A BEAUTIFUL MIND

But of course, I could never be world champion; this
is partly because chess is not important enough to
waste a valuable mind on. It's just a game; a complete waste
of time. Life is short. That's why I have given up chess
altogether. -- Help Bot

Greg Kennedy -- our embittered Indiana factory
worker and excuse-maker -- implies that he has "a valuable mind."

One can certainly debate whether chess is a waste
of time and intellectual energy (Raymond Chandler once
termed it the greatest waste of talent save for
Stalinist apologetics), but surely no one at rgcp who
recollects our Greg's varied claims would ever argue
that he is capable of wasting what he possesses not.

The Gregger once told us that he coulda been a
chess contendah except for his exile among the
cornpones of Indiana. He mighta perused Plautus,
mighta communed with Cicero, except that Indiana
forced him to read too many comic books during the 1960s.

A few years back, Greg had sufficient honesty to
acknowledge a certain vacuum between his aural
appendages. These days, he appears to be saying, a la
Kingsley Amis, I'm all right, Jack. (Whoosh -- that
gust of humid atmosphere was Greg rushing to Wiki to
look up the name of Kingsley Amis.)

He tells us, in this paraphrase of mine, "I used
to admit my intellectual shortcomings and invent
excuses for them. No longer, rgcp a-holes! Your Greg
is doing just fine headwise and always has done fine,
notwithstanding my modest efforts on this site. I
have always had a lot of brain to drain and intend to
waste no more. Hence, hasta la vista, ajedrez!"

Mama, chess made your Greg -- the guy who doesn't
agree with GM Ray Keene that taking back a move is such
a big deal -- read those comic books.

Yours, Larry Parr



help bot wrote:
On Sep 16, 8:29 pm, (SAT W-7) wrote:

Fischer did or would you go down fighting like a true champion ?

Me , some one would have to pry it from my hands and beat me over the
chess board because id never let it go willingly...

If I were the world champion I would not only take on
and defeat all comers, but I would go one further: I would
recapture the title of world's strongest chess player by
defeating the top chess programs in matches. Reaching
my prime at the tender age of 17, I would then proceed to
win every major international tournament the world over,
up 'till I was, say, 30 years of age. Then I would go on TV
and say chess bores me; it is no challenge because of
my far superior intellect (see The Wrath of Khan). My shirt
unbuttoned to show my astounding musculature, I would
look into the camera and issue a deadpan prediction of the
eventual demise of mankind to the rise of computers, which
of course, only I was able to stave off for the time being. I
would then die in a mysterious plane crash, to establish a
legend of absolute invincibility.

My estate would contain letters describing how occasionally,
I deliberately played slightly inferior moves, just to rattle my
opponents; this would protect my legend from any tarnish
which might otherwise accrue after intense computer analysis
of my games.

-------------------

But of course, I could never be world champion; this is
partly because chess is not important enough to waste a
valuable mind on. It's just a game; a complete waste of
time. Life is short. That's why I have given up chess
altogether.


-- help bot

wrote in message
ups.com...
A BEAUTIFUL MIND

But of course, I could never be world champion; this
is partly because chess is not important enough to
waste a valuable mind on. It's just a game; a complete waste
of time. Life is short. That's why I have given up chess
altogether. -- Help Bot

Greg Kennedy -- our embittered Indiana factory
worker and excuse-maker -- implies that he has "a valuable mind."

One can certainly debate whether chess is a waste
of time and intellectual energy (Raymond Chandler once
termed it the greatest waste of talent save for
Stalinist apologetics), but surely no one at rgcp who
recollects our Greg's varied claims would ever argue
that he is capable of wasting what he possesses not.

Its very interesting that a report, published

USATODAY.com - Billionaires bank on bridge to trump poker*

is the value that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet place on games - this one on
bridge, but they are interested in chess too. Maybe they see something
strategically important for US education and business? And who is to
gainsay this pair of billionaires?

the report says; "Now Gates and Buffett have hired Buffett's bridge partner,
Sharon Osberg, to start a program to teach contract bridge in junior high
schools. They've anted up $1 million to fund it.'

