Additional info:
On pawns:
Pawns are rather comical, the way they optimistically wander off thinking they will one day become queens. We all know there are plenty of snipers out there to rob them of their dreams. ... Dreams come true only rarely (that is why we call them 'dreams'). And when they do come true, it is usually wrongly attributed to the skill of the pawn in question (that is, what is now a queen). Typically it is not due to skill at all, but sheer luck!
On queens:
Rule number one, get your queen out! Rule number two, once your queen has made a mess of herself and lost her charm, it is time to trade her off. Never expect a queen to stick around till the endgame. If you are very lucky, maybe you will get a new queen to compensate for the emptiness left behind by the previous one.
On knights:
Fantastic creatures! The only regretable thing about knights is simply this; there are too few of them. Knights operate best in hordes. If you ever get a pawn across, make sure to trade it into a knight!
On kings:
Kings are notoriously underestimated as attacking pieces. Remember that it is healthy for kings to go for walks from time to time. Too much sitting still is not good!
On Bishops:
Bishops operate best in pairs, which is a surprising fact given that these anti-social creatures categorically refuse to support each other (except when they are accused of child molestation, that is). Bishops are never very exciting by them selves. However they thrive in combination with just about any other piece.
On rooks:
Unless you are Magnus Carlsen, rooks are terribly clumsy things, lacking almost completely in elegance and refinement. Nice to shuffle back and forth, and to posess if you are a materialist. But the rook should not be underestimated, that would amount to underestimating the greatest player of all times, and that would of course be completely nonsensical ...
On captures:
What matters is not what you capture (as the Americans have painfully learned), but what remains on the board!
On endgames:
What often counts in the end is the endgame.
Life:
Finally, a fact of life: Death comes suddenly! So enjoy it ...
male
Log in 