeeps. I was almost correct. Actually, the Jeepney looks purpose built to resemble a jeep. My guess is that the first of these were conversions.

These taxis are rolling works of art that display bright white, green, red, and silver paint. I observe Manila is a crowded city with millions of busy people vying for a ride to their destinations, or just walking along its streets. It is at this moment I become aware of its wonderful architecture, a combination of modern and old, Spanish influences...

mixed with the neoclassical of the U.S. Government.

Again, I was very close in my short description.

Lastly, the smell of fresh bake bread (Pandesal) and strong coffee capture my attention, making Manila a truly magical place. Yes, it truly is!

Traveling the World

2009-03-17T01:19:00.002-06:00

(Manila, Philippines) My new home for a few days while traveling. There is a nice park just down the street that has many chess hustlers...I mean players...that will challenge a chess addict to the utmost. I will update again soon on my trip.

Taming the Tornado

2009-01-29T11:34:00.003-06:00

Forbes (1698) - Tornado (1838)
01 24.2009
C45: Scotch Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nxd4 5.Qxd4 d6 6.Bc4 Be6 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.f3N (this move was prophylactic...and wrong. Better 9.0–0 ) 9...e5 10.Qa4+ Qd7 11.Be3 c6 12.0–0–0 Be7 13.Qb3 a5 14.a4 0–0–0 15.Bb6 c5 16.Bxa5 Rde8 17.Nb5 Kb8 18.Bc7+ Ka8 19.Qc3 b6 20.Bxb6 Kb7 21.Qa5 Ra8 22.Na7 (I know this move was not the best, but over the board it looks playable. Better 22.Ba7)22...Rhb8 (Black returns the favor!) How did I tame this Tornado using our methods?

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-29T11:38:00.008-06:00

Hello loyal readers and fellow Knights! Since starting my Business Management studies, I have little time for chess. This is a sorry state of affairs, believe you me. The worst of it is all those tactical exercises rotting within my brain and my openings becoming antiques. I try to play a few times a month on Playchess just to keep my account active so I do not revert to a pawn in the Playchess social status.

This term at the university, I had the task of opening a bakery. While all this was theoretical, I did impress by creating some baked goods as part of my business plan presentation. Nothing like fresh baked jumbo oatmeal-raisin cookies to produce the desirous A. Additionally, my son loves it when I bake. The smell of seems to draw him out of his room and he hovers about the kitchen while they cool...at least until I ask him to help wash the dishes.

Happy Holidays to all and enjoy the cookies!

...as you get stronger at chess

2008-10-29T10:38:00.008-06:00

When I first began my quest to improve my play through tactics, I had quite a few people willing to play the game with me. These people would come to my house for dinner and we would enjoy a game or two with our drinks. Of course this was not just one way, as they always returned the favor.

Fast forward to today. I sit here writing this piece wondering when is the last time I had company for chess? When was the last invite? My gut tells me it was before last Christmas. I do remember it was at one of my chess playing buddies home. His wife was playing the appletini variation while my friend was hopelessly lost as black in the Philidor. That was the last friend to play me.

How did this happen? When you start playing chess you are unfamiliar with the game and no clear plan for winning; therefore, most of your friends do not mind a game with you. Your chess playing friends stand a good chance of winning while you are in this state, but as you get stronger at chess through studying tactic, as well as other facets of the game, your friends stop playing you. It was fun for them when they could crush you, however, now you are crushing them, even after three appletinis, the fun is no longer there.

The only games I get between tournaments is from playchess. I go to the cafe room and find guests to play. This gives me games against strong and weak players, which provides excellent training. You have to play each and every one with the strongest game possible. No tricks or you will be crushed! It is a shame it works out this way, but there is hope someone will stop by after a year and engage me in a battle of chess armies.

Retired Pawn II v. Retired Pawn...Showdown on Pennsylvania Ave.

2008-09-12T08:47:00.005-05:00

Let me start by saying that my son (Retired Pawn II) dislikes playing chess! It is my opinion that this dislike has its roots in the fact that he struggles when playing against his Papa. I never meant for it to be a chore, only a fun thing between father and son...something we would have for our entire lives. If I had to guess, I would say that it harms his self-esteem when he loses and the pain of feeling inferior is what keeps him from enjoy our time together. This is only my opinion.

Nevertheless, not long ago he challenged me to a game. I don't know why my son found it necessary to play that day. Perhaps he just beat all of his friends and was looking for stiffer competition. Maybe he ate a box of Wheaties and found new confidence. I may never know the why, but play he did! Retired Pawn II didn't start out timid either. No, sir! He was talking trash while setting up the White pieces.

In this position, as Black, I made a simple draw by repetition. The real reason is obvious....I like our time together and want to encourage my son to play more often. However, he did play rather well. I may have a passed b pawn, but I also have the weakness of three pawn islands...a direct result of my son's play!

How does Black proceed from here?

What is up with the Retired Pawn?

2008-09-03T15:21:00.004-05:00

"How come you don't post any longer?" I hear it all the time from folks who follow my postings. Once upon a time, I would post many times a month. These posting covered subjects concerning my life in retirement, chess, and my amusement park outings. I loved to post about trains and my hometown in Dansville, NY. I never started this blog with the idea that it would be just about chess and my quest for tactical proficiency. No, that came later as I strove to improve my chess play. Once the blog became one dimensional, it began to become hard to post good articles. Couple that with the demands of my degree program and you get one post a month saying I am sorry for the lack of content. Just to be clear, I have no intentions of quiting my quest with the Knights Errant, nor am I quiting my blog. I ask for understanding and support while I work on personal life and my degree program.

I am still here!

2008-07-31T18:20:00.003-05:00

Alas, I have not the time to play much chess at the moment. I hope to make a fresh chess posting in the near future. As a progress report, I have learn 1200+ tactical positions with the Personal Chess Trainer and I realized a gain of 113 Elo points (USCF) in my last tournament. This does work!

2008 Chess Club Championship, Round 2

2008-06-25T13:25:00.006-05:00

Here is the Retired Pawn during his second round game. If you look back by the vending machine, you will find me wearing a yellow shirt at board 7. One of the brighter spots of not moving off the last board is the proximity of the coffee pot...lol. Enjoy the following annotated game. Thanks.

The 2008 Chess Club Championship, Round 1

2008-06-22T23:40:00.007-05:00

I had hopes of coming away this year as my class champion, but this year they changed the format at the last minute, thereby making me play against much higher rated oponents. I never gave up, nevertheless, I lost in each round. I let Mr. Fritz analyze my games. In some of the games I added anotations. Someone please help me!!!!

Upper Iowa University...Dean's List of Scholars

2008-06-19T15:47:00.004-05:00

I made the Dean's list for the Spring session. Most of my time is spent studying and doing class projects; leaving little time for my chess activities. I am proud of myself for this showing because I was out of a classroom for 28 years and I naturally worried how I would perform academically. Not to worry, I have a 4.0 GPA as I enter my Senior year. Just think, only 30 credit hours to graduation.

What is the payoff...I still suck at chess!

2008-05-27T16:36:00.005-05:00

Let me be real. After a hard year of doing tactical exercises until I am sick of chess and seeing the PCT program interface, I still suck at chess. Why do I say this? First, there is the annoying realisation that I still miss elementary tactics. I don't mean the positions I see in training. If any opponent would have the misfortune to walk into one the those he would be dead meat. No, I mean those new positions; the ones I haven't trained myself to see. I miss about a third of those altogether, and of those I can find something....hmm...tactical, I have about a 50 percent failure rate of seeing the correct solution from start to finish. So my fellow Knights, what is the payoff? Why do we (I) push so hard to improve? Maybe the answer is in the next tournament or perhaps in the next game even. I do know I have improved, but I feel I fall a bit short of the ideal.

This is my Playchess ratings chart. As you can see, I have improved over the course of the last year. At the start of this Knights Errant adventure, my rating was around 1250. The chart shows steady improvement until I reach my present peak of 1520. That might be all the payoff I ever receive...lol.

China...Pictures Are Better Than Words!

2008-05-16T09:59:00.002-05:00

My heart goes out to the people who lost loved ones. You can replace material things, but how do you replace a family member? Please be generous and donate to help!

Kansas City Quick Championship 2008

2008-04-16T16:13:00.003-05:00

This is a position from my last game in the Kansas City Quick Championship. At this point I was tied for first place and had the white pieces; however, in time pressure I lost the tread. What is the winning sequence of moves? White to move.

Chess in Education Part VI

2008-03-24T12:11:00.003-06:00

Conclusions

As reported in this series of articles, the game of chess has long been associated with human intelligence and mental development. From its inception, chess has been an educational tool primarily due to the mental challenge it offers. In the United States, Benjamin Franklin was an early advocate of using chess in public school to develop original thinking in students and many educators support this view presently. Numerous studies argue the positive benefits of chess in the development of the cognitive process and these studies offer valid reasoning as to why chess ought to be part of school curriculum. Chess objectively increases mathematical and verbal abilities in school-aged children, and, as a side benefit, teaches invaluable lessons to students in proper planning, conceptualization/visualization, analyzing problems, weighing options, and decisive decision-making. Those chess skills confer the ability to be successful in business or a field of study for any student who chooses to apply them. Educators achieve desirable results when chess is made part of the school curriculum, in part due to the increase in standardized testing scores; however, teachers also reap the rewards of having students participate in an activity that is not only thought provoking, but also fun. Moreover, teaching students to appreciate chess in school will give these individuals a life-long pastime that continually offers a mental challenge, thereby maintaining cognitive ability and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease substantially.

The author feels that every school, whether public or private, needs to make an investment in a chess program. The start up costs for such a program is minimal and the benefits to a student’s education are great. This makes chess an excellent value. Since the cited studies prove that chess has the greatest impact on a child’s mental development during their elementary education, chess study should be mandatory for grades Kindergarten through Sixth, and thereafter, chess should be an elective course of study. Teaching our children how to think is what chess in education is all about.

Chess in Education Part V

2008-03-06T08:28:00.002-06:00

Chess Maintains Cognitive Ability

Chess is undeniably the world’s greatest puzzle, and as such, it is a difficult and challenging game to play. Chess is not physically demanding, but it requires a cognitive ability of the highest order and an astonishing degree of concentration to play the game well. Studies report that people with Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease derive great benefit from playing chess, and are less likely to experience a rapid mental deterioration. Patients who regularly play chess are forced to remember how the playing pieces move, and must call upon encyclopedia-like knowledge to play the opening, middle game, and end game. This mental activity will stall the degradation of cognitive ability that is a hallmark of these diseases, therefore, enabling the people who are afflicted with these disorders to enjoy a fuller life (Russell, 2006). Furthermore, Chicago, Illinois, researchers report that playing chess reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease since the game keeps the brain active, and the practitioners’ of the game are 260 percent less likely to develop the malady (Childers, 2007).

Breaking the 1500 Barrier...A New Playchess High

2008-02-27T11:51:00.003-06:00

It was a week ago I played a rated game on Playchess against a 1664 and won. This sent my rating upward in a crisp fashion. Most of my victories come as a result of taking advantage of my opponents inferior position, a position he/she creates for themselves. One day, I will be good enough to force this on lesser opponents, but that requires many boring hours with static positions from a book by IM Jeremy Silman or IM John Watson. For now, the tactics that can be found as a result of inaccurate play from across the board is my gain!

Chess in Education Part IV

2008-02-21T10:56:00.011-06:00

Chess in Education

Chess has positive benefits for students because it forces the full utilization of an individual student’s cognitive ability. According to chess master Jerry Meyers (2005), chess increases a student’s intelligence by teaching them important skills that, while not specific to chess, are part of the game. Students learn the how to observe what is happening, and how to respond in a logical manner. Further, students learn how to think ahead, develop and weigh options, analyze concretely, and handle and prioritize multiple considerations. In a New York Times article, chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley asserted, “A lot of times [in] education we try to teach kids the one right answer [to a given problem] and that leads….to robotic thinking. We need kids who know how to think.” Grandmaster Ashley believes that chess encourages students to think of candidate solutions to problems before choosing the alternative that offers the best solution (as cited in Saulny, 2005). In a recent Rocky Mountain News article, Colorado chess master Todd Bardwick emphasized, “The time management and logical-thinking skills required of a chess master can be applied to any business or field of study.” Mr. Bardwick declared that the skills he had taught to one of his chess students made it possible for this particular student to complete law school in two and a half years and enjoy considerable success as a lawyer (Bardwick, 2007).

The benefits of chess are not just for students; educators have much to gain by incorporating chess into their curriculum. Mr. Stephen Lampkin (2000), in a Chess Life magazine article wrote about how the North Tonawanda School District, a city located near Buffalo, New York, introduced chess as part of the school district’s program of study, and how chess was responsible for the remarkable gains in the district’s standardized test scores at the elementary school level. Dr. Calvin Deyermond, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, reported, “We have seen improvement in mathematical reasoning skills as well as critical thinking as a result of this [chess] program” (as cited in Lampkin, 2000). Additionally, studies demonstrate that chess-in-school programs in New York City, Houston, Texas, and Bradford, Pennsylvania, have led to higher scores on the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Ferguson Jr., 1995, pp. 8-11; Meyers, 2005).

My Playchess Rating...The Highest Ever!

2008-02-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

Since I started my association with the Knights Errant and this crazy world of tactical training through torture, my Playchess server Elo has increase by 150 points. Much of this is due to the increase in tactical vision and awareness. I must confess it hasn't done a thing for my USCF rating, which seems to be stagnant at 1294. Perhaps if I would play in more tournaments that too would increase to around 1400 or so. As for now, I am celebrating my new best Elo!

I have added this chart of my progress on Playchess. A good eye for detail will notice that I don't play many rated games; however, let me assure you I do play everyday! I usually play against guests while learning an opening. Then I try it out in a rated game. So far so good.

One item of note: There is going to be a free chess tournament in the Kansas City, Missouri, area with a prize of $300. It doesn't sound like much, but if you are in town it doesn't cost you a thing, except your time.

Chess in Education Part III

2008-01-31T10:18:00.000-06:00

Chess and Mental Development

In an important study in the mid-1920’s, the psychologists Djakow, Petrowski, and Rudik concluded, from their observations of chess grandmasters, that accomplishment in chess came from “exceptional visual memory, combination power, speed of calculation, power of concentration, and logical thinking” (as cited in Ferguson Jr., 1995, p. 1). Further, other psychologists have theorized that besides requiring the aforementioned attributes, chess essentially cultivates them. John Artise draws upon his years of psychological research in chess to identify the contribution chess makes in mental development. In his article Chess and Education, Mr. Artise asserts, “Visual stimuli tend to improve memory more than any other stimuli…chess is definitely an excellent memory exerciser the effects of which are transferable to other subjects where memory is necessary” (as cited in Ferguson Jr., 1995, p. 1).

In an effort to confirm that chess does develop mental abilities, Dr. Albert Frank conducted an experiment at the Lisanga School in Kisangani, Zaire, during the 1973-74 school year. This groundbreaking work became the article Chess and Aptitudes or the Zaire study. The experiment had the following organization:

"Ninety-two (92) students, 16-18 years of age, were selected from the fourth year humanity’s class and distributed at random into two groups (experimental and control) of 46 students each. All of the students were given a battery of tests which included the Primary Mental Abilities test (PMA) in the French adaptation, the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT), the General Aptitudes Test Battery (GATB), and a Rohrschach test. The tests were administered to all of the students both before and after the school year, except for the DAT which was administered only before
the school year and the Rohrschach which was given only after the school year. At the end of the first semester, a partial retesting was made. The experimental group was given a required chess course of two hours each week with optionalplay after school and during vacations." (as cited in Ferguson Jr., 1995, p. 2)

Robert Ferguson Jr., (1995, p. 2) reported that Dr. Frank had two hypothesis concerning chess and its affect on cognitive development. The first hypothesis concerned itself with the necessary skills that form the basis of the ability to learn how to play chess well. The second hypothesis theorized that learning to play chess well contributed to the development of the ability to learn other skills. The result confirmed the first hypothesis, specifically, “There was a significant correlation between the ability to play chess well, and spatial, numerical, administrative-directional, and paper work abilities.” Additionally, confirmation of the second hypothesis, in particular: “… learning to play chess had a positive influence on the development of both numerical and verbal aptitude.” Dr. Frank found that playing chess assists in mental development because chess makes the most of an individual’s potential and enhances it further, therefore, making chess beneficial in education.

