Edward Piercy

P to QP4

Friday, 10. July 2009, 15:52:06

"The first recorded instance of the Queen's Pawn opening
was in 1757, when the Compte de Renais used it in a match
against King Louis XV after a night of drunken debauchery
with his favorite mistress, Claudia. In 1896 the famous
grandmaster Oliver Hyde-Dingleberry used P to Q4 as his
opening in the initial game against Werner Kasle von Strasburg
while suffering from the lingering effects of the Malaria he
picked up in Africa, which caused his vision to become blurred
to the extent that he could not clearly see the pieces on the
board. Strangely, exactly the same thing occurred in 1905 when
Robert Addams used the identical opening after his own bout
of Malaria. Following that incident, chess masters tended to
stay away from Africa."

-- Edmund Pierce, The Complete Book of Bad Chess Openings.

Ranking very high on my List Of Questions I Hate To Be Asked is -- "Do you
play chess?"

After a few seconds spent experiencing an inner cringing sensation
accompanied by an external closing of the eyelids and the gritting of
teeth I always answer "Yes, I know how to play chess. But I suck at
it."

Chess is a game that requires a good amount of study before a player
can play it well. Even the wiz-bang 8 year old prodigies still have to
go through the great games of the masters and pay their dues. Way back
in the 70s and in college I put some time into learning the game. But
my final decision after many months was that it was just not worth the
study. There were other things that were far less nerve-wracking and
way more fun. Like hanging out with Mia Schreiber. Oh yeah, now there
was an enjoyable use of time.

"Chess is life" you sometimes hear, or perhaps "Life is like chess."
Uh, no, it isn't. Chess is a board game played with pieces called
Knights and Rooks and played according to a fixed system of rules.
Contrary to life, which is a fundamental mystery and which has no
rules.

You also hear that chess trains the mind and helps one to think better.
Really? Yeah, perhaps that explains why chess masters tend to be
crazy as loons.

In fact I think that in terms of improving one's mind that a pretty
good case could be made for the reverse, that chess is a game which
addicts the mind and takes away from the pursuit of other, more
valuable activities. And if it is logic that you want to learn then
it is better reading through a few books on symbolic logic than to
spend way more time learning to think clearly through chess.

If you want to know about life, read through Shakespeare.

If you want to know about strategy, read history.

And if you want to have fun playing a game, play Go Fish.

"You got any eights?"

One of reasons I didn't spend much
time with chess in college.

Anne Sexton: 2 PoemsSasha's 1st Birthday Party

Comments

PainterWoman # 10. July 2009, 16:52

My ex taught me to play chess. I only played a few times. It was fun....to a point.

The same with Bridge. We were at a small gathering and they needed one more player. I'd never played and they said 'oh it's easy to learn'. Ha. My ex was my partner and every thing I did he'd say "Oh F*%&, how could you do that?" I never played again.

gdare # 10. July 2009, 16:56

"Yes, I know how to play chess. But I suck at it."

me too

edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 16:56

Never did learn bridge either. Although I am a good euchre player. Very good, in fact.

thetomster # 10. July 2009, 17:30

... sucking at chess too

... but not at having fun in my life

edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 17:44

@ Darko. @ Dirk.

Well it seems I'm not unusual. But I wonder, why do they always show people on TV playing chess? Because nobody I know sits around playing chess.

ellinidata # 10. July 2009, 18:55

chess is for brainy people,
I like strip poker !

just kidding I am awful in all!
Eddie did you ever see V strip poker?
it is all on line and if you ask me,
only for the brave!

L2D2 # 10. July 2009, 19:05

My first husband tried to teach me chess. It was OK, but I was too busy with a baby, no time to spend on it so I never really learned to play.

One of the Opera members, fifineleb, plays chess and just recently was urging me to learn. No.

edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 19:13

@ Angeliki

Now when you say you are BAD at strip poker does that mean that you lose and have to take off all your clothes? Or does it mean you win and don't get to take off all your clothes?

@ Linda

If people want to play chess that's fine by me. I just think it's a tad overadvertised.

L2D2 # 10. July 2009, 19:43

I have a sneaky feeling that true chess players have a superiority complex.

Yes, Angeliki, interested to know the answer to tht question myself.

ellinidata # 10. July 2009, 19:46

remind me when we play to wear extra layers and wear my sun glasses! w0w! you can blind a woman! *hint* to the readers...... PvM of a naked man.............

edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 21:32

And of couse since we are on the subject of games let's not forget the bad (but totally neccessary) pun on "poker."

ellinidata # 10. July 2009, 21:55

they don't call it "poker" for nothing!

L2D2 # 10. July 2009, 23:27

Have you ever played the game where you lay paper towel over top of a glass, then place a quarter in middle of paper. Then you use a cigarette to burn a spot in the paper. Object is not to burn the hole that causes the quarter to drop. Whoever does that gets to remove a piece of clothing. Good ice breaker at a party.

edwardpiercy # 10. July 2009, 23:48

That's one I did play in the 70s. Except we played where the person to drop the quarter had to buy the next round. At least theoretically, given that none of us had the money to do it.

Stardancer # 10. July 2009, 23:59

A guy I was engaged to broke up with me because he couldn't beat me at poker.

