The lovely Miranda Kerr by Chris Colls (2014)
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Author Archives: kevinspraggettonchess
Today’s winning 5-second tactics
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Today’s examples are taking from the games of late American star Emory Tate, who died suddenly over the weekend, at age 56, during a tournament game in California. Emory, a talented I.M., was born in December 1958 and became a terror in the popular Open tournaments in America. According to his wiki entry, Emory has more than 80 grandmaster scalps to his credit! He also won the US Armed Forces Championship not less than 5 times. My condolences to his family.
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gm Shabalov,A
im Tate,E
Curacao (Netherlands) 2006.7.26 Position after 33 moves. Tate has been putting tremendous pressure on the grandmaster, boxing his King into an awkward defensive position. There are probably a number of ways for White to convert his advantage, but White decides upon the most artistic solution. Attacking games like this made Tate’s reputation as one of the Swiss circuit’s most feared player.
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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Adams,Nick
im Tate,E
Philadelphia 1995 Position after Black’s 27th move (27…c5), threatening–amongst other things–to snare White’s Queen with 28…Be4!
WHITE TO PLAY AND MATE IN 3 MOVES!
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A recent photo of Emory (September 2015) during a tournament in Santa Clara.
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im Tate,E
Andrews T
World Open Philadelphia 1998 From the 5th round. The finale of a brilliant attacking game. White seems to have everything covered…but Tate had long forseen the clever winning idea!
BLACK TO PLAY AND MATE IN 3 MOVES!
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Curacao (Netherlands) 2006.7.26 Tate E–Shabalov A: 34.Rxf7!! Ouch! 1-0 It is mate after 34…QxQ 35.Ne7++
Philadelphia 1995 Tate E–Adams N: 28.Nh6+! 1-0 Any King move allows mate in 1 move, while after 28…PxN comes 29.Qg6+ and mate next move.
World Open Philadelphia 1998 Andrews T–Tate E: 29…Bg2+!! 0-1
Monday’s winning beach BUM!
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“There’s something liberating about not pretending. Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk.”
― Drew Barrymore
Chess, potpourri and nonsense!
DRESS UP LIKE A SUPER-GM!
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CHESS THEME!?
Magnificent photo by Charlotte Abramov.
(·Chrlotte Abramov,Richard Texier, Laclaire)
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THE COFFEE SAGA CONTINUES…
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TODAY’S WINNING HATE MAIL!
October 16,2015
Mr Spraggett,
Do you get paid for promoting smoking on your chess site? I’m just curious.
Do you really beleive it is like coffee or do you think coffee causes cancer, gangrene, COPD and many other disgusting diseases? Being addicted to inhaling poisoneus cancerogenes is so sexy, right? You seem to be happy to do as much damage as possible – obviously with some sick agenda, so I wonder if you have a conscience or any education. We sometimes mistakingly suppose that good chess players are smart, but…
The wise prof. Glantz from UCSF once said: people who still advertise tobacco today are either stupid or corrupt.
Do you want to comment on that?
Signed: S.Polgar and Paul Truong Luka solmajor
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MY RESPONSE
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MAYBE GOD EXISTS!
And Jesus divided the water…and in its place at the supermarket was WINE! AMEN! (Makes you wanna believe, doesn’t it!)
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Guess who’s private parking spot!?
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TODAY’S WINNING ISIL TAIL!
Well, maybe I am mistaken! Photo by Charlotte Abramov!
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Now this the REAL isil tail!
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Magnus Carlsen has a rap song written for him?!
THE GAME–MAGNUS CARLSEN
‘
‘Paak was born into a Black/Korean family in Oxnard in 1986. He began producing music from his bedroom as a teenager. His first experiences performing were as a drummer at his family’s church. In 2011, prior to being a successful working musician, Paak was working at a marijuana growing farm in Santa Barbara. He was let go without warning, becoming homeless together with his wife and infant son..”Read more RIGHT HERE.
