Bitter & Twisted

Date: 24 Jan 2009 23:50:30
From: Offramp
Subject: Bitter & Twisted

I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
(3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
of it.

I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car, and I was driving home
at tremendous speed when I hit a lamppost or tree or something.
Wrecked the car. When I got out I was relieved to see that I had taken
someone else's car by mistake!

My whole family thought it a great joke!

Date: 30 Jan 2009 12:28:10
From:
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 30, 3:12=A0pm, madams <[email protected] > wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> .
>
> > =A0Luftmenschen: Die Schachspieler von Wien for all those who read Germ=
an.
>
> Trans: How to fly the Fw-190, eat sausage & play chess all @ the same
> time..
>
> m.

Ah yes, the FW-190: http://www.focke-wulf190.com/

A very good plane, though by the time of the Allied invasion the
Luftwaffe didn't have many pilots of comparable quality. I recently
read the comments of an inexperienced German pilot who got to fly but
two sorties in an FW-190, in 1944. In the second his squadron was
attacked by P-38s. He described the ensuing action as "being chopped
up by experts."

Date: 31 Jan 2009 07:12:31
From: madams
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

[email protected] wrote:
.
> Luftmenschen: Die Schachspieler von Wien for all those who read German.

Trans: How to fly the Fw-190, eat sausage & play chess all @ the same
time..

m.

Date: 29 Jan 2009 15:19:46
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 29, 4:58=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On 27 Jan, 22:44, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twiste=
d
> > > > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > > > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too muc=
h
> > > > of it.
>
> > > Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devo=
tee
> > > of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as wel=
l,
> > > hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> > > a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> > > There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> > > of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > > > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> > > You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> > > I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, no=
t
> > > ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recen=
t
> > > discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> > > underestimated him!).
>
> > > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is =
worth
> > > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zuric=
h
> > > 53,
> > > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > > them as a given.
>
> > =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> > worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
> > =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> > =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
> > =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
> > =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
> > =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
> > =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> > (1965)
> > =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
> > =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> > 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
> > =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)
>
"Draw!" by Wolfgang Heidenfeld (edited by John Nunn) - a marvellously
annotated game collection.- Hide quoted text -

To put in a plug for an obscure modern book, I recommend Luftmenschen:
Die Schachspieler von Wien for all those who read German.

Jerry Spinrad
> - Show quoted text -

Date: 29 Jan 2009 15:17:59
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

The availabilty to read old material on-line opens up new
possibilities. The Westminster Papers and City of London Chess
Magazine, available on google books, read very well. I found A Century
of British Chess quite interesting reading, as are the books of the
1st and 5th American Chess Congress (books of 2, 3, and 4 are not
worth reading). The 1st 2 volumes of American Chess Magazine (the late
19th century version) are also available and interesting.

More and more is becoming available all the time. Recently, many of
Steinitz' columns in the NY Tribune (through August 1891, and picking
up again from Jan 1893 through Apr 1893 at the moment) became
available through the Library of Congress website, and I imagine that
it will not be long before all of them appear there. He was really an
excellent annotator. I have not seen his International Chess Magazine;
the mix of wonderful analysis and violent personal attacks would
prpbably make excellent reading.

