Vox populi

@NatCounterPunch "Over the past 20 years I’ve learned there’s a quick way of figuring just how badly Israel is behaving. There’s a brisk uptick in the number of articles here accusing 'the left' of anti-Semitism." - Alexander Cockburn in 2002.

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” counterpunch.org/2026/04/17/the…

@StephenMerchant @AmazonMGMStudio Cameron Diaz falling in love with you? I thought you didn't like the fantasy genre.

Thrilled to announce my next project, a romantic comedy for @AmazonMGMStudio, starring Cameron Diaz alongside myself. It’s a pleasure to be directing and co-writing too. deadline.com/2026/01/camero…

@SamShankland Susan Polgar was not the first woman to get the grandmaster title. Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze both got it before her.

youtube.com/watch?v=JPpg-s… This was so much fun!

@kevin_nealon @normmacdonald You did a hike with Norm and never released it? 😡

Norm Macdonald was game for anything. You were just never sure if he was gonna show up. Always worth the wait.

@DoctorScull I don't know if it actually works but one idea is to play training games with the board flipped. So you get used to looking for the best move from the other side.

The biggest weakness in my game is seeing my opponents’ best moves. After months, I am still struggling. Any suggestions for improving this part of my game? #chesspunks

@natesolon @threadreaderapp unroll

There's a lot of information on how to play openings, but less on which openings you should play and why. So without further ado... Every Opening and Why You Should Play It (I'll be adding to this, so bookmark if you want to come back to it)

@the_transit_guy Why is no one wearing a helmet?

@ZibbitVideos @ChessGainz @PiotrNguyen What happens after Nxc7 Kf7? The bishop looks like it might be trapped.

@ChessGainz @PiotrNguyen Precisely!

Just finished my first classical tournament in a good while. Had ups and downs but managed to finish on a high. It is white to move and go for the throat! (Photo: @PiotrNguyen) #chess #tactics

@natesolon Assuming my playing strength remains the same, how much rating fluctuation can be expected due simply to variance? E.g. if I'm 2000, I can expect to vary plus or minus how much Elo over say 100 games.

I'm working on a piece for New in Chess, preliminary title "All Things Elo". What do you wish you knew about rating? Pref. things that can be answered with data.

@fins0905 The quality of life is good only for some. Don't forget the US has extreme inequality.

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! I feel SO fortunate to have been born in the US. We have plenty of problems; no country is a utopia. But the quality of life and opportunities we enjoy here are true blessings. Never take that for granted. Proud to be American! 🇺🇸

@RaniaKhalek My favorite is her repeatedly maniacally screaming to Colbert "IT WAS A DEBATE!"

Who among us hasn’t spent time in recent days lost down the Kamala video clip rabbit hole 😵‍💫

@DrJillStein @TeamJillStein What's your position on trans women in female sports?

I was a doctor of Internal Medicine for over 20 years. It was my practice as a physician that steered me into full-time activism. I came to understand that most of my patients' problems did not stem from lifestyle “choices” or even their family medical history. It was the toxic combination of corporate greed and political corruption, poisoning our planet and our people while forcing all of us into the unsustainable grind of capitalism. Universal healthcare is fully within our grasp, and the only solution to the tangled mess of our privatized healthcare system. As your president, my highest responsibility will be the safety and well-being of our people and planet. Read about our plans for healthcare here: jillstein2024.com/platform

@hellokostya @chessable What does "cxb8=:" mean? They promoted to a colon?

My favorite @chessable comment of all time 😄

@blackatlantic @GMJacobAagaard @QualityChess @NewInChess @EverymanChess Aagaard was so determined to get @gmmds to write for him that he literally just bought New in Chess. 😂

Congrats to @GMJacobAagaard and @QualityChess on their successful merger with @NewInChess and @EverymanChess. I think this merger is great for the future of chess book publishing. Read more here: chess.com/news/view/ches…

@LexiAlex The poll didn't ask them whether they believed Biden was facilitating the genocide. Some of them believe the fake narrative that Biden is powerless to stop Israel.

@chessfeels He's awful. Are you not aware of his wild accusations of widespread cheating in titled tuesday, to mend his bruised ego every time he loses to a lower rated player?

7% of Americans having a very unfavorable opinion of caruana is hilarious to me

👀Will @fins0905's upcoming Qa5 Scandi course refute @amanhambleton's claim that "when black plays Qa5 in the Scandinavian you're *always* justified to play b4"? #chesspunks

@Kabadayichess You really need to say "Black to move." I wasted a lot of time trying to solve the position assuming white to play Nxd4 because you said black's "bishop on d4 would be captured on the next move."

The black player resigned here, thinking their bishop on d4 would be captured on the next move. But the eval bar disagrees. Can you see what Black missed here? #chesspunks Video below.

@natesolon Kramnik:

The results of one match can only say so much about your chess ability, but they can sure reveal a lot about your character.

@boldmovebydan @natesolon I think playing 2 or 3 rounds per day is common all over the US.

@natesolon Is this common in the midwest? I've never played as many hours in one day as they have scheduled for Saturday.

Common dilemma when scheduling tournaments in the US: I would like to play somewhat regularly, but wow, 5 rounds of G 120 in 2 days sounds brutal.