... --- ...

More games leads to more losses and a few wins. This several month losing streak may be coming to an end. At least now I'm recognizing the major errors in each game. And those errors are happening in the endgame. Usually when I'm winning. Then that question surfaces. Go for the kill or play out the long game while consolidating advantages? Former or latter? Former or latter? Former! Then I lose. I'm seeing the little red dot on my forehead just not moving out of the way. Without further ado... a game against Wang that he "swindled" (his word not mine) and a game against my brother that he also swindled (my word).

Wang v. Shaman

1.e4 d5
2.exd5 Qxd5
3.Nf3 Nf6
4.d4 e6
5.c4 Qd6
6.Nc3 c6
7.Bd3 Be7
8.O-O O-O
9.Bc2 Re8
10.Ne5 a6
11.Qd3 c5
12.Nf3 cxd4
13.Nxd4 e5
14.Nf5 Bxf5
15.Qxf5 g6
16.Qf3 Nc6
17.Rd1 Nd4
18.Qd3 Bd8
19.Be3 Bb6
20.Rd2 e4
21.Nxe4 Nxe4
22.Bxd4 Nxd2
23.Bxb6 Qxb6
24.Qxd2 Qxb2
25.Rb1 Qxa2
26.Rxb7 Qxc4
27.Bb3 Qd4
28.Bxf7+ Kf8
29.Qh6+ Qg7
30.Qxg7+ Kxg7
31.Bxe8+ Kh6
32.Ba4 Rd8
33.g3 Rd4
34.Bc6 a5
35.Ra7 Rc4
36.Ra6 Kg5
37.Rxa5+ Kg4
38.Ra4 Rxa4
39.Bxa4 h5
40.Kg2 h4
41.Bd7+ Kh5
42.g4+ Kg5
43.f3 Kf4
44.Kf2 g5
45.Ke2 Ke5
46.Ke3 Kf6
47.Ke4 h3
48.Bc8 Kg6
49.Ke5 Kh6
50.Kf6 Kh7
51.Kxg5 Kg7
52.f4

Bro v. Bro

1.e4 c5
2.f4 Nc6
3.Nf3 d6
4.Bb5 f5
5.Nh4 Nf6
6.e5 dxe5
7.fxe5 Ng4
8.Bxc6+ bxc6
9.O-O Qd4+
10.Kh1 Nf2+
11.Rxf2 Qxf2
12.Nf3 Ba6
13.d3 c4
14.Na3 cxd3
15.Bd2 dxc2
16.Qxc2 Qb6
17.Ng5 c5
18.Qxf5 Qxb2
19.Qf7+ Kd7
20.Qe6+ Kd8
21.Ba5+ Ke8
22.Qc6#

Also, Grecian Delight has come to Flagstaff. Mmm... Grecian.

Kasparov on US-Russian Relations

Garry Kasparov is interviewed by Paul Gigot on The Journal Editorial Report about President Obamas visit to Putins paradise and US-Russians relations. The peice starts at 21:23 and the interview with Kasparov starts at 20:41.

The Deadliest Blogger

Wang and I played a friendly game on Chess.com. I got hosed. It was one of those games that was lost before it even began. My chessdar was lit up with bogeys everywhere. And for some reason I knew I was going to lose. Not just because I haven't really been playing much or studying much or even thinking about the game more than a handful of times a week. Call it intuition or an educated guess it doesn't really matter. It made me realize something though. More admit than realize actually. I have little desire to make my game better in any significant way. At one time I did. But no longer. I like to occasionally play, do some studying, whatevs.

Mt. Humphreys

Twigs snap, roots of large beastly trees reach out of the earth and exotic, illusive blue-green mountains disappear. Entering the Mt. Humphreys trail is like closing the door on reality. Check that. Its like slamming the door, locking the knob and flicking the dead bolt. You'll never see more than a few yards of the winding dirt path. At times its a mirage, jumping up levels, snaking around boulders and crouching behind fluorescent grass that may possibly be juiced on steroids. Its hard to tell in a place so surreal, yet so natural, exactly what this place has been doing for the last few thousand years. But one thing is definite. The path always stretches on, materializing here, immaterializing their. On and on for three to four hours up and a couple down. Down is shorter. Maybe its the rubbery legs, dreams of crammed subway subs or dreams of long naps, I don't know. But its definitely shorter. Up takes forever. Through the dense forest, the not so dense forest, the awesome views. The last fragment of rocky terrain reminiscent of lower altitudes leads to the highest peak in Arizona. The whole enchilada, you can almost taste it. But it will cost you. All day.

July 4th!

In the words of Anthony Bourdain "America the weird, America the delicious, America the slightly scary. America the beautiful."

Happy Independence Day dear readers. Enjoy your grilling, enjoy your blogging and enjoy your freedom.