Everything/Anything and…Chess…"Despite the documented evidence by chess historian HJR Murray, I've always thought that chess was invented by a goddess"–George Koltanowski: from the foreword to:"Women in chess, players of the Modern Age"

It was Monday when the music of Villa Rides suddenly – without a warning! –  entered my thoughts and managed to settle there and it hasn’t left me since!  When I got home, I couldn’t wait to search the internet to see if there’s somewhere a downloadable file, but to no avail!  All I could do, was to order this cd to satisfy my Villa Rides-thirst!  When I was at secondary school, I used to do my homework on Saturdays outside with classical music playing…picture this…a farm, huge oak trees – five of them – in front of the house, about 20m away from the house, birds chirping around you…..and you…doing homework! ( I loved school homework and wished always for more!  haha do you think I’m insane/crazy!?)  with the music playing loudly — Villa Rides was definitely on my music-menu during homework time!  Even the pesty baboons in the mountain opposite the house had come closer to take a listen!  wow!  hehehe…I’ve decided to be generous again and to share some tasters with you.  The first one is the theme music from the movie with the same title…Villa Rides!  And, best of all, I didn’t even know about this movie!  I was so surprised when I discovered that it was actually from a movie with even the same title!  Why am I the last person to know this!  The second and third also only “tasters” from this cd.  I like Mantovani’s music and would like to put him in the same class/category as Waldo de los Rios. This is what I call music if I have to define music!  I also have more info on Fierro and Pancho Villa…very interesting – the Mexican Revolution – on which the movie was based.  Do enjoy!Enjoy the music of Mantovani and his orchestra with…Villa Rides, the theme music from the movie with the same title, Hora Staccato and the third track…Hungarian Rhapsody no2.https://chessaleeinlondon.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/villa-rides.mp3

Rodolfo FierroVilla in grey suit in center.  General Rodolfo Fierro at far right. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_FierroRodolfo Fierro (b. 1880 d. October 14, 1915) was a railway worker, railway superintendent, federal soldier and lieutenant in the army of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution in the Division del Norte.  Fierro and his counter part and fellow lieutenant, Tomas Urbina, have been cited as the two halves of Pancho Villa, Fierrorepresenting his malicious side.  It is believed Fierro met Pancho Villa in 1913 following the Madero revolution.  Originating from Sonora, Fierro was a former federal officer having taken part in fighting against the Yaqui Indians.  Following his role as a federal officer, Fierro went on to work as a railway man, eventually being absorbed into Villa’s ranks. 

SoldierFierro’s prominence is often cited back to the Battle of Tierra Blanca on November 23, 1913.  The battle included 5,500 of Villa’s soldiers, against an estimated 7,000 federal soldiers.  Before the battle began Fierro had been sent South to destroy the railroad tracks, forcing the federal soldiers to halt.  As Villa flanked the well armed federal soldiers with cavalry, a locomotive filled with dynamite and percussion caps was rammed into the federal soldiers train cars, the resulting explosion caused the federal soldiers to flee to nearby undamaged train cars in retreat.  Fierro is then noted as riding on horseback after the escaping locomotive, climbing on to the locomotive, running across the roofs of the train cars, and shooting dead the boilerman and conductor, pulling the train to a complete stop.  All federal soldiers captured were executed and in the battle Villa captured 4 locomotives, 7 machine guns, horses, rifles and 400,000 rounds of small arms ammunition.  The death toll during the battle stood around 1,000 federal soldiers killed and 300 of Villa’s. 

Fierro is most known as Villa’s executioner, known as el carnicero (English the butcher).Fierro’s nom de guerra originates from a story documented by Martín Luis Guzmán.  Guzmán describes events following the capture of over 300 soldiers known as Orozquistas.  The captured soldiers were led into a large field with Fierro on one end, and a wall on the other.  They were informed, if they were to reach the opposite end and climb over the wall they would be allowed to continue on free.  In groups of ten the captured men were set out to run, Fierro alone firing his pistol at them as they ran, his soldiers handing him fresh pistols to continue firing without delay.  One captive is noted as making it over the wall and to freedom, only after Fierro stopped to massage an achy trigger finger. The shooting went on for two hours.  It is said that Fierro would ask each prisoner if they would rather return to their family, or join the army of Pancho Villa.  Those deciding to return to their family were seem as men who would head back to their old regiment and were executed.  Those choosing to join Pancho Villa were provided with a horse, a gun, and three bullets. 