Chess in Education Part II

2008-01-06T11:15:00.004-06:00

The Game of Chess

Chess is a board game that has a playing surface consisting of 64 light and dark colored squares set in an alternating pattern, and arranged in eight horizontal rows and eight vertical rows. The chess opponent’s designation is by the color of the pieces they play with, either white or black—no matter the colors of the set in use. The opponents sit opposite of one another with the board between them. Each chess player has an army consisting of 16 chessmen; one of these armies will be a light color for white side and the other will be a dark color for black side. The white player always has the first move and all the moves must be in accordance with the rules of the game. The object of the game is to capture the opposing king; however, chess games can end in a draw when neither side can force a capture (Chess, 1993).

Chess in Education Part I

2007-12-18T17:32:00.001-06:00

History

The game of chess has long been associated with intelligence and mental development; some of the greatest minds that the human race has ever known have played chess for the challenge and enjoyment of matching their wits against a similarly gifted opponent. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (Chess, 1993) the game of chess originated in either India or China around the 6th century A.D. and then migrated westward toward Persia and Arabia, finally reaching Europe by way of the Muslims and Byzantines. Chess master Jerry Meyers in the article Why Offer Chess in Schools? (2005) further amplifies this history; he reports:

"Chess is a classic game of strategy, invented more than 1500 years ago in India. Legend has it that the ruler of India asked his wise men to devise a way to teach the children of the royal family to become better thinkers…chess was the result." (History section, para. 1)

Indeed, Benjamin Franklin embraced chess as an educational tool for schools in the United States, and this support continues to the present by many in the teaching profession (Meyers, 2005). This paper intends to examine how the classical game of chess assists in mental development and how that is beneficial to students and educators. Additionally, and of equal importance, this paper will analyze how chess maintains cognitive ability and will argue that the game is effective in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, this report will deal the following issues:

Chess
Chess and mental development
Chess in education
Chess maintains cognitive ability

Chess in Education: Beyond Mental Development

2007-12-14T14:54:00.000-06:00

Abstract

This paper deals with the subject of chess in education, and its value beyond mental development; it gives a general history of the association of chess to intelligence and includes the origins of the game. This report outlines chess as an educational tool for schools in the United States that has the endorsement of many prominent educators, including Benjamin Franklin. A brief description of the game is given. The chess in education research summary by Dr. Robert Ferguson Jr., Chess in Education: "A wise Move" Conference (1995) provided research study information linking chess to cognitive development and an increase in mental abilities. Studies have proved that chess has a positive influence in education from both the student and educators perspective, and that the mental stimulus provided by playing chess reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In conclusion, chess education needs to be part of every school curriculum, especially at the elementary levels, where its benefits will have the greatest impact on thinking abilities of children.

My Playchess Rating...Revisited

2007-12-03T15:45:00.000-06:00

I have done this before, I gave everyone a wee peek at my rating on the Playchess server. This time it was G10. As I stated before, I tried to keep my opponents Elo within 100 points of my official USCF rating of 1294. Today, I went all out and challenged a 1784 rated player in a rated game. It seems I always have the black pieces against the higher rated; nevertheless, I won. He seemed quite upset, as he never gave me applause nor did he offer a rematch.

Doing the problems in PCT has given me the confidence to play progressively higher rated opponents. I still make loads of mistakes, but I notice that my opponents due too. This processes has increased my vision at the board and has this has lead to an increase in creativity in my play. Hopefully, I will be able to post the game from today and get feedback.

GM Christiansen crushes Retired Pawn

2007-11-14T13:55:00.000-06:00

I played Grandmaster Larry Christiansen on November 4th. It went as expected...I lost! You can see me (Extreme left...with my hand covering my mouth) right after my move 7. Qf3.

Forbes,Todd (1294) - Christiansen,Larry Mark (2669)

The Chess Club Simultation Kansas City, Missouri, 11.04.2007

B33: Sicillian Defense, Pelikan and Sveshnikov variations

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Nb3 Bb4

7.Qf3 (My intention with this move is to cover both c3 and e4 squares and develope a piece. Silly really. 7. Bd3 is better). 7...d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.Qxd5 Nxd5 10.Bd2 Bxc3 (Nothing new in the game, all of the previous moves have been tried before. Now all I have to do is take with the b pawn and Mr. Grandmaster has the pawn structure weakness he wanted. Being one not to cooperate, I make my move)

11.0–0–0?? Bxd2+ (White goes down a piece against a Grandmaster...game over!)

12.Rxd2 Nde7 13.Bc4 0–0 14.f3 Bf5 15.a3 Rfd8 16.Rhd1 Rxd2 17.Rxd2 Rd8 18.Rxd8+ Nxd8 19.Nc5 Kf8 20.Ne4 Bxe4 21.fxe4 f6 22.Kd2 Ke8 23.c3 Kd7 24.b4 Kd6 25.a4 b6 26.Ke3 g6 27.h3 Ne6 28.Bxe6 Kxe6 29.g4 g5 30.Kd3 Ng631.b5? Nf4+ 32.Kc4? Nxh3 33.Kb4 Nf2 34.a5 Nxe4 35.c4 Nc5 0–1

The Magdalene Sisters: Trinity of Betrayal

2007-10-30T13:59:00.000-06:00

Summary of the movie

Set just outside of Dublin, Ireland, in 1964, this motion picture The Magdalene Sisters (Mullan, 2002) is about three young Irish women, and the circumstances of their confinement to a Magdalene asylum under the management of the Catholic Church of Ireland. During the 1960’s, Ireland had a strict religious culture with the Catholic Church as the supreme moral authority, and the church had great latitude to purge the stain of sin from Irish society. The church considers the protagonists—Margret, Bernadette, and Rose--as “fallen” women who must make penitence, by hard work in the asylum’s laundry and through daily prayer, for the period of time that the Mother Superior, Sister Bridget, deems necessary, to cleanse their souls of mortal sin. What are these great sins? A cousin at a wedding raped Margret; Bernadette is a “temptress” for flirting with some boys through the Saint Attracta Orphanage fence, and Rose had a baby out of wedlock. The Sisters of Mercy have the protagonist, and the others like them, dress in formless brown smocks to hide their figures. They arise early each morning for work; a nun guards them as the women parade about the asylum, and after the last meal of the day the nuns lock all penitents into their dormitories. Their lives are similar to the lives of inmates in a maximum-security prison, except there is no appeal, no visitation, no mail, no rights, and no parole. The protagonists are condemned for life unless a family member claims them or they escape.

Ethical concerns

A review of Mullan’s film The Magdalene Sisters has uncovered some serious ethical concerns involving the Irish family, the Catholic Church of Ireland, and the Irish Government. Each member of this trinity had a role in the immoral treatment of Margret, Bernadette, and Rose—and another estimated 30,000 Irish women—in the Magdalene asylum(s). This paper will focus on the following ethical dilemmas:

Involuntary servitude to the Catholic Church of Ireland for the purpose of profit.

Abuse of authority, including sexual abuse, by asylum staff and church officials.

Involuntary servitude to the Catholic Church of Ireland

Servitude—or slavery—is a condition in which a person is being deprived of his/her freedom to act as they choose. Furthermore, this condition is the complete and involuntary surrender of a person’s body, time, and property to another. According to Black’s Law Dictionary (Black, 1991 p. 1388), slavery is “the condition of a slave; that civil relation in which one man has absolute power over the life, fortune, and liberty of another.” Taking this a step further, Black’s Law Dictionary (Black, 1991, p. 1388) defines a slave as “A person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no freedom of action, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.” Using these definitions as a starting point will help explain the civil relationship of the protagonist to the Catholic Church of Ireland.

Margret and Rose came under church control after their embarrassed families sought the advice of the local priest on how best to deal with their wayward daughters. The priest suggested that the young women would benefit from a stay at a Magdalene asylum in order to remove the stain of their moral sin. Therefore, without their consent and against their will, the Catholic Church of Ireland took Margret and Rose. Being an orphan, Bernadette was already in the control of the church; however, without her consent, and against her will, she went into the Magdalene asylum.

In the Magdalene asylum arrival scene, the protagonists are marched in military fashion into the Mother Superior’s office and made to stand at attention. As new arrivals, Sister Bridget makes it clear where Margret, Bernadette, and Rose stand in the institution’s social order. The rules are given. The women will not talk among themselves during their stay at the Magdalene asylum, and there will be no communication with anyone from outside the asylum. As penitents, they will rise early and go to bed late and Sister Bridget imparts to them in this scene from the film “Here you may redeem yourselves by working beyond human endurance, to remove the stains of the sins you have committed.” Furthermore, Sister Bridget informs our protagonists that they are going to be at the asylum for a long time, and that the young women had better mind the rules because there are severe consequences for any disobedience.

In this telling scene, the church has established its absolute power over the protagonists, both physically and psychologically. By stripping these women of their property, individual identity, and liberty, the conditions that establish involuntary servitude have been satisfied.

Financial profit by the church

The Magdalene asylum’s original mission was a laudable one. The church sought to remove prostitutes from the streets and get them into the safe environment of a Magdalene asylum. Once there, the Sisters of Mercy provided health care to get the diseased women clean, and the women were trained as laundresses, a trade suitable for 1890’s era women. Initially, these women could come and go as many times as it took to get them out of prostitution. However, the church discovered that running a laundry was profitable, especially with free labor. Naturally, the Catholic Church of Ireland wanted to maintain its workforce, and even increase it, to maximize profitability.

Accomplishing this task was easy with the help of Irish families who were devoutly Catholic; they understood that the wages of sin was a burning death in Hell and they did not want that for their daughters, so they gave the women over to the church to remove the stain of sin. All the church had to do was label more women as “sinners,” and the laundry’s labor pool would increase, as would its profits. The Irish government treated the Magdalene asylums as private institutions, and as such exempted them for any labor laws. The conditions were ripe for the abuse that followed.

The Catholic Church of Ireland, having no labor laws to regulate them and no one to oversee its activities, enslaved an estimated 30,000 women with the full cooperation of Irish society. These women would enter Magdalene laundries to work until a family member claimed them or they died. The church had stopped releasing these women years ago, and with the Sisters of Mercy forbidding contact with the outside world in any form, the women were helpless, and at the mercy of the unmerciful.

Abuse of authority, including sexual abuse

According to the United States Air Force, abuse of authority is “an arbitrary or capricious exercise of power by a military member or a federal official or employee that adversely affects the rights of any person or that results in personal gain or advantage to the abuser.” (United States Air Force, 2001). Plainly said, if a person has an authority position over another individual and the authority figure exercises this power in a fashion that violates the rules, this is an abuse of authority. Oftentimes the authority figure uses the power for personal gain.

In the motion picture, The Magdalene Sisters there are many scenes of such abuse. One of the most glaring examples occurs when the priest uses one of the inmates for his sexual gratification through oral sodomy and intercourse. This inmate is at the mercy of the system that will not allow her to report the abuse. When Sister Bridget discovers this abuse, the Magdalene in question is whisked away in the middle of the night to a mental institution. Unmistakably, this is an abuse of authority by all church officials involved.

In another scene from the movie, two of the asylum’s nuns have the penitents lined up naked in the shower room, and the sisters are stripping the dignity of the Magdalene’s through humiliation, such as, comparing which of the women have the hairiest genitals, biggest breasts, and the fattest posterior. The nuns are enjoying this “game” and they are laughing at the young women. The faces of the penitents show distress. Clearly, this is an abuse of authority by the asylum staff. In fact, the protagonists received a severe beating with a leather strap—repeatedly—in all cases of disobedience, big or small, real or perceived, and much to the enjoyment of Sister Bridget. Again, this is an abuse of authority by a church official.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the motion picture The Magdalene Sisters raises serious ethics issues concerning the conduct of the Catholic Church of Ireland. According to the textbook Moral Issues in Business, the church engaged in “groupthink” believing that “because the group—the Catholic Church—is good—the moral authority—or right—Irish society did not object—whatever it did was permissible” (William H. & Barry, Vincent, 2007, p. 19). The church passed its demeaning labels of young women—some victims of a crime—into the collective conscious of the Irish family and government. Admittedly, it is easier to send a “whore,” “temptress,” or “lustful sinner” to a life of confinement than, say, a rape victim, a flirtatious girl, or a young mother who loved the wrong man. This “groupthink” led to the abuse of thousands of young women over the course of approximately seven decades because of its acceptance by the Irish family and government. It wove itself into the fabric of the Irish people, and for nothing more than to fill the coffers of the Catholic Church of Ireland.

It appears that Irish society as a whole is a shareholder in this immoral behavior. They witnessed the physical and psychological destruction of young women, yet stood idly by. The whole of Ireland is morally bankrupt for this trinity of betrayal.

The author disagrees with the handling of the ethical dilemma concerns, and honestly cannot find a workable solution to them. To say “the solution is this or that” is hyperbole. The only viable suggestion for a resolution of these ethical issues was to have the Irish families stop giving their wayward daughters to the church. What is more, the Catholic Church did nothing to correct any of these issues internally and it never accepted responsibility for its wrongdoing. The Irish government made no law against the church’s treatment of these women, nor did they seek to protect them through regulation, therefore under Irish law, this abuse was legal—but in the authors opinion immoral. The author applauds the initiative of Bernadette and Rose for effecting escape, by force, from these wretched conditions, and was pleased that Margret’s brother came to claim her after she had sent five years in confinement.

References

Black, H. (Ed.). (1991). Black's Law Dictionary (6th ed.), West Group.
Mullan, P. (Director). (2002). The Magdalene Sisters. [Motion picture]. United States: Miramax Films.
Shaw, William H. & Barry, Vincent (2007). Moral Issues in Business. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
United States Air Force. (2001). Inspector General Complaints. (AFI 90-301, Paragraph 1.10.1.1). US Government.

The Chess Club Championship...A Reflection

2007-10-18T09:04:00.000-05:00

Oh, my god! I could hardly believe it, and the thought I was daydreaming crossed my mind. When the tournament results were announced at the end of the 2007 Chess Club Championship my name was included as the under 1300-class champion. Surely, one of the tournament directors had made a mistake. After all, they are human and humans are prone to oversights. However, when it came time to take the club’s champions group photograph, there I was in my yellow t-shirt shyly holding a champion’s plaque, and as the camera’s strobe flashed, my mind was replaying those four rounds...hmm.

As my mind recalled the events, suddenly I was back to the beginning of June when I registered for the championship. My expectations were simply to play chess to gain tournament experience, and to gather four United States Chess Federation rated chess games. The thought of winning something never crossed my mind.

My round one pairing was against a young man named Yury Markushin. This was just my luck! It was only the beginning of the tournament and I was playing a Russian. At 10 A.M., the director explained the rules of the championship, and then the handshakes signaled the starting of the chess clocks. I had the white chess army and I commenced the game by advancing the King’s pawn two squares. Yury played the mirror move and play continued until we eventually entered into a chess formation named the Italian game. At black’s 19th move, the position was complicated and I sat thinking about my reply.

