Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

A little bit of political chess here:

"The President is basically throwing ideological grenades back into the mix on purpose, which honestly just plays right into the hands of someone like Trump, because you can clearly see the GOP gaining traction while Trump’s numbers start to dip, and every single vote stolen from the Republicans ends up landing straight in the lap of the Democrats.

I suspect the VB16 lineup didn't actually see any more momentum than a Monopoly board game during a rainy weekend.☕

They're out here chewing on chess pieces just to toughen up their teeth.

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

I was actually going to suggest this to you, Anthony Wright30, but I see brightpilot6 beat me to the punch... link to the channel

Unfortunately, because of all the pandemic lockdowns, the Candidates tournament to find the next challenger for the world title got scrapped, but Magnus is putting together this massive online tournament instead, so there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. The only downside is trying to swallow that many videos a day if you're busy, though for me, there isn't much better than sitting down with my morning coffee and working through one or two brilliant games.👍

edit: It’s a bit chaotic jumping into his channel right in the middle of the tournament, so if you want to catch the beginning of this latest run, here is the first video.

Chess is honestly one of those beautiful skills.

The local news keeps saying life is just too much to handle right now. I don't know. Personally, I’d rather just grab a beer and play a couple of games.

To be honest, I don't think I've played a single match in the last two years...

I picked up chess last summer, but after that initial burst of enthusiasm, my drive to actually study seems to have just evaporated. I’ve managed to memorize the basics of a few openings, but everything beyond that feels like a complete dead end, leaving me perpetually stuck hovering right around a 1200 rating. Does anyone have any actual advice on how to properly kickstart this process? I know there is an endless sea of tutorials online, but I am more interested in hearing about your own personal experiences and what actually worked for you.

Dennis Evans6 said:I was actually going to suggest this to you, Anthony Wright30, but I see brightpilot6 beat me to the punch... link to the channel

Unfortunately, because of all the pandemic lockdowns, the Candidates tournament to find the next challenger for the world title got scrapped, but Magnus is putting together this massive online tournament instead, so there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. The only downside is trying to swallow that many videos a day if you're busy, though for me, there isn't much better than sitting down with my morning coffee and working through one or two brilliant games.👍

edit: It’s a bit chaotic jumping into his channel right in the middle of the tournament, so if you want to catch the beginning of this latest run, here is the first video.

I will be heading back home in a few days, so I should have enough time during my quarantine to catch up. I have played him since I was a child, and then I started playing more seriously on the ship with colleagues during my downtime. I guess I became quite obsessed, often spending the whole day just waiting for my turn to play, haha. I am actually looking forward to continuing to sharpen my skills. Once this isolation period passes, perhaps you can join me for a game of chess.😁

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

👍 👍

I don't really play. I mean, I never actually got into it, so I don't know much about the actual mechanics or anything advanced like that. It’s just not super interesting to me since I haven't had enough free time to sit down and really learn the ropes, I guess! 😁 ..., but I actually just started following...

So, I stumbled onto something pretty cool the other day! I was just scrolling through YouTube, totally by accident, when I ran into these Magnus Carlsen blitz sessions. It’s actually super interesting—he’ll just sit there for two or three hours playing blitz, usually three minutes per side, against all sorts of random opponents. He streams the whole thing and provides live commentary, which is great, and then he goes ahead and breaks everything down into individual videos for every single game. I guess it's just such a fun way to watch him play!

The guy is a total genius across the board! It’s not just his chess game—which is insane, by the way—but his sense of humor and his whole vibe. He just gets it. I guess he's just built different! 🙏

I managed to pivot away from that pretty quickly, I guess! Now I’m just glued to Agadmator, watching this MC Invitational unfold. It’s such a massive show, honestly. Over the last few years, I’ve definitely played around with that whole "chess isn't a sport" joke in debates—you know, being a bit tongue-in-cheek about it—but man, the game is just freaking brilliant. It's a total wonder, really. 🙏

If anyone’s looking to dive into chess history through one of those absolute legendary games—and honestly, you might have already devoured this one if you've been playing for a while—it's definitely worth a look! I mean, maybe it's a bit cliché, but some classics just hit different, right? 😁 I guess I should probably drop some warm recommendations for... well, just about anything! Maybe? I’m feeling pretty upbeat today, so let's get into it! Oh, this book! I mean, wow. It’s just... something else, I guess. Maybe? I don't know! It really caught me off guard, honestly. Such a wild ride!I think I might have finally missed my chance. Or maybe I just blew it. It feels like it's already passed me by, I guess. Maybe?

