Antiphonies, Polyphonies, Baryphonies and Retrophonies

Introduction

I'm not a poet or anything, just a half-retired variant player. This series is just my thoughts through the years. The world is facing many challenges and is never peaceful in recent years, so I hope everyone can enjoy their lives, and enjoy playing chess on this amazing website.

Some of these poems contain personal information but I don't care. Some are my "shady history", I know. Please don't worry about my mental state or something, I'm fine now.

Edit Nov 5: Updated newest poems. They are written to my best friend. Adding some additional notes to clear up some stuff :)

Antiphonies -- Antidepressant Symphonies

1. e4

The power of kind words never fails,
Like a warm blanket on a cold day.
Helping those in need gives you happiness,
I hope you also feel this way.

Life is never a straight line,
It’s more complicated than chess.
After one or two wrong moves,
It might already be in a mess.

But after some unforeseen events,
It is you that come to me.
Like every time you suffer from a loss,
You may well just leave it be.
.
Every chess opening is well studied,
There are even some opening books.
But you said it would be a bad idea
To horizontally develop my rooks.

You like chess, that makes you smart,
It’s a good way to take a rest.
Maybe the most common opening,
Is really the best by test.

If kind words can be powerful,
Poems can be encouraging too.
Now what I can do for your help
is to dedicate my first poem to you.

Note: I was in a rough state several years ago. I won't talk about the details. But... it's fine now. If you are also having difficulties, therapists are helpful and recommended. :)

1. ... e5

Getting over is not that easy,
But I must move on somehow.
Maybe I should continue this series,
As you suggested just now.

A chess board has two sides,
You can play both black and white.
You always make jokes about shows
not knowing how to set it right.

After the most common opening,
There are many choices ahead.
Some are not friendly to new players,
So I prefer imitating instead.

I don’t really know about chess,
But you gave me a basic graph.
I think after I lose all my pieces,
I still have a reason to laugh.

Chess is amazing and relaxing
which maybe I’m not serious about.
But what matters most is the fact
that weird thoughts can fade out.

If your optimism can’t change me,
Then your friendliness surely can.
Every time when you lose a game,
Keep in mind I’m your fan.

2.Nf3

Earth follows the routine orbit,
My presence is easy to ignore.
Late at night when I ask the moon,
Can I live to twenty-four?

Note: this has later become an inside joke.

Will there be anyone mourning
a girl named Stephanie?
Will there be anyone else
struggle in life’s polyphony?

Time flies by, in most people’s eyes,
But sometimes it can be very slow,
Luckily you can always remind me
that I’m not yet ready to go.

The knight jumps to a normal square
Attacking the enemy pawn.
After a hundred chess engine moves
The game should be drawn.

But that’s not the beauty of chess,
Everything must have a start.
How to take your chances to win
is the truly amazing art.

Scars will be healed eventually,
Time can remove the burden I bore.
I should be thankful for all the help,
I want to live to twenty-four.

2.... Nc6

After the constant concern you showed,
I decide to continue the Antiphonies.
Unlike the weird diaries in the past,
They’re probably best of Stephanie’s.

The pawn is attacked, what to do?
Just protect it using the knight.
Everything can be solved in some way
Or so we believe to be right.

We always have fun to play two moves
after which the chess board flips.
Making the position very solid
is one of the useful tips.

Chess positions are not easy to calculate,
So are everyday random events.
Every time I must deal with threats —
which that knight move already prevents.

Nobody would harm an innocent person.
Or that’s what they believe.
Your concern for a hesitant girl,
is the best gift for me to receive.

3.Bc4

Summer is over, the sun is still blazing,
I’ve never seen a chess club before.
I need to heal my own scars,
That’d help me live to twenty-four.

The Italian Game is very straightforward,
You said it is very exciting.
But there are theories in most variations,
Which is clearly not worth reciting.

Knights are good at forking pieces,
And bishops have a longer range.
When they cooperate to attack the king,
Their shortcomings will surely change.

Every sine wave is periodic,
Every ellipse has an eccentricity.
But not every chess opening is good.
That has lost its facticity.

When I’m not in good shape,
I spend time meditating.
(But it doesn’t work)
I hope in your next tournament
you can gain a lot of rating.

But as I’m back to school,
Life is now an open door.
If it continues and everything is fine,
I might live to twenty-four.

3.... Nf6

Things really changed a lot recently,
As I take a turn for the better.
Now I’m continuing this series again,
Carefully writing every letter.

As a beginner I was told to learn from failures,
And never avoid the complicated fights.
And any studied defense is playable,
So here it is — the two knights.