However, the harder I thought the more the confounding the background noise became. My mind focused on the ticking of the chess clocks...tic, tic, tic, and tic! It was maddening to listen to this while trying to concentrate on improving my position. It reminded me of hearing a dripping faucet while you are trying to fall asleep; the more you try not to listen to it, the louder it becomes. I looked around the tournament room as a form of relief from this lunacy, and all I saw were nervous chess players with worried, anxiety filled, faces. I watched as these participants obsessively ran their fingers through their hair. I witnessed the various twitches of their bodies that occur as a direct result of intense concentration and frantic thought.

Suddenly, my head was filled with every non-chess related thought I could have. It was my move, and I had to play something because the time was ebbing away. Furthermore, I wanted to make a move that would impress this young Russian, and in this, I failed. My 20th move was a disappointment because I missed a clear win, and the game would end in a draw 24 moves later.

I do not know about most people, but when I play in tournaments, I get tired. This is in the form of mental fatigue, and it is especially bad after a loss. I think deep down I knew I was losing the endgame against Yury, and was lucky to have the draw. Little did I know that the next round would be a disaster.

Feeling exhausted both mentally and physically, I started the second round game. My new opponent was a young man from New Mexico named Zach Stuart. I could not help thinking that Zach was a little far of field, but chess is chess and people travel to play our game. During this game, I have command of the black pieces. White’s first move was the now familiar King’s pawn advance and my reply was to have the Queen’s Bishop pawn advance two squares. We have entered into a chess formation called the Sicilian Defense and a few moves later, it turned into the Four Knights variation. I was losing the game by move seven and nothing improved for the next 28 moves. Facing a checkmate in two on my 35th move, I resigned and lost the round.

After completing two rounds of play, my score stood at a half point out of the two possible. Oh, how easy it is to fracture one's ego. My feelings toward chess had reached into a new depth of despair with this loss. Perhaps I was suffering a form of chess related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. My thoughts were jumbled and my speech incoherent as I wandered out the club’s front door, and I was in this state when a fellow chess sufferer named Doug entered into my life to stop my aimless staggering around the parking area. I confided in him that I really did not think much of my present play, and I thought even less about my chances of winning the under 1300 class. Doug listened patiently as I poured out my heart and as I finished he simply asked if I wanted to go with him to get something at the Sonic across the street. What was he saying to me? I could not even get my mind around the fact that another human being was asking for my company. I needed help! There must be a twelve-step program out there for chess related trauma.

"Hi, my name is Todd and I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," I would say at some meeting.

An old army veteran would respond, "Hey man, you catch that in the 'Nam?"

"Naw, it’s from playing chess. There was a checkmate in two. I had pawns coming over the back rank!" would be my frazzled reply.

Doug saved my life, my chess life, by a simple act of kindness to a pawn shocked chess combat veteran while eating at the Sonic. He told me to have fun, stop worrying about your opponent’s rating, and just play the position on the board. These words helped me overcome my self-doubt and to enter into a new phase where I did not worry about the other players calling me a “Patzer” behind my back as they laughed at my feeble games. There would be no more worrying about the gossip of the others from me. I would just relax from here on out and have fun.

My opponent in round three was my old friend Leroy Asher. We had played each other in the Kansas City Open last February. That game ended in a draw and I looked forward to this game, as I had the white chessmen. I commenced play with my King’s pawn advancing two squares and Leroy responded with his Queen’s pawn advancing two squares. Of course, I took his pawn on the next move and the game entered a chess formation named the Scandinavian Defense. The game remained close for the next 31 moves. Finally, on black’s 33rd move Leroy blundered and I checkmated him three moves later. My score increased to one and a half points out of the three possible and this gave me some hope of finishing even.

The fourth and final round began at 4:30 P.M. with a new opponent named Fred Smith. He was in command of the white chess pieces, and he commenced the game with the now standard King’s pawn advance. I went into the Sicilian Defense and was determined to win this one. We played like professionals for the first twelve moves and then Fred made a mistake, which cost him one of his Knights without compensation. This blunder must have affected him psychologically because his next three moves were inaccurate. On white’s 16th move he lost his Queen and the game quickly ended with checkmate. My final score was two and a half points out of a possible four, and I was quite pleased with this result.

After I collected my champion’s plaque and headed for home, it hit me. I was very proud of myself for winning a class championship. I had overcome my self-doubt and that horrible tournament start in order to win. Since then my tournament results have improved because of this confidence boosting experience and I look forward to my continuing success.

A Letter from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

2007-10-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Friend,

Even though its not been long enough, I've come to visit you once again. I live to see you suffer mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. My visit will again make you anxious and irritable so everything and everybody will cause you to feel uncomfortable and disoriented. I want you to be confused and depressed so that you can't think clearly and you'll hate everybody, especially yourself. I want you to feel guilty and remorseful for the things in the past. I want to keep you angry and hateful towards the world and the way you are now. I want you to blame everyone but me for the predicament. I want you to stay fearful and paranoid for no reason at all. I want to live inside your dreams so you can wake up sweating and unable to go back to sleep. I thank you for the countless jobs you gave up for me, and for the fine friends that you ignored because we became so close. Most grateful for the family you sacrificed so you and I could be together. I am happy that you were able to pass me on to your wife and children when they tried to stand by you. Thanks for devoting your life to me. But do not despair!, because I will never desert you as the others have. I will become an even greater part of your life. You can depend on me to keep you living in eternal Hell. I will be your only friend.

Forever with affection,

PTSD

The Tactics Training Update

2007-09-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

I have not put the effort into this that is required. Maybe it is the college work load, but it's more likely just some Mr. Lazybones. Someone needs to kicked me out of my rack earlier in the morning, and then keep my from wasting valuable time exploring Internet chat rooms, reading worthless news, or reviewing one blog to many.

Furthermore, I have not played a single chess game in over three weeks. How is one to improve if they don't seek competition? There is no excuse...

Ambushed

2007-09-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

Six men, in battle dress uniform and camouflage painted faces, silently stalked prey on a moonless October night in the inky blackness of a tropical rain forest. A special Law Enforcement patrol, we consisted of four Naval Security personnel, a Navy Seal acting as advisor and guide, plus myself as Petty Officer-in-Charge/Watch Commander. Our ingress started from the Pan-American Highway, just 500 yards from the western boundary of the Arraijan tank farm, and we moved south along a barely visible trail. The jungle, with its stench of rotting vegetation, extreme darkness, and a bounty of strange and dangerous animals, felt less than welcoming.

I had planned this special operation for weeks, and in response to the rash of thefts by the local Panamanian toughs. They seemed invisible to every means of detection, and very good at relieving Uncle Sam of his property. The only remaining option to stop the thievery was to meet them on their own terrain, but at the time and place of our choosing. Naturally, the ambush site was a good position, selected a week prior during a reconnaissance, it offered excellent concealment, and it provided the best ground for arrest/detention. A paid informant provided ample intelligence of who, what, where, how and when. Of course, the team’s morale was high, and we all felt John Wayne-like due to the power of the badge...not to mention the model 1911A1 .45 caliber automatics we carried.

After hour’s worth of patiently waiting, while enduring the feeding frenzy of thousands of biting insects, my Navy Seal advisor/guide told me in a low firm voice of authority.

“Don’t fucking move!” He commanded.

Just as he had done so, I felt the heft of an object on my left leg, and slowly it slithered to my right. My inside voice screamed…Oh, my god, what is it?

“Fer-de-lance…don’t even breathe.” He said.

Powerless, I laid on the jungle floor as a deadly poisonous viper of six feet in length moved slowly across my legs in a surprise.

Black Raspberry Jam

2007-08-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

As a child, I lived with my family in a modest wood framed dwelling along Springwater Road in the tiny village of Scottsburg, New York. It was a beautiful home with white clapboard siding, and black trim. Our closest neighbor was the Harris family, and they lived in a light green house just up the hill from our property. To me they seemed strange, and a little frightening with their red hair and alabaster skin.

Early one summer’s day, more out of curiosity than hunger, I pulled a plum from a tree on their property. My Mother always said if I did something wrong I would get my due. Of course, she was correct because Mrs. Harris caught me red-handed. She seemed witch-like with her smoky dark eyes, bright white skin, and flaming red hair, and I just knew she would cast a spell on me, or worse, tell my parents. When she spoke, I heard the alarming words.

“Come with me.” She said.

Into the ghoulishly green house we went. She led me into her kitchen while telling me her name was Ann. Once there she handed me a very large steel bowl.

Saying, “Since you like to pick things, I thought you might be so kind as to collect all the black berries along the creek.”

Even by my standard, the punishment fit the crime, and off to the creek I went.

Collecting the black raspberries was easy and fun. Soon I discovered that my hands, clothes, and mouth, especially my mouth, turned a deep purple from the sweet berry juice. In no time the steel bowl, and I, were full, and both happily returned to Mrs. Harris. She thanked me, and as I departed from her, these words registered in my ears.

She said, “Tell your folks that I’ll be over to see them tonight.”

Gulp! A further penitence would be required and I feared it would be in the form of a tanned backside.

After I returned home, in the forlorn hope the Mrs. Harris would forget, I said nothing and went to bed after supper. The next morning my Father awoke me and asked me to come to the kitchen table. As my Mother fixed a pancake for me, the dreaded words came from him.

He said, “Mrs. Harris came over last night and…”

I watched as he reached under the table, going for what would be, no doubt, his belt. Knowing from experience its sting, I closed my eyes.

He continued, “She asked me to give this to you.”

I waited for the sound of the belt cutting through the air.

However, I heard a different sound, such as a glass striking the table. Being curious I looked, and was dumbfounded by a small glass jar containing something dark, but what? My Mother placed a fresh pancake onto the plate in front of me.

Saying, “Mrs. Harris said you are a sweet boy to have picked all those black raspberries for her. She made this jar of jam for you, and I thought it might go well on a pancake.”

It was only black raspberry jam, what a delicious relief.

My Playchess Rating

2007-08-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

I thought I would give everyone a little peek at my rating on the Playchess server. This is the Blitz tab, but it's really G15. I have tried to keep my opponents Elo within 100 points of my official USCF rating of 1293. The other day I went out of the limb and played a 1590 rated player in a rated game. Fate gave me the black pieces, but I held him to a draw. I imagine he was quite upset, as he never gave me an applause. He didn't stick around for a rematch.

The tactical training is going slow due to my school studies. However, I have seen some improvement in my games. Proper chess vision is important at the board. Rarely do I drop a piece, unless I sacrifice it form some tactical shot (both real and imagined). My problem is I play inaccurately, meaning I don't play the move the position calls for. It is my belief that a person can see only so far ahead and once there he/she has to play intuitively. Most often my chess intuition has let me down.

No Time

2007-08-16T16:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, the joys of college homework. I am learning all types of new things, such as how to format a paper in MLA and APA. I have to learn each because I attend two different schools. Upper Iowa University uses APA, while Kansas City Kansas Community College uses MLA. Before the 8th of August I was unaware of such a format(s). Today, I am busier than a one legged man in an a** kicking contest with my Business Ethics course. I have to read 100 pages and turn in a paper by Thursday night. Great! I am sure this will help me stress related issues...not.

I don't see how the average student at an University has time for anything other than study. I must produce a paper for each class every Tuesday and Thursday. I might be a little old and slow, but I am not that old to know that each assignment eats a whole lot of time. In fact, it eats my chess playing time, my chess study time, and my family time. How do you do it, Mister College man?

Midnight Chess Madness

2007-08-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

Last night I couldn't get settled for a night in the house. I was pacing the floors, compulsively cleaning, and generally looking for something to do. I believe this was cause by some emotional issues brought on by a letter form my former employer. Distraction was call for! So I call Ken Fee from The Chess Club to inquire into the late night Blitz Tournament. Yes, there was a tournament. There were six players signed up already with more expected, and he would not start it until I arrived. Now it is a forty minute drive from my home in Leavenworth, Kansas, to the club in Kansas City, Missouri, and it was 9:45 PM.

My arrival at The Chess Club at 10:30 was expected, and I was promptly greeted by Ken, who by the way relieved me of $10. Oh, boy. Late night blitz action with...oh, my god...all the higher rated players in the club. Great. How the hell am I supposed to win any money against these guys, and what about my rating? Crap!! I was intimidated to say the least.

The first round was paired, and the clocks started at 11:00 PM. Blitz is so much different than the slow time control games. I think you can get an advantage against stronger players if you have a repertoire for it. I choose to use the one I use for all my tournament games, but with some modifications. Aggression is key. Get the initiative and pound away at some weakness. All out King side assaults often work, but they must succeed to win. I find I have a knack for relieving my opponent of their Queen. I do this on a regular basis, and against experience players. My downfall is that I can't manage to win in only 5 minutes.

My first games I played a very experienced 1750+ player. He has been at it for years...very fast on the clock. I had the White pieces, and chose to play the Scotch. By move 10 I had a clear advantage, and soon I would win his Queen. Near the end he had 11 seconds on the clock, and all I needed to do is play good moves. I didn't. I was checkmated with 6 seconds left on his clock. Sadly I had over a minute and twenty seven seconds. This would be the pattern my eight games. Only twice did I suffer a quick defeat, and these were against much stronger players.

The tournament went on until 1:30 AM. My score was a dismal 3/8. The good news is that I found a small boost to my rating (1294 to 1299). The bad news is that I never had a chance to unleash some of these checkmating tactics I have been studying. I will continue to train and hope the day will come when I will see the possibility in the position to launch an irresistible attack.

I Promised to Write

2007-08-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

When I started my blog, I promised to write often. I haven't. I Joined the Knights Errant and promised to do chess tactical training. I haven't been able to do that as I should. I wanted many things in my life to improve, and they have, but not the the degree I desire. If I only could put it down on paper, or this blog, then everything would be set in stone. I would be forced to improve! That being said, I find that I am my own worse enemy. Having bitten off more than I could ever possibly chew, I find myself giving in to frustration, and giving something up. This in turn leads to not doing anything. Yes, a sorry state of affairs. I must commit to doing, and in doing so, just do! I have been making an effort to take the time and practice my tactics. Now I must take the time to write about my life experiences.

My Training Continues

2007-08-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

Let me just face facts. I have been to lazy to do my tactics training as I once wanted it to be done. I can make all the excuses I want, such as: Getting enrolled into college and all that is takes to get ready, Home improvements, and Traveling with my brother. All of this is garbage! I just need to make more effective use of my time. Yes, good old fashion time management. With that mantra in mind, I once more returned to my chess tactics exercises. As you can see from my history I did okay. I would have like to finish all the units positions in under an hour and with 100 percent accuracy. That was certainly not the case, but a good showing never-the-less.

Today, Blue Devil Knight mentioned the loss of Patrick Bollig's Blog "Chess for Blood". I have known for more than two weeks it went 404. Patrick was a excellent source of information on free software, how to? articles, etc. I join Blue Devil Knight's voice and ask Patrick to bring back this blog! Please!!

What did I do this July?

2007-07-31T19:40:00.000-05:00

To all of my loyal readers...I am sorry for the lack of entries and content. I have had a busy July. To start off, my eldest brother Rodney came to collect me on July 3rd. This was so I could see how he made his living driving the big rigs on long haul refrigerated freight. Riding in the truck was an unique experience and I found it interesting. Our trip started from Leavenworth, Kansas, and by July 5th we were in a small town in New Jersey unloading some produce. Before I go any further I want to say that one must live in this truck. You eat there and sleep there and even make your toilet there. The truck must roll-on if a profit is to be made. After New Jersey we hauled orange juice to New Orleans, Louisiana. From there we haul Jalapeno peppers to Appleton, Wisconsin. It was now July 10th and I had went 4,300 miles in seven days.