I can't believe I'm even addressing this right now—honestly, my heart is still racing from that last thread! But fine, let's get into it. steelharbor9, you really have a way of stirring the pot, don't you? Truly, a masterclass in provocation! I was sitting here, sipping my coffee—dark roast, extra cream, the only way to survive a Monday—and I just had to respond to what you put out there. It’s quite a bold claim, isn't it? Almost too bold! It reminds me of that one time I was stuck in traffic outside of Chicago—just absolute chaos, much like this discussion—and I realized that sometimes, the loudest voices aren't necessarily the most accurate. Anyway, back to the point! You seem convinced, but I simply cannot agree. It’s all a bit... well, let's call it "ambitious," shall we? I'll be watching this unfold, though—I truly will! kaže:

The man is an absolute, bona fide genius across the board—and I mean that! It isn't just his mastery of chess—though, let’s be honest, his tactical mind is something else entirely—it's his sense of humor and those fundamental principles he sticks to... he just gets it! He's got it all. 🙏

I’m a die-hard Real Madrid supporter—or should I say, I bleed white! There is just something about that club's history—it's legendary, really—that gets my blood pumping every single match day! 🙏

Guys, you're all sitting here whining about working on Sundays while we’re dealing with an actual disaster over here (which basically means you're next)

The EU just finished their audit and now the US is being ordered to cough up $450 million in returned subsidies -

I’m dying to know who actually pays the bill—is it the people who took the money or does the taxpayer piggy bank just take the hit? 🤔

Jesse Sullivan5 said:

I can't believe I'm even addressing this right now—honestly, my heart is still racing from that last thread! But fine, let's get into it. steelharbor9, you really have a way of stirring the pot, don't you? Truly, a masterclass in provocation! I was sitting here, sipping my coffee—dark roast, extra cream, the only way to survive a Monday—and I just had to respond to what you put out there. It’s quite a bold claim, isn't it? Almost too bold! It reminds me of that one time I was stuck in traffic outside of Chicago—just absolute chaos, much like this discussion—and I realized that sometimes, the loudest voices aren't necessarily the most accurate. Anyway, back to the point! You seem convinced, but I simply cannot agree. It’s all a bit... well, let's call it "ambitious," shall we? I'll be watching this unfold, though—I truly will! kaže:

The man is an absolute, bona fide genius across the board—and I mean that! It isn't just his mastery of chess—though, let’s be honest, his tactical mind is something else entirely—it's his sense of humor and those fundamental principles he sticks to... he just gets it! He's got it all. 🙏

I’m a die-hard Real Madrid supporter—or should I say, I bleed white! There is just something about that club's history—it's legendary, really—that gets my blood pumping every single match day! 🙏

Well, I guess that makes sense! I mean, after outsmarting Kasparov when he was just thirteen, he probably got fast-tracked straight into the CIA or something.

Anthony Wright30 said:I will be heading back home in a few days, so I should have enough time during my quarantine to catch up. I have played him since I was a child, and then I started playing more seriously on the ship with colleagues during my downtime. I guess I became quite obsessed, often spending the whole day just waiting for my turn to play, haha. I am actually looking forward to continuing to sharpen my skills. Once this isolation period passes, perhaps you can join me for a game of chess.😁

We can work something out, though I wouldn't call myself much of a player; I much prefer sitting back and watching a high-level match rather than stumbling around the board myself.🙂

edit: Was Magnus actually at the top of the Premier Fantasy rankings?

Dennis Evans6 said:We can work something out, though I wouldn't call myself much of a player; I much prefer sitting back and watching a high-level match rather than stumbling around the board myself.🙂

edit: Was Magnus actually at the top of the Premier Fantasy rankings?

Yeah, he held that top spot for a little bit, I guess. Which is honestly crazier than his chess stats, maybe? 🤣

His Twitter bio basically says it all: The highest ranked chess player in the world. Former (live) #1 Fantasy Football player. 🤣

dustyridge3 said:I picked up chess last summer, but after that initial burst of enthusiasm, my drive to actually study seems to have just evaporated. I’ve managed to memorize the basics of a few openings, but everything beyond that feels like a complete dead end, leaving me perpetually stuck hovering right around a 1200 rating. Does anyone have any actual advice on how to properly kickstart this process? I know there is an endless sea of tutorials online, but I am more interested in hearing about your own personal experiences and what actually worked for you.

Well, look... I don't think there's really a shortcut here. It’s a mix of learning through play—you know, that trial and error process—pairing it with a little bit of theory for at least those first three or four moves, and then watching quality commentary, like Agadmator’s videos, where you can start to grasp the broader strategic picture, which eventually helps you see more than just one move ahead.

Chess is probably a lot like skiing. From everyone I know who took it up as an adult, almost none of them ever became truly good, nor did they ever really fall deeply in love with it.

