Click here to look for "chess" with the Google search engine.   Hello friend!     ...............    Welcome to one of the best {private} chess sites around. (Recognized as such by several national chess federations and also "C.J.A." Site of The Year for 2004.)     ................     Check out my School of Tactics!!  ..........  Many improvements and NEW PAGES!!!!   (Be sure to check the T.L.A. in 'Chess Life' for the tournaments in your area.)  Thanks, and have a great day!!!

   A FIDE "Top 100" site.  
  Best site, CJA, for 2004.

All the 
best 
in chess.
(TM)

(Navigation bar 
directly below.)

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Various Chess Lessons
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Keep watching these pages as they grow and change!!

 © A.J. Goldsby,
 2012.
(All rights reserved.) 

  ****************  

Click  HERE  
to see the 
page  for all  
of my chess 
downloads. 
 (It's FREE!!!!) 

 ****************  

     Click  HERE 
      to see any 
      chess items 
      that I have  
      that are ...  
     FOR SALE!  

  ****************  

Official PayPal Seal

****************

Buy a book  
from Amazon.com
(And help me out as well!)

 

A.J.'s Chess Home Page


    :::::::::::::::    


    Today's date is: 

>>> A new feature - see my own blog page (on chess) ... I plan to be making entries on at least a weekly basis, possibly even more! <<< 


Welcome! My name is A.J. Goldsby I. (I am a fairly well-known chess player, who has lived most of his life in Pensacola, FL / in the USA.) This is the home of my biggest chess website, and serves as the focal point of nearly all of my chess activities. Originally, this site was part of the "Geo-Cities" family of websites. In the spring of 2009, I learned that GC would soon be shutting their doors ... forever. Naturally, I could not bear the thought of my biggest website closing for good. Therefore, I purchased a domain, and moved all of my pages to this location. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to e-mail me at: LifeMasterAJ@yahoo.com. Mail: 711 Underwood Ave. Apt. #509A / Pensacola, FL 32504-8860 or P.O. Box 11718; Pensacola, FL 32524-1718. 


I am now on both "FaceBook" and "Twitter." 


  The best current {chess} quote:  

(Tuesday; April 26th, 2011) Should children be MADE to learn chess? I.e., should learning chess in the public schools be made compulsory? I say - YES!!! 

     *********************************************************************************************************************************************      

"Chess is a very addictive process, a positive drug for children." - GM Ray Keene.  [read the article]  

Here is a good article, the authors make many interesting points!  

<<English grandmaster and Times chess correspondent Raymond Keene agrees with targeting six-year-olds at primary school - and not just because he thinks it is the optimum time to catch children with the potential to make it big.  

"Chess draws from brain power, not experience - it's not like writing an epic. So if a child is good at six, they could be a grandmaster by the time they are 12," he enthuses. 

He says "chess is a very addictive process, a positive drug for children". Even when it is played online, it is much better than video games or television, he adds.>>  


  Thanks  to all of you who take the time to e-mail me with ideas, suggestions and corrections!  
   (Be sure to visit my domain as well!)  

  You can now make a direct donation via "PayPal,"  ... please do so today. (See the sidebar.)  

 If   you like my website, don't forget to donate.  I suggest an annual (minimum) donation of $25 to $35 a year,  but only from those folks that are financially able to give something. If you don't have a credit card, or - as many people do - you just want to send a check, money order ... or maybe you just want to stuff a few dollars in an envelope ... below is my mailing address. Thanks! Remember - your continued support is what makes this website possible. 

  My (mailing) address is:  A.J. Goldsby IP.O. Box 11718Pensacola, FL  32524  


Click  HERE  to go to   Google     ...  the world's best and largest search engine; and search for web sites and/or web pages  -  with  'chess'  as the subject. (Literally MILLIONS of matches!!) 

 *** 

   [ Today's Tip?  Go and  get  the  FREE  Google Toolbar  ... and BLOCK most pop-ups!! ] 

   [ Another g-tip?  New! Get Gmail - Google's free email service with 1 GB of space! ]  

  ***  

 (If you are {still} searching for chess material, you can also check out the link at the top of the page. 


  This site was voted to be: (the)  "Best General Chess Web Site"  for  2004,  
  by  The Chess Journalists of America!!   [The CJA site.]  


Click  HERE  to see the meeting times for the   Pensacola Chess Club  

We would like to hold as many tournaments as possible, however, we are in need of a meeting site ... that would not be overly expensive. Use this link to see the information on any tournament ... or if you would like to download any of the flyers for these events.  


  CG's P.O.D.  


