It came as a surprise to me, but then when you're close to the source you tend to overlook the tell-tale signs. As of now the NOST has been 'folded' into the Fred Miller Chess Group. All membership information has been forwarded to the FMCG. They are now in the process of sorting things out and figuring out the financial situation.
For a couple of years things have been going downhill for the NOST. Most notably the magazine, NOSTalgia had been deteriorating, going from monthly to quarterly, finally ending up as someone's printer output hand-stapled. The lack of new members was a serious drawback. The rapid change of officers (volunteers) also signaled a decline.
This webpage will remain up for a while, but I won't do any updates. It looks like didymus7 will be moving over to doing a brand new FMCG website, which will mean a new URL. It will be interesting, but I've still got 7 years on this domain ....:-(.
Whatever. I'm still at the same email: didymus7@hotmail.com and will remain there until hotmail ceases to exist.
A special thanks to all who contributed and to Nancy Ludwig Pease for putting up with my comments...;-) [I wonder if she knows her picture is in the 1975 Cauldron????]
From the cave....didymus7
Okay, so I've been away for a couple of months. Work was getting kinda hectic. Heck, it's still hectic, but I'm back with an update.
This time it's two articles with annotated games from Nostalgia #367 which is the earliest Nostalgia that I've hung onto. And I've even got some nice little flashing 'new' s to show you where they are....here.
Let me ask you, does anyone play correspondence without resorting to Fritz? It's very obvious when they're using a computer, but I'd think you'd get bored letting a computer play for you. Besides it's very draining on us opponents and forces us to play a bland, unexciting game basically because we can't out-calculate a machine.
I haven't uploaded any more ECO game collections this time. As far as I can tell, nobody even notices....
From the cave....didymus7
Well, belated at least.
I took a couple of weeks off....BFD! This is a quick update until I can get my act together and start typing some more articles.
I'm still working on the Barry Barry page. It's taking longer than I thought. There is, however, an excellent picture of Barry playing the bagpipes with his pet penguin, Checkmate.....Just a teaser....
Happy New year to Nancy Ludwig (Nancy Pease)! My birthday is coming up...hint, hint!
Check out the Chess Downloads page. The games collections for ECO A00 through A34 are there for download.
Hope the Chess Fairy left a few pawns under your pillow!
From the cave...didymus7
Okay, I only noticed it later, but the snow applet is slowing the animated gifs (Christmas Trees and Knight above) to a crawl. So, bear with me, I'll find a new applet.
Hans-Juergen Isigkeit has contributed 3 games to the member's games section here.
Also, the 10th M-V email tournament is not really dead, just in hibernation until Hans-Juergen can find a new TD. The new job is taking away from the important stuff...like chess and washing clothes....
Sorry, Steve, the tournament wasn't only continuing until you got knocked out of first place. Although it did go into hibernation just after you fell out of that tie....he-he...
A Merry Christmas to Nancy Ludwig Pease in Maine and Nancy Lemieux in Canada!
Yeah, maybe I AM collecting them....
Also check out the Chess Downloads page. I'm beginning to upload game collections by ECO code. If you want a certain code collection right away, drop me a line (didymus7@hotmail.com) and I'll stick it up right away. Otherwise, I'll slowly build up the collection by alphabetical order.
I am actually working on the Barry Barry page. I've gotten rare photographs of the Chess Genius. It's not easy, however, to write the biography of a man who's insulted chessmasters, in person, on all 14 continents (Yeah, each one twice!).
From the cave...didymus7
Nope, you're eyes are not going bleary, it's snowing on the NEWS page!
And you've probably noticed the Christmas Trees by this time....
Yeah, didymus7 is actually learning some new stuff here....
The new article is Garry Reynolds' Woodpusher-2 from Nostalgia #376, so that you can see the rest of the game started in #375.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
So I get carried away....you try living in a cave and doing this stuff!
