Shira Chess Challenge for Charity: Postscript

First of all – THANK YOU SO MUCH – to:

  • Chessdom.com, for giving us front-page publicity on its website the day before our match began, and their private kind words of support and encouragement.
  • Current Women’s World Chess Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk for her kind words and the publicity she provided to us at her chessblog.com.
  • Chessville – who began it all with an article published on June 23, 2009 from sometimes columnist JanXena 🙂
  • Kelly Atkins a/k/a Chessdaddy (whom I met eons ago at the message board now affiliated with Chessville), who volunteered to be my coach, despite knowing what a difficult femme I am – kiss my foot, Chessdaddy! He tried hard to whip me into shape, and I resisted every step of the way 🙂 Despite his own fully-booked family and work schedule, he found time somehow to teach me some good stuff, and I found his analysis of Game 2 invaluable – not in preparing for Game 3, but in providing a template for patterns in my own play. I’m going to study that game a lot more.
  • Laura and Dan Sherman of Your Chess Coach, who spent a lot of hours with me via email and on the telephone giving me pointers on how to play and analysis of two of my prior “practice” games from redhotpawn.com. I cannot tell you how much I learned from that time on the telephone with Dan, wow! Dan, I was even able to use “c3” in my game today – and it worked just as you said it would 🙂 Unfortunately, I blew the game, but not because of that move. Laura, thanks for that sweet supporting shoulder to cry on!
  • Don McLean, my long-suffering fiance. He’s not keen on playing chess – and neither had I been until I cooked up this Chess Challenge for Charity with Shira a few months ago. Mr. Don indulged me and while he was here a few weeks ago for my 58th birthday (we were going to Las Vegas to celebrate with our friends) he willingly played four games to help me with my training. Two here at the house, and one each to and from Las Vegas. I love you with all my heart, mon homme, and I’m soooo glad I won that game at 35,000 feet flying back from Las Vegas 🙂
  • Phil Innes and Rob Mitchell. Your enthusiasm at the beginning of this “project” was invigorating and inspirational. Rob, thanks for the practice games 🙂

Here is the full summary.

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