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Kramnik and Gata Kamsky have recently taken their accusations of online cheating to extreme, almost absurd levels. I've been tuning it out. Pity, because I like both GMs as chessplayers and enjoy watching Kamsky's streams. Watching a recent Kamsky stream of Titled Tuesday, he reported practically every opponent for cheating. It's become almost self-parodic.

OTOH, I do believe there is a significant amount of cheating in Titled Tuesdays. So as a spectator I prefer events with fewer players.

Carlsen plays 1. f3? in a Titled Tuesday blitz game against GM. The "Barnes Opening".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmH1XZ5oto

Thanks Geeker, that was fun. I love the way MC is using all these weird openings... F3, H3, A3!! - and he still wins 😎

Can't help but wonder if he isn't trolling his opponents - at least a little bit 🤔

This is a funny story from when MC just started playing Titled Tuesdays and his weird openings were less expected:

https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/mamedov-resigned-carlsen-1-g5-mockery

🤣 Rauf Mamedov is a very strong GM, btw.

With stone foundations, Greek castles compete to be most up-to-date (9)

G??O??E??

This was in Friday's Times. I was quite surprised that solvers were expected to know O-O as chess notation for the 'castles' move. They probably also had to be of a certain age to remember the stem word of the solution meaning 'with it' and 'cool'.

Nice one Paul, of course if you're a fan of Austin Powers you'll also know it 🤪

Good one, Paul. I'd have gotten it. Strangely, I recently heard a song (Smithers-Jones) by the Jam that includes (twice) the dated slang term.

That Jam song is off Setting Sons which is a truly terrific album IMHO 👍

Brendan, the Jam were terrific IMO...although I mostly know them via the Snap! "greatest hits" compilation.

Here's a beatdown of the Najdorf that the Youtube algorithm summoned up, Indjic-Sarana, SRB team ch 2023 round 7 (1-0, 21)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brhUD_DzIHM

A bit surprising to see the extremely strong GM Sarana play 9...Bb7, giving up protection of e6, and immediately get hit with 10. Bxe6!

Indeed, Brendan. The Butterfly Collector. But nothing will ever beat Down In The Tube Station, imho