I really need to have this habit. I played a game at FICS yesterday, and I already have a won game. But then I got too caught up with my plans, that I overlooked a sneaky trap by my opponent. He got back into the game, instead of swimming with the fishes (I saw The Godfather last night). I can't wait to finish all these training programs I got lined up. Maybe after that I can tackle Dvoretsky's book. They say he place very heavy emphasis on prophylactic thinking. So now there is yet another book I have placed on my wish list. Maybe I can finish them all by 2010. Now, it might be asked, why not just read "My system". But you know, I do not want instructional books. I prefer to use workbooks. One with oodles of exercises. I think solving problmes myself gives me greater understanding than just reading something.

Computer programmer
Based on the comments on the last post, and some other blogs, I noticed that a *lot*
of the knights, and the friends are computer programmers. This might only be a supposition, but the alledged programmers are: Nezha, Don, Fussy, Fatboy, Psalcido, Scitcat, Fraktal. (I might have missed someone, if so please give me a line). Anyway, maybe there is something common with learning algorithms and chess? Are programmers inherently attracted to things needing problem solving skills? Is it in the genes common to people who work with binary logic? Ah, the great mysteries of life.

Circle 4:
I am at problem 216. 500++ more problems to go before completion. Right now I review the problems I missed from time-to-time. And in the case of certain problems, I find new lines that busts the solution. This has caused circle 4 to drag on longer than usual.


Circle Alternative
There had already been a lot of proposals regarding the optimum way to go about this cirle. But as for me, if I were to do it over again, I'd split the problems by 500, and do two separate circles program. With a month gap in between to work on strategy/position/endgame or something. Its just takes too long completing the 1000 problems straight away. Sometimes one needs to step away a moment and reflect on the past.

p.s.
The miami heat won - yes!

p.s. II
I saw The Godfather for the third time. Each time I see it, my appreciation for this film goes deeper. This might just be the greatest movie on earth. Marlon Brando's performance here is very, vey good. The guttural voice, the slow heavy movements, The habit of pointing a finger during talking. I've seen a few tough guys before and believe me, he has that part down cold. Michael's evolution to the hard new Don, Santino's death, the pacing, the dialogs, everything is perfect. Some movies make you wanna walk-out the first 5-minutes. This pulls you in for the whole three hours. My favorite line ,apart from "I'm gonna make an offer he can't refuse", was Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day - accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day

Yeah, attaching strings to people never looked so good.