The knights are developed to the normal squares,
And they are in control of the center.
You opened this door for me
A door that is free to enter.

Delaying castling is sometimes bad,
As said in Kummer’s lectures.
For all the situations laying ahead,
Are there any good conjectures?

Unlike the uneventful chess world,
There’s much more going on,
Thank you again for letting me know
That I will never be alone.

4.Ng5

Under the blue sky, we had our party,
After such an eventful week.
I believe the trees are telling their stories
Hopefully they’re not so bleak.

Bad players like me, like to attack,
And ‘sacrifice’ all the pieces.
So normally after the knight attack
The winning chance increases.

The threat is obvious - same as Scholar’s,
The weak f-pawn’s at stake again.
Playing actively can be rewarding,
Let’s get rid of the recurring pain!

Not every set is well-defined,
Not every function is smooth.
But every life has its worth.
I want to believe that’s the truth.

Moving a piece twice in the opening
Is generally not a good idea.
But every book move is tested in practice,
Like making a flour tortilla.
(Don’t blame me for that poor rhyme, it’s so hard to find a proper one.)

If time could rewind, everything should be OK,
But life doesn’t allow regrets.
But just as my brother always says,
“Still more hopeful than the Brooklyn Nets!”

4.... d5

I would certainly go for a walk
Every time when I feel down.
The evening wind feels familiar,
Like the night I moved to this town.

What is the situation on the board?
How to stop the threat?
This move seems to be the only safe choice,
But it’s not safe just yet.

Sacrificing a pawn is worthwhile
If the opponent’s attack is stopped.
It’s vital to find the opponent’s ideas
And ensure no pieces are dropped.

Friendship is not necessarily bijective,
Chess is not always a draw.
Any action causes a reaction
By the Newton’s Third Law.

I need to think before every action,
And good luck in your chess camp.
I guess chess might be completely solved
When there is a new world champ.

5.exd5

Struggles and mistakes are part of life.
Just think about your blunders heretofore.
As the winter comes and the spring is near,
It’s not that hard to reach twenty-four.

Every smooth function is continuous,
And every move till now is good,
Should I take that sacrificed pawn?
I think probably I should.

I am never ever a confident girl,
And that’s why I hesitate so much.
Probably I should try to change myself,
But there’s no ‘magic change’ as such.

The threats renew, and a pawn is captured,
Everything seems to be in control.
Chess is hard but it’s somewhat straightforward,
Considering the unvarying goal.

If the same problems occur again,
Psychologists are good to turn to.
But these days I think they are not serious,
So chatting with you will do.

There are many tournaments in the chess world,
Some of them are very strong.
I’m sure whichever piece I have
I can’t last very long...

5.... Nxd5

Sunshine is good for heart-healing,
And exercising is good for health.
I went that distance to meet your friends,
Just to overcome my silence and stealth.

Many people play this move now and then,
But it’s not the best move here.
This move gives rise to some dangerous tactics
And is rarely played in the top tier.

But theories are just theories,
In practice the advantage is small,
How to take advantage of these small mistakes
Is what matters after all.

It looks very tempting though
Because the white knight is now attacked,
But white has the chance to move now,
And the black defense might be cracked.

A proposition can’t infer its converse,
But it can’t contradict itself.
There’s many variations to discover in openings,
So put your opening book on the shelf!

6.Nxf7

Do you still remember that weird poem series?
And finally here it is.
But I’m too lazy to finish this poem,
So I’ll leave it like ___.

Now the position is very well-known,
And a strong attack is setting in.
The Fried Liver is widely known as
A good gambit for a quick ___.

It’s really a meaningful trick,
There are some quick wins I have seen.
The idea behind this sacrifice
Is the well-prepared white ___.

People nowadays don’t play this line
Because they think it’s unsound.
But it’s always a good idea
To walk the opponent’s king ___.

Traps in chess openings are easy to refute,
Because they are studied long ago,
But this one is still hard till now,
So let’s just enjoy the ___.

It’s almost impossible to remove the memories,
“I’ll never harm myself”, I swore.
Life is unpredictable but I try to believe
That I’ll live to ___!

6.... Kxf7

Trauma will be healed, but the process is slow,
Maybe it’s not entirely my fault.
But the memories of last year still haunt me,
At least it will come to a halt.

“That’s because you’re not completely innocent."
They said, but is that logical?
I know I should be blamed for not respecting my life,
But isn’t that pathological?

When someone sacrificed a piece,
Just take it for free.
Don’t worry about the following plan,
Unless it’s a mate in three.