Read the rest of the lyrics HERE.
While I am no music critic–let alone any judge of lyrics–I think that this might be a good time for Magnus to consider changing his name!
Spectactor problems at Berlin World Blitz
”Unless there is some attention paid to the ‘live’ fans – as opposed to the internet audience – then there seems little point in hosting World Championship tournaments outside Siberia…´´
Ian Rogers, grandmaster and globe-trotting journalist, is one of the most respected names in the chess world, and is known not to shy from calling a spade a spade. In a recently published article on the World Blitz on the USCF website, Ian recounts the horrors that he experienced as a spectactor/journalist during his one day visit to the tournament site of Germany’s most high-profile chess event this year. READ MORE HERE. I ask myself if what Rogers saw is just a small glimpse of the pandora-box of problems plaguing German chess that has lead to–amongst other shames– its number one player change federations this past year? What do you think?
Today’s winning BAD ideas!
(Florida Life w/ @itsvictoriaeve and @kierra.sari ) LINK
“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
– Oscar Wilde
Magnus Carlsen teaches Norwegian!
The recently finished World Blitz Championship in Berlin was not without its lighter moment when it suddenly dawned on Norwegian boywonder Magnus Carlsen that he was NOT going to add this year’s World Blitz Championship to his long list of laurels…
Nobody would deny that being world champion carries a lot of responsibility and pressure, but Carlsen seemed unable to maintain his usual self-control. And unfortunately quite a bit was caught on film and picked up the media.
LINK
Carlsen later explained his behaviour. “I’m very disappointed with myself,” Carlsen told a press conference after the championship. “One thing is the game, but what I’m most disappointed in is how I tackled it.” “I realise it looks pretty stupid to spin round and round and punch your hands in the air and then storm out like a moron.”
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‘Checkmate!’
WHILE WE’RE ON THIS TOPIC…
Read more HERE
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Read more HERE.
What ever happened to ”Win with grace; lose with dignity”(Susan Polgar) ??
Today’s winning 5-second tactics
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gm Agrest,E
gm Kunin,V
World Rapid Berlin 2015.10.12 Position after 24…Nc3. The position is roughly equal after the correct 25.Rd2. INSTEAD, White erred with his next move:
25.Re1(?)
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm Bachman,A
gm Andreikin,D
World Rapid Berlin 2015.10.12 Position after 27…Qg4(?)
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
MiddleEast doctrine becomes …RUSSIAN
Anonymous sources have indicated that in the past week Russia has moved up to 150 theatre nuclear weapons (each with 150 kilo tons warhead) into Syria. The weapons are designed to wipe out areas of 50 square km each and can be fired by regular artillary. The same sources have revealed that Washington has been made aware of this escalation in Syria. At the same time, more than 2,500 cruise missles have been moved within a 1,500 km radius of Sytria, ready to be fired at the Kremlin’s notice. Every American base within 1,000 km of Syria has been alerted to the latest Russian moves and have been put on high alert. Any brash move by the Obama administraion with regards to Russia’s build up could have disasterous consequences.
GRISCHUK number 1 in WORLD!
”We are ugly, but…we have the music”
THE LONE WOLF
“If you want to be a strong blitz player, the main quality you need is being a strong chess player!”—Alexander Grischuk LINK
Alexander is to many of us a symbol of the rebellious counterculture that REFUSES to bow before today’s EGO-dominated world of false values and false prophets. Alex does not have the comfortable million-dollar PR machine that Magnus has, nor can he count on rich contracts that a superstar of his stature merits…INSTEAD, Grischuk is the representation of how Leonard Cohen so aptly described the magic of Janis Joplin in ”Chelsea Hotel”: ‘And clenching your fist for the ones like us who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,(Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov;-editor) you fixed yourself, you said, “Well never mind, we are ugly but we have the music.”
CONGRATS ON WINNING THE WORLD BLITZ!
Spraggett on Chess 
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