Part of the reason my brother choose this time to take me in his truck was so I could visit his home in Little Chute, Wisconsin. This charming little city is about 25 miles south of Green Bay. Of course, I visited Green Bay and Lambeau Field...home of the Green Bay Packers. Hell, I even went to a bar called Fuzzy's #63 and had a draft beer. This bar is owned by Packer great Fuzzy Thurston; who played during the Vince Lombardi era.

My next experience in Wisconsin was going to Wisconsin Dells. My sister-in-law, Pam, said this was a must see. So early on a Friday morning we started out. I was very interested in the attractions, especially any roller coasters. As luck would have it I would get my coaster ride at the Timber Falls amusement park. This simple little park was set-up more for miniature golf, but it did have the Avalanche. This coaster was a hybrid consisting of wood with steel supports. In my opinion, it was a nice ride...fast and fun! Click here to take a ride. I did many fun things on this trip and I will share some more in the coming days.

I returned home on July 15th and have been busy getting enrolled into Upper Iowa University. I had intended to annotate one of my games from Birthday Bash at The Chess Club. I will most likely cover my loss in the Caro-Kann against Dan Holmes. It should be interesting!

Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation

2007-07-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

It is my considered opinion that the United States Government does only a few things really well. Among the things I would say it does right is: collecting tax, the U.S. Postal Service, and providing for the veterans of the military who were disabled due to their service. One of the programs the Department of Veterans Affairs runs is Vocational Rehabilitation. This is a great service because it makes available a quality college level education for disabled veterans. Many of these veterans can no longer work in a physically demanding job, but don't have the needed education and training to be hired in an upper management positions. Yes, a desk job (a nice paying one if you can get it). That is why the sheep's skin with the "University of Somewhere" written on it is very important. It is the key that opens the door so the veteran can earn the living he or she deserves. Why not? Ofttimes these men and women gave an arm, leg, sight, hearing, and emotional well being for the country. I believe, and I would hope you would agree, that the nation should repay the debt owed to this person in a way that makes this individual a productive member of the work force.

I am one of these disabled veterans. Trust me...nothing has been given to me; other than a hard time. However, I applied for Vocational Rehabilitation and after a lot of aptitude testing and college placement exams I was accepted. I have been enrolled into Upper Iowa University as a freshman pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. I haven't been to school in 27 years. Hopefully I will do well and get an office with a view.

I was tagged

2007-07-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

1) Blogger name and URL? The Retired Pawn/theretiredpawn

2) How did you learn about the Circles? I was searching for chess improvement ideas by visiting Susan Polgar's blog when I saw a post by "Chess for Blood". His ideas seemed sound, so I visited his blog and followed it regularly. He didn't subscribe to the ideas as outlined in the book "Rapid Chess Improvement", but he did practice tactics. When he closed his blog he recommended Blue Devil Knight's blog and I started following that. I started the circles as a way of holding my nose to the grind stone.

3) When? June 2007.

4) How long have you been going through the Circles, or if you have finished, how long did it take? Since mid-June 2007.

5) How is your progress? I have worked through 19 units of Tactics One in the prefab circles of the Personal Chess Trainer. This has help my OTB vision and my USCF Rating has risen from 1206 to 1293 thus far.

6) Would working with the Circles alone work well in terms of chess improvement, or does it help more to join the Knight Errant to monitor and discuss the Circles? I think one could do the circle by his or her self. That being said, I believe working within a group provides the support needed to follow through with the exercise.

7) Are you a scholastic player? No.

8) Would you recommend this method, the Circles, to scholastic players? Yes, I would! I believe the pattern recognition would be invaluable and last a life time. I would also recommend that they spend a considerable amount of time playing through and analyzing classic games, plus work on endgames and strategy in order to be a more complete chess player.

9) Do you use other chess training methods along with the Circles? If any, could you summarize them? Yes. I use books and I review my games. I found that Lev Alburt's Comprehensive Chess Course Volumes 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 to be of great help. I would also recommend Jeremy Silman's Reassess your chess. I know the Knights dislike Silman, but I found it to be good advice generally. I find if I review my games 3 times over I derive a great benefit and find continuations that often would lead to a win. I verify with Fritz 10 all of my improvements.

10) Any general comments about chess training or the Circles you'd like to provide? Do post mortems with the strongest players you can find and listen to their suggestions on play. I would caution that you don't just accept what comes out of their mouth as the final word. Quite often I have found an error in their analysis, but it the ideas they provide that truly help. Simply put...all those years of experience often provide the correct path.

I tag: Hard Days Knight

The Chess Club's Birthday Bash...CASH!

2007-07-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night my chess club celebrated it's 5th Birthday. I believe I had mentioned in a previous post that I was preparing and had made plans to play in the Open. I studied my repertoire and practised tactics and endgames until I thought I was as ready as I was going to get. This put me into wee hours of Friday morning. Then the unexpected happened. My spouse had just had some surgery and the site had become infected. She would need to go to the doctor's office first thing in the morning, like 6 Am. That meant I would have to be up at 5 o'clock to get a shower. No time for sufficient sleep. Maybe after the doctor's visit...it never came to pass.

I arrived at the Chess Club in a zombie-like state. How in the name of goodness would I be able to play chess? Hmm...free pizza. That is going to help. Oh, coffee! Maybe that would get me going? Birthday Cake!! That tastes good, but will the sugar sustain me or will I crash further after the sugar high? Questions with no answers.

The Open kicked off at 7 PM with the starting of the clocks. My first opponent was a guy named Kiran and he seemed to know what he was doing at first. However, I noticed he was unprepared for complications in the middle game; so I endeavored to make it as messy I could. I would go on and win this first game, but only after struggling to write the notation on the score sheet. My mind was not working very well and I had two competing disciplines to deal with...aggghhh! The next round started at 8:45 PM. I played my friend Dan. Last time we had met over the board he had the Black pieces, and went for the Sicilian Dragon set up. That time I missed a win at move 15 and that game ended in a draw. As luck would have it, he once again would have the Black pieces. I was waiting to see if he would try the Dragon one more time. The first victory in chess is to actually make someone give up their pet opening against you...by this standard I won. He opted for the Caro-Kann. The only time I played with this system was during my reading of "Tal-Botvinnik 1960" (I highly recommend this book). Great! How to proceed? I played my heart and lost. I believe that some improvements can be made to my play to increase my chances. My first suggestion would be try a different system within the Caro-Kann. The Next would be at sixth move. I played 6. Bd3 (which was logical), but theory says 6. Nxf6 is correct. There are other places where my play was less than I should except. Notably, both the move 9. Bd2N and 13. Bc3 are inaccurate and lead to my demise. Completely spent from that ordeal, I gathered more of the cake and ate myself into shape (perhaps if I kept on eating I would have a new shape). The last round started at 11 PM and my opponent's name was George. He played some wacky English set up with the White pieces that lead to a small, but steadily increasing advantage for me. We would play 50 moves before I delivered mate.

Everything was all said and done at 12:20 AM. My score of 2/3 was good enough to win some ca$h and give me a small boost in my USCF rating. The drive home was another adventure.

IF AT FIRST....

2007-06-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

I finally was able to get the screen shot from my Personal Chess Trainer 2007 with a little help from the Hard Days Knight and my son Christopher (who went to college at James Watt University, Greenock, Scotland, for Multi-media). Thanks you both for all the help!

As you can see I have been working hard on middle game Tactics. This area is the most important at my level (USCF 1293 and 1370 Playchess Blitz). I find the positions edifying and relevant to my games. The position include those with up to a three move combinations that lead to check mate. I worked through 15 units in two weeks and I see some results in Tactic identification. The PCT 2007 does offer even more.

While I was looking about I notice the endgame trainer, which I use to good effect. Also, I notice the opening trainer. At first glance I thought it was unless because it didn't train me in my selected repertoire. Since then I have come to realize that it is good in it's own way. You may play through the main lines of the select openings to about move 11 or so. This has help me clear up some issues with my Sicilian Defense. Anyone who reviewed my games will agree that their was some mixing of the system, which was costing me tempo. I believe this has now been solved. I have used it for the main line of the Scotch Opening, both ...Nf6 and ...Bc5 lines. The trainer doesn't allow my to train in my Scotch Gambit or the Stonewall Attack, but what the heck! I highly recommend this trainer.

Sometimes you give it your best shot

2007-06-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have been trying for two days to get a post of my Tactical Training History published to this blog. I am unable to get a screen shot for all to see. This is possibly due to my lack of computer savvy as anything. However, I am aware that it could be my system that is the problem or it is a combination of both. The Hard Days Knight has attempted to help and I thank him!

Tomorrow night is The Chess Club's Birthday Bash Open. I am playing in the Under 1600 section and I am hopeful I will produce a good showing. Tactics, tactics, and tactics. Wish me luck.

College Bound

2007-06-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Today I was accepted into the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation Program. I now have to visit campuses and gather information as to which program and major I want to pursue. Hopefully, I can find a chess related subject, but I will have to settle for something where at the end of four years I can be gainfully employed. Your tax dollars at work. Don't forget...hire a Vet!

Saint Mary's University, Leavenworth, Kansas

The 2007 Chess Club Championship Round 3

2007-06-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

How easy it is to fracture one's ego. My feelings toward chess had reached into the depths of despair. Perhaps I was suffering a form of chess Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My thoughts were jumbled and my speech incoherent, and I was in this state when a fellow chess sufferer named Doug enter into my life to stop my aimless stagger around the club's parking area. I confided that I really didn't think much of my present play and I thought even less of my chances of winning the Under 1300 class. Doug listened patiently as I poured out my woes and as I finished he simply asked if I wanted to go with him to get something at the Sonic across the street. What? I couldn't get my mind even around the fact that another human being was asking for my company. I needed help! "Hi...my name is Todd and I suffer from PTSD..." "Hey man, you catch that from the 'Nam?" "Naw...chess...checkmate in two...had pawns coming over the wire!!!" Doug saved my life, my chess life, by a simple act of kindness to a pawn shocked chess combat veteran.

My round 3 opponent was my old friend Leroy from the Kansas City Open. I have the White pieces.

Forbes,Todd (1293) - Asher,Leroy (1127)
The Chess Club Championship 2007 Kansas City, MO (3), 16.06.2007

B01: Scandinavian Defense

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 (frankly, I have little knowledge of this system and no plan against it. However, Back's next move surprised me as it seems to increase White's advantage) 3...Bf5 4.c4 c6 5.Bd3 (I was thinking of trading light square Bishops so I would have control over b1-h7 diagonal. Perhaps I should have considered 5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.d5) 5...Bxd3 6.Qxd3 cxd5 7.Nf3 h6 8.Nc3 e6 9.0–0 Be7 10.Bf4 0–0 11.Ne5 a6 12.Rfe1 Nbd7 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Re3 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rc8 17.Ree1 Rc6 18.Red1 Bg5 19.Bxg5 Qxg5

20.Qg3 (Breaking my vow and throwing away my advantage. Best was 20.Qxd5!) 20...Rfc8 21.Qxg5 hxg5 22.h3 Rd8 23.Rd4 Rc4 24.Rad1 Rxd4 25.Rxd4 Kf8 26.g3 Ke7 27.f4 gxf4 28.gxf4 g6 29.Kf2 Ke6 30.a4 a5 31.b4 axb4 32.Rxb4 (Along about here I was thinking draw) 32...Rd7 33.Ke3 Kf5?

34.Rb6! d4+ 35.Kf3 d3 36.Rf6#

1–0

Feel the Power!

2007-06-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

My son Todd II made this for me as the desk top on my notebook. I like it as it show my Mustang GT in a nice way. Thank you son.

The 2007 Chess Club Championship Round 2

2007-06-20T10:33:00.000-05:00

My last post was of my round 1 game. I don't know about most people, but when I play at tournaments I get really tired. This is in the form of mental fatigue and it is especially bad after a loss. I think deep down I knew I was getting the worse of it during the ending with my game with Yury and was lucky to have the draw. Exhausted is how I felt during the start of my second round game. My new opponent was a young man from New Mexico. I couldn't help thinking he was a little far of field, but chess is chess and people travel to play our game. I have the Black pieces this game.

Stuart,Zach (1238) - Forbes,Todd (1293)
The Chess Club Championship 2007 Kansas City, MO (2), 16.06.2007

B45: Sicilian Four Knights

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6

(Let just face it. Black is behind in development and the Bishop on c8 isn't moving anytime soon) 7.Bf4N (Novelty. White usually aims for 7.Be3) 7...e5? (Bad...just dreadfully bad. 7...Bb4!? was best)

8.Nxc6! bxc6 9.Bxe5 (Black goes down a pawn with no compensation) 9...Be7 10.Bd6 0-0 11.e5 Re8? (Better 11...Bxd6 but 12.Qxd6 Ne8 still leaves White with a winning advantage) 12.0–0 Bxd6 13.exd6 (This d6 pawn would prove to be a bone in my throat. Even better 13.Qxd6!? locking down the position) 13...Bb7 14.Qd3 Qb6 15.b3 a5 16.Na4 Qa7 17.Rfe1 Rab8 18.Qf5 Qa8?? (Blunder. The position was bad, and any move in a bad position is bad!)

19.Nb6 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Re8 21.Nxa8 Rxe1+ 22.Bf1 Bxa8 23.Qxa5 Re8 24.b4 Nd5 25.b5 c5 26.c4 Nf4 27.Qc7 h6 28.Qxd7 Re1 29.Qc8+ Kh7 30.Qf5+ Ng6 31.d7 Be4 32.Qxf7 Bd3 33.h3 Rxf1+ 34.Kh2 Nh4 35.d8Q (35.d8Q Rh1+ 36.Kxh1 Nxg2 37.Qdg8#) 1–0

What a disaster! I felt down and dejected...hoping that the lunch break would help going into round 3.

A Plaque in Hand

2007-06-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

I really couldn't believe it...I still don't. When the results were announced at The Chess Club of the 2007 Championship, I was included as the Under 1300 Champion. Someone made a mistake, surely? However, there I am (yellow T-shirt) holding my plaque and thinking back on those 4 rounds...hmm?!

Round 1:
Forbes,Todd (1293) - Markushin,Yury
The Chess Club Championship 2007 Kansas City, MO (1), 16.06.2007

C50: Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 d6 5.Nxd4 Ne5 6.Bb3 Nf6 7.Bg5N (I am having trouble believing that is a theoretical novelty...I only wanted to pin the Knight) 7...Be7 8.Bxf6 (8.Nc3!? is worth a look) 8...Bxf6 9.Nc3 0–0 10.h3 Bh4 11.Qe2 a6 12.0–0–0 12...Bd7 (Yury missed 12...Qg5+ 13.Kb1 Qxg2 winning a pawn. However with 14.Rdf1 White is still in charge) 13.g3 Be7 14.f4 Nc6 15.Nd5 Nxd4 16.Rxd4 Bf6? (16...a5!? is a better try) 17.e5 (This pawn advance gives an edge to White) 17...dxe5? (Better for Back was 17...Be7)18.Nxf6+! gxf6 19.fxe5 Qe7

20.Rh4? (I blew it with this simple looking Rook move. Best was 20.Qh5 and the rest is a matter of technique 20...Bf5 21.Qxf5 Qxe5 22.Qxe5 fxe5 23.Rd7 and White has a winning advantage) 20...Qxe5 21.Qxe5 (I am just throwing away any advantage with this. Better here is 21.Qf2!?) 21...fxe5 (Black has equality with this passed pawn) 22.Bd5 c6 23.Be4 f5 (Black is now in full control of the game) 24.Bd3 Rae8 25.Bc4+ Be6 26.Bxe6+ Rxe6 27.Rc4 h5 28.a4 Rd8 29.a5 Kf7 30.Rd1 Rdd6 31.Rxd6 Rxd6 32.Rb4 Rd7 33.Rb3 Kf6 34.Rd3 Rxd3 35.cxd3 Kg5 36.Kd2 f4 37.Ke2 (37.gxf4+ would allow the White King to penetrate Black's Queen side) 37...fxg3 38.Kf3 g2! 39.Kxg2 Kf4 40.Kf2 c5 41.b3 h4 42.Ke2 Kg3 43.Ke3

Kxh3 44.Kf3 Draw (While Yury and I agreed on a draw, and I honestly believed at the time it was a drawn position, alas it is not. Play should have continued 44...Kh2 the White King is forced to keep the opposition with 45. Kf2 h3! this pawn move hands the opposition to Black and with it...the game. Interesting!)