   A.J.'s - Site Problem  

White to move ... can you solve this without help? (ind_sp_jan-2009.gif, 08 KB)

     White  to move.    

 Position in Forsythe: (top-to-bottom/left-to-right) -  
  r2q1rnk/1p1bb1pp/p2p4/3NP1P1/P2Bp3/3Q3R/1PP1B2P/6RK w  

  White: Kh1, Qd3, Nd5, Bd4, e2, Rg1, h3; Pawns: a4, b2, c2, e5, g5, & h2
  Black: Kh8, Qd8, Ng8, Bd7, e7, Ra8, f8; Pawns: a6, b7, d6, e4, g7, & h7.

  *************************************************************************  

This is a "White to move" (and win?) problem.  

I won't tell you the players or the source, if I did that, it would make it too easy for you. Please, use ONLY your brain, no computers! 

  **************************************************************************************  

Now I have a page to permanently record the problems, (from my home page);  ... most with analysis as well. 
(Click
here to see another page ... with even more problems, these are posted on a weekly basis.)  

 ******* 

  More problems  to solve, ... ... ... IF you are interested.  


  "Chess News"  
 
(Relatively recent events in the chess community.)  

  *********************************************************  

   2011 (3rd) London Chess Classic  

GM Vladimir Kramnik won this tournament in fine style with four wins and drawing the rest of his games. GM H. Nakamura came in second with a last minute defeat (in the last round!) of GM M. Adams ... in a King's Gambit, no less!  GM Magnus Carlsen took third place. 
     [ The ChessBase page for this tournament, J. Saunders's report on the last round.]   [The CG page for this tournament.]   [The TWIC report for this event.] 

   *******  

  Tal Memorial (2011)  

This annual event - held to honor one of the greatest players who ever lived - was won by GM's Carlsen and Aronian, who tied for first. 
     [The ChessBase report on the final round.]   [The CG page for this tournament.]  

   *******  

  São Paulo / Bilbao Masters (2011)  

Many of the world's top masters showed up for this event, but in the end, GM Magnus Carlsen won first ... after a blitz tiebreak/play-off. 
     [The ChessBase page for this whole event]   [The CG page for this event.]   

   *******  

  ICT / Dortmund, 2011  

GM Vladimir Kramnik has always seemed to own this event ... and this year's edition of this tournament was no exception. With an absolute lock on first place with a full round to go, Kramnik (in a gamble) decided to "go for broke" against GM H. Nakamura ... played an interesting game - but lost. 
     [The ChessBase page for this event.]   [The CG page (with a crosstable) for this tournament.] 

   *******  

  For more information, please see my  page  devoted entirely to  "Chess News."    
  (Be sure to check out the various "Archive Pages" as well.)  


Many have suggested that I do a regular column. Like GM S. Gligoric used to have in CL&R. 

  So I decided to do it. Click    HERE    to see my   "Game of The Month."   

   ********************************************   

   Please note that the last game that I did was for July, 2007; although I have decided to revive this feature.  

Hello: 

(This is a copy of the notice that I posted around the "Chess Games" website; however, this "contest" is open to everyone!) 

I have not done a game (for my "Game of The Month" website since July, 2007. (Too much turmoil in my personal life.) 

However, I have now decided that I am going to revive this feature. I want to do a RECENT GM game ... 

[Just a few rules: 

  1. It MUST have been played in the last six months. (A game played 7 months ago, I would consider, any game older than 8 months will NOT be eligible! Remember, the idea is to get a relatively recent game looked at.) 

  2. It has to be at least a GM vs IM game PREFERABLY a GM-vs-GM game! 

  3. Once a player, (say Kramnik - just as an example); has a (won) game {actually posted} in my column, it will be at least a year before he can have another game in my column ... in this manner - it does not turn into a "one-player" type of affair. 

  4. I keep tabs, I will post the voting, (in my forum); it closes the last day of the month. 

  5. One vote per person/e-mail. (If I discover that one person is using multiple e-mails to vote over and over again, they could be disqualified.)  

  6. I get to break all ties, if there are only a handful of votes, I choose. Ideally, I'd like to see 50-100 votes, at least.] 

    You can vote in my forum or via e-mail, (its in my header); so no one (who really wants to participate) is left out.

    It does NOT have to be a game on the CG website, of course, if you do pick a game (and its not here); I have to be able to find it in TWIC. (Prolly best - if you pick a game that's not here - at least send me a link to where you got the PGN from.)


   ********************************************   

  Make sure you visit my  page  devoted to  Correspondence Chess!  


