Why must I lose to this idiot?

Here’s me playing online chess before it was cool

Nice people you get on the chess apps sometimes! To be fair to @lichess.org it was a brand new account and whoever was behind it closed the account before they got banned!

Adventures in pre-moves - opponent assumed I’d go Nh4 but instead I played bxc3. So the game went 1…bxc3 2.(premove) Bh1??? and White resigns

Took child 2 to the station - they’re going to Comic Con (dressed as Lydia from Beetlejuice). Just got the message “On train, there are many other nerds”

Happy birthday to the 17th World Chess Champion, former rapid AND blitz world #1, and the 10th highest-rated player ever, Ding Liren! 🍦🏆

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/o...

Ivanchuk

Want to feel old? The Chess Pit Podcast twins are now 18! @philmakepeace.bsky.social @jonmackenzie.bsky.social

Just saw this on the English Chess Forum - from Chinguun vs Nogerbek, Atyrau Open 2026. White to play

This sort of interaction is why I persevere with social media. Thanks for looking over my game @polborta.bsky.social !

this is like jesus inviting himself to your bible study

No she hasn’t. I’m standing on it.

Last night’s OTB game - 8…Qb4+ is a rare move which I didn’t know, I felt under lots of pressure for much of the game, but found a reasonable way through it. Draw agreed at the end, I had about 4 minutes left.

Played the 2200 - got surprised in the opening and played a bit passive - and my time management was all over the place. Think I was probably close to losing at some point but managed to scrape a draw

Computer disagrees - apparently it was always completely under control! Chess is weird sometimes.

Played the 2200 - got surprised in the opening and played a bit passive - and my time management was all over the place. Think I was probably close to losing at some point but managed to scrape a draw

Match 2 of the OTB season tonight - I’ll be White, opponent likely around 2200 ECF. Should be fun!

 As someone who draws with real inks and pens and paint, but who also enjoys drawing digitally (particularly Procreate on the ipad these days, although I have drawn in Illustrator on my computer a lot, and routinely use Photoshop for compositing work)

Also I didn’t develop any pieces in my first 8 moves…

First game of the new OTB season fits in a single post… Also, my opponent resigned with all my pieces on the back rank! 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h6 5.g4 Be4 6.f3 Bh7 7.e6 Qd6 8.exf7+ Kxf7 9.Bd3 e5 10.Bxh7 Rxh7 11.Qd3 e4? (11…Nf6=) 12.fxe4+- Qb4+ (11…dxe4 12.Qb3 +-) 13.c3 dxe4?? 14.Qf1+ 1-0

Also I didn’t develop any pieces in my first 8 moves…

in honour of Jon Speelman's 70th, here's a chess story from way back when. in the late 90s, i played one season in the unnamed east european league. it's the last round, my team is competing with the other strong team in the league for 1st, and they need to outscore us because our tbs are better

New boost for Burnham.

Remember the first time you encountered the term "15 degree slop".

Listening to the latest @originstorypodcast.bsky.social on John Rawls - I’m assuming there will be “Parliament of babies on a spaceship” merch in due course?

And today he plays Gukesh! 😳

Started occasionally playing 1.d4 in blitz games on @lichess.org having literally never having studied a single line - is it bad that my rating has barely moved?

My Olympiad claim to fame: I’ve beaten (twice!) a player who features in an Olympiad game that Kasparov said was “the most exciting game I ever saw”

Decided to see how 1. d4 works - annoyingly it seems quite good.

Thanks @lichess.org - that error message is somehow quite reassuring.

Thanks @lichess.org - that error message is somehow quite reassuring.

The maximum human lifespan is almost exactly 1 million hours - only around 100 people have lived longer.

Chess has been solved already* *for positions with 7 or fewer pieces on the board, and a limited subset of 8-piece positions

Ssh don’t tell anyone where I am…

Heron

Just played this crazy game - my connection dropped at the end and I lost on time with 30 seconds on the clock 😡 #PlayTheFrench🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

enough with the thinking about moves malarkey, time to bang the clock. as my first coach told me: the harder the bang, the stronger the move www.youtube.com/live/XQMvaRx...

Lichess puzzle rating 😀

Happy birthday to Leonard Barden (97) whose Guardian chess column is 70.

I think you’ll find that’s checkmate… #WhoNeedsMajorPieces

Don’t think I’ve ever had a game this long with 0/0/0 plays 0/0/0 before. 74 moves, not even an inaccuracy from either side.

Not convinced that 10…0-0-0 was my opponent’s best move here… #PlayTheScotch🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Blitz game - I’ve just sacced a knight on f6, here I played Qh6 and won in a couple of moves. Computer gives the amazing 1.Qg5+!! with the idea 1…Bxg5 2.Bxh7+! Kxh7 3.hxg5+ Kg6 4.Rh6+ Kxg5 5.Be3 mate