I was disappointed with my play in round 1. Little did I know that round 2 would be a disaster.

"Honest Abe?...whatever!"

2007-06-15T10:39:00.000-05:00

Take the challenge...the Rozerem chess challenge. You have to face the mighty chess playing spokes-beaver. He taunts you and insults you, just as he does with "Honest Abe". I find that I can beat him...no problem. He claims: "I didn't see that coming". He plays like a patzer! Go one...take the challenge.

While you busy playing the beaver I will be taking a real challenge and tackle my sixth unit of tactics with the Personal Chess Trainer. So far, I really like it. I am almost addicted...which is great because I am more apt to do my training. Also, I have to log-in to Playchess and get busy with live opponents. Last night late, like 2 in the morning, I played against a 943. Don't know why I did, except that I needed to play. However, I was struggling with him. I was so angry when I missed a mate. The final result was victory for me. I had little trouble getting the advantage with Black in a Sicilian (18 pawns worth), but my trouble was I couldn't close the deal. Maybe I should do these things earlier.

Morning Routine

2007-06-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, a BIG cup of Cafe SittoN to get me cranked up this morning. Yesterday, I finally broke down and purchased some chess software that I longed for a while now. I am the proud owner of the Personal Chess Trainer 2007 version 3.0. This is a tool that will help me focus on my chess studies. This particular one is helpful for Tactical training and you do problems in units. Also, it can be used for Endgame training, Opening training, Strategic training, and to play chess games against the chess engine Crafty 17. I can almost draw that chess engine. I still use Fritz 10 chess engine for all my real chess work. Fritz kills Crafty! I have other tools as well. I have a copy of ChessBase 9. This little gem organizes my played chess games and lets me analyze where I went wrong and how to fix it. I can do this along my repertoire for White and Black and by opening systems. BIG sip...ahhh! Best get cracking...Saturday is the championship.

Cafe Anyone?

2007-06-13T11:26:00.000-05:00

I just received a gift. Actually, it was four gifts...from the Republic of Panama. Let us take a good look. Well, now there is five things. I gotta like this! Okay, first things first. I have in my hand a bottle of Panamanian rum. A big bottle of Carta Vieja Ron Anejo. I like it! Next we have two T-shirts. Nice, I can us those right away. They are beautiful. Oh my god, what is this? Two fetching bags of Panamanian coffee. I love coffee. This here is some of the best in the world. Nobody seems to know about it, but I do. A bag of Cafe Sitton and a bag of Cafe Ruiz. Where is the coffee maker? Yes, cold crystal clear water and add 3 coffee scoops of Cafe Sitton and turn it on. Waiting. Whilst we wait for it to brew let me add that I drink lots of coffee. I have tried all kinds of brands. I like Millstone, but it doesn't taste any better than Folgers to me. Lately, I have been buying the cheap stuff. The Fort Leavenworth commissary has Eight O'clock Coffee for $2.59 a bag and it taste better than McDonald's coffee. I can't say Starbuck's coffee is that great either. Dunkin Donuts coffee beats Starbuck's both in price and taste. My question is why go to some coffee house, or restaurant, when you can make something better at home? Wow, let me tell you the aroma from that Sitton Cafe is just capital! A little sugar and some creamer...sip...longer sip...ahhhh. Yes, indeed. That is great coffee. I love my gifts!!!!

Leavenworth, Kansas, Night Life

2007-06-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

The other night, Saturday to be precise, I decided to check out the local public houses. This was all research for my faithful readers. Yeah, yeah, that's what is was...research! Anyway, I donned my best pair of jeans and a red polo shirt. I added my best walking shoes as I don't want to drink and drive and off I went. I must say that the City of Leavenworth, Kansas, really should think about the direction it is going in. I found hardly anything to do that would be considered "Date Night" material. What I did find was some old, run down, dusty looking places that pass as Bars. I walked much and drank little until I happened onto Marfield's Irish Pub. This place is a gem. While the decor might not be very pleasing to some, it is the ticket for simplicity and tavern functionality. This night there was an Irish folk singer that was quite good and added much to the cheerful atmosphere. The food is great (try the Shepard's Pie) and they have a assortment of Irish beers, plus their own brand. I had a pint of the home brew and a half pint of Harp's lager and off walking I went. The next place that was decent looking was the High Noon Saloon and Brewery. This place has it own brewery and a large range of choices. I can't say a whole lot about the service. It seems as though they are doing you a favor by being open or something. However, this place would be suitable for date night and it is where the semi-successful drink. I had a pint of their Lewis and Clark lager and found the door. Since I live a mile and a half from the town center I thought it best to review one last place. After walk about a third of the distance home, I sighted the loom of a neon sign. Wow! What do we have here? Tom's Country Stampede!!! This is not the place to take a date! It is a dive and dangerous (there was a fight right next to me within the first 5 minutes or so). Hell, it reminded me of my days in the U.S. Navy when the ship would visit Naples, Italy, and I would go on liberty to a place called "The Gut" (think seedy) to drink at a bar named "The Bilge" (the bilge of a ship is the void at the bottom where all the waste water and materials collects). They had some kind of country Karaoke going and the place was packed. The smoking lamp was well lit here and you could have cut it with a knife. The service sucked here too, but only because of all the people. I had their finest Pabst Blue Ribbon beer....yummy. My father used to call it "Sunk Water" because of the smell. I'll say it doesn't tastes as bad as it smells. After I had a 12 oz. draft of the stuff I was fit to leave. All of a sudden, I found it refilled. Hot damn...free beer! When that was finished another one appeared. So after 2 pints plus of the Pabst I was walking away. I must state that Tom's is fun...if you don't mind a complete dive. I'll just say stick to Marfield's...you will thank me.

Blitz Action!

2007-06-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night I went to The Chess club in Kansas City, Missouri, for the Summer Blitz (5 minute games) Grand Prix (a long term cash prize tournament). I had only gone to view the spectacle and had not plan to play. However, I was roped into participating by the friendly staff and an offer of a free meal. Hey, I like spaghetti and meatballs! The games started at 7 P.M. with the ticking of the chess clocks, followed by the slamming of the chessmen and the bashing of the chess clocks. Excitement builds during these games due to the wild attempts to win. One mistake is often fatal because you don't have time to regroup your thoughts and calculate your way out of the mess you created. My first game I won against a much stronger player. What followed was a slow trip into hell...losing me next 3 games. The above diagram is of one of my games against a very seasoned player named Tony. I have the white pieces. The previous moves have been: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 What would you do next? I'll tell you this. Whatever I did do wasn't correct because I lost in a most humiliating manner! You just can't overcome this and act as nothing has happened. Finally, I was to finish the night playing a lesser opponent and I was glad. I wanted to have an equal score for the evenings work. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I won the second to last game convincingly, but in the final tragedy struck as I banged on the chess clock in an aggressive manner and my flag fell...meaning I lost on time. I had a winning position. Crap! So the ultimate score was 2 games out of 6. I did receive a quick chess rating of 1297 Elo USCF. Really, not bad for the first time out in this type of quick game. I know I can do better!

I have had some suggestions for play from the above positon. One suggestion was 5. Bxf7+. I think Black gets a Bishop for a pawn and holds the postion. An example of play would be 5...Kxf7 6. Ng5+ Kf8 7. Qf3+ Nf6 and I believe Black has a slight plus. We could improve the line on the sixth move with 6. c3 d5! 7. 0-0 dxe4 8. Ng5+ but black is still holding an advantage with 8...Kf8. Finally, someone suggested 5. 0-0 and safely tuck White's King away. In my opinion that allows Black to much compensation for an unnecessary move. Black will simply play 5...d6 freeing his light square Bishop and increasing the scope of his Queen. Does anyone have anything better?

Wadsworth Revisited...is it enough?

2007-06-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I visited the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Leavenworth, Kansas. I think I like it's former name better: The National Soldiers Home, Western Branch, Wadsworth, Kansas. Yes, that has a grander ring to it...just like my ears do! President Lincoln, with the help of the U.S. Congress, established these homes as a way of repaying these volunteer soldiers loss of a limb or mind directly caused by the U.S. Civil War. These homes were grand in their Victorian design. No expense was to be spared and every effort was made to make sure these homes had the latest in modern plumbing, fixtures, safety equipment, medical services, food, and entertainment. The above image is of the lake...Lake Jeanette. Notice the band shell on the lake. In the 1870's, and until the 1930's, this is where the old soldiers, sailors, and marines would come to ease the heat of the day and listen to music. The band was provided for their enjoyment. They had dances and plays also. A huge library was provided. On pension day the canteen sold beer...70 half barrels worth! I won't tell you that this would meet our modern view of comfort. No, most of you would be appalled by the austerities of the open bay barracks with it lack of air conditioning and privacy. I believe most of you would have turned up your nose at the food the subsistence department provided. I am sure the horror of a visit to the hospital would be leaving you with thoughts of law suits. However, it is our modern eyes that make us blind. This place would have seemed as heaven on earth to these mangled men. Most of them were from farms and hard work and harder living is all that they knew until they were baptised by fire during war. These men had little in way of shelter, food, clothing, and sanitation. Just about all had body lice and sores covered their skin. Think about living as such. Now, think about coming to a place where you didn't have to worry about sores, lice, food, clothing, shelter, medical needs, and entertainment. To boot, they received pensions...money! That was a god send to these men and most enjoyed their stays until their last roll call. I wish it was still like that.

My stay at the soldier's home was short. In 4 hours I was back in my home and thinking about all of the above. I think a lot about the Veterans and how they live. I understand what is like to have wounds that don't show. Some people think that you should "just forget" about your military experience. I wish I could, but it is replayed at odd times during the day and frequently at night. How are you supposed to forget when the nightmares remind you? Yesterday I was told that I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have seen the counselor and the Psychiatrist. I feel guilty that I am not able to get over this by myself and I feel as a failed man...weak. I received my medication with dread and longed for the days when I would have been provided a band, a dance, and maybe a play. I wanted to be with the older men as they shared the days recalling their former glory with Custer. Mostly, I wanted to have pint or two of beer to forget and with luck...sleep in peace.

Hurry Home Soon My Son

2007-06-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

My little man has left. He is my partner and friend and I will miss him. We do everything together. He is my son...a reason to arise in the mornings and make a grand breakfast. I miss him already. Yesterday I fixed him some biscuits and sausage gravy. This morning he had oatmeal and toast. Maybe I should have cooked up some pancakes. The fluffy ones he loves so much...yeah, I should have. We left at 8:30 am for the Kansas City International airport. I let him drive there because it makes him feel grown and that he is doing something for the family. He was mature acting. He found the perfect parking space and took his bags to the check-in counter of the airline. I heard him ask if the flight was on time and seen him flash his passport. A picture of a grown man. I didn't want to let him go and I don't want him gone for the whole summer. However, his grandparents in the Republic of Panama have been waiting for a visit for years and I must not disappoint them with my selfishness. As they called his flight I hugged him goodbye and silently prayed that he will have a safe flight and for his safety in general. I need my wing man...I need him as I need oxygen...he is my life! Please be safe son and return home soon!!!!

Judit Polgar

2007-06-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

I am sorry to report that Judit Polgar didn't win her FIDE Candidates Match against Evgeny Bareev. She gave him a good match and produced one outstanding example why she should be the first woman to be crowned World Chess Champion. I don't want to offer excuses, but she has recently had to curtail her chess playing to become a mother of two. As these children grow older she will naturally have more time to devote to her chess career and I fully expect her participation in a World Championship game in the future. Go Judit!

The Lion Queen...Judit Makes Her Kill!!

2007-06-04T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hurray, Judit won a game! I like this very much. Judit has had a disappointing candidate match thus far. Her opponent is a very exprienced Russian Grandmaster named Evgeny Bareev. After game four the score was Bareev 3 points and Judit had 1 point. Yes, a very hard place to be and near impossible to recover from. Judit has a heart of a lion and went for the kill! I know most who read this blog wouldn't understand the notation, but believe you me when I say it was a most exciting game. If you wish me to post the entire game just ask. I will put the final position above for all the enjoy. The score after today stands: Bareev 3 points and Judit 2 points. One game remains in the match. If Judit wins then they play sudden death blitz (5 minute games) until one of them wins a game. Judit can not draw...or she loses her match. Go Judit Polgar!!

This position arose out of the Caro-Kann Defense, Two Knights Variation. Judit played book moves until she unleashed a novelty on the ninth move with 9. Bf4N. After that her position looked lost, but she fought on to the above position. Can you find the mate?

2007 World Chess Championship Candidates

2007-05-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

I haven't been blogging much lately. I have been busy watching chess games at Playchess.com. These games are the Candidates matches for the 2007 World Chess Championship. I have my favorite player...Judit Polgar of Budapest, Hungary. She is the only woman playing in this championship cycle. The big deal is that this isn't for the Women's World Chess Championship. No, Judit doesn't want that title. She is a sure winner there, as she is the strongest female chess player on the planet. She has bigger fish to fry! She is after the men's title. Good for her!! Why break it down between man and woman? It is a mental sport...um, art...mm, science...isn't it? She feels it belittles women to compete in a lesser tournament. If women want to be treated as equals then they must take up the challenge and demonstrate that they are equal. This is a fair forum to do this and Judit Polgar has thrown down the gauntlet. I wish her the best of luck. Go Judit!

Swift Boat Commander

2007-05-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

I arrived in the Republic of Panama during the Noriega years. The place was in turmoil and it was only a matter of time before the United States took some action. Usually, the Department of State has some plan in place for dealing with rouge leader's of other nations. Naturally, the Department of State has a sword for foreign policy and the U.S. military is its pointy end. Panama was a supposedly friendly nation. We had treaties in place of defense and trade. Everyone liked this peaceful coexistence, with a few exceptions. By the time I reported to my next command in August 1988, the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) had begun an adversarial relationship with the U.S. military in the Canal Zone (CZ). The day I took command of the Patrol Craft Fast number 9 (PCF-9) I was briefed that under no circumstances was I allow my craft to be boarded by the PDF. This lead to some very tense moments later on and with much weapons pointing by each side. The above photograph is the PCF-9. Most people call these "Swift Boats". Yes, the same type of boat that John F. Kerry commanded during Viet Nam. I was the Boat Captain and in charge of its maintenance, crew welfare, training, and fighting capability. She was a little hot rod of the river and coastal areas. She was officially a mark II which was an upgrade from the mark I's. This meant that she was a foot longer and 2 knots faster. The PCF-9 could reach 32 knots. She was well armed with a twin 50 caliber machine gun mount over the pilot house (which could spit a lot of death), a single 50 caliber machine gun over a 81mm mortar on the aft deck, two m-60 machine guns mounted port and starboard at just abaft of the deck house, plus two M-79 grenade launchers and some other small arms. She was dealing death and sowing destruction. It was my responsibility! The weight of command would be a heavy load, especially just before, during, and after "Operation Just Cause".