 February 26th, 2003:   After nearly 8 years of INTENSELY hard work, I have finally done it. 

All the games in  MY  list of the  "Ten Best"  are finally, thoroughly and DEEPLY  annotated.  All the games have a "JS re-play" page. Most have a very thorough  and deep analysis of all the options, to include an opening repertoire. 

(I continue to refine and add to these pages on a regular basis. Nov. 20th, 2007.)  


  Dozens of people have asked me to keep a  list of what is new  or what has changed.  

That would be too difficult to do. 
  --->   But now you can click    HERE    to see one of my latest creations.  
 (This will change every time I post a new page, or greatly up-date an old one.) 

 *** 

  Click  HERE  to see the page with my  latest  annotated games.  


    Announcements and chess games      

  *************************************************************************************  

  1.  Bobby Fischer passes away at 64 years of age ... from an unspecified illness.  (My page on this news item.) 

  2. I have always thought that  H.N. Pillsbury ... was a great player, and perhaps  belonged  in the list of "The 25 Best Players" of all time. However, I usually don't  find too many people to agree with me on this topic. Here's a blog that discusses this {briefly} in passing. 

  3.  A NEW version of ChessBase Light is now available. And its FREE!  [more]   

  4. A very interesting endgame ... that is definitely worth a second look.  

  5. My letter  to Joel Benjamin ... in the (on-line) issue of Chess Life[New - corrected - link, July, 2008.] 

  6. Read  my book review of  "The Immortal Game,"  by  David Shenk.  

  7.  My review of Igor Stohl's new volume (#2) on Garry Kasparov's Greatest Games.   

  8.  My win over NM Jerry Wheeler  ...  is featured in GM Ray Keene's column(or try here), (in the London Times);  for March 18th, 2006.  
    {My
    analysis of this contest.}  

  9.  A good review ... of a great book ... on a very historic match.  
     (IM Jeremy Silman's review of the same book.) 

  10. Be sure to visit this  page  for listing chess miniatures. (My old {original} page for miniatures is full.) This page already has a few nice games, so be sure to check it out.   

  11.  Click  HERE  to see the famous game,  Lasker - Napier; Cambridge Springs, 1904.  

  12. Click  HERE  to see a brilliant game by  R. Nezhmetdinov.  (This is not a new game, but it has not been available for several years. At some point, the web page became severely corrupted, {unreadable} and I was not aware of this. Additionally - - about 3-6 months ago, they closed the host site for this page, and I had not {yet} reposted it. I have also redone it and touched it up a bit, so it will be like looking at a brand-new web page.)  

  13. In my quest to fix (and repair) broken links, you should be able to reach all the games on the page that is dedicated to all the best chess games of Garry Kasparov. (Click HERE.) 

  14. This is NOT a new game, however it has been unavailable for several years now ... due to many problems, mostly which were busted links. However, now you can see this game ... in all of its original and resplendent glory. (Rubinstein - Hromadka, 1923.) 

  15. My analysis of game one of the WCH-2008 Anand-Kramnik match.  

  16. Check out the new problem (Aug - 2009) on my page dedicated to this area of chess.  
    (You can scroll down to the bottom of the page ... OR ... click here.) 

  17. The CG website has a new page. (Its a handy index to all the chess World Championships ... (and it has a nice introduction as well). 

  18. My newest page ... its fairly short, but interesting. Its on the game: Rozentalis - Bologan; Belfort, FRA; 1995.   Click here   to see this game now.  

  19. Tuesday / September 8th, 2009:  A new page ... that will contain lightly annotated miniatures. 

  20. Thursday; September 10th, 2009:  I have a new page for listing my (free) downloads. Check it out!!  

  21. Friday; October 2nd, 2009:  I have updated my analysis of the game, Bobby Fischer - Oscar Panno; BA 1970.  
    (This includes a free download of my current analysis of this game!)  

  22. Friday; May 21st, 2010:  My analysis of game # 12 of the World Championship Match between GM V. Anand and GM V. Topalov.  
       (Click  HERE.)   This is a very detailed and thorough analysis, there are also many diagrams as well. 
    (You MUST check this out, there are many valuable links here!!!)  

  23. Wednesday; June 23rd, 2010: A. Lilienthal passed away in May of 2010. Today I posted my web page about him. 

  24. Wednesday; August 4th, 2010: I spent many hours redoing my original  page  on short games. Many changes were made. I found MANY busted links, these were all fixed. The old page was mostly centered, now just about the whole page has been justified to the left. I also added numbering to several of the lists of games, they look much better now. (I have already gotten a couple of e-mails complimenting me on the job.) Check it out! 

