viewNot very pretty, but I like it.
When I checked my messages this morning I learned that I'd won another Correspondence Chess game. My opponent playing Black resigned from our game with his 56th move, giving me the win by default.
Some say that only wins by checkmate are pretty, and the earlier and more unexpectedly they come, the prettier they are. I don't say that, not at all. A win by late game resignation when a checkmate is inevitable, such as this one, is enjoyed very much.
The position of pieces at game's end is shown in the graphic above, and our full move record is below:
1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Bd7 5. O-O h5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Ne5 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. Re1 Nc6 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. e3 g5 13. e4 O-O-O 14. exd5 Rxd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. c4 Nb4 17. d5 Bd7 18. a3 Na6 19. Qd4 Rh6 20. Qxa7 e5 21. Rac1 f6 22. d6 Qxd6 23. Qa8+ Nb8 24. Qxb7+ Kd8 25. Qxb8+ Ke7 26. Qg8 Qe6 27. Bd5 Qxg8 28. Bxg8 Rg6 29. Bh7 Rg7 30. Bb1 Ba4 31. Bc2 Bd7 32. Kg2 Bc6+ 33. f3 g4 34. Be4 Bd7 35. b3 Rg8 36. c5 c6 37. b4 Ra8 38. Ra1 Kd8 39. Rf1 Ra6 40. Bg6 Be6 41. Bxh5 gxf3+ 42. Rxf3 Bd5 43. Rd1 e4 44. Rxf6 e3+ 45. Kg1 Rxa3 46. b5 Rc3 47. Rxc6 Ke7 48. Rxd5 Rc1+ 49. Kg2 Rc2+ 50. Kh3 e2 51. Bxe2 Rxe2 52. Ra6 Re6 53. c6 Rh6+ 54. Kg2 Ke6 55. Rd8 Ke7 56. c7 Rxa6
1-0
And the adventure continues.
Published on 05 November 2020, ~13:00 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Thursday #chess
by Roscoe
viewSometimes in chess...
... we can mutually agree to call a contest a draw. We can shake hands and step away from a game we decide to call even. No winner, no loser, just a match in which we've both given our best and realize that neither of us will possibly checkmate the other. Not this time.
One such Correspondence Chess game ended today when, after 63 moves, I offered my opponent a draw with my 62nd White move and he accepted.
The position of pieces at game's end is posted above, and our full move record is below:
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nbd2 e6 4. a3 c5 5. dxc5 Bxc5 6. e3 d4 7. exd4 Bxd4 8. Nxd4 Qxd4 9. Bb5+ Nbd7 10. O-O a6 11. Bxd7+ Bxd7 12. Nf3 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 O-O-O 14. Ne5 Ne4 15. Nxf7 Rhf8 16. Nxd8 Nxf2 17. Rf1 Kxd8 18. Bg5+ Ke8 19. Bh4 Ng4 20. h3 Rxf1+ 21. Rxf1 Ne3 22. Rf2 e5 23. Re2 Nc4 24. b3 Nxa3 25. Rxe5+ Kf7 26. c4 Bc6 27. Be7 Nc2 28. Bd8 Nd4 29. b4 b5 30. Re7+ Kg6 31. cxb5 Bxb5 32. Re4 Ne2+ 33. Kh2 Kf5 34. Rg4 g6 35. Bg5 Bc6 36. Bh4 h5 37. Rc4 Bd5 38. Rc5 Nf4 39. b5 axb5 40. Rxb5 Nxg2 41. Rb4 g5 42. Bg3 Ne3 43. Bf2 Nf1+ 44. Kg1 Nd2 45. Rb5 Nf3+ 46. Kf1 Ke4 47. Rb4+ Kf5 48. Bc5 g4 49. hxg4+ hxg4 50. Bd6 Nd2+ 51. Ke2 Nf3 52. Bb8 Ng1+ 53. Kf1 Nf3 54. Kf2 Be4 55. Rb5+ Ke6
56. Kg3 Bc6 57. Rb6 Kd5 58. Kxg4 Kc5 59. Rb3 Bd5 60. Bf4 Bxb3 61. Kxf3 Kd5 62. Ke3
1/2-1/2
And the adventure continues.
Published on 04 November 2020, ~13:50 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #chess #Wednesday
by Roscoe
viewYes, I have.
Earlier this afternoon she and I walked over to our polling place, the neighborhood Elementary School, and we voted.
Whatever happens next as a result of these elections, I can watch with a certain sense of calm, knowing I've done all I can do to bring about the best outcome possible.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 03 November 2020, ~15:30 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Tuesday #voting
by Roscoe
viewPrelude to Election Day
That's what this Monday has felt like all day long.
She and I WERE planning to show up at our polling place early tomorrow morning. But when she returned home from work this afternoon she told me she'd have to work tomorrow morning. Drat! Usually she's off all day Tuesday. Now our plan is to head over to the Elementary School in the neighborhood to vote as soon as gets home tomorrow afternoon.
I'm confident our man will win, but I'll feel much better about things after I've cast my vote.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 02 November 2020, ~19:45 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Monday #voting
by Roscoe
viewA Halloween Surprise
Earlier this afternoon I logged onto the website of a chess club to which I belong, and I was surprised to find that I'd won this game yesterday when my opponent playing White ran out of time on his clock.
We were playing with a very relaxed time control of 5 days per move, and timeouts are allowed in this club if requested. There was no indication that he'd asked for one; he just stopped playing. That's considered very bad form in Correspondence Chess circles. We call it a silent resignation. If our developing middlegame made him too uncomfortable to play on he could have done the honorable thing and simply announced his resignation.
At any rate this counts as a loss for him and a win for me. And I'll gladly take the win.