Upon The Road Of Anthracite

2007-05-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

Friday. Today is the day that I visit my priest friend, Father Thorne, at the Price Chopper. As always, he asks me for the latest news about me. I was telling him about this blog and how I was telling its readers about the train Phoebe Snow. He thought for about a minute and said "I remember that train...my brother and I would watch it pull into Hoboken". He was telling me how it was the Queen Mary of the train world. Very posh!

I included the image of Miss Phoebe Snow for all to enjoy. I don't know how much longer I will write about trains and my hometown? I have had such positive comments about it that I feel I must tell the stories. Let me know if you become bored!!

Since today is Friday, I am meant to be playing chess at The Chess Club. I usually try to catch the lesson and play a few off-hand games. Yes, nothing serious to spoil my night. I wonder if Ken has a job opening?

Today was busier than normal. First, I had the breakfast meeting I described above. After that it was off to the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center here in Leavenworth, Kansas. It has a big fancy name, like the Eisenhower Medical Center, but most just call it the VA MC. I had to update my VA identification card, so it includes the words: service connected. I then made an appointment to get a hearing aid and went to Human Resources to ask about a job. I don't need much money, but some more would make home improvements and auto repairs comfortable. Later, I had to take my pretty blue Mustang GT over to the Ford Dealer. I hate doing that. Just as soon as you get there the problem disappears and you can't make anyone believe that it ever existed. The good part about the this dealer is they have free Star bucks coffee. I really like good coffee!

It is almost amusement park time. Soon I will write about the Roller-Coasters in this area. I can hardly wait to get aboard the Mamba at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. Oh, just as a preview...the first drop is 205 feet!

My Fourth Ship...O'bannon

2007-05-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

This is my fourth ship, the USS O'bannon (DD-987), and she was a graceful greyhound of the sea. Her long lines where pleasing to view. She was powerful and fast. Her armaments included two 5"/54 caliber naval rifles (one placed forward and the other aft), one 8 tubed Anti-Submarine Rocket launcher (ASROC for short) (placed forward) which could fire conventional anti-submarine torpedoes or nuclear depth charges, one 8 tubed NATO Sea sparrow anti-aircraft missile launcher (placed aft), two 4 tubed Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers (place amid-ship facing port and starboard), and various small arms. Her four gas turbine main engines and 2 variable pitch propellers could bring this ship above 36 knots with ease and in a true emergency flank 3 situation she could touch 40 knots. I reported aboard her in August 1986 as a new Quartermaster First Class (QM1) and I was the Assistant Navigator/Leading Petty Officer. I was the man in charge of the ship's navigation...of a Man-of-War. My navigation team members were very well trained. We went places and did things of lore...and we did them as safely as it could be done. Never once was the ship lost and endanger of running aground. I was informed the day I reported aboard that I had less than 30 days to prepare for a deployment to the Persian Gulf. This meant that I worked almost around the clock to obtain the needed nautical charts and publications, plan the voyage, Lay the plan of intended movement on each chart, and get the whole thing approved by the Navigator and Commanding Officer. All this for some 24 year old young man. What a load. I can tell you that there is more work to this than I outlined. For the next two years this ship was my home. I lived aboard, eat every meal there, and it is where I worked. It was to be a trying experience as well. One that would make me into one of the finest Quartermasters in the Atlantic Fleet. When I departed the ship in June 1988 I had served at sea aboard ships for 8 straight years. I was time to go kick some rump in Panama!

The O'bannon commencing a full power run. She has just past through 22 knots. A lovely lady!

5 inch/ 54 caliber naval rifle...Gun smoke!!!

A Train called Phoebe Snow

2007-05-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

I can hear the train coming up the main line of the Lackawanna Railroad, East bound, from Buffalo, New York. That's right, Dansville, New York, was a stop along the main line. The train that carried passenger from Buffalo to Hoboken, New Jersey, in 8 hours and 39 minutes was named the Phoebe Snow. She can be seen in the photograph wearing the Lackawanna banner. She was not only fast, but beautifully trimmed in bright colors and luxurious. She had an observation car, a gourmet dining car, a tavern car, and a sleeper car. People would put their lives on hold just to watch her flash past. On the engine was a painted portrait of Phoebe Snow, a character that the Lackawanna had invented to promote how clean their coal burned. Miss Phoebe is gloriously dress in all white and she is breathe taking. No wonder people just stopped and stared! All aboard!

I spent most of my day doing my appeal to the Veteran's Affairs folks. It is a lengthy process that requires me to find evidence to support how a disability is connected to my service. I was told that the VA had already considered my Service Medical Record and that I would not be allowed to use it again to support my claim. Well, it is the evidence and I need to use it because somebody missed a lot of entries that support my claim. I'll update you all once I see the VA man.

My Third Ship...Hunley

2007-05-23T10:42:00.000-05:00

This is my third ship. She is the USS Hunley (AS-31) and I reported aboard her in August 1984. She was located at Site One, Holy Loch, Scotland. Site One is where the Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN's) started their deterrence patrols from. This was during the bad old days of the cold war and the United States needed to keep the pressure on the Soviets. We did this by arming these submarines with nuclear tipped missiles...scaring the crap out of them because the boats (submarines) would disappear for 90 days and nobody knew where they actually were...not even the U.S. Navy. Now before you start calling on congressman...they were assigned patrol areas off the coast of Russia, but these area were large and the boat tiny, so nobody actually knew where they were. The Hunley was assigned as a tender to the submarines. This meant that she repaired, rearmed, replenished, outfitted, and supplied the boats. I was assigned to the Operations Department as a Quartermaster Second Class (QM2). I corrected the navigational charts and publications. I fixed and maintained navigational equipment. Mostly, I supplied the boats with charts and expertise. You see, I was a recognized leader in celestial navigation and the Quartermasters from the submarines wanted to learn how. It was a good job.

I also loved Scotland! The people were warm and friendly. I met a nice woman and had a son there. Although we never married I have remained in touch. My son, Christopher, lives in Dunoon with his mother, Angela. I like the whole atmosphere...the bagpipes, the public houses, the beer, the fish and chips, and the beauty of the place. I was sad the day I had to leave. I knew the day I was promoted to QM1 that I would be getting orders. In July 1986 I received them and I was to report as the Leading Quartermaster (the boss man) aboard the USS O'Bannon (DD-987).

Think About It

2007-05-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

It is a lonely rainy day here in Leavenworth, Kansas. I would normally like such a day, as my ancestors came from Scotland and I believe the love for rain runs in my blood. However, today is such a day that melancholy strikes at my heart and a feeling of helplessness hangs over me. Why? Is it that silly chess game you're always writing about? No...this is much more serious. My feelings match the above photo. This photograph depicts a military prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. How do you feel looking at the photo? Looks cold and lonely to me! I can imagine what it is like to be in there. Have you ever wonder what it would be like to be in such a place? For the moment let us forget that the inmates, prisoners, convicts, etc (the people) are there as a result of some savage act they may have committed. Let us just pretend that it is you. Hey Todd...I haven't committed a crime!!! That doesn't matter for the moment...just pretend. You had your day in court and you lost. At this point you probably will lose more than your liberty. Some lose everything! Their wife, children, parents, and Friends, not to mention pensions, homes, cars, bank accounts, good name, good credit, and their minds. You show up at the joint and even your dignity is lost. You are forced to wear chains like some dangerous animal and have 3 guards surrounding you, plus there are guards in the towers pointing guns at you...ready to shot if they perceive you as a treat. Once you get inside...and please remember that it is easier getting into prison than getting out...you are degraded by other inmates. You're a fish and you have no standing with anyone; thus no rights to look at, speak to, or offer anything to anybody. What's more is that you can't read a book, watch television, play a game, and sometimes even eat. You have to be accepted....or worse sold!...before any of those things can be. Nobody cares about you and your story. Yeah, but I didn't do anything! That doesn't matter. Now imagine that the people who promised to write you, your connection to the outside, don't or stop. Who do you share the horrors with? Who can you tell that you had a visit from the Welcome Wagon and they were 8 deep and wanted to get to know you better!? Yes, best give your heart to Jesus because your ass belongs to....ouch!!!! You see frequent assaults, hear rapes, get your toilet paper ripped off, and god only knows what else. The walls close out the outside and your mind just closes. Days drag on forever and years past in seconds. It is a surreal experience and it makes you an older, wiser, but weaker person. That prison has not changed you for the good of society, but rather just change you for good. It has taken your humanity. Now imagine that you were innocent the whole time. How are you supposed to feel? How do you feel just thinking about it? Well, that doesn't happen to the good people in life, Todd. How can you be so sure?

My Second Ship...Samuel Eliot Morison

2007-05-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

After I left the USS Forrestal (CV-59) I received orders to this little beauty. I want to stress little here. The Forrestal was 1,067 feet in length with a 252 feet beam (width) and displaced 81,000 tons. When I reported aboard in January 1983 the USS Samuel Eliot Morison (FFG-13) I found her to be 453 feet in length with a 45 feet beam and displaced 4,100 tons. She was tiny! I soon found she was also a vomit producing machine!!! I can't adequately describe that feeling, but for the ladies it is similar to morning sickness...or any motion sickness. I stood watch on the ship's bridge as helmsman and ship's navigation plotter/recorder. I had to tie a plastic trash bag to my belts for emergency use; and that is not all. It would get so bad that I actually had to lie on the deck between the times that I was required by duty to perform some action. Once, the Commanding Officer cussed at me for being lying down on the job. He had stepped on me as he was looking at the plot (the chart showing the ship's positions and future track) and firmly ordered me to brief him. However, the Captain soon change his mind when he witnessed the employment of the trash bag. I don't want you to think that is the only experience I took from this ship. I would have to say that she had some of the best chow I ever had (plus some of the worst...we ate chicken for nearly every meal for 30 days due to a budget problem. Have you ever had creamed chicken & toast?) and she had some of the nicest berthing spaces (think cruise ship room, but for 60 people). The Morison was quick...as quick as my Mustang is from 0-60 only in ship terms. She could accelerate so fast that you could feel g's. Her official top speed is listed as 29+ knots (knot = 1.15 mph). Well, she produced 41 knots at builders trials before they added the sonar dome. After that she could still push into 38 knots territory if the engineers over rode the shaft torque limiters in "Battle override" mode. She wasn't the first ship that I sailed into "harms way" with, but she was the first that I faced a enemy at close had. The was during "Operation Urgent Fury" off the Island of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea. Apparently the Cubans artillery could reach out and touch us and almost did! I departed the Morison in June 1984 (I was in the middle of the Persian Gulf cruise) after I received orders to the USS Hunley (AS-31).

I will post some photographs of the USS Samuel Eliot Morison (FFG-13) in company with the USS Saratoga (CV-60). We were on our way to the Middle-east during foul weather. I just wanted you to get the sense of the size difference. The Saratoga was the same size as the Forrestal.

We were refueling at sea during these photos. QMSN Langenberg and I were the Master Helmsmen that day. It was very difficult to keep a heading when a huge wave would pick the ship up and set it down 3 to 10 degrees off course...yet as Master Helmsmen we were required to keep the ship within 1/2 of a degree at all times. Yeah...right!

Let us see if any of the ship's Officers can do it!

My First Ship...Forrestal

2007-05-21T14:40:00.000-05:00

This week I think I'll do a walk down memory lane. The above is my first ship. She is the USS Forrestal (CV-59). This is how she looked when I left her in December 1982. I remember many things about her, beside being the biggest ship I had ever served on in my naval career. She had a crew of just under 6,000 men. They were divided into ship's company (permanent party) which number around 2,550 men and the embarked air wing (visiting party) with the remainder. She could feed the crew in about 2 hours in 5 different messes and 3 separate ward rooms. Enlisted men eat in the mess and Officer dine in the ward room. The only exception is that Warrant Officers eat in a mess for some strange reason, as they are commissioned Officers...crazy system. The Forrestal was also fast for a big ship. She had 8 boilers which feed 600 lbs. steam into four main turbines producing 250,000 shaft horse power. That is enough to propel the ship over 36 knots. Her true speed is classified, but it is greater than 36 knots. I used to work on the ship's Bridge. It is those top row of windows on the island. I had to wash those by hand as a seaman. That was an adventure all it's own to climb over the railing knowing your about 60 feet above the deck. I visited many wonderful places while stationed on her. If you have questions just leave a comment.

This morning I had to visit the Doctor at the Veterans Affairs Hospital. Everything is about normal. I will soon own a hearing aid for my left ear. I hate it, but I need help hearing. He also wants me to visit the mental health people to discuss some issues pertaining to traumatic events the are service connected.

The Depot

2007-05-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

The other day I was telling my faithful readers about my home town of Dansville, New York. I had mentioned the Lackawanna Railroad had a depot on the East Hill. Now some folks called it Lackawanna Hill because the railroad owned the wye that ran for miles along the hill. The depot was atop a road called...Depot Road of course. My Mother, Freda, was telling me all about the great trains of yesteryear. She says that the building was black, but it looks blue to me. Now I am not one to say much about the woman that gave me life, but..."Mother, you may be color blind and in need of glasses!" Actually, she sees fine. I understand these events took place over 50 years ago. So she tells me that the grade was steep up Dansville Hill (that is what the Railroad called the grade between Groveland Station and Perkinsville) and each East-bound train needed a helper Engine to pull the load up this 12.6 mile stretch. I wish I could have seen, heard, and remembered those behemoths chugging up the grade. Wow, what a sight to see. My Mother and my Aunt Colleen are a great source of information about things past. Enjoy the photo! If anyone is a rail buff let me know.

Today is bill paying day. The U.S. Government giveth and then taketh away. Since I get paid once a month I have to pay all the living expenses at the first of the month and have loads of fiscal discipline to make it to the next payday.

Yesterday I spent about 3 hours with my chess openings. My little data base of openings is improving and soon I will be training myself to be an expert at what I have prepared. This system is much better than the old school way I was doing it. Now I have the means of trimming those bad, inaccurate, and wasted moves from my repertoire. I was looking at adding the Stonewall Attack and with a few clicks of the mouse I now have it in my opening book and I am learning it. Next I will invest about $50 in a tactical trainer and I'll be on my way to a good showing in the club championship!

A Trip to Wadsworth

2007-05-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

I like old things. My faithful readers know this by now. The older the better. The above photograph was taken in the late 1800's. I don't know if you can make much out, but it shows how the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Leavenwoth, Kansas, looked back then. Back when it was know as The National Home for Volunteer Soldiers-Western Branch, Wadsworth, Kansas. It was a well designed place with a hospital, chapel, dining hall, ball room, theater, amusement hall which included the canteen, a fishing pond with gazebo, barracks that had bath tubs and hot and cold running water, plus flushing toilets. Please remember that this was back when most folks had outhouses and if you wanted hot water for a bath you had to boil it. This was considered a very nice place to live. I can see why.

I brought all that up to say that I visited this place late last night. I was having some health issues and I thought it best if the Veterans Affairs Hospital Staff recorded my symptoms and treatment. I came into the hospital and was promptly treated. The staff took an interest in my issue and for the most part polite and helpful. I was finished within 90 minutes from the time I walked into the emergency room until the time I walked out of the hospital to my car. This time also includes a visit to the pharmacy. Great! My only issue was this: the Doctor seemed to want to protect the Department of Veterans Affairs from an increase in my disability. I understand this on one level...they must see people who falsely claim an illness from time to time, just so that person can get over on the governments dime. I get that. My trouble is I used to play John Rambo and not report every little ache and pain. I didn't want to be a "Sick Bay Commando" so I sucked it up. Very manly and very stupid! I say it is stupid because you have to prove that you have a injury and that is chronic and that it was caused by your military service. The primary way they do this is scrutinizing your Service Medical Records. If it isn't recorded there then it didn't happen while you were in the service. That is why I need the hospital staff to record my illness...so I can get a veterans compensation and pension that is fair based on my real level of service connected disabilities. My complaint is that they make it hard to do that by employing a subtle from of harassment. How does that help the veteran?

