Martin

Personal views.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@timpeterwall Tim, are the dates for the 2025 Northumbria Masters confirmed yet? I saw somewhere that they might be 20th August onwards and, also, that the Northumberland Chess Congress was 29th August onwards. So quite close together, and I wanted to check. Thanks

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@Defalt_89 @NealBruceBC Ooh, it is quite cool and I can easily import my opening lines from elsewhere.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@Defalt_89 @NealBruceBC Thanks. I have never thought of using chesstempo for that. I must take a look at how it works. I only use it for tactics.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@Defalt_89 @NealBruceBC Do you store your openings in chesstempo?

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@MarieCurieNorth Hi Marie Curie, I did the GNR for you this year and am supposed to have a place for 2025 too. I emailed you - [email protected] - about this recently but haven't heard back. Can you help me, please?

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@DjoloChess @MeerMaurits Check out the book "Cognitive chess". I am starting to find it useful. Or the podcast visualisation exercises from don't move until you see it (Aiden).

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@Solitarnesque @eldiablo0786 @BrumLabour @ShabanaMahmood @Keir_Starmer @BrumLeader @TrueBlower @CllrMajid @MorriamJan @jessphillips @ErdingtonTories @rogerbhx @nickyebrennan @MattBennett29 @ZafarMBE @ewan_mackey @Harborne_Jayne @mariamkhan29 @ShaistaGohir @NewsNight @BBCNews @SkyNews @Channel4 @BhamCityCouncil @WMPolice I think you have mistaken me for someone else. I have no connection with these issues at all.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

Can anyone explain to a non-IT person how to add the Stockfish engine to @HiarcsChess on my Macbook, please? I have the Stockfish app but know that I just can't add this. I am lost. @gmmds @over_the_board #chesspunks

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@NealBruceBC Shouldering. Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual Fast Track Edition covers it.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@ecfchess Well done Matthew!

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JWvCChess Nothing quite so flash, and very analogue. But lines nonetheless.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@librarianlawson @chesspunks Good for you Dawn. Hope you continue to enjoy it!

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess Good luck!

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess Serious question - why not pick a single opening like the French, which your first move defines, and invest time in that? e5 doesn’t give you that control. And why is e6 a worse choice than say c6 or (gulps hard) c5?

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess Dabbled in host of openings in previous slow games, without any clear logic; only opted for 1.d4 & the French when I decided at turn of year to devote time to the game &, in due course, play OTB. It feels settled and studying is inherently enjoyable. Now hoping it pays off!

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess Exactly! The French gives you a good response & a host of fascinating & enjoyable lines. I have no settled OTB rating yet, just studying lots. Got >1700 in slow games a long while ago, but realised that is pretty meaningless. Ask me after two tournaments in August and September!

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess So what would you recommend against 1. e4?

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@JasonB1226 @thestrongchess Watson doesn’t explain ideas well enough for lower rated players IMO. A lot of variations, for sure, but I think other writers explain things more. Miedema’s volume on the Tarrasch is good. And Moskalenko’s “The Fully Fledged French” is great - a bit didactic, but really useful.

[Jen Jen @jen_jen_clark]

With numbers📈 of ppl experiencing #Homelessness it's baffling to see a lighter touch approach to ending homelessness across #GeneralElection2024 party manifestos compared to promises to end homelessness made in 2019. Can we Make Homelessness History?👇

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

@DanielRensch @chesscom @GreenPawns I got some help from the team, Danny, for which, thanks. But it was very perfunctory - a generic answer about tabs without any information about how to use them. Maybe the feature isn't more developed yet, it isn't clear from what I was told.

[Martin @MartinBrookes]

Hi @chesscom and @danielrensch, I have been looking for help learning how to use tags in the library feature. So far with no luck. I got a generic "the library feature is fab" reply to my question (not from a bot, seemingly), but nothing since. Can you help, please? #chesspunks