From the cave...didymus7
Welcome to the 12/8 update as I continue to add articles to the NOST website!
This time I jumped into the middle of a series of articles by Garry Reynolds. This one is Woodpusher-2 and the whole series explains in detail, move by move strategies and tactics of Garry's own games. These are pretty good for beginners also. This is from Nostalgia #375. I plan to continue with the series as this article has 1/2 of two games, the other halves, unfortunately are in the previous and next in the series of articles.
With our 'alliance' with the 65th Square (I know I should provide more links), we need a small logo. My basic thought is to use the knight on the horse above with the letters NOST diagonally across him. What do you think? It has to be small as it'll be used as a link from other sites in the group.
Hope you're getting your shopping done...
From just outside the cave....didymus7
Third in a row. This time added is the article on Franklin Knowles Young, a correspondence master that had wins over Steinitz and others, by Stan Vaughn. This is from Nostalgia 378.
Right now I'm having to type the articles in, if anyone wants to volunteer to help, all you need do is type in the text and moves, I'll format and add the diagrams. Let me know at didymus7@hotmail.com.
Any help would be appreciated!
And...oh, yeah...Hans-Juergen Isigkeit tells me that he's looking for a new TD for the 10th M-V (don't ask me to spell them...), so that tournament is not *really* over. And I did correct the result for his game versus David Stone...Hans-Juergen did win that game.
Hi Nancy! (You didn't think I noticed you were watching???)
You know, I think my niece and her husband are going to start a Chinese Restaurant. They have 5 cats.
Sorry!
From the cave...didymus7
I bet you thought that I couldn't do it. Well, you're wrong! Here it is! The second NOST website update in two weeks. This time I've added 3 articles under Nostalgia #384, Garry Reynolds' long survey of Goring Gambit Games (say that 5 times fast)--Woodpusher2, Wisdom from the Chess Monk by Griffin Harper and the Kindred Spirits Checker Column by Ray Reithel.
As I run out of electronic texts, updates may be only one article a week as I type them in.
A Happy Birthday to Mrs. Pease! Not that I know when her birthday is, I figured she had to have one this year.....
From the cave....didymus7
Isn't this amazing two updates in less than a month....well, I'm going to be adding articles as fast as I can format them, so expect a site update once a week late Sunday. Right now I'm working on Nostalgia #384 and have added a couple of articles. Next time I should have Garry Reynold's Woodpusher 2 with large number of Goring Gambit Games.
As always, if you want to see something here, write it up and I'll post it.
A Happy Pawn Wink out to Ms Lemeiux up in Canada. No, your wish didn't come true, yet....X files is still off the air.
Yes there is more than one of them.....
And yes, I'm still open to suggestions. Would anybody come to the site to download games in .pgn format? I can always mirror game collections from other servers.
Send me a game, even if it isn't annotated.
Yeah, someday I'll do another NOST in Space....
Be seeing you.....didymus7
Okay, so I'm really late here. It's bad enough that Nostalgia only comes out four times a year and the ratings are understandably a couple of months behind. However when the webmaster delays posting them....Sheesh!
Anyways, if I ever do get material to post here on a regular basis, I'll update on a regular basis.
Wasn't this a wonderful World Series, especially since the Yankees weren't there. Let's see if we can keep them out of the playoffs entirely next year.
Oh, and if anyone happens to see Nancy Ludwig, Lemieux, Pease or whatever name she goes by these days, let me know.
And I should do something with what remains of my hair....
Oh, and we have a new "Travels in NOST" article by Chip Chapin...
From the cave....didymus7
The NOST chess ratings, and subsequently, the Top Rated NOST list have been updated.
I have to note here that Mrs. Pease should answer her mail and NOT keep grudges for an excessive number of years. ESPECIALLY when someone is TRYING to APOLOGIZE....sheesh...
(Do you ever get the idea that I enjoy talking to myself? Practice with a mirror...)