I saw elsewhere that they also tried to promote chess in NY metro area but
gave up because US Cloth-ears Federation were too ... um, tired?

Phil Innes

The Gregger once told us that he coulda been a
chess contendah except for his exile among the
cornpones of Indiana. He mighta perused Plautus,
mighta communed with Cicero, except that Indiana
forced him to read too many comic books during the 1960s.

A few years back, Greg had sufficient honesty to
acknowledge a certain vacuum between his aural
appendages. These days, he appears to be saying, a la
Kingsley Amis, I'm all right, Jack. (Whoosh -- that
gust of humid atmosphere was Greg rushing to Wiki to
look up the name of Kingsley Amis.)

He tells us, in this paraphrase of mine, "I used
to admit my intellectual shortcomings and invent
excuses for them. No longer, rgcp a-holes! Your Greg
is doing just fine headwise and always has done fine,
notwithstanding my modest efforts on this site. I
have always had a lot of brain to drain and intend to
waste no more. Hence, hasta la vista, ajedrez!"

Mama, chess made your Greg -- the guy who doesn't
agree with GM Ray Keene that taking back a move is such
a big deal -- read those comic books.

Yours, Larry Parr

On Sep 17, 8:19 am, " wrote:

One can certainly debate whether chess is a waste
of time and intellectual energy (Raymond Chandler once
termed it the greatest waste of talent save for
Stalinist apologetics),

"Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find
outside an advertising agency." I believe that's the quotation you
meant.

THE HISTORIAN IS RIGHT

This quote from Raymond Chandler also appears in THIS CRAZY WORLD OF
CHESS by GM Larry Evans in his tribute to Arnold Denker. Hailed by the
publisher (Cardoza) as "the most controversial book ever written about
chess," it is due to reach bookstores this October. 20% off $9.95 is
ordered online from www.cardozapub.com

Yet players were penniless and people held them in low esteem. "Chess
is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can
find outside of an advertising agency," sneered novelist Raymond
Chandler.

In 1944 Arnie captured the USA Championship and gave exhibitions
at military bases. After the war, when the USSR crushed the USA in a
1945
radio match, he lamented, "Chess requires you full-time, but it
doesn't
assure you anywhere near an adequate income. The sooner we realize
this,
the sooner America will regain its prestige as the leading chess
nation."
Arnie had to go into business to support his family, then retired to
Florida with a bundle and financed scholastic chess. "Passing the
torch on
to the next generation was his great passion. It was his life, after
his family,"
said one of his sons.


The Historian wrote:
On Sep 17, 8:19 am, " wrote:

One can certainly debate whether chess is a waste
of time and intellectual energy (Raymond Chandler once
termed it the greatest waste of talent save for
Stalinist apologetics),

"Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find
outside an advertising agency." I believe that's the quotation you
meant.

On Sep 18, 10:14 am, " wrote:
THE HISTORIAN IS RIGHT

Nice to see Larry Parr and Neil Brennen agreeing for once.

Yet players were penniless and people held them in low esteem. "Chess
is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can
find outside of an advertising agency," sneered novelist Raymond
Chandler.

On Sep 18, 9:54 am, The Historian wrote:
On Sep 17, 8:19 am, " wrote:

One can certainly debate whether chess is a waste
of time and intellectual energy (Raymond Chandler once
termed it the greatest waste of talent save for
Stalinist apologetics),

"Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find
outside an advertising agency." I believe that's the quotation you
meant.

For a contrary view, I like this brief poem by Lord Dunsany,
currently featured on the home page of www.chesshistory.com:

To the Memory of R.H.S. Stevenson

One art they say is of no use;
The mellow evenings spent at chess,
The thrill, the triumph, and the truce
To every care, are valueless

And yet, if all whose hopes were set
On harming man played chess instead
We should have cities standing yet
Which now are dust upon the dead