The position of pieces at game's end is shown on the graphic that leads this post, and our complete move record is below.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bf4 Bd6 5. Bxd6 cxd6 6. e3 O-O 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 g6 9. Nf3 Re8 10. O-O Nc6 11. Re1 a6 12. Qc2 Ne7 13. Rac1 b5 14. b4 Bf5
0-1
And the adventure continues.
Published on 01 November 2020, ~15:00 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Sunday #chess
by Roscoe
viewpost 100 of 100
As one challenge ends, others remain.
me: [groaning as I slowly stand erect after loading fresh grapefruit into the refrigerator's crisper drawers]
she: Are you okay, honey?
me: Oh my! Just standing up after kneeling down...
she: [laughing] Your exercise for the day.
me: [walking slowly back to my room] yeah
Contemplating then on the challenge of my creeping decrepitude as I walk through the dining room that candy bowl on the table challenges me, too. “Come on,” it says to me. “Take another piece. You know you want to.”
Though some challenges will always be with me, one does come to an end. Publication of this blog post marks my one-hundredth of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge. I admit, this does give me a certain sense of satisfaction.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 31 October 2020, ~13:10 CDT, this is my post number 100/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Saturday #challenges
by Roscoe
viewPost 99 of 100
Happy Halloween everyone!
I'm hoping for another peaceful Saturday with an afternoon full of college football on the radio and Svengoolie's Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman tonight.
It would be nice if some little trick-or-treaters could come by tonight to grab some of the candy from that big bowl that tempts me every time I walk by. But if past performance is any guide, none will show up. And it will be up to me deal with all the chocolate bars, etc.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 31 October 2020, ~11:00 CDT, this is my post number 99/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Saturday #Halloween
by Roscoe
viewQueen-Rook Checkmate
It took me 73 moves to checkmate the White King yesterday in a Correspondence Chess game that started over a month ago and involved my opponent and me wiping out almost our entire armies. Finally my Queen and Rook trapped his King in a checkmate against an edge of the board.
The position of pieces at game's end is above, at the top of this post, and our full move record is below.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6 3. b3 g6 4. Be3 Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. g3 O-O 7. Bg2 Re8 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxd5 Nb4 10. Be4 e5 11. d5 c6 12. a3 Na6 13. Nf3 b5 14. cxb5 Nc7 15. bxc6 Nb5 16. Rc1 Qd6 17. b4 Nxa3 18. c7 Qxb4+ 19. Nd2 Bf8 20. d6 Bd7 21. Bxa8 Rxa8 22. O-O Rc8 23. Ne4 Qxe4 24. Qd3 Qxd3 25. exd3 Bxd6 26. Bxa7 Bxc7 27. Rc3 Nb5 28. Rb3 Nxa7 29. Rb4 Bf5 30. Kg2 Bxd3 31. Rd1 Nc6 32. Rh4 Nb4 33. Rxb4 Rd8 34. Rb7 Ba5 35. Re7 e4 36. h4 Kf8 37. Kh2 Kxe7 38. Kg2 Kf8 39. Ra1 Bc3 40. Rd1 Kg7 41. Kh2 h5 42. Rc1 Bb2 43. Rc7 Bd4 44. Kh3 e3 45. fxe3 Bf5+ 46. Kh2 Bxe3 47. Re7 Rd2+ 48. Kh1 Bc5 49. Re5 Bb6 50. Re7 Bh3 51. g4 Bxg4 52. Re1 Bh3 53. Re2 Rd1+ 54. Kh2 Bg4 55. Kg3 Bc7+ 56. Kf2 Bxe2 57. Kxe2 Rh1 58. Kf2 Rxh4 59. Kg2 f5 60. Kf3 g5 61. Ke3 f4+ 62. Ke4 Kf6 63. Kd5 f3 64. Kc6 f2 65. Kxc7 f1=Q 66. Kd6 Qe1 67. Kd5 Qe6+ 68. Kc5 Rh1 69. Kd4 Rd1+ 70. Kc3 Qc6+ 71. Kb2 Rd8 72. Kb3 Rb8+ 73. Ka3 Qa6#
0-1
And the adventure continues.
Published on 29 October 2020, ~10:15 CDT, this is my post number 98/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Thursday #chess
by Roscoe
viewA Halloween Week Massacre
That's what this Correspondence Chess game looks like. The board at game's end when my opponent playing Black resigned yesterday, giving me the win with White, is shown in the graphic at the top of this post.
Our game's full record is below.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. a3 c6 4. Nbd2 Nd7 5. e4 Ndf6 6. exd5 cxd5 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. O-O O-O-O 10. c4 Qd6 11. c5 Qc6 12. Ne5 Qc7 13. b4 b6 14. cxb6 Qc3 15. Nxf7 Qxa1 16. Nxd8 Kxd8 17. bxa7 Qxa3 18. Bxa3 Ne4 19. a8=Q+ Ke7 20. b5+ Nd6 21. Bxd6+ Kxd6 22. Qxf8+
1-0
And the adventure continues.
Published on 27 October 2020, ~10:15 CDT, this is my post number 97/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #chess #Tuesday
by Roscoe
viewDispelling the Gloom
A grim and gloomy start to this morning, and I'm not sure why. Last night's sleep was about average: 3 ½ hr. 1st sleep segment, followed by 45 min. insomnia break, then another sleep segment of a little more than three hours, finally waking ½ hour before my first alarm. That should be enough to see me through the day.
Local and National news is all pretty depressing, that's probably a source of the grimness I sense.
The morning's health metrics were surprisingly good, though, and the financials checked out okay. There is that to dispel the gloom. Yeah. Think I'll focus on that. And my prayers, of course.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 26 October 2020, ~07:40 CDT, this is my post number 96/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #RoscoeEllis #microblog #SeniorLiving #Monday
by Roscoe