  25. Tuesday; September 28th, 2010:  I just posted a new page ... where I can provide my insights to the current "ChessGames Challenge." 

  26. Saturday; November 27th, 2010:  I just posted a brand-new web page ... which also contains a tribute to a great player. (F. Olafsson.) 

  27. Tuesday; March 29th, 2011:  I just read the most amazing story on the Internet. (See below.) 

    <<  French Chess Federation suspends players accused of cheating  
    21.03.2011 On Saturday the Disciplinary Committee of the French Chess Federation suspended GMs Sebastien Feller, Arnaud Hauchard and IM Cyril Marzolo, finding them “guilty of a violation of sporting ethics” for allegedly cheating during the Chess Olympiad 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk. The three received suspensions, after evidence was presented, including a detailed description of how it was done.>> 

    Nowadays, in a normal week, I get at least 10-20 e-mails a week. During a big event, (like a WC or Linares); I would get deluged with e-mails. 

    The fact that someone was cheating was NOT (new) news to me.  (See this article that I wrote back in 2004.) I had heard some things before. For example, one player who had lived in France and had actually seen Feller play contended that he was cheating. (Approx. 2 years ago.) He primarily had observed - what HE believed to be - suspicious behavior at the chessboard. This, coupled with the fact that Feller's games seemed to follow certain chess engines lead him to believe that Feller was cheating. 

    Another person wrote me last fall. He had some information (second-hand) that someone had seen a text message from Feller ... to the effect of: "hurry up and send me the moves" ... if you can believe that. He also told me that the whole French team was cheating, and he had proof. To be honest, I wrote this poor fellow back and told him that I honestly thought that he was the victim of a hoax/joke. Now it appears that there was a great deal of truth to what he said! (Read the whole article, for all the juicy details. And if you want more information, then check out this link.) 

  28. Tuesday; April 26th, 2011:  I get letters from chess fans and users (of my web pages) all the time ... they tell me that I should not be afraid to post more of my own games, especially when I feel that the games are good or have a positive and educational value. HERE  is one of my games where I win - in an attractive game - from the White side of the Queen's Gambit. More importantly, the analysis PROVES that it is not a good idea for Black to try and keep the gambit Pawn when he accepts the gambit in the QGA. Therefore, this game - and its analysis - could actually further chess (opening) theory. 

  29. Thursday;  April 28th, 2011:  This is an utterly brilliant game. While not perfect, Black shows a fearlessness and a willingness to sacrifice a great deal of material. I first saw this game on the "Chess Games" web-site ... in May, 2010. So ... do you want to see a chess game that was nearly a whole year in the making? Do you want to see a thoroughly annotated game? Want to see some real fireworks? If you do, then click  HERE

  30. Wednesday; May 11th, 2011:  About 10-15 days ago, I got three books in the mail to review. One of the books, is a really nice volume, [<<"GrandMaster Chess Strategy," (Sub-title: 'What amateurs can learn from Ulf Andersson's positional masterpieces.') >> by Jurgen Kaufeld and Guido Kern. Search Google for this book.]; - its about positional chess, as demonstrated through the games of GM Ulf Andersson. I have already submitted my review to the "Amazon" website, and it has already been posted. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are trying to learn the basics of "non-tactical chess operations." [I don't know a whole lot about the authors, however, the publisher (New-In-Chess) has gained a reputation as being one of the best in the business.] Check this book out, and ... ... ... enjoy!  

  31. Saturday; June 4th, 2011:  See # 27 (above). Now in a new development, yet another player was caught cheating, this time in the national championships of the nation of Germany.  <<http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/player-caught-cheating-at-german-championship/  -- Player caught cheating at German Championship -- A participant of the German Championship, which concluded on Friday in Bonn, was caught cheating. FM Christoph Natsidis used a chess program ... >>  

  32. Friday; June 24th, 2011:  In what must be a record for me, I post an annotated game on the same day that it was featured as the POTD. 

  33. Saturday; July 2nd, 2011:  I created a new web page. (I wanted a way to keep track of the pertinent and interesting chess articles on the Impala Publications (blog) website. There are simply too many good articles on chess there, and I do not think that they are getting the notice or being read as widely as they deserve to be. (The page kicks off with a - now - six part article on "Remembering Bobby Fischer.") 

  34. Monday: July 4th, 2011: A new web page on chess ratings, Magnus Carlsen is "back in the saddle again." (Check it out!

