Damn you guys talk more than me! I've read all the posts, sorry haven't responded to them all, I'll try to get around to some of it but only so many hours in the day! Happy to at least have spurred some kind of debate. Also 15 year olds write better than they used to.

haha, hope it merits some more vids

curtains,

If you had a realistic expectation (whatever that may mean) of becoming like world champion strength and not just 2650 would that make you change your mind?

Maybe, who knows. Also I never said 2650, I said 2600 USCF! Big difference between world championship strength and 2600 USCF.

Hi curtains!

Im a 34 year old on and off swedish hobby-chessplayer who loves watching your videos.
Im basicly not good at chess, but I study a lot in periods, then I go on having some other mania.
But im beginning to get tired of your videos, and u as a chessplayer (not as a person I find u amusing and obviously u have a tremendous hardware stuffed up i your brain)

U need some new ideas in your games man!
Basicly your games is some technical display of fast and normal moves waiting for a blunder by your opponents. U always play c4, d4 type of games and never anything slightly speculative or interesting.

These last games I saw u basicly was rusty , and made some terrible sins in deviating from plans over and over, looking for the best moves in each position and not sticking to a plan and making it hard on your self that way.

I wanna see some positional sacrifices... I wanna see some consistensy... basicly I wanna see some new ideas...study Karpov...have a plan b4 the game that u tell us... I wanna play easy ..I wanna specualte on this positional idea... u need to really toughen up...dont mind if u lose..just dont lose this way..trembeling with each move...u might end up with a depression!!

Basicly I wanna see some blood & can't u ever play for a kingside attack??
By the way...would u beat Morphy in a match?
And my hopes is that u would post a long serious game sometime, Im really looking forward to that!!
Best wishes Gunnar.

Odd as this may seem, this has rejuvinated my goal @ getting better @ chess!

Gunnar dude, it takes a long time to learn to play a specific opening and besides there are a lot of things that happen that is suprising and way more than enough to study.

NO reason for curtains to stop playing 1.c4

Well when I start playing seriously again I will play e4 I'm pretty sure.

curtains what poker site do you play on and what is your handle? im really interested in railing.

He plays on 2+2 and he has two usernames: Pokersstud and TwinkleEyes15. I kid I kid. I wish there was another video : / Happy 4th of July.

My best gamble at Curtain's handle would be 'Curtains'! But he probably won't like it too much if everyone watches him play . What if his secrets leak! Probably he would play on playchess before reveiling his username.

4th of July, what a sad, sad day for the rest of the world.

OK, I listened to it all, though there's no way I would have done if I hadn't read the comments first (only being honest - I often skip the analysis, but quite enjoy the rants).

It's fun being the shrink, especially since it's really easy to do the right thing and not say anything back while you're letting it all out.

Here's one for you: my son is seven, and is a good chess player. I think he has potential, though not exactly the next Bobby Fischer. How much should I encourage him to play/study? If not at all, am I letting him waste his potential? If lots, am I just storing up family discord and unhappy teenagedom? Note that I get enormous vicarious pleasure out of his chess, and if he gave it up I would probably miss it more than him. Also note that I'm no good myself - only just able to beat a 7-year-old at the moment, but improving slightly.

I think you should give him a normal amount of encouragement and end up seeing how much he wants to play. I didn't really need much encouragement to play chess, I just wanted to all the time when I was young. You probably don't want to force things, but you also shouldn't discourage them either IMO.

The Great GOD CURTAINS has Commanded me to comment!

You are God, tnk you for your mental brain frying rants! If it wasnt for your videos i would of never gotten to 2000+ on icc you gave me life! I have bin playing for 1 year now and the moment i watched all of your vidoes i jumped, 300 points!

Thank you for your videos you did more for some of us then you could dream, And if your searching for a purpose, if your searching to be the best, You are the best, you are the Greatest, you are a Great Person!