Most times sacrifices are not well-planned,
And you can exploit the material lead.
If you don’t take the knight your pieces are forked,
So no alternatives indeed.

I know I am now a negative example
Of how a girl should live her life.
So what I can do is to live on,
Preventing any further struggle or strife.

There are many possibilities in the future,
Some novelty lines go through my head.
So next time when you play me,
Play the Sodium Attack instead.

7.Qf3

Poems in my series are weird and sad,
Ironically they’re supposed to be upbeat.
Reading all the melancholy words written,
It’s like I’m accepting the defeat.

When is the last time I was free of worries?
When is the last Steph Ride?
How long before I’m out of any misery,
With all friends by my side?

Studying is quite stressful,
But it’s still a good distraction.
Just like the outside queen
Putting the strong attack in action.

The only way to win after a sacrifice
Is to get the attack going.
And facing such a strong move
Could be very mind-blowing.

I’m trying to make some jokes here,
But none has come to my mind.
Just like the Mersenne primes,
Good jokes are difficult to find.

Hope the series didn’t cause too much cringe,
If so I’d say sorry to you;
As writing poems helps me escape bad moods,
Even if there is nothing new.

7.... Ke6

I’m trying to make everything stable,
And so far it works quite well.
They said I should be brave enough now,
But it’s still hard to tell.

The knight is attacked twice by white,
And defended only once.
So after the check the only choice
Is to walk the king up like a dunce.

Now white is having a chance to attack,
Black’s position is a little tough.
But with perfect play, many people think,
A forced draw should be enough.

The Fried Liver is a beginner’s killer,
But there’s no reason to be scared.
White is down material, black is in trouble,
So actually the tension is shared.

Notice that the rooks are still not activated,
And there are only seven moves.
There might be still a long way ahead —
As the lord of time approves.

8.Nc3

As you know, something sad happened yesterday,
And you must have heard of Hugh.
Everybody with depression has a certain risk,
Luckily I have you to cling to.

Note: yeah, Hugh was a dog, he was one of my best friends during that hard time. I still think about him. At that point I was mentally unstable and acting like I lost a family member.

In the evenings when I am better,
I will concentrate on the assignments first.
Then I may start to write some gibberish
Like “the French Defense is the worst!”

Now the game continues, the knight has moved
To attack the pinned knight again.
It’s strange after such a sequence
White’s advantage may still remain.

Large proportions of the games played here
End in a win for white, you said.
So let’s pretend the sacrifice is sound
And avoid this line as black instead.

Do you remember the last time we traveled?
It has been a long journey.
I don’t want to write anything negative,
Hope you perform well in your tourney.

There are many reasons to love chess,
I bet you are having fun.
I don’t see anything stopping me
From ending my unbeaten run.
(Of course, not playing against you == unbeaten against you.)

8.... Ne7

I tried hard to be optimistic,
But it’s difficult to pretend.
No one can prevent me from a breakdown
After losing such a close friend.

I feel guilty most of the time,
It’s not a symptom of depression.
But why is that thought so haunting,
Is it because of my own impression?

This move is played often,
But as you said, it’s not a good choice,
The mating net is already set up
Without any apparent voice.

Everything seems protected for black,
And the position seems to be fine,
But after another piece is brought into the game,
It’s a winning-for-white line.

Now we already know, don’t play too passively,
Or a loss might just await.
As you suggested, even if the hope is dim,
I won’t accept my fate.

I still tend to avoid meeting people,
But I think things will change.
I must say I’m thankful for all the help
From the domain to the range.

9.d4

You messaged me this morning
That you read my old poems to the dogs.
These are not poems — they’re not beautiful,
So let’s just call them — logs.

An opening trap is described in these logs,
‘Coz the logs are quite concave;
After every move, there’s no takebacks,
In chess I can’t load-and-save.

Down material, white sacrifices yet another pawn,
As the position becomes more intense.
My knowledge about this line is limited,
So I won’t choose the two knights defense.

This move is possible prior to the sacrifice,
And it might be stronger then.
The idea is to open up the file,
So it’s playable no matter when.

Attacking games are quite interesting,
But not always end in mate.
However, taking every chance to attack
Can surely increase the win rate.

When up material I was told to trade,
That’s a rule everyone understands.
And finally there’s a bishop against a lone king...
I guess it’s time to shake hands.

9.... exd4

At times I may still be mentally unstable,
And can be said as insecure and weird,
But the devil who made me go to extreme,
Has gradually disappeared.

Or so I believe, but I want to believe,
Belief should make a difference here.
When things are bad and can’t get worse,
The turning point might be near.