  35. Saturday: July 9th, 2011:  Already old news. The computer program, Rybka  stripped of all titles.  The "Fox News" story. The W.T. story

  36. Wednesday; July 13th, 2011:  My new blog page on chess - I hope to be updating this many times a week!  

  37. Friday; October 7th, 2011:  I just created TWO video's!!! (On chess, natch.) Both are on the game, Kasparov-Topalov; Hoogovens Chess Festival / Wijk aan Zee, 1999. (My page on this game.) Watch these video's now ... and tell me what you think. I had to split it up into two parts ... because you are NOT allowed to exceed the 15-minute time limit on the "You-Tube" channel. Watch them now!   PART IPART II.

  38. Monday; October 10th, 2011:  I now have a video (on the "You Tube" channel) of the game: Paul Morphy vs. Allies, Paris, FRA; 1858. 

  39. Monday; November 7th, 2011:  A new short game ... GM P. Wells defeats GM A. Shirov ... in only 13 moves! (Check it out!

  40. Saturday; November 19th, 2011:  I have always wanted to do a web page ... one on the "greek gift" sacrifice on h7. I have done other pages that have dealt with this topic before, but somehow ... there was so much other stuff that was covered, I had always felt that the reader may have not received optimum instruction ... there were simply too many other subjects covered, and the average reader might have gotten lost in the forest, vainly searching for one individual, specific tree! Here is my new page, and I deal with this one topic, to the virtual exclusion of everything else. 

  41. Wednesday; November 30th, 2011:  I have finally gotten back to doing my "Game of The Month" feature, please check out my game for October, 2011. I worked very hard on this game and tried to make it a nicely examined scuffle that any player - of any level - would want to at least look at. It has been carefully annotated, with about 15-20 diagrams. Plus there are many links and even a brief look at the theory of the whole line used this contest. (Fianchetto Grunfeld, [D74].) 

  42. My game ("Game of The Month") for  NOV. 2011  is now finished. (Take a peek.) 

  43. Monday; December 19th, 2011:  I finished the web page for the Wesley so vs. Alex Shirov game. (Go there now.) 

  44. Saturday; January 7th, 2012:  Kramnik defeated Beliavsky in 1995 ... in only 18 moves?!?!? (See this game now.)  

  45. Wednesday; January 11th, 2012:  I look at the "Chess Games" POTD. ("Problem of The Day")  (Click here, to see this game.) 

  46. Next? 


  The latest, interesting chess link ... 

(November, 2010) Garry Kasparov has his own site now ... click here to explore it. 

(December, 2010) In 2004, I wrote an article on cheating ... it caused a real uproar, although I bent over backwards in an attempt to be fair. One user actually had one of my "Angel-Fire" websites erased ... in an attempt to block this information out. However, thanks to web archives, this information is now available again. (Click here to see my original article ... although it does NOT contain my original list of cheaters.) 

(April, 2011) The best - and one of the most active chess club's in the whole country - has to be "The Saint Louis Chess Club." (They have also hosted many FIDE-rated events ... and the last two U.S. Championship tournaments.) Its an excellent site, you MUST check it out! 

(May, 2011, updated January, 2012.) The U.S. Chess Federation's "Hall of Fame" has a new website. (Also here.) 


  The story/blog for/about my wifeJulie A. Goldsby  

Sunday;  March 21st, 2004:   After hearing (from one doctor) that he did not think my wife, (JULIE); would survive more than a year, (after her initial diagnosis)  ...  because of the type of cancer that she had; Praise the  LORD God  - she is doing fine; and absolutely no sign of the disease.  (And thank his son, Jesus Christ! Rejoice!)   (Please click  HERE  to read the full story!)    

Wednesday; May 03, 2006:  My wife just completes a long cycle of daily radiation therapy and also chemo-therapy to treat a re-occurrence of her cancer. (I continue to believe in God's miracle.) 

Sunday; January 13th, 2008:  My precious wife lost her battle with cancer ... and went to heaven to be with the Lord. Jesus - please help me to carry on.  


  Sites of Special Interest  

 # 1.)   Cambridge Springs, 1904  -  A site that looks like it was prepared by a professional. This is a site that is completely dedicated to perhaps 
            the strongest tournament that was ever played on American soil! It is also a site that deserves  to be better known than it actually is. A fun site 
            to kick around for any chess player or lover of chess history. (This is NOT my site, but the site of my friend, Steve Etzel of Wisconsin.) 

 # 2.)   SB's Chess Page  -  Without question, one of the finest {private} chess sites on the 'net. While occasionally one of the links will not work, and   
            there are a few (mostly) minor errors, the sheer amount of content here is of special note. Wow! 