At least, I think that's why he broke up with me.

Stardancer # 11. July 2009, 00:11

(Happy Birthday to Sasha.

)

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 00:12

you go Star!
if he couldn't handle your wins at poker,
how he could have reacted to your wins at the disagreements ?
it was his loss !

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 00:16

Linda we used to play the game at the nudist club and the looser had to do jumping jacks!

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 00:17

just kidding

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 00:30

Happy Birthday to Sasha!!!

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 00:31

OMGosh. DO NOT want that picture in my head Angeliki.

I lost my drawers.

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 00:33

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 00:44

it is not the case , but if it was Linda,
I would have made you proud! gravity did skip me

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 00:48

Well, my body didn't see a bra during the 80s and I didn't wear drawers then either. I was a hot mama.

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 00:51

But, oh, how the "mighty" have fallen.

Angeliki sounds Greek.

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 01:04

w00t! a Greek sounds Greek it is only fun/fun/FUN! *dances the Zorba the Greek *

sorta

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 01:31

Well, Angeliki, believe it or not, I just visited your blog. I really didn't know you were Greek. I don't remember ever visiting your blog before--don't know why---looks like a pretty good place to visit. I will check it out more later.

Hahahaha.

My face is red.

edwardpiercy # 11. July 2009, 02:40

Well. I throw one little party and take one little nap and come back and this is what I find -- conversations about nudity. Tsk tsk tsk!

*thinks of good nudie pics to put up but then changes mind*

Sasha's birthday party I will have to cover tomorrow as I am too pooped to want to photoshop the pictures.

THREE dachshunds! OMG. I must have been drunk/crazy when I came up with that idea.

PS. Sasha got lots of nice presents, and cheese was served.

Thanks Star for stopping by even if it was with your clothes on.

And now...Angeliki and Linda I was just joking...you free to go back to talking about nudity.

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 03:54

Gosh,
I was out for a few hours (theater night), and now I have to strip ??? why not ??
no pants day is very "in" anyway!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090708/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_naked_dental_patient
http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/naked_man_banned_from_tavern/
http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20090706/NEWS01/90706020/Man+clad+only+in+underwear+tries+to+burglarize+Alexandria+home++police+report
http://www.mosnews.com/weird/2009/07/07/strongvagina/
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/mullahs-naked-butt-with-hooker-is.html

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 03:56

Linda,
I will be happy to see you in my posts

and it you want fun or tech help on Opera,
then check my friends list,
I might not have the longest on Opera but I believe my loyal readers and friends are the best ever!

edwardpiercy # 11. July 2009, 04:25

"The longest on Opera"

You just set me up for that one, didn't you.

edwardpiercy # 11. July 2009, 04:28

PS kisses to everybody from Sasha! (Age 1 year old!) w00t!

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 04:34

ahhhhhhhhhhh the places I can go with "the longest"... but I will not! why? bcause I hava amaing poctures to add on it but I am not fully prepared and this is a very delicate issue

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 04:35

PS

* she feels the wet kiss and sends one back! I can not believe our little angel is one already! it is like yesterday I was telling you......... " go for it Eddie! you are ready! "

L2D2 # 11. July 2009, 04:40

Happy birthday, Sasha! Strip? Who's stripping? Edward? Woohoo!

ellinidata # 11. July 2009, 04:46

I did see parts of his body ( hands, legs ( I think...),
but I will not dare even imagine my older cousin naked! *eye wash! eye wash!!!! *

edwardpiercy # 11. July 2009, 05:15

Thank you all from Sasha!

@ Angeliki

I think I'll go spend some time with my "other cousin" Denise Crosby. Seeing that it is later where you are and you are probably ready for sleep.

ellinidata # 12. July 2009, 00:10

I slept at 2am Eddie and I was out by 6:30am... I had a full day at the Hamptons and I had a great time at the Greek Festival!
No I am not one of the filthy rich people that live there,
I just know the right people

Sasha is the girl!

edwardpiercy # 12. July 2009, 00:38

Here the Greek Festival is in October.

ellinidata # 12. July 2009, 01:32

in New York City(Astoria Greek Area) at the end of August , this one is in Long Island (ending tomorrow)

musickna # 12. July 2009, 04:36

I'm pretty hopeless at chess, I have to say, although I would enjoy playing with those 'Alice Through The Looking Glass' pieces.

edwardpiercy # 12. July 2009, 08:12

"Off with their heads!" LMAO.

daxonmacs # 25. July 2009, 14:09

I like the game, but I never studied the grandmaster games.
For one, I couldn't see as deep into the position as they did and do and two I rather just play. I think upto a certain point it improves one's brain, that is logical thinking and calculation.
The picture shows a nice set, by the way.
Oh, and we hardly ever use that notation, instead we use the simple algebraic notation: d4.

edwardpiercy # 25. July 2009, 16:26

Thanks for your comments. I used the old notation because the new didn't look as good as a post title.

I don't have anything against the game. A lot of people get enjoyment playing it. I just think that it's a tad overrated.

daxonmacs # 25. July 2009, 16:35

That it is, it doesn't require genius to become a grandmaster, rather a lot of hard work and many a hour of study.