This book will make you a better chess player, but not as good as Bobby Fischer, the world's greatest chess player who won his first world title when he was 14-years-old.
"Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess," was a Little Libraies score many moons ago. Throughout the book are different chess set ups from actual title matches. Bobby askes the question(s), can white / black mate? If so, how many moves? How does black or white mate in three, four moves?
Fischer doesn't reveal exact moves, just the lay out, and whether or not you figure it out, it's completely up to you, I like that.
When I understand Fisher's questions, I feel good about my chess savy, and when it's Chinese algerbra to me, I still have fun playing my own game of chess. In the above picture, it's whites move and if you can't mate in two to three moves, can black? I don't know either, Bobby lays it out for me to play it out.
Mark Izzy Schurr
Lovem, loathm,' or anything in-between, Patrick Mahomes is the elite quarterback in the NFL, and he's down to Earth and approachable, Greg Bishop, a Sports Ilustrated writer said in December.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the first back to back NFL champions in two decades, and tomorrow they will make history if they win.
Reading this article, I learned that Patrick Mahomes grew up in the Kansas City Royals locker room. He's 29-years-old. His dad, Patrick Sr., pitched 11 seasons for the Royals. Mahomes said when he was between six and 8-years-old he wanted to play sports professionally and not be an asshole to people. Some super star players were. He didn't name the A-holes.
"Their were some superstars who loved to be there, loved to watch sports...I wanted to make sure kids or anybody else could come up and talk to me," Mahomes said. (Sports Illustrated, Dec, 2024)
Mahomes, his two children and his wife Brittany still socialize with people he met while playing youth baseball. They all enjoy watching sports and being with their kids. (SI)
The Cheifs didn't win in dominating fashion this year, and they never surpassed 28 points in their 13 game winning streak. Mahomes, stat wise is a middle of the pack quarterback this season. He didn't even make third string in this years Pro Bowl, yet the Cheifs are one win away from a Super Bowl three-peat. They did lead the NFL in third down conversions for all or most of the season though.
The Cheifs also have a current streak of six straight AFC Championship games. In 2019, Mahomes had a career best, 50 touchdown passes as the Chiefs went the the AFC title game. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots went to the Superbowl that year. Tom Brady talked to Mahome's after the game, and said, you're doing it the right way, just keep doing what your doing. (SI)
"For him (Brady) to say that, a guy I watched growing up, winning all those Super Bowls, was huge for me...he gave me his stamp of approval," Mahomes said. (SI)
Mark Izzy Schurr
It's black history month and "Little People, Big Dreams Pele" was a fantastic read. I acquired this book at a Little Libraries book nook.
Edson Arates, aka Pele was a Brazilian blitzkrieg. Pele was destined to play soccer like Shakespeare was to write and the Beatles were to music, he's a legend, a true sports icon.
As a boy, Pele made a soccer ball by stuffing a sock with newspapers and tightening it with string. World Cup in Brazil is taken very seriously to say the very least. Pele's father cried when Brazil lost the world championship and the child told his father he'd one day play for Brazil and win it all.
By the time Pele was 15-years-old, managers and coaches knew they had a gem of a soccer player. Pele was the leading scorer for the season in his first year in league play. At 16, he played for Sweden's World Cup team. All the best teams in the world wanted Pele, and Brazil won it's first ever World Cup with Pele at the helm of the team.
Pele has the honor of being athlete of the 20th century, and his two decades of dominance on the field was his stepping stone for helping poor children in youth sports and so much more. Pele, a true sports legend and humanitarian.
I can now return this book to the Little Libraries laden throughout the lands.
Mark Izzy Schurr