 # 3.)   Tim Krabbe's  Chess site.  A chess author ... one of the first (big) chess web sites. 
            (Whole books have been written with the content contained within here!) 

 # 4.)   Bill Wall's  excellent chess  site.  A site that is filled with great content. Visit it. I don't think you will regret the time you took to do this. 
            (A great place to explore, and there are many great downloads as well. There is a lot of content here.)  
                (It's here!!  Bill Wall's favorite game of chess ... annotated by yours truly!  This is the  link  - right here.)  

 # 5.)   Dan Thomasson's excellent web site,  "The World Chess Academy."  I have contributed to this site, Dan would love to have other masters -  
            and also qualified, nationally known chess writers - contribute as well. (Contact him.)  My column.   
           
(June, 2010: This website has been discontinued, but you can access the old files here.) 

#  6.)   THE   website  for ratings and chess!! (This is the site of Jeff Sonas, a very respected chess statistician.)  The size and also the scope of this site  
            is simply scary, and I don't think I have said this about
any other website ... even my own!!! (I mean this in the highest form; as an honest and a very,  
            deeply sincere compliment.) I have been exploring this site the last
couple of weeks ... since the big re-do ... and it continues to amaze me.  [more]  
            (July, 2011: This website is currently gone, but previous versions can be accessed at this location. July 7th, 2011: Jeff sent me an e-mail, his site 
              will be back up very shortly.) Thursday / July 14th, 2011: Chess Metrics is back! 

#  7.)   Everyone needs an occasional look at this, the MECCA website. (A chess encyclopedia.) 

#  8.)     Next?  

***

  Send me  your favorite chess site  ...  and maybe I will post it here.  


  Click  HERE  to go to my    < humans vs. computers  chess web site.  

  Wednesday; August 25th, 2004:   I received a very impassioned e-mail from a big fan. His e-mail basically said  -  "Hey, you have written about practically every subject under the sun. BUT!! ... You have completely ignored the area of computer chess, especially the games of  HUMAN(s) versus COMPUTER(s). Why is this?"  

My response was:  "Oh, really? Did you know that I have an entire WEB SITE ... devoted to that subject?"  


Check out  my  "ROOK-and-PAWN" Endgame School.    It's pretty good! 
And after several  YEARS  of work, the R+P section is finally finished. (Other sections - like the one for Q+P or N+P endings - are still uncompleted.)  


  The section (now a page) on E-bay has moved, click  HERE  for all the details. 


  I NEED YOUR HELP!!!     Click  here  for more details. 

  Sponsor wanted!  (Donations accepted.)  


NOTE:  All original writings and thoughts on these pages,  [MY ENTIRE WEBSITE!]  AND all original graphics are copyrighted (c) to A.J. Goldsby I.  They may  not  be copied, or reproduced in ANY form, (electronic, printed, or otherwise);  ...  without my express,  written  permission!! 

  Copyright  ©  A.J. Goldsby,  1995 -  2011  &  2012.  (ALL rights reserved.)  


FEEDBACK?

Just so you will know, I have had literally hundreds, if not thousands, of e-mails and other communications concerning my web site and my reviews at Amazon.com. 
( Some days I have had well over 100 e-mails!  {Of course I get a certain amount of junk-mail too.} )   
I have had dozens of suggestions to improve my web site. (Many of the new pages I have added have been by, "popular request.")  I have tried to listen to ALL of these opinions with a fairly open mind. So? Stay tuned!  I will be adding new pages and constantly trying to improve and expand the old ones!

--->   And  THANKS!!!  to everyone who has taken the time to write!  

NOTE: Just about  all  my web pages are subjected to being updated, improved, changed, what have you. I really don't think any page is ever truly finished. I am learning though not to make any one page too big. (No one wants to wait that long while it is loading!)  

 ******* 

     This is the world's best and largest {private} chess web site.     

Nov, 2008: Please note ... there are many pages on this website that many search engines do not find. When I first started, I knew nothing about the "rules" of web design, nor did I limit my  hierarchy/structure to the standard limit of three tiers. Therefore, there are many pages that you will find here that may not be found by using any standard search engine. Happy hunting! BTW, I have hundreds of public pages, but also over 1,500 private chess pages. (You have to be a paying student to see these!) 

For example, my page(s) on the "Lucena Position," (explore the links on my "Training Page") ... started out as private web pages. However, it soon became obvious that everyone wanted (and needed) this type of instruction. So - by popular demand - these pages are now public. (permanently) 


 NETZINE? 