A Veterans Compensation and Pension

2007-05-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have a question? How many of my faithful readers has ever served in the United States Military? How many of you were told that U.S. Government appreciated your service and would ensure that you received compensation for injuries/disabilities upon completion of your service to the Country through the Department of Veteran's Affairs? I was told this many times. I was also told that this would be in addition to my life long medical care the military would provide me if I would retire after 20 years...free of charge. I think it is time for military to tell the truth. The truth is that I do have military medical, provided at the military post closest to my home...for about $38 (the family rate) a month. Okay, the Navy did their part; so my next stop was the Veteran's Affairs people. I went into my application for compensation and pension not knowing what to expect. I went to all of the appointments. Those Veteran's Hospital Medical Staff worked my over. They asked very specific questions and I did my best to answer those questions truthfully. After that I waited about five months to hear about my entitlements. What did they say? The Department of Veteran's Affairs awarded me a 30% disabled rating and I will receive entitlements based upon 13 service connected disabilities. This award includes health care, educational opportunities, vocational job training with placement, counseling for mental anguish, and a tax free cash compensation for my disabilities. Many nice things! However, there is a problem. I have five other disabilities that the VA claims are not service connected. Having served our great nation of 26 years, 1 month, and 3 days I would think that just about any health problem I had, unless it was documented as a pre-existing condition before service, would be service connected. Apparently, not so. One of my denied disabilities is in the form of something called: Restrictive Airway Disease. Sounds nice, yes? Yeah, and the best part is that this is the result of asbestos exposure. I worked aboard one ship and was assigned to live in two buildings that are known to have asbestos dust problems. There have been lawsuits filed and claims granted to illnesses based on asbestos exposure in military service. Those suits mention the ship and the buildings. This is serious stuff. Many of those people that had been exposed are now dead. The United States Government knows, or should know this, as it is government property. So why does a government department deny my claim, which is based upon medical test results done at a government medical facility? Money would be my guess. Their official reason was that I can not establish a service connection. Where in hell have I been for the last quarter century? I was in U.S. Government care under the Department of Defense, serving in the United States Navy. My service began aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59). a ship that was known to have asbestos exposure problems. I served at the United States Disciplinary Barracks (Bldg. 475), Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, a building to have known asbestos exposure problems. Finally, I served aboard Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, and was assigned to live in a barracks that was condemned because it was known to have asbestos exposure problems. The truly sad part is that the officials at these places never told me that I was in danger. Why? My guess is money. So I sit here wondering what I would consider fair compensation from the VA. I would think that the government should grant me a service connection to the restrictive airway disease and rate my at 50% disabled. That is fair because I am 50% to blame for my exposure, i.e. I failed to protect myself. What do you think?

I have been preparing for the chess club championship. I downloaded the chess position trainer and I have been diligently working on my repertoire. So much fun. I will keep you posted.

Naval Hot Rod

2007-05-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I like the roar of a big radial engine. Those big piston powered monsters of yesteryear just get my blood pumping. Especially if it is on my favorite U.S. Navy fighter aircraft of all-time...the F-8F Bearcat! This is one of those aircraft that is a true hot rod. The engineers at Grumman put the biggest engine into the small aircraft and ended up with fantastic. The Bearcat was fast for a propeller driven airplane. This bird could push about 470 mph on full emergency power. That would outrun any P-51 Mustang, F4U-5 Corsair, or P-47 Thunderbolt around. The Bear was 20 percent lighter and had a 30 percent better climb rate. In fact, the Bearcat could take off in as little as 115 feet and climb to 10,000 feet in 92 seconds. That beats any modern jet fighter on take off run length and almost matches their rate of climb to 10,000 feet. Not half bad for something the was engineered in the 1940's. Long live the Bearcat!

Money Grows on Trees

2007-05-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

I was born in a small town in up-state New York. If you went there today I suspect you wouldn't think much of it. Last time I visited it seemed just a shadow of what it had been during my youth. Maybe my view of it changed because I had during my service in the Navy. After all, I had been away for so many years. Had it really changed? Had the golden town of Dansville been just a figment of my imagination? Some sort of brainwashing that the community did unconsciously to make you think that your home town was paved in golden bricks and that money continuously grew on trees? Funny...money growing on trees!

Dansville, New York 14437, was such a town where money grew on trees. Actually, on lots of trees. My great Grandpa, William Buck, started a family business of William Buck & Son, Tree Growers. Most people today might think of this as a garden center, but it was a nursery. Dansville was full of them. My Grandpa, Stanley Buck, knew more about tree growing, tree grafting, tree selling, and all things trees...more than anyone I have met in my life thus far. The whole town was like that and most worked for the "Nursery Men". My first paycheck came from William Buck & Son, earned at my Grandpa side as a bud tie-er, and the check was signed by my Uncle Charles Buck. So money did grow on the trees in Dansville!

Once upon a time Dansville had two railroad services. The first was the Dansville & Mt. Morris line. This line would run for over 100 years and made money for most of it. The second rail service was provided by the Lackawanna line (later Erie-Lackawanna). Steam locomotives (as pictured above) still chugged up the East Hill when I was born. Passengers would disembark at the depot near the Castle on the Hill, a resort hotel of some fame started in the 1800's by Dr. James Caleb Jackson. See the hotel brochure here.

Speaking of the Castle on the Hill ...I bet you can't tell me what one thing that was invented in Dansville that most Americans have in their kitchens? Would you believe breakfast cereal? Most Americans have at least one box of Kellogg's breakfast cereal in the cupboard at home. Here is the story.

Since we are on health and well being I might just as well state that Dansville, New York, is the home of the first American Red Cross. Its founder, Clara Barton, lived in Dansville for some time and her home became Chapter number one. See story here.

Yes, Dansville has lost some, if not all, of its former glory. The railroads, the castle, and the nurseries are gone. People here now work in service related jobs, with a few exceptions for the limit factory jobs available, and are near poverty. However, the town is quiet and peaceful resting amongst the hills of the Genessee Valley; same has it has been since 1790.

My Mustang

2007-05-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

Undoubtedly everyone has seen my automobile. I have a rather fetching photograph of it on My Page in My Personal Photos. Yeah, right next to my dog Esko. The story behind this car ? Well, it was purchased out of frustration and with anger. You see, I have another car...a nice Toyota Camry. However, I was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, but the Camry was in Kansas. The Navy had me go on Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) to London, Kentucky. Transportation was provided to Kentucky, but somehow it wasn't provided for the return trip. I had 12 hours to get to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL, and no way to get there! I felt that this was done on purpose. However, I had to do my duty and report on time. So I went to Interstate 75 with my sea bag over my shoulder and hitched a ride to Knoxville, Tennessee. At the Knoxville airport I rented a car (a nice Pontiac G6) and drove all the way to the Jacksonville airport. Then I caught the United Service Organization (USO) bus to NAS Jax. I reported with 2 minutes to spare! That was way to close for comfort. So I call my brother Paul (who lives in Jacksonville) and had him come get me after my duty. We went car shopping. I told him to pick a dealer and he want me to have an Acura TL, but due to road construction we detoured to a Ford dealer. I walked onto the lot and saw this pretty blue Mustang GT. I told Paul "This one...I want this one". I strutted into the show room and told them "Whoever can get me into that Mustang GT for $27,000...I will buy it tonight". Paul was aghast. After some tepid offers I finally got the price I wanted, but I would have to wait until they dealer prepped the vehicle for delivery. No, no...that won't do...TONIGHT!!! I got the price and at 11 p.m. I was tearing the factory plastic wrapping off the seats. Wow, what a nice smell. I love new cars. I tell everyone that the Mustang was a retirement gift and in a way it was. I wanted to own a Mustang GT for a long time (since childhood) and the new body style increased that longing. The car is a 2006 Ford Mustang GT Premium Coupe and was on the lot for $33,000 before tax, title, and tag. I got a good deal...$27,500 including tax, title, and tag. The runs great and is fast...super fast! I have personally gone from zero to sixty mph in just 5 seconds and have had it over...let us just say that Ford says the car will do 150 mph and that I believe that. I finally did get my dealer preparation completed 4 months after I drove away from that dealership late at night by the local Ford dealer here in Leavenworth. They love the car too.

Thanksgiving 2006

2007-05-16T07:50:00.000-05:00

The above photo is of my son, Todd II, and me during our Thanksgiving celebration of 2006. We had many goodies on our humble table that sits in our minimized kitchen of our modest home...um...mansion. After all, how could any house that is situated along Pennsylvania Ave. be anything but a mansion? I digress. This was the first Thanksgiving that we had celebrated together in 10 years. What a shame. I was in the military all those years and had estranged my family with my absences. The last 12 years had been really rough. My son was seven years old when I was to go to work one day and not return for over 7 years. One can't imagine the sacrifice made in terms of missing those all to important bonding times, such as holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Nobody can grasp the pain of separation that was forced upon us due to my service in the United States Navy. I'll never get those times back; and the loss is very much my own. So in a feeble attempt to at least give me son some pleasant memories to take into his adulthood, I prepared our Thanksgiving meal. We posed for this picture while my son was asking "Papa, when can we eat?" Oh, son...we have to say grace and thank God for all that we have. He was saying grace before I was ready. I wanted to stop him, but this was his day and he wanted to taste what the old man had cooked and baked. What did we have? The usual fare of: roasted turkey, whipped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, buttered green beans with ham, home made cranberry sauce, creamy turkey gravy, freshly baked buttermilk biscuits, plus beer for me and sparkling apple drink for him. Later we had the rest of the meal, which included: freshly brewed vanilla flavored coffee, pumpkin pie with vanilla bean ice cream topped with freshly whipped cream. Yes, a good meal indeed. We spent the day in grand style watching NFL Football (American style football) in front of our old television (1992 model-27 inch old school) on an even older davenport. Hell, we even went outside to the front yard to toss the pigskin during half-time. That is how Thanksgiving should be celebrated...together with ones family and enjoying the best that life can offer. Yes, even if for just one day each year. Alas, this special day won't make up for the lost time and opportunities. It doesn't make up for the pain, stress, depression, anxiety, and god knows what that my absence brought. Only time and a lot of counseling can do that...hopefully. What it did do is bring two strangers closer together. I love you Todd!

Tomcat Boogie

2007-05-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

I joined the United States Navy while I was in school. I departed for boot camp 3 days after I attended my high school graduation. What a shock! Just watch the movie "Full Metal Jacket" . This will give you a sense of what I went through. My Recruit Company Commander was a chap by the name of Pie...Petty Officer was his first name or MS1 to his friends. This guy could cuss! Every other word was profane and he would string the filthy words together in links of six to eight words. I, for one, was impressed. It is hard to admire some nasty mouth man with a horrible disposition, but I did. He did a good job and the reward for suffering through this was Quartermaster A school in Orlando, Florida. I would finally see Disney World!

Quartermaster A school lasted about 8 weeks. I was so proficient at reading charts and plotting positions that I graduated with honors. This meant that I would be given first choice of a ship from a list. I picked an aircraft carrier...mainly because my father always wanted to go aboard one and look around. Also, I thought about sea sickness a lot back then and this way I was sure I would avoid it's unpleasantness.

The USS Forrestal (CV-59) was America's first super-carrier. Built with an armored angled deck, she could launch and recover aircraft at the same time and the deck could withstand hits from hostile bombs and such. Her length was over 1,000 feet and her width was 252 feet. She carried over 80 aircraft. I was in awe of it all the day I came aboard and for weeks after. The above photo is of a F-14 Tomcat. This is how the aviators flew...on the edge. Honing their skills was a must during that era. Those days seem so distant now, but I can still go back in my mind and smell the jet exhaust and hear hear the roar of those big war birds.

The View

2007-05-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

My view of Pennsylvania Ave. has changed. Most people would have you think the the President owns 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and can do as he pleases. Well, his power is restricted by the United States Constitution. The U. S. Congress and U.S. Supreme Court work as equal partners with the U.S. President to ensure that no one part of the United States Government becomes dominate and all powerful. This way our Representative Republic stay free from a King...or dictator. The People of the United States directly elect the members of Congress. However, We the People do not directly elect our President. It is a complicated system, but it was instituted to ensure fairness...that one state could not elect the President by itself base upon an advantage in population. However, this is not the reason my view has change...

As I look out my living room window over Pennsylvania Ave., I see a change in weather. It is cold and damp. The rain is starting again and the temperature is falling once more. So much for Global Warming! Some county in the State of Colorado reported 18 inches of snow yesterday; and we had snow just last week. My main concern is severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Kansas is know for them...just watch The wizard of Oz . I keep telling myself "It is only a movie, it's only a movie...".

Time to get my war face on and start practicing serious chess study. I have a lack of motivation to get into all those things that make the great chess players great. I am supposed to devote 20-30 minutes a day to tactical training. This means solving lots of chess problems. I am supposed to be sending 30 minutes a day for a week on an opening, which I will change each week until the Club Championship, to build a knowledgeable repertoire. This is done best by playing through several hundred games in the system I want to use. This is for each system! I should download the Chess Position Trainer . This free download promises to build, and then train you from, your choice of repertoire. Yeah, Fritz 10 was supposed to do the same thing lol. Next we are to spend about 30-45 minutes in endgame study and practice. This is best done with a position set-up on the board and working out the solution in ones head, writing it down (so you do cheat yourself), and then playing it out against the computer program Fritz 10. If you do this right the results should match your solution. If Fritz wins...back to the board for you. Finally, you have to play at least two games a day (one with each color) and analyze your results. You should do this with an eye to improving your play and improving upon the system (by finding novelties) in which you play. Yes, very hard work.

Looking Back to Last Week

2007-05-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

If you were one of the many who wondered just how high did the water get last week have a quick look. That is the mighty Missouri river at full crest. This photo is of the River Side Park. Normally, the river is about 20 feet below lowest part of the walk way. Nice. This week the rain has stayed away and the river has gone down about 10-15 feet. My hope is that the river level stays a little high this year, but not flooded. I believe this puts an end to the drought conditions of last year.

I have a new tool in my chess arsenal. Its name is Chess Base Light and it is a free download. It come with a data base and you can upload some games systems of your own for study purposes. I like it because I can access Playchess right from it and not have to go to my notebook. Try it...it's free!

Just to update you on my sick computer. It seems to be working once more. I have a few bugs to work out of it. There appears to be a problem because that nasty AOL wants to take over all the functions. I have denied it access to the other programs, but it works out of that somehow and it becomes the default everything. I am so angry about this. I have taken the drastic action of removing it as the dialer for Internet access. No worries! I have broadband and it if that goes down I can't get a dial -up connection because I have digital phone...it's all on the same line. One last thing. This morning I received this from Dell computers: "Greetings from Dell! Thank you for choosing Dell..." It should have read: "Greetings from Hell!.." That is all I have to say about that.

Just Beautiful

2007-05-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those days. The great outdoors calls you with blue skies and moderate temperatures..."Come to me!" Yes, yes, yes...in just a minute. Why wait? That is easily answered by the above photo. As there is beauty in the natural world, there is beauty in the chess world, in a game of chess. The board is a thing of beauty (just look at it, nice) with its 64 squares, 32 light color and 32 dark color. Did you know that a chess board has 8 ranks (which cross horizontally), 8 files (which cross vertically), and 26 diagonals (of which 13 are light squares and 13 are dark squares)? All this is beauty. The chessmen are beautiful. True works of art. Did you know that there are 32 chessmen to a set? Opposing armies that consist of 16 men each for the light and dark colors. Each army has a King, Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, and 8 pawns. How about the minds that move the chessmen into pleasing patterns? They create such beauty that I sit inside my castle and watch...even as Mother Nature has given me a most beautiful of days.

