iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 7h

Length(Coffee break) > Length(Banana break)

Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 8h

Rapid there’s no time to leave the board but fast Classical you let them think for a minute and then it’s “Looks like they’ll be there a while - I could go and get a drink now. Even if they move right away it’ll only be a couple of minutes”. Whereas slow classical you can wander off whenever.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 9h

How about “Enough time to go and get a coffee if your opponent is in the tank” Classic?

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 10h

My kids often use Procreate, it’s great seeing the time lapses of their art coming together.

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MꙬse Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

As someone who draws with real inks and pens and paint, but who also enjoys drawing digitally (particularly Procreate on the ipad these days, although I have drawn in Illustrator on my computer a lot, and routinely use Photoshop for compositing work)

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Also I didn’t develop any pieces in my first 8 moves…

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

First game of the new OTB season fits in a single post… Also, my opponent resigned with all my pieces on the back rank! 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h6 5.g4 Be4 6.f3 Bh7 7.e6 Qd6 8.exf7+ Kxf7 9.Bd3 e5 10.Bxh7 Rxh7 11.Qd3 e4? (11…Nf6=) 12.fxe4+- Qb4+ (11…dxe4 12.Qb3 +-) 13.c3 dxe4?? 14.Qf1+ 1-0

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Also I didn’t develop any pieces in my first 8 moves…

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Obviously (11…dxe4 12.Qb3 +-) should read (12…dxe4 13.Qb3 +-)

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Did you see Svidler’s anecdote? bsky.app/profile/polb...

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold The Spy Who Prefers Winter to Summer Really, The Heat can get a Bit Much The Spy Who Kept all the Thermostats set at 18°

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Peter Svidler @polborta.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

in honour of Jon Speelman's 70th, here's a chess story from way back when. in the late 90s, i played one season in the unnamed east european league. it's the last round, my team is competing with the other strong team in the league for 1st, and they need to outscore us because our tbs are better

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

“In chess…. victory belongs not to the loudest player…” What does that even mean?

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Jonathan Manley @kingpined.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

New boost for Burnham.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I always liked this one which gave no indication at all that this was a chess match

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Nick Brown @steamtraen.eu · 26/09/2026

Remember the first time you encountered the term "15 degree slop".

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Listening to the latest @originstorypodcast.bsky.social on John Rawls - I’m assuming there will be “Parliament of babies on a spaceship” merch in due course?

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

At my school there was a percussion teacher called Mr (Old Mother) Hubbard in case that helps?

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I wouldn’t be surprised if I get to play Fernandez this season still - he turns out reasonably regularly for Little Heath.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I didn’t - saw the position after f5 and thought it looked difficult for Black but trusted the computer evaluation… Sarin just misevaluated the rook ending? Weird to see Fernandez playing Gukesh just a few months after he was meant to be playing me!

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

They’re not even in all of Herts - there pretty much aren’t any in St Albans for example (they occasionally get the odd one) but in Letchworth and Hitchin you’ll see one every few days, probably even more often if you’re really looking.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Yes - they’re very local to my area, almost as common as greys around here.

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MꙬse Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Text which says "The best way to stop grey squirrels from multiplying rapidly is to take away their calculators."

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Gives me a lovely mental image of a grumpy squirrel holding an abacus! 🧮 🐿️ Also gives me an excuse to post a black squirrel I saw in my garden (no abacus)

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Started occasionally playing 1.d4 in blitz games on @lichess.org having literally never having studied a single line - is it bad that my rating has barely moved?

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I believe I’m right in saying the man in this picture was 35?

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Turns out these super-GMs are quite good at the chess.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I don’t think I’ve ever castled illegally. But I have fairly recently lost a game by forgetting which way pawns capture. Also once had a game where the pawns were like this - I played b4 and my opponent went …cxb2 e.p which I’d never seen before.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Oh yes, I had seen that but somehow didn’t put 2 and 2 together.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

England won’t win but Bodhana-watch will be fun, suspect she’ll take down some big names!

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

My Olympiad claim to fame: I’ve beaten (twice!) a player who features in an Olympiad game that Kasparov said was “the most exciting game I ever saw”

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Oh and for completeness here’s the better of my wins against him

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

For him much more than for me 😀 (shame he lost really)

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Swanson played Georgios Makropolous and the game went to an adjournment. Various USSR players helped the Greek players to analyse in the break. Swanson missed the win and went on to lose, giving the Soviet team and Kasparov the gold medal. Hence Garry’s excitement!

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

1980 was Kasparov’s first Olympiad, playing as 2nd reserve at age 17. Hungary and the Soviets were level on points at the top. The only match that could swing the tie-break in USSR’s favour was Greece vs Scotland - the better Scotland did, the worse USSR’s chances of gold.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Stephen Swanson - Scottish champion in 1975, played board 1 for Scotland in the Malta 1980 Olympiad and now plays in the same league and often on the same board as I do. He’s slightly higher rated but enough for it to be a good game most times, I think I’ve maybe scored +1 over several games.

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Why must I lose to this idiot? @wmiltti.bsky.social · 15/09/2026