MANY  people have written me asking that I put out a weekly or monthly magazine via e-mail. I would report to you on new pages on my web-site, things I had seen in chess, chess news topics, etc. I could also let you know when I write a new book review, so you could read it and then contact me to tell me what you think of it. While this is an  excellent  idea, I can barely keep up with my present work-load. BUT ...  it may eventually come true sometime in the future. In the meantime, please send me an e-mail and just let me know your address. Just say, "Contact me when ever you do good stuff!" And I will.    :)  

[Did Mark Crowther start this way?]


     www.lifemasteraj.com?    

Another problem I have experienced (a lot in the past) is that Yahoo has repeatedly  "dumped"  my site,  i.e., they have removed my site (temporarily!) for taking too many hits!  The ONLY way this  problem will disappear is if I PAY to get the "unlimited data transfer" option!  (Which I now have done.) 

***

 If you have really enjoyed this website and would like to send a contribution/donation, my address is: 

  A.J. Goldsby I;  P.O. Box 11718 / Pensacola, FL  32524  (U.S. Dollars only please.)  


 *** September 11th, 2001  --->  Always remember!  ***  

 (My prayers will continue to go out to those families that were affected by this horrible and senseless tragedy of 9-11. I pray that you joyfully prosper in a way you never thought possible. Because only by doing so, can we show the nasty, grungy little terrorists of this world that they only make us stronger!!) God Bless America!! 

 (Click  HERE  to see the ChessBase report and a commemorative picture gallery.) 

*************************************************************************************************************

  Prayers and condolences to the families (and friends) of  the space-shuttle  Columbia!  
(Feb. 01, 2003) 


Problematic Web Pages

(April 24, 2001. I decided to address this issue, as I got OVER 30 e-mails today on the same subject!!)  

Many people have written me and asked why I would repeat text, or make it so large as for one sentence to fill the entire screen. Most people seem to think I do this on purpose! The answer is, of course, that working on web pages and [html] code has turned me into a gibbering idiot.

All kidding aside, one of the problems I have had with all my web pages is the problem of  corrupted  and/or  'exploding'   web pages. I am still not 100% sure what is causing this problem. (I went on to describe this problem in great detail ...)  


HELLO!

My very first website was a simple affair. It had a design with the Rain Forest as the predominant theme. This remains here as a tribute to my earliest efforts on the web.  (forest2.jpg, 06 KB)

  (Remember the Rain Forest?)  

 ****** 

   Welcome to my Web site!   

  Hi, I am  LIFE-Master  A.J. Goldsby I.  
  This is my  WEB PAGE.   :)  

  (How do you like it so far?)  

 (I first wrote the comment below {& above} back in the 1990's.) 

Please be patient with me. This web-page stuff .........................   


 Here are a few of the categories that I plan to have very shortly: 

A short biography, (done); a chess resume (Explaining why should you listen to me.), (done); my list of the ten best chess books ever written, (done); (I have not [yet] written a chess book yet, so this is not some sort of self-promotional ad.); a personal study program from me guaranteed to make you a better player, (done); one of my annotated games (or more), (done); and my choice of the greatest player who ever lived. (done); Does this sound interesting to you? Also I want you to know what Internet sites I play chess on, (done); and where to play chess if you come to Pensacola, FL. (done).

Some of the categories I plan to bring you next? Short Bio's of some of today's top players, many more annotated games, more book reviews, and more chess ... chess ... chess. 

    ***   Stay tuned.  More  good stuff  is  definitely  coming!   ***   


"THE BEST" of Everything

What are the best chess books ever written? Who were the best chess players who ever lived? What were the best chess tournaments ever held? What are the best chess games ever played? What are the best, short games of chess ever played? What were the best and the most amazing chess moves ever played? When I created this website, this was just one of the areas I definitely wanted to cover. Click  HERE  to go to my "nerve center," where you can find links to all of these pages. (I also wanted to have my own chess course for beginners. This took nearly two years of development, then another year before I was able to complete this project. See my  "Training"  page for the appropriate link. I have received hundreds of e-mails thanking me for this.) 


  Did you know that I was one of Amazon.com's,  
  "Top 1000  Reviewers?"  

 *** 

Please read one of my many reviews!