There is something uniquely special about playing against a live opponent, someone sitting right there across from you, struggling through the tension. Unfortunately, that’s becoming a rarity these days. I suspect most people from my generation caught the bug early on simply by watching the older folks sit there, brooding over the board. I spent countless hours playing against my dad and granddad, and even more hours just sitting in silence, watching those multi-hour battles between adults. I was honestly just lucky they let me stay in the room. Later on, I was fortunate enough to have a friend who shared the passion, and we’d grab a beer and head down to a local park to play in the shade. God, those were the days.😢

And, of course, there are the great chess books. I grew up on this one; if I haven't read it at least twenty times, I haven't really learned anything. 🙏



Try to track it down; it offers a little bit of everything for a beginner—solid theory, fundamental principles to stick to, various chess curiosities, and a wonderful overview of the world champions up until the book was published.

As for those stories and oddities... Take the well-known legend about chess and the grain of wheat. Or the tale of Alekhine being found dead in a hotel room next to a chessboard, where the only missing piece was the white king, which he had allegedly grabbed as he fell. To me, that felt almost supernatural, something mystical, and I still remember the feeling of reading it for the first time. Those are the things that enchant you, though I suppose it’s much easier to be captivated when you're just a kid.😢

steelharbor9 said:👍 👍

I don't really play. I mean, I never actually got into it, so I don't know much about the actual mechanics or anything advanced like that. It’s just not super interesting to me since I haven't had enough free time to sit down and really learn the ropes, I guess! 😁 ..., but I actually just started following...

So, I stumbled onto something pretty cool the other day! I was just scrolling through YouTube, totally by accident, when I ran into these Magnus Carlsen blitz sessions. It’s actually super interesting—he’ll just sit there for two or three hours playing blitz, usually three minutes per side, against all sorts of random opponents. He streams the whole thing and provides live commentary, which is great, and then he goes ahead and breaks everything down into individual videos for every single game. I guess it's just such a fun way to watch him play!

The guy is a total genius across the board! It’s not just his chess game—which is insane, by the way—but his sense of humor and his whole vibe. He just gets it. I guess he's just built different! 🙏

I managed to pivot away from that pretty quickly, I guess! Now I’m just glued to Agadmator, watching this MC Invitational unfold. It’s such a massive show, honestly. Over the last few years, I’ve definitely played around with that whole "chess isn't a sport" joke in debates—you know, being a bit tongue-in-cheek about it—but man, the game is just freaking brilliant. It's a total wonder, really. 🙏

If anyone’s looking to dive into chess history through one of those absolute legendary games—and honestly, you might have already devoured this one if you've been playing for a while—it's definitely worth a look! I mean, maybe it's a bit cliché, but some classics just hit different, right? 😁 I guess I should probably drop some warm recommendations for... well, just about anything! Maybe? I’m feeling pretty upbeat today, so let's get into it! Oh, this book! I mean, wow. It’s just... something else, I guess. Maybe? I don't know! It really caught me off guard, honestly. Such a wild ride!I think I might have finally missed my chance. Or maybe I just blew it. It feels like it's already passed me by, I guess. Maybe?

I haven't read it yet, but I definitely will; it seems to follow the same path as the one I mentioned above.👍

steelharbor9 said:Yeah, he held that top spot for a little bit, I guess. Which is honestly crazier than his chess stats, maybe? 🤣

His Twitter bio basically says it all: The highest ranked chess player in the world. Former (live) #1 Fantasy Football player. 🤣

Yes, quite—the absolute summit, and how much pride he seemed to take in such a distinction.🤣

I played him a little bit back during middle school—you know, playing for my local school team at one of those small neighborhood tournaments... But honestly? He never quite "clicked" with me. 😢

It’s just the guys from the snooker club for me! 🎱✨

dustyridge3 said:I picked up chess last summer, but after that initial burst of enthusiasm, my drive to actually study seems to have just evaporated. I’ve managed to memorize the basics of a few openings, but everything beyond that feels like a complete dead end, leaving me perpetually stuck hovering right around a 1200 rating. Does anyone have any actual advice on how to properly kickstart this process? I know there is an endless sea of tutorials online, but I am more interested in hearing about your own personal experiences and what actually worked for you.

There isn't a magic formula here, but I can offer a few thoughts.
Study your endgames. Seriously.
At this stage, pick a handful of openings and actually learn them. For example, when I'm playing White, I stick to e4. When Black is facing e4, I usually go with the Sicilian—mostly the Najdorf, though I'll throw in the Dragon depending on what my opponent throws at me. Against d4, I typically play the King's Indian or occasionally the Queen's Gambit.
The Accepted Queen's Gambit can be a devastating weapon against an opponent who's technically better than you.
In the opening phase, prioritize developing your pieces as quickly as possible.
Once your pieces are out, attack like you mean it. Don't hold back. Make them suffer. You want to hear the metaphorical wailing of their fallen pieces.

Sign up for Lichess or FICS. Honestly, Chess.com is garbage; the interface is a mess.

Oh, absolutely... I’d highly recommend this to anyone.

I went through a brief phase where I became absolutely obsessed with snooker, but the flame burned out pretty quickly. 😎

Ugh, I guess Mike once absolutely destroyed me at chess. It was pretty brutal...