Other stories exist of Fierro shooting a man dead in public in the state of Chihuahua.  The person, sitting across from Fierro, argued that a man shot would fall backwards, Fierro disagreed.  To settle the bet Fierro shot the man, and watched as he fell forward, confirming to Fierro that he was correct. 

While working as Villa’s railway superintendent, Fierro was publicly reprimanded by Villa for a train of supply water running 35 minutes late.  Villa, when the train arrived is said to have shot the conductor dead as an act of vengeance for his humiliation.  This incident sparked strife amongst the railway workers, who primarily supported Villa.  In another incident, a drunken Fierro killed a railway worker for bumping into him, this final incident caused Villa to act.  Villa permitted a judge to begin collecting evidence against Fierro into his actions, a judge who begged to be removed from the case for fear of repercussion.  The case never went to trial but Fierro was removed from the position of railway superintendent.  It is often stated the case was a sham, simply to continue to retain support from the much needed railway workers. 

Fierro is also known for the murder of William S. Benton on February 17, 1914, an Englishman and land owner in Mexico who had his land confiscated by Villa’s forces.  Numerous stories exist around what happened.  Benton is cited as having stormed into Villa’s headquarters in Ciudad Juárez, demanding his land back from Villa, in which Villa refused.  Following his refusal, Villa maintains Benton unsuccessfully attempted to draw a six-shooter pistol, he was wrestled to the floor and given a formal court martial and found guilty of attempted assassination, he was then executed and buried.  A conflicting story exists in which Benton drew his pistol but was detained and removed from the town at night.  He taken to the desert, where a hole was dug and Fierrois believed to have struck Benton in the head with a shovel, dumping into the grave without checking to see if Benton was still alive. 

On October 14, 1915, Fierro died after being thrown from his horse and landing in quicksand.  At the time, Fierro was marching toward Sonora when he encountered the quicksand at the Casas Grandes Lagoon.  The weight of his belt, loaded with gold is said to have prevented him from being able to escape. 

The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was fought from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836 between Mexico and the Texas (Tejas) portion of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas
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Beauty lives with kindness-Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona

I took the road less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.  Robert Frost Creativity is the defeat of habit by originality.-Arthur KoestlerNo man ever steps in the same river twice-
HeraclitusThere is nothing more frightening than active ignorance. -  Goethe Churchill described his impressions of the Boer army when he first saw it, as a recently taken captive: 'What men they were, these Boers!  I thought of them as I had seen them in the morning riding forward through the rain--thousands of independent riflemen, thinking for themselves, possessed of beautiful weapons, led with skill, living as they rode without commissariat or transport or ammunition column, moving like the wind, and supported by iron constitutions'. Carlsen vs Anand Sochi 2014

Anand vs Carlsen Chennai 2013You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.-Abraham LincolnSpoken by great men:"Give me 20 divisions of American soldiers and I will breach Europe.  Give me 15 consisting of Englishmen and I will advance to the borders of Berlin.  Give me two divisions of those marvellous fighting Boers and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth." -  Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the Allied Forces during WW2."The Americans fight for a free world, the English mostly for honor, glory and medals, the French and Canadians decide too late that they have to participate.  The Italians are too scared to fight, the Russians have no choice.  The Germans for their Fatherland.  The Boers?  Those sons of Bitches fight for the hell of it."  Amercan General, George 'Guts and Glory' Patton. 
European Chess Club Cup 2012