(After very careful perusal of Amazon's "Top 1000 Reviewers" list, I find I may be the ONLY person who has reviewed nothing but chess books!! The approximately 100-125 reviews [more or less] that I have written to date on  ONLY  chess books compares very favorably to the now well  OVER  7500, [That's a lot more than seven-thousand folks.] (!!);  reviews written by the  #1 Reviewer.  (H. Klausner)  In addition the #1 reviewer has reviewed dozens of different types of books in possibly hundreds of different categories. If you would like to see the list of  'Amazon.com's,'  "Top 1000 Reviewers," then click here

 

 So I may be Amazon.com's  #1 Reviewer of  (just) chess books. 

 

(If you have a chess book you would like me to review, drop me a line. 
See my e-mail address, above.)

Shop at Amazon.com!

 (Did you know they have over 2,500 chess books?) [Listed.] 

********************

Note: March 09, 2004.  I have now written a few reviews of movies, non-fiction books, and other things. But what I wrote above was true at the time that I wrote it. I still concentrate almost entirely on reviewing chess books and chess software for Amazon.  (I review video games for a software company.  I have signed a strict license agreement with them. I cannot post any of those reviews here.)   


  I also am one of the chess top Chess writers in the South-East U.S.  

I have written dozens of articles that have been nominated for awards by various organizations. 

I have been nominated many times for the articles that I have written --- in various categories --- to,  "The Chess Journalists' of America."  [C.J.A.]  I have won (more than) once and received several "Honorable Mentions" from the country's most prestigious organization that judges chess writers.

(Click  HERE  to go to my "Resume Page." Here you will see a list of some the articles I have written and some of the awards I have won.) 


A Chess King.

aj_blue-king.jpg (16286 bytes)

(A cool little piece of modified clip-art.)

***

I used a "clip-art" image to reproduce this. 

I manipulated it [size] using several "art" programs; ( Like MS Paint,  MS  Image Composer, and even the image editor inside CompuServe's browser software. [To change the contrast and brightness of the image.] ) Then I went back to MS Paint & Image Composer and just filled in the "empty spaces" with color. I also touched the crown up a little. Pretty nifty, huh? Its a "Chess King." No complaints, either. After all, this IS a website about chess!  


cc-cert.jpg (11898 bytes)

Actually, I put this in here mainly for me.

 (I figured I deserved something for finally getting my website up and running.)  

*******

Initially, (1994?); I had a friend that used to actually make the web pages for me, but only after I had written what I wanted to say - or I had completed the {chess} analysis. My very first chess web site was on another server, but that company was affiliated with the "Excite Group," and they went out of business a few years back. (Circa 1999.)  This was (and is) the very first web site that I built entirely on my own. So I am extremely proud of it. (This site was completely overhauled in July of 2004. I re-did ALL of the major/main web pages.)  


 ("Angels playing chess.") 
chess-angels2.bmp (10501 bytes)

(Remember these little guys? This was the very first artwork, or "star-dot GIF" file that I used on my website. I can't remember exactly where I got it, but I am sure I downloaded it off the Internet somewhere.)


  A NICE FEATURE!!  

ajs_top-ten_picks3.gif (579458 bytes) {Over 170 seperate, individual frames!}

Any time you see the animated medallion, (above ); you will know this is, "An A.J.'s Top Ten Pick."  So it does not matter what page you are on, this indicates that this is one of my "Top Ten" picks in that category. It could be "Cool Sites," or "The Best Players," or even, "The Best Books." 

Rest assured if you see this award, it was  not  given out lightly. It was based on my 30-plus years of chess related experience. 

***
 So keep a sharp eye out! 


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Need buttons? Want custom stuff? Need MORE cool stuff for your website? Check out all these free graphics!

  Need a new or used auto?  Click  HERE!  


 This page was last updated on:  Friday, January 27, 2012 03:13 PM .  

Over half a million hits on this web page.  (My old counter.)  


hit counter html code  

This counter uses a completely different system than the one below. It only counts unique visitors every (new) 12 (or 24) hour period. This is why it varies somewhat from the main GC counter, which counts every single hit. (A couple of e-mails have addressed this problem, and I always want your questions to be answered.)

 How does a counter work? Find out by clicking here.  

 (This link will take you to  "Marshall Brain's website,"  that is  called, "How Stuff Works."  
  This is an excellent web-site to  get information on just about ANY topic.)  

 

link to small business website design page

This is a new counter that was installed in June, 2009. (The old counter was a GC one, it stopped working as soon as this page was moved to its new location.) 

 (Click  HERE  if you want to measure your brain!!)  

 

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I now have the new Front Page 2000!!! If you see any differences, this is why!


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   Copyright  (c)  A.J. Goldsby I   

  Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 1995 - 2011. 

  Copyright ©  A.J. Goldsby, 2012.  All rights reserved.