Friday, December 08, 2006

Greetings from Whistler

I'm attending a conference in beautiful Whistler, Canada. The gondola is right outside my hotel. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held here, and I can vouch for the fact that it was a good choice. One thing I've noticed: Canadian people are ridiculously nice. It is almost unsettling how gentle and sweet they are, even the scary looking ones with nose rings. It makes me want to raise kids here.

No tactics here, but I started reading Euwe's Master vs Amateur. What a great idea for a book. Instead of analyzing master versus master, look at games in which one or both players is a normal club player and makes normal club player mistaks, and show how a good player should exploit those mistakes. It seems so obvious, but then again most GMs aren't known for their pedagogical prowess. They need to release this book in algebraic notation. Also, I will finish the last game in Pandolfini's Russian Chess on the plane ride home.

On the plane ride here I was playing on my pocket chess set, and this adorable little girl kept peeking back at me between the two seats in front of me. At one point I looked up and she was holding up her own portable chess set between the seats, smiling. I moved to sit with her and her mom and we played a couple of games. She was about six and kept trying to give me her queen for free. I gave her a couple of tips (e.g., don't open 1. h4 2. Rh3) to help her game. It was fun. She was one of those kids that makes ya think having kids might not be all that bad.

6 Comments:

Blogger Pale Morning Dun - Errant Knight de la Maza said...

Ah, 1.h4 2Rh3....white delays central development in exchange for a loss ;)

Hey keep in mind, they don't come out at 6 years old, although that would be nice.

12/08/2006 06:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The place seems nice. Looks to be in a high altitude.

Yeah having kids is a blast. Of course, you tear your hair sometimes cause of the things they do, but nothing beats coming home tired and seeing this little face light up when he sees you.

12/09/2006 07:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eric,

Take it from someone who knows - have your grandchildren first! They are even more fun!

12/09/2006 09:22:00 PM  
Blogger takchess said...

I played through this book with two board one for the game and one for all the variations. Euwe was through. The earlier games are below club level play. Some like the bad mistakes I made when first starting up again.

Reminds me when I worked a show in Vancouver BC, I played chess in the internet kiosk at night. On the way back, I played a Canadian Serviceman on the way to a warfare school where he beat me badly. he was a game enthusiast and inventor and interesting guy.At a layover in
Toronto a fellow saw me ready a Purdy book and we talked for an hour about chess books.

Alot of gems in the Chess master book take notes !

12/10/2006 07:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Having a child was the best thing that happened to me. That's why I asked for another.

12/11/2006 07:12:00 AM  
Blogger takchess said...

This book is the first in a trilogy. it's followed by the Road to Chess Mastery. Same concept but better club players this time vs Master with alot of Nimzo and more modern openings. followed by Chess Master vs Chess Master which is Euwe move by move analysis of Mater game.

12/11/2006 07:28:00 AM  

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