London Chess Classic 2015A nation that forgets its past has no future - Winston ChurchillHe who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool.  Shun him.  He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child.  Teach him.  He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep.  Wake him.  He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a leader.  Follow him.  If Education is the key, school is the lock.  Education is either to calm the disturbed or disturb the calm.  He who opens a school door, closes a prison-Victor HugoDocendo discimus [by teaching we learn] Gary Player: 'I am a South African, a nation which is the result of an African graft on European stock and which is the product of its instinct and ability to maintain civilized values and standards amongst the aliens'. Above all shadows rides the sun- Tolkien In Renaissance Europe chess was part of the education of the nobility and was proclaimed the “Royal Game.”  In 1732 Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay, The Morals Of Chess, in which he said “The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualties of the mind useful in the course of human life are to be acquired and strengthened by it....” 'Rebranding the Afrikaner: World Cup watershed?' [ CNN] A good link: read all of Jabulani74's comments on this link. 
on THIS LINK you can read the truth - Sharpeville [or the lies, whichever way you want to see it-see the 2nd image too]The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.  Dante AligheriSow the wind - Reap the hurricaneIstanbul Chess 2012 [Click the image for the official site]Biel Chess Festival 2011- Click the image for the official site "Mag aldus die Afrikaner stam, van wie die toekoms altyd vol hoop was, in die einde opgroei tot 'n kragtige boom, en ons dade toon dat ons waardig is om 'n plek in te neem in die ry van die volke..." Paul KrugerLife is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain-Vivian GreeneNo one can know or appreciate the Boer who does not know his past, for he is what his past has made him- Conan Doyle - Click HERE to read more by Doyle. 

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. South Africa.  Other than Germany probably the most misunderstood White country in the world.  A country that has now degenerated into anarchy. Let’s take an unbiased look at their noble history.[click for the link]He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.  Thomas JeffersonAny dead thing can go with the stream; it takes something ALIVE to swim against it. Light travels faster than sound.  This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.  Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. T.S. Eliot Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take and good poets make it into something better, or at least something differentThe man who does not know who his great-grandfather was, naturally enough would not care what he was...the man who fears to disgrace his ancestor is certainly less likely to disgrace himself.  Charles Major, When Knighthood was in Flower

Die grootheid van die mens kan gesien word in hoe hy teenoor sy minderheid optree. Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.-ConfuciusMusic expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words.  ~Robert G.Ingersoll'And lastly, we learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of preserving in the search of resources.'  -Benjamin Franklin, 'The Morals of Chess'The hardest game to win is a won game --Emmanuel LaskerAvoid the crowd.  Think independently.  Be the chess player, not the chess piece- RumiIt is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.  -Herman MelvilleWhile one should always study the method of a great artist, one should never imitate his manner.  The manner of an artist is essentially individual, the method of an artist is absolutely universal.  The first is personality, which no one should copy. Did you know: Chess has the most extensive literature of any game, sport or pastime. Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe –Indian proverbChess is the touchstone of the human intellect. 
-Johann Wolfgang von GoetheThe chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us--Thomas Huxley. God created the world just like a knife and left it up to us to take it by the handle or the blade--C J LangenhovenJou persepsie hang waarskynlik alles af van hóé wyd jou opvatting van die poësie is-Joan Hambidge. Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.- Proverb.  I doubt, therefore I think; I think therefore I am.-Rene Descartes-
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.- Paul Tillich
He who knows nothing, doubts nothing.  Spanish proverb.  Wisdom begins in wonder.- SocratesVal eerder in my sop as in my rede--LangenhovenSeek in the past everything that is good and clean and build thereon your future. Vriende moet soos boeke wees, min, maar goed uitgesoek --LangenhovenFriends should be like books, few, but hand-selected --Langenhoven Goeie boeke en musiek verryk jou siel --LangenhovenGood books and music enrich your soul --LangenhovenLet those love now who never loved before.  Let those who always loved now love the more.  --Thomas ParnellLove is like quicksand--the deeper you fall in, the harder it is to get out. Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. There is no failure except in no longer trying--Elbert Hubbard. The secret of success is the ability to survive failure --Noel Coward. You cannot step twice in the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in--Knowing not how to listen is knowing not how to speak--Heraclitus, Fragments. Vuil wasgoed is om te was!-- Langenhoven'I think one move ahead - but it is always the best move'-RetiSome part of a mistake is always correct. -  Savielly TartakoverChess teaches you to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good and it trains you to think objectively when you're in trouble.--Stanley Kubrick A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself.  The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction. 
Leo Tolstoy Love is like a knife, it can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that will last a lifetime. A rising tide raises all boats! -  JFKennedyThe artist creates in order to free himself, only to find himself again in the end-Irma SternAnd think not you can guide the course of love.  For love, if it finds you worthy, shall guide your course. Kahlil Gibran Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy. TarraschChess is a beautiful mistress. LarsenChess is as much a mystery as women. PurdyEarly to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Benjamin FranklinLove is like a Game of Chess: One False Move and You're Mated ~ Anonymous~Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic. Mikhail BotvinnikThe pawns are the soul of chess. Philidor~~Play to win, if not, be an artist and draw~~