Jerry Spinrad

On Jan 29, 9:39=A0am, [email protected] wrote:
> On Jan 27, 5:44=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twiste=
d
> > > > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > > > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too muc=
h
> > > > of it.
>
> > > Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devo=
tee
> > > of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as wel=
l,
> > > hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> > > a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> > > There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> > > of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > > > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> > > You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> > > I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, no=
t
> > > ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recen=
t
> > > discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> > > underestimated him!).
>
> > > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is =
worth
> > > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zuric=
h
> > > 53,
> > > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > > them as a given.
>
> > =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> > worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
> > =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> > =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
> > =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
> > =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
> > =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
> > =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> > (1965)
> > =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
> > =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> > 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
> > =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)
>
> =A0 Some others I find very useful and interesting:
>
> =A0 Chess Tournament Crosstables 1851-1900 (1969)
> =A0 Chess Tournament Crosstables 1901-1910 (1971)
> =A0 Chess Tournament Crosstables 1911-1920 (1972)
> =A0 Chess Tournament Crosstables 1921-1930 (1974)
> =A0 Chess Tournaments =97 A Checklist 1849-1950 (1985)
> =A0 Chess Personalia (1987)
>
> =A0 All the above by that supreme chess archivist, Jeremy Gaige. And I
> should mention:
>
> =A0 Hundert Jahre Schachzweik=E4mpfe 1851-1950 by Dr. P. Feenstra-Kuiper
> (1967)
>
> =A0 These are all pure reference tomes for the serious chess historian
> or history buff, probably not all that interesting to the average
> reader. I find them invaluable in preparing the International Chess
> Calendar every year (http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?PID=3D1096).
>
> =A0 Another similarly useful book, which does have some narrative text
> and is therefore more accessible, is "Chess: The Records" by Ken Whyld
> (1986). Beaucoup data on World Championships (men's, women's, juniors,
> U-16, correspondence, blind, etc.), Candidates tournaments and
> matches, Olympiads, major tournaments, national and major city
> championships, etc.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Date: 29 Jan 2009 14:58:21
From:
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On 27 Jan, 22:44, [email protected] wrote:
> On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
> > > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
> > > of it.
>
> > Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devote=
e
> > of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as well,
> > hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> > a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> > There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> > of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> > You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> > I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, not
> > ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recent
> > discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> > underestimated him!).
>
> > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is wo=
rth
> > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
> > 53,
> > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > them as a given.
>
> =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
> =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
> =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
> =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
> =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
> =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> (1965)
> =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
> =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
> =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)

"Draw!" by Wolfgang Heidenfeld (edited by John Nunn) - a marvellously
annotated game collection.

Date: 29 Jan 2009 07:39:00
From:
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 27, 5:44=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
> > > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
> > > of it.
>
> > Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devote=
e
> > of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as well,
> > hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> > a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> > There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> > of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> > You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> > I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, not
> > ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recent
> > discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> > underestimated him!).
>
> > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is wo=
rth
> > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
> > 53,
> > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > them as a given.
>
> =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
> =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
> =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
> =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
> =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
> =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> (1965)
> =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
> =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
> =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)

Some others I find very useful and interesting:

Chess Tournament Crosstables 1851-1900 (1969)
Chess Tournament Crosstables 1901-1910 (1971)
Chess Tournament Crosstables 1911-1920 (1972)
Chess Tournament Crosstables 1921-1930 (1974)
Chess Tournaments =97 A Checklist 1849-1950 (1985)
Chess Personalia (1987)

All the above by that supreme chess archivist, Jeremy Gaige. And I
should mention:

Hundert Jahre Schachzweik=E4mpfe 1851-1950 by Dr. P. Feenstra-Kuiper
(1967)

These are all pure reference tomes for the serious chess historian
or history buff, probably not all that interesting to the average
reader. I find them invaluable in preparing the International Chess
Calendar every year (http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?PID=3D1096).

Another similarly useful book, which does have some narrative text
and is therefore more accessible, is "Chess: The Records" by Ken Whyld
(1986). Beaucoup data on World Championships (men's, women's, juniors,
U-16, correspondence, blind, etc.), Candidates tournaments and
matches, Olympiads, major tournaments, national and major city
championships, etc.

Date: 28 Jan 2009 12:23:31
From:
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 28, 2:42=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Jan 27, 5:44=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
>
> > On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is =
worth
> > > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zuric=
h
> > > 53,
> > > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > > them as a given.
>
> > =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> > worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
>
> My thought was that these have been discussed here quite a bit in the
> past few years, as have certain classics from the earlier period. =A0But
> some great books are sliding into obscurity. =A0Or so it seems to me.
>
> > =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> > =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
>
> A remarkable book, full of real games played under stress.

