Friday, January 18, 2008

Nobody Asked Me, But...


1) He's tipped his king. It's hard to describe what Bobby Fischer's victory in chess meant to America. In an age before computers, CDs, iPods, Walkmen, video games, and cell phones, a competition of wits between two men played out in Iceland, where an American wrested from the perennial title holders, the Soviet Union, one of the most prestigious championships in the world. It was telecast "live" (sort of) nationwide on PBS, when PBS meant actually television, back when they covered Congressional hearings and important news. Shelby Lyman, fercrissake, became a household name!

2) "Check". It wasn't even much of a gambit. It stalls for time, however, to paper over the huge flaws in America's game plan.

3) This knight remains passive, but could be played at any moment. For now, he is "j'adoube".

4) These two sides shook hands and declared a dead draw. One can presume the Writer's Guild can declare they have a winning position.

5) The queen is being harassed by a pawn. This will play out on the right as the "liberal media baring their teeth," but anyone who watches the whole taped episode will realize Romney is being a prima donna. Endgame. End of story. End of campaign.

6) Thompson is in a squeeze, but I don't think South Carolina will prove to be his unpinning.

7) A man's home is his castle, they say. Well, the rook gets captured.

8) The bishop betrays the queen. Think Ann Coulter will repent?

9) One pawn makes a feignt, to try to reveal the isolated pawn's move.

10) EARWORM ALERT: "The goal is for us all to capture all we want."

11) Of course, if you find yourself in a losing position, here's a new way to win: cheat.