Curacao 1962

2007-05-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

In 1962, on the Island of Curacao, a legendary Candidates Tournament took place. All the big names of the chess world were present. Two of them are pictured above...Mikhail Tal and Bobby Fischer. Tal had already been World Champion (1960-1961) and Fischer was to be World Champion (1972-1975). Why are they playing in a hospital? That is easy. Tal's health had always been suspect since childhood and he suffered with a kidney disease as an adult. He became very ill during the tournament and had to be hospitalized before the start of round 22. This virtually ended his chance to challenge the current World Chess Champion this championship cycle. While in the hospital Tal didn't get many visitors. His Russian compatriots couldn't be bothered to go and cheer up poor Mikhail. However, Bobby Fischer, an American and sworn enemy of Russian chess, did! They played chess while Tal's amused doctor looked on and advised Mikhail that he should be resting and not exerting himself playing chess. Mikhail Tal died of kidney failure in 1992.

Greetings from Hell

2007-05-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

I don't think I like computers. So much can go wrong and it usually does when you need the contraption the most. I have just such a problem. I think the world was a better place when we didn't subject ourselves to the computer related stresses. Who cared about computer crashes 100 years ago? Now I am in a tizzy because I have an appeal to the Veterans Affairs people due and it is in the computer that doesn't work. Great! I called Dell (Hell) to get answers and nothing. Zip. I get on my notebook (a very nice HP...no issues) and finally chat with a technical guy. After doing this all day and after 3 different chat sessions...nothing. Zip!

I wanted to write about the flooding and how the police harassed those who wish to just view the water, but it can't be. I would have liked to up-date you on my chess studies too. I wish to talk about trains and things...alas I can't. Not when the Dell (Hell) computer is in need of fixing!

The chopper chat

2007-05-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

Late last night I received a call from a my good friend, Father Carroll Thorne. It seems that he wanted my company for breakfast. So early this morning I went to meet him at the Price Chopper (A local supermarket). He was glad I came and asked me question after question, "What would you like for breakfast?" I thinking of biscuits and scrambled eggs, Father. "What...no meat? You realize Lent is over, don't you?" Yes, Father. The meat hurts my stomach. "You should get that checked out...by a Doctor!" Yes, Father! So our friendship goes. He talks and I listen. He is an older gentleman who has seen his share of horrors in the Philippines (He was removed by General Marcos for telling the Dole Plantation workers to raise and stand up for there rights) and while serving with the United States Army in such places as Viet Nam and Iraq. Now he is the Roman Catholic Priest for the United States Disciplinary Barracks (Military Prison). I see he is tired and he explains that there had been some "business" at the prison. He talks and I listen. This is how it should be. The elders passing on their wisdom to the respectfully listening youths. I speak only when an answer is expected from me. He shares his knowledge without condescension and I learn without intervention. A mutually agreeable relationship! No power struggle at all. We both enjoy our station. I wish my son would understand this type of relationship between men.

It is Friday. Supposedly, I am going to The Chess Club in Kansas City, Missouri, to play tonight. I regularly do this so I can get lessons from our local Master, Life National Master Ron Luther. However, on Saturday there is a ratings only tournament. I would like to play in it for training, but I don't want to lose rating points by having to play against much stronger opposition. One can't imagine the agony of chess. You must play to get better, but your ego and emotions are tied into each game. One silly-stupid-wrong move during critical game with a higher rated opponent and it is game over!! You're left feeling naked and exposed, feelings raw, emotions running high and wild. This is the roller-coaster ride of chess. You start off safe and climb higher with each win. Very soon you climb as high as you can and now there is only place to go...down. Crashing down into a depression where your ego is crushed and your confidence trampled. Some people fail recover from this and will not play rated games again. That is why preparation is so important. Study + Practice = Results.

30 feet high and rising!

2007-05-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

Today it rained off and on. I was wondering who was going to stop it. I know in the end God will, but that may be after 40 days and 40 nights. I decided to go for a long walk, and this led me to downtown Leavenworth. Man, they have everything here! Such as: stores, bars, train depots (as in two of them), and a train that comes along several times each day. What more could a man ask for? Naturally, I had to see the train and the Wye is runs along the Missouri river. The easiest access is at the Leavenworth Landing (a waterfront park), which is co-located with the old Union Pacific depot (two birds with a single stone!). As I approached the Landing I notice something a wee bit odd: Hmmm...I don't seem to recall those sandbags ever being there? No they are something new. Also new was that the river has risen about 30 feet and has claimed or reclaimed some property. The above photo was taken in January at the Landing. If you look across the river to the far bank you find a barren area above the river with trees above that. Since I have resided here, that has always been the scene. Today? The water covers the barren area and is half way up the trees and is still rising. You can not stand where the photo was taken either. The police have made that a crime scene...lol. I guess it comes in handy when they need to tape off an area. The water is mere inches from spilling over and flooding the park and parts of downtown Leavenworth, Kansas. I watched the water rage by for quite awhile and heard over the police radio that Missouri Department of Transportation had closed Missouri 92 and Missouri 45. Those are the roads that take you to Kansas City, Missouri, and they are now flooded. As I stood there the rain started and the sandbagging became more urgent. I looked up at the heavens and silently, but sarcastically, asked God: What more could you do to make this day more perfect? My answer came almost immediately...an Union Pacific train sounded its horn and rolled on by.

Retirement Home

2007-05-09T13:25:00.000-05:00

I have a question for you. Have you ever wanted to retire to a nice home in the country? How about a manor on the lake with a view of rolling hills? Better still...snow covered mountains? Yep, I had the same dream! Feast your eyes on this beauty I found. Before you laugh, I want you to know that I worked hard for 26 years serving my great nation, and this is all my pension allows. It is where the magic happens. As you gaze into the windows (I don't recommend you really do that...perverts) of my 816 square foot mansion; you will find me busy at the computer doing something mightily important. What pray tell? Lots of stuff. Today, I was really at it paying the bills that my sumptuous life style produces. I am afraid that I will soon have to let the help go. Good thing that he turns 18 years old in about 16 months. Wouldn't like to put him on the street before that, but I would dare say that he is likely to eat better there. Also, I was at the chess thingy watching two players duke it out. You know things are pathetic when your entertainment is watching Chess...or Golf...or Bowling. However, I was hoping to learn something useful from the Grandmasters at work. You see, the game is really complicated. All this talk about Static features and Dynamic features and Imbalances of a chess game is enough to make your head swim. The Masters of the game, in particular, the Grandmasters, make it look easy. Way to easy. They would have you thinking "Yeah, I can play like that". Then some non-master comes along and starts with "Everyone knows...". Oh, uhm...I don't...are you sure? To make matters worse, once you learn something as a rule, one must realize that it is only a guide. There are exceptions...lots of them. Just as in life.

Freedom isn't Free

2007-05-08T18:56:00.000-05:00

I need help. I need help financially. I need help financially and physically. I need help financially, physically, and mentally. I just need plain help! As a Naval Veteran of many military actions (Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Granada, El Salvador, Panama, and the Gulf War I) I have seen my share of horrors. If you add pulling dead bodies out of the sea, looking down the barrel of a weapon as it is discharged, putting a graves registration card on a dead Marine who had more holes in him than Swiss cheese, almost drowning in the line of duty, and countless other episodes that left emotional scars...no wonder I need help. I did retired from the U.S. Navy and I do draw a decent pension with benefits. What the Navy doesn't cover the Department of Veterans Affairs does...or is supposed to. That is where a service organization comes in. They fight to get you the help you need. I choose the Disabled American Veterans to represent me in my claims of disability to the VA. My services representative was helpful, efficient, knowledgeable, and most of all looking out for me. I am now rated at 30 percent disabled directly connected to my military service; and that is only round one. The DAV representative tells me it could and should be higher based on my 13 service connected disabilities. Yes, I need help! I need all the help and support and love y'all can give because I gave myself, the best years of my life, in the service of our nation. It's true...Freedom isn't Free!

Peace be with you

2007-05-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

I like the scene. It reminds me of my peaceful days I lived on the shores of the Holy Loch while I was stationed in Scotland. The snow covered mountains, the crystal clear water, the refreshingly pure cold air, the people, and even the rain...gave me peace. Just as a Sunday morning Mass does. Peace be with you! Why do I bring this up? Well, a couple of things. I started the morning off with sweeping and swabbing the wooden deck (the floor) on the house. This was followed by doing the laundry, which included the sheets and pillowcase of my bed. Anyone who has done this knows that danger lurks behind every corner and today my feather pillow exploded. BOOM! Feathers all over my freshly done floor. Peace be with you! Next it was on to my chess studies. I cranked up my trusty laptop and connected to www.playchess.com and found a willing partner in crime. That is what I will call this game. Criminal! Oh, it started out in a nice Scotch Game...no that has nothing to do with a bottle of whiskey or the photo. This opening is how I get an advantage with the white pieces when black meets my 1.e4 with 1...e5. So it start thus: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 and then black is supposed to play 2...Nc6 and I continue with 3.d4! In this game black decides on the Philidor's Defense and plays: 2...d6. Okay, I get it. My response is the same 3. d4! , but this opponent has to be a smarty pants and plays the weak 3...f6? and with 4.Bc4 I have better development and initiative, which gives me at least a pawn worth of advantage! So the game progressed until I lost some material...hung it actually. Now we are even again in material, but I maintain my three pawn advantage in positional considerations. How is any of this criminal? I finally missed a mate in 11 moves and then I missed a mate in 7 moves and then I capped it all off with a missed mate in 4 moves! How that happens is any ones guess? Yes, I won...a win is a win. I did dominated my opponent with 22 pawns worth of advantage by this time. However, it left me ill at ease. Peace be with you! So I am left here in my retirement wondering if I should continue to study my chess, read a book, go watch TV, cook supper, chat with friends on line, do some work in the garden (lawn), or forget everything and go to sleep. Decisions, decisions. I say this: "If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart". Peace be with you!

Kansas weather leads to home improvement

2007-05-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those days. Late last night I went to my basement to get some clothes and bottled water before I retired for the evening. Everything was fine and secure and it remained thus until I went to bed. In fact, the only thing that was going on was this line of severe weather which was coming into Leavenworth from the South at 50 mph. This weather system was to remain in place for the next 8 hours, but small chance it was going to produce a tornado; so beddy bye I went. So guess what awaited me this morning? That is correct...a new indoor swimming pool! Hey, Little Todd! Yes, Papa? Come quick, we won a new pool!! New pool? What the hell? Pool? Surprise, surprise. My basement was flooded and the water was rising. At this rate the deep end would be about 6 feet in a couple of hours. Crap! I can't handle this at half-four in the morning (Sobbing). God, if you help me I promise to go to church (more sobbing). What I need is action. So I donned my Marine Corps Drill Sargent attitude: Look here sweet pea...you best un-eff yourself before I rip out your eyes and skull eff you! That got my son's attention. Private Toss off, bring your sorry ass down here...and start sweeping! It brought back fond memories of boot camp. In this manner, all hands commenced the de-watering evolution. It would be some hours later when it secured...long after the Private had to force march to school. Enjoy the photo.

I just want everyone to know that the harsh language in the story was for dramatic effect and a bit of military humor only. I can neither confirm, nor deny, that such language was used; and if I did have such knowledge, I would not be at liberty to discuss it with personnel without their having a need to know.

Kansas City Area Chess

2007-05-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

This photograph was taken in The Chess Club in Riverside (Think Kansas City), Missouri. It depicts the scene and action of a tournament in progress. What is missing is the ticking of the chess clocks...tic, toc, tic, toc! It is maddening to listen to. What you can't see is the nervous-worried-anxiety filled faces, the fingers running obsessively through ones hair, and the various twitches of the body that is a result of concentration and frantic thought. This was very much the scene on Saturday during the April Rating Only tournament.

My tournament didn't go as planned. First I was late getting out of the house, as I couldn't leave with out my my chess books and things. Then the traffic was heavy for some reason. I arrived before the tournament started, but I wanted about an hour to look through my preparation. This was more like ten minutes. My first opponent was much stronger than I. To make it worse, I would have to play with the black pieces and hold on for dear life. It began at 10 a.m. with the call to start the clocks...tic, toc, tic, toc! Walker-Forbes: 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nc6 (better 3...d5!) 4. cxd4 Nf6 5. e5 Nd5 6. Bc4 e6 7. Nc3 Nxc3 (black can get a slight plus with 7...d6) 8. bxc3 Be7 9. Nf3 0-0 10. Bd3 d5 11. h4 a6?? ....Oh, that hurt! I was thinking about controlling the square b5 and about freeing my light square Bishop. What I should of been doing is creating threats with 11...Qa5. This would have kept the game even and even gave my chances to win if white misplays. Instead I allow a mating attack and would resign on move 20. This was to be my only loss and my only game as black.

After reviving myself with a Chinese buffet, 3 cups of coffee, and a brisk walk. I came to my next game with a clear head. I had the white pieces. This would be the pattern for the next two games and I would play almost the same way. My second game of the day started at 1 p.m. and was over in about 30 minutes. His name was Daniel and he was new to the chess scene. He started our game fine, but on move 7 he started moving pieces twice and soon I had an attack the Bobby Fischer would have approved of...sac, sac, mate! Daniel would go on to lose all three of his games this day. Sorry Dan!

My third and last game started at 4 p.m. and I faced a higher rated opponent. This too would be a Sicilian. My first game was in the Smith-Morra Gambit variation, my second game was in the Njadorf variation, and now....the feared Dragon variation! I played the Yugoslav Attack and missed a win on move 15. Instead of playing 15. Bxg5 I should have played 15. h6! and my attack would have been irresistible. We agreed on a draw after move 50. My score for the tournament: 1.5/3 +1 -1 =1. So I had a dead even day and felt okay with the results. I even got a small boost in my rating.

Those of you that are really curious as to my chess career can go to the site and click on schedules, then click on USCF tournaments, find the April RO and click on reports. This takes you to the USCF ratings site and again click on April RO and find my name and click on it. That gives my whole tournament history and rating. If you want to view one of my games? Instead of schedule, you click on games/reports. Find the Kansas City Open and click on it. This takes you to a viewer and if you will find my name on the left hand side and click on it will bring up one of my games.

All in a week's work

2007-05-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is the type of thing I have to look at all day! Does anyone recognize this position? I can give a clue. This position was once in a James Bond movie! Helpful, isn't it? LOL. I am supposed to be studying for my chess club's championship, which will be played in June. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it together this week. I am on line at Playchess, as I write, waiting to play a practice game. Then it is off to analyze the results and work on my short comings. Additionally, there is tactical training and endgame studies and more practice games. This is a never ending cycle. Oh, I haven't even started to mention all that goes into a tournament game of chess. That is why I decided to try writing about it. So I can vent a little and so people can read about my trials. I won't just write about chess. I am retired from the U.S. Navy with over 26 years of service...some of which was very interesting, educational, and very much a bunch of crap. Those of you who know me know what I am referring to. Just so nobody misunderstands, I served proudly and often recommend service in the Navy. It is the curse of any organization that I refer to: Political Back Stabbers. You know the type. Saving themselves by throwing someone else overboard. Also, I love going to amusement parks and riding the tallest and scary-est roller-coasters around, but I also like those drop rides as well. There is nothing like a free fall feeling from about 200 feet up!!!

I need a new place to call home

2007-05-04T17:58:00.000-05:00

I am starting a blog here. In the next couple of days I will start to bring my blog over from another site that no longer meets my needs. Please come back and visit me from time to time and I am sure you will enjoy my story.