Those that know, do.  Those that understand, teach.  Aristotle
By learning we teach and by teaching we learn
Men Top Ten chess players
Women Top Ten chess players

Chess Grandmaster -Vassily Ivanchuk says:
"And do you like playing chess against women? 
I wouldn’t say I do particularly, but I also wouldn’t say I don’t like it.  In general, I try not to make an exception out of games against women.  In chess, female logic differs little from male logic, which you can see just by analysing games.  After all, the strongest female players work with men in one way or another.  I don’t know what the female style of play is.  Or more precisely, I don’t see any difference when compared to male play.  In everyday life I also don’t divide people into men and women.  For me, personal qualities, mentality and upbringing are the important things when spending time with people." 

Some Thoughts

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid. It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.― Benjamin FranklinThe real challenges on the way to become a master test your strength of character more than they test your chess skill!-Kevin SpraggettA people are what its women are.  The woman is the conscience of her nation as well as the measure of its values.  The moral life of a nation is controlled by the women and by the women can we measure the moral condition of the people. -  Postma Descartes: cogito ergo sum (ek dink, daarom is ek)==The stupid neither forgive nor forget, the naive forgive and forget,the wise forgive but do not forget--Thomas SzaszWanneer jy groot dinge dink, groot dinge glo en groot dinge bid, gebeur groot dinge - N V PealeMense sonder boeke, is soos arende sonder vlerke-G.D.LabuschagneA mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.  -Joshua Reynolds
~~~ Jou beeld is 'n verflenterde foto in 'n skewe, versplinterde raam en 'n sestal geskommelde letters spel jou tweelettergrepige naam Jou woorde is dor manuskripte vir die motte bewaar op die rak en ons dae 'n kralesnoer syfers op 'n outydse muuralmanak. -  Koos du PlessisLove means nothing in tennis, but it's everything in life. Einstein:Chess grips its exponent, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom and independence of even the strongest character cannot remain unaffected. 

Die woord 'skaak' kom van die Persiese woord 'sjah', wat koning beteken.  Ook die woord 'mat' is Persies en beteken 'dood'. 
~~~2010!If chess is a science, it's a most inexact one.  If chess is an art, it's too exacting to be seen as one.  If chess is a sport, it's too esoteric.  If chess is a game, it's too demanding to be just a game.  If chess is a mistress, she's a demanding one.  If chess is a passion, it's a rewarding one. 
If chess is life, it's a sad one-UnknownAnand vs Topalov 21 April 2010Book of the moment: In Search of South Africa by H V Morton

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Don't Quit
by: Unknown Author

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh. 
When care is pressing you down a bit. 
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit. 
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns. 
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow. 
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt. 
And you never can tell how close you are. 
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit. 

'He who knows not and knows not he knows not, is a fool, shun him.  He who knows not and knows he knows not, is simple, teach him.  He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep, wake him.  He who knows and knows that he knows, is a leader/wise - follow him.' -