And Pachman does a good job of setting the scene. So often,
examining a game in the quiet of one's home, one sees it in isolation,
as an abstract composition. But Pachman puts the game in full context,
telling the reader about the players, the tournament standings at that
moment, what was at stake, and what effect the game may have had on
later history. And his selection of games is good; many are ones where
careers were made or unmade, or that marked the end of an old era and
the beginning of a new, or were similarly significant.

> > =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
>
> I =A0thought it was OK, but no more. =A0Why was I wrong?

I wouldn't say you were wrong; probably just a matter of taste.
There are lot of similar books in this genre, the general historical
survey of the world champions and their major rivals. I like
Hartston's prose style and personal insights, e.g. Alekhine's "book of
the [New York] 1927 tournament ... lays out in great detail all this
thoughts about Capablanca. It is one of the greatest character
assassinations in chess literature."

> > =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
>
> IIRC I have never even seen a copy of this. =A0Could you tell me a bit
> more about it?

It's somewhat like Euwe's "The Development of Chess Style," a
general historical survey, but concerned less with individuals and
more with the development of opening theory, strategic ideas, and most
of all the concept of dynamic play. Starting with the time of Morphy,
it discusses the development of chess through the Romantic, Classical,
and Hypermodern periods into the era of Soviet hegemony.

> > =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
>
> Very enjoyable.

It has quite a number of minor factual errors (Winter compiled a
long list), but I don't feel that detracts much from the book's main
theme, which is to portray the world champions as human beings and
give insights to their personalities. Loved his image of Alekhine
voluntarily locking himself in an oubliette to play Capablanca.

> > =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> > (1965)
>
> This also sounds like something I should read.

It's an academic work by an Oxford don. Compared to Soltis' "Soviet
Chess 1917-1991" it's more scholarly, game-poor but fact- and history-
rich, drawing on a lot of Russian sources most Western writers would
not have. Has a lot about the administrative aspects of the Soviet
chess machine, and the propaganda use chess was put to in the USSR.

> > =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
>
> A perennial favourite. =A0I wish I had seen this book when I was a B
> player.

It's the book that, more than any other, changed me from a complete
patzer to a B-player.

> > =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> > 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
>
> I read volume one by the "predict Alekhine's next move" method, then
> didn't have the energy to do volume two.
>
> > =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)
>
> Another book I should have read when younger. =A0For years I played, not
> so much to win, as to avoid ever losing a pawn. =A0I never sacrificed
> anything unless I could prove that the material would come back, or
> mate result. =A0Chess became much more fun when I started sacrificing -
> soundly or otherwise.
>
> William Hyde

Date: 28 Jan 2009 11:42:16
From: William Hyde
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 27, 5:44=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>

> > So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is wo=
rth
> > discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
> > 53,
> > My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> > them as a given.
>
> =A0 Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
> worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.

My thought was that these have been discussed here quite a bit in the
past few years, as have certain classics from the earlier period. But
some great books are sliding into obscurity. Or so it seems to me.

> =A0 Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:
>
> =A0 Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)

A remarkable book, full of real games played under stress.

> =A0 The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)

I thought it was OK, but no more. Why was I wrong?

> =A0 Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)

IIRC I have never even seen a copy of this. Could you tell me a bit
more
about it?

> =A0 The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)

Very enjoyable.

> =A0 Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
> (1965)

This also sounds like something I should read.

> =A0 Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)

A perennial favourite. I wish I had seen this book when I was a B
player.

> =A0 My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
> 1908-1923 and 1924-1937)

I read volume one by the "predict Alekhine's next move" method, then
didn't have the energy to do volume two.

