Pride, Joy, and the Holy Man.

Today, I dare say, was a good day. You think I lie? Oh my. Sigh. But why? Why? Must this day pass on by? It was filled with moments, both good and bad. The kind that you probably have always had. They make you happy, they make you sad. And yet as I ponder the path and the way... today, I dare say, was a good day.

What defines a good day? I started the day with a moment of peace and happiness that only a great game of chess can provide. I proceeded to go bowling and, for the first time in over 3 years, bowled a 223 one of my games. On the way home I stopped at McDonalds, a definitive mistake, and received change back for my $10. Change. After explaining that I had given them a $10, they took my word for it this time! I went to the chess club for a short while this evening and managed to write some theory for auto-generating the bitboards I need for the legal move generator. Then I got home, played a good game of poker, an amazing game of chess!!!, and watched The Holy Man with Eddie Murphy. Technically, for my purposes, I should say with Kelly Preston, because she really looks good in this movie! I'm hooked.

As for that amazing game of chess... I say amazing because I played it against one of the computers on the ICC that is stronger than I am, that I have a poor record against, and I was black. Which, if you've been keeping up, you know that I feel my play as Black is in a bit of shambles and needs some work. So, I give to you my pride and joy:

[Event "ICC 15 3"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2006.03.04"]
[Round "-"]
[White "ctd"]
[Black "EdBorowski"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2131"]
[BlackElo "2029"]
[Opening "Sicilian: closed, 2...Nc6"]
[ECO "B23"]
[NIC "SI.44"]
[Time "22:57:24"]
[TimeControl "900+3"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bb5 Bg7 5. a3 Qb6 6. Nd5 Qd8 7. O-O Nd4 8.
Nxd4 Bxd4 9. c3 Bg7 10. d3 a6 11. Qa4 e6 12. Nf4 Ne7 13. Rd1 O-O 14. d4 cxd4
15. cxd4 d5 16. exd5 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Qxd5 18. Bc4 Qh5 19. Qc2 Bd7 20. Bf4 Rac8
21. Qd3 Bc6 22. Rac1 Rfd8 23. Be3 Qg4 24. Qf1 Bd5 25. Bxd5 exd5 26. Qd3 Qd7
27. Re1 Rxc1 28. Rxc1 Rc8 29. Rxc8+ Qxc8 30. Kf1 b5 31. f3 Kf8 32. a4 Qc4
33. Qxc4 dxc4 34. axb5 axb5 35. Ke2 Ke7 36. Kd2 Kd6 37. Kc3 Kc6 38. h3 f5
39. g4 h5 40. gxf5 gxf5 41. h4 Bf8 42. Bg5 Bd6 43. Kd2 Kd5 44. Bf6 Bh2 45.
Kc3 Bd6 46. Kd2 Bc7 47. Kc3 Ba5+ 48. Kc2

And the magic 8-ball says?



48... Be1! 49. Kc1 Bf2 50. Kc2 Bxd4 51.
Be7 Bc5 52. Bxc5 Kxc5 53. Kc3 b4+ 54. Kc2 Kd4 55. Kd2 f4 56. Ke2 c3 57. b3
c2 58. Kd2 c1=Q+ 59. Kxc1 Kc3 60. Kd1 Kxb3 61. Kd2 Ka2 62. Kd3 b3 63. Ke4 b2
64. Kxf4 b1=Q 65. Kg5 Qb5+ 66. Kg6 Qe5 67. f4 Qxf4 68. Kxh5 Qg3 69. Kh6
Qxh4+ 70. Kg6 Kb3 71. Kf5 Kc4 72. Ke5 Qg4 73. Kd6 Qf5 74. Kc7 Qe6 75. Kd8
Qf7 76. Kc8 Kc5 77. Kd8 Kc6 78. Kc8 Qc7# {White checkmated} 0-1

Now I've got to finish watching The Holy Man and get to bed.

I hope you've all had a great day!

Ed.