I am curious

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

(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

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!

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

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.

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?

"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!

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

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

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!!!!