> =A0 The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)

Another book I should have read when younger. For years I played, not
so much to win, as to avoid ever losing a pawn. I never sacrificed
anything unless I could prove that the material would come back, or
mate result. Chess became much more fun when I started sacrificing -
soundly or otherwise.

William Hyde

Date: 27 Jan 2009 21:57:34
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 27, 9:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
> > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
> > of it.
>
> Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devotee
> of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as well,
> hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, not
> ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recent
> discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> underestimated him!).
>
> So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is wort=
h
> discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
> 53,
> My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> them as a given.
>
> William Hyde

Grandmaster Achievement and The Sicilian Labyrinth by Lev Polugaevsky.

Date: 27 Jan 2009 14:44:00
From:
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 27, 4:43=A0pm, William Hyde <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
> > (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> > especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
> > of it.
>
> Bitter is good. =A0Over the past decade I've definitely become a devotee
> of heavily hopped ales. =A0Though I do like a good English ale as well,
> hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
> a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
> There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
> of course, unavailable in these parts.
>
> > I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,
>
> You really ought to let me drive. =A0I've no license to lose!
>
> I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, not
> ukfdra) =A0I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recent
> discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
> underestimated him!).
>
> So a question to all. =A0What pre-1990 chess book do you =A0think is wort=
h
> discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
> 53,
> My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll =A0take
> them as a given.

Bill, wouldn't it be easier to list post-1990 chess books that are
worthwhile? At least they'd be fewer in number.
Anyway, for what it's worth, a few of my pre-1990 favorites:

Decisive Games in Chess History, by Ludek Pachman (1972)
The Kings of Chess, by William Hartston (1985)
Dynamic Chess, by R.N. Coles (1966)
The Human Side of Chess, by Fred Reinfeld (1952)
Soviet Chess: Chess and Communism in the USSR, by D.J. Richards
(1965)
Logical Chess: Move by Move, by Irving Chernev (1957)
My Best Games of Chess, by Alexander Alekhine (two volumes,
1908-1923 and 1924-1937)
The Art of Sacrifice, by Rudolf Spielmann (1935)

Date: 27 Jan 2009 13:43:11
From: William Hyde
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Jan 25, 2:50=A0am, Offramp <[email protected] > wrote:
> I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
> (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
> especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
> of it.
>

Bitter is good. Over the past decade I've definitely become a devotee
of heavily hopped ales. Though I do like a good English ale as well,
hard as they are to come by in this part of Toronto (local bar serves
a toxic mess of ale that's been sitting in the tanks since D day)..
There's a wonderfully bitter IPA brewed not ten miles from here, but,
of course, unavailable in these parts.

> I had a lot of trouble getting back in the car,

You really ought to let me drive. I've no license to lose!

I think we should talk about chess books more here (rgcm, that is, not
ukfdra) I'm browsing the "candidates 68" book, inspired by a recent
discussion as to Spassky's strength (looks like I actually
underestimated him!).

So a question to all. What pre-1990 chess book do you think is worth
discussing here and now? Let's leave off some classics, such as Zurich
53,
My System, Lasker's Manual, and Fischer's 60 memorable, we'll take
them as a given.

William Hyde

Date: 28 Jan 2009 21:00:04
From: Esra Sdrawkcab
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

On Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:43:11 -0000, William Hyde <[email protected] >
wrote:

> On Jan 25, 2:50�am, Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I had two very good ales in the Spoon's last night. Bitter & Twisted
>> (3.8%) and Ale Lang Syne (4.5%). The second one was brought in
>> especially for Burns' Night, and unfortunately I drank much too much
>> of it.
>>

Noting the x-post, I wonder if the pub (name lost due to beer) in Eton
still has a strong chess club?

--
"Nuns ! NUNS ! REVERSE ! REVERSE !"

Date: 27 Jan 2009 04:04:11
From: SAT W-7
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted

probably ran over someone

Date: 26 Jan 2009 22:21:38
From: Simon Cooper
Subject: Re: Bitter & Twisted