Otherwise I'm always interested in material for the website, you know the email: didymus7@hotmail.com
Hello! Chip? Don? I'm still here waiting for stuff....;)
Wait a minute, Robin! Let's hit the Bat Room first...
From the cave...didymus7
Not much new here....The Rotation Game on Chess Chat is over...somebody finally resigned for Black.
You can view the completed game here.
Otherwise I'm always interested in material for the website, you know the email: didymus7@hotmail.com
FINALLY---hey Nancy! I know you're out there, you know my email, don't you want to find out????
Sorry, just a personal message there....;)
From the Cave...didymus7
Okay, so it's been a while. Right now I HAVEN'T been getting NOSTalgia articles nor ratings, so if you dislike the lack of those updates, look at the contacts page and send THEM an email.
Phew! That felt good...;)
The Rotation Game is now completely up to date. No additional diagrams yet.
Okay, here's an email, quite a nice one, that I recently received (makes one notice that when one is called didymus7, no one knows what to call you...;):
Dear Person(s)-
I respectfully offer a link to my web site. In my spare time (over the last 2 years), I have invented, revised, playtested a collection of 22 unique chess-like games based upon geometric perfect symmetry. Finally, I think my collection has matured and perhaps, been completed. All of these chess variants are Zillions-implemented and available there for free download.
Symmetrical Chess Collection: www.symmetryperfect.com/shots
You may wish to explore this collection yourself, time permitting. Feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. Take care.
Warmest Regards-
Derek Nalls
2609 Country Ridge Ln / Apt #2612
Arlington, TX 76006-2910 US-America
817/640-7496 phone/fax
54255245 ICQ
dsn8@juno.com E-mail
Derek is dealing in Chess Variants, so I've left his entire email intact. Contact him if interested.
Now, back to the cave.....didymus7
Merry Christmas!!!
Yeah, I update when I get the time. For the first time in 4 years we went to the family gathering for Christmas Eve. Well, even my wife agrees....Nevermore!
Ratings have been updated and the Rotation Game has been brought up to date.
Does anyone know where I get a hold of a trial copy of Shredder. It's supposed to be the most human-like chess playing program.
That's all for now....didymus7....
I mentioned ChessChat here a bit and I just want the NOST to know that ChessChat is a the Chess mailing list that the NOST would have created. It's a NOSTvention in email form. I've been in the list for almost a year now and there have never been any of the arguments, flames, name-calling, etc. that characterize a lot of the Chess discussion boards and mailing lists. Dan Triplett runs the list, his homepage is here. You can also join the list by wading through the listings at Yahoogroups. Currently there are over 400 members (maybe a dozen of us that babble endlessly) with several friendly games going, a couple of Rotation Games, a Chessmaster 8000 versus Human game, and lots of other stuff. Here also you can get advice on openings, ending, chess books, living in someone's basement, uh, yeah, that kind of stuff.
On the NOST side, ratings have been updated. As always, I'm looking for articles, pictures, anecdotes, anything about chess.
Coming Soon....the BARRY BARRY page. Yep, a full page on the brilliant chess strategist who is currently playing 1.e4 2.Ke2 on Internet chess servers and beating Grandmasters!
Also posted this update, the chess limericks from the Limerick Game!
--didymus7
Some of the Members of the ChessChat mailing list decide to create a 'Rotation Game'. A Rotation Game, in short, is a chess game played by players in sequence: Player1 plays White's first move, Player 2 plays Black's first move, and so on until all the players have played and the cycle begins again. If the number of players is odd, then players play both sides of the game.
But not only is it a game, it's filled will drama, analysis, forgotten last names.....well, you get the idea!
You can view the game in progress here. Note that the messages are left in the raw, with all the horrendous British mispellings and tactical blunders....
I'll be updating that game at least once a week....didymus7
This page last updated on
06/14/03
Report any problems with this page to didymus7@hotmail.com
