Thirsty for Chess

Chessaholic describes how our favorite game can become a pervasive influence in one's life.

GM Christiansen visits the heartland

Natasha forwarded a few pictures from Larry's visit to The Chess Club in Kansas City.

And now, the photo you've all been waiting for...

LarryC takes on a "Porker" Platter

Larry reports that "the BBQ was delicious!"

Eat a "Porker" Platter with LarryC

Apparently that's going to be one of the highlights of GM Larry Christiansen's day long visit to The Chess Club in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, November 3rd.

Here are links to the details of the event and to a menu from the Smokehouse BBQ.

Quote of the Day

"Chess is like ginger ale. No one thinks about bringing it, but people love it when someone remembers it." - comment by liquideggproduct on a post at Out of the Ether.

Hungry for Chess?

Source

With coaches like these...

Kansas sixth grader Hannah Dalke has learned some key tactics from her coaches on how to win more games and move up the scholastic rankings.

One of Dalke's chess tactics that she uses when she is far back in her division is to try and do a four-move-checkmate. If this is not blocked, she is able to move up faster in her division. Also, if a timer is not present at her table, Dalke will take an excessive amount of time to think of her movement.

This disturbs her opponent causing them to resign, allowing her to sometimes win a match.

Hannah also points out the importance of diet to competitive chess players.

"It helps when Isabelle Moyer and I eat bananas before we play chess. Every time we eat them, we win," said Dalke. "It's our secret. Our coaches even bring bananas now for us to eat."

From "McPherson student uses game of chess to expand horizons" at the McPherson Sentinel.

Chess Training - African Style

The Nigerian Chess Federation (NCF) is preparing its players for the upcoming All-Africa games in Algeria. Here are some strategies you might want to incorporate into your own training regimen:

The players according to coach Akintola normally have two hours of physical training every morning and by next month, the players would be on special diet with more of fruits which [NCF] chess president [ACP Sani Mohammed] said will eliminate stress-causing acids.

"If we put the athletes o[n] fruits meals daily between from morning till midday, it helps to give instant energy and eliminate waste just as it increases body metabolism," he explained.

Tired of posts about Chess Pie?

Here's a recipe for Chess Cake.

Is it safe?

The story goes that Greg Shahade thought up the idea for the US Chess League while sitting in a dentist's chair. Whether it's true or not doesn't really matter since it's exactly the kind of stuff legends are made of. Perhaps Greg shares the same dentist with Robert Caple, of the Greensboro (NC) News & Record, who recently left the chair with several new chess pie recipies in hand.

The Trans Fat Open

Nothing really goes together quite as well as chess and fast food -- just look around the skittles room prior to the start of the afternoon round of any large Swiss. Around our neck of the woods, Gus Gosselin runs a series of scholastic tournaments in Burger King restaurants. Now, the New Haven (CT) Register reports on the goings-on at the "McCheckmate" chess club. As they so aptly put it, "To the victors go the fries."

Chess Pie

From sugarfused.net's Thanksgiving Day Menu:

CHESS PIE

1 cup of melted butter
2 tablespoons water
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar

While mixing pie, melt butter. Beat sugar, flour, and eggs. Add milk, water, and lemon juice. Add butter last.
Pour into crust. Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree F. oven until pie is firm and golden brown. Recipe makes enough pie batter for a ten-inch pie or two nine-inch pies.