Taking the pawn is understandable,
But it’s not a good move still,
When up material the king’s safety matters most,
That’s just what I feel.

After taking the pawn black threatens the knight,
Saving it gives black adjusting time.
Now it’s a vital option for white to make ...
But darn! I can’t find a rhyme!

The small party yesterday was really great
And your friends are all very nice.
I’d say sorry to Waiting Josh and Standing Josh
For mistaking their nicknames twice.

Note: they are my friend's friends and are super nice!

10.Bf4

Am I a weirdo? Am I a queer?
Or am I just a removable outlier?
Am I escaping? Am I still caught?
Am I the culprit of making my life dire?

Weird thoughts do come constantly still,
Playing chess might be a good way to adjust,
The cycle repeats but will there be an end?
Sometimes I believe time rewinding is a must...

Black is in trouble, but as we know
After one bad move it’s game over.
So white must continue the attacking ideas,
Now the black king is outside like a rover.

But the white knight... Who cares about that?
If the attack fails white’s completely lost.
So there’s no way back, white is trying hard
To hunt the black king at any cost.

Let’s stop being negative, although I’m not rational,
At least I’m not as complex as they think.
By simple group theory, it’s easy to prove,
Between you and me, there’s a solid link.

Bishops belong in open diagonals,
And rooks belong in open files.
In my dreams there is always a kind girl
Faces all the challenges and smiles.

10.... dxc3

Another new year is around the corner,
This Christmas should be new.
So first of all I’m obliged to say,
Merry Christmas to you.

Every festival I’d think of Hugh,
And the F.G.L. Counterattack.
Even if I wish repeatedly to the stars,
I know they won’t come back...

Taking a free piece and threatening queening,
What can be better than that?
Although the attack is quite dangerous,
White has no time to deal with the threat.

So is black completely winning now?
Not it white plays correctly.
Setting up the trap is not so easy —
Not all moves are played directly.

Chess board is only eight times eight,
I propose making it ten times ten,
I’d love to see the engines struggle
After the addition of amazon men.
(Amazon man: Like a queen, but can make knight moves...)

11.O-O-O

Winter is about to end, or so I think,
Here comes the signs of spring.
I still can’t be free of all that memories,
But that’s an uncontrollable thing.

“You just think too much”, they said,
But this time they are not wrong.
How to get rid of all the weird thoughts?
How to become brave and strong?

Castling is always a good attempt
To give the king a shelter.
The rook is also brought into the game
And black is in helter-skelter.

It’s hard to find the only good move,
But it’s not that hard to be fair.
Sometimes if any other move is eliminated,
Then the right move is simply there.

After your continuous, selfless help,
Love should be integrable forevermore,
And if everything starts to get better
I will live to twenty-four.

But even if I can’t make it,
I hope you can remember me.
The dumb girl who tried and failed,
But different from what they’ll ever see.

11.... cxb2

Do you like that gift I sent to you?
My drawing skill is equally bad in chess.
I just try to persuade myself that
I am no longer in a mess.

Take that pawn! That’s the best choice,
And more importantly it’s a check.
White must respond now, giving black a free move,
And white will surely be in a wreck.

Or so black thinks, though that’s a good analysis,
It has one fatal error.
Given a move to adjust the defense —
Can black stop all the terror?

Sometimes light pieces are able to deliver mate,
As found in Legal’s classic trap.
Surely the attack here is very strong,
But can it compensate for the huge material gap?

My poems or logs are for lifting my mood,
Avoiding touching any of my old scars.
At least writing cringy nonsense
Is better than going to the bars.

12.Kb1

After knowing some basic chess, I still can’t play well,
And drop pieces in many cases.
But there are many chess enthusiasts
All over the world in different places.

Is chess a good game? Well, it might be old-fashioned,
But the old ones are best sometimes.
I can’t even describe one millionth of chess
In my ongoing chess rhymes.

This is an interesting move. Just keep that pawn,
That’s a shelter, ironically enough.
Black has run out of checks,
So now the position is quite tough.

But hey! What if the pawn is protected in the future?
Human can’t calculate that far.
Besides, white is threatening various mates,
Notice where the white bishops are.

Will there be any shocks in the chess world?
Will I be alright this year?
Will Scrolling Ellie find her true love?
Will Outside Steve cut his hair?

Life is full of uncertainties.
But that’s what makes it enriched.
I accept that there’s no simple cure,
But the hell mode is already ditched!

12.... c6

The emotional pain is sometimes relentless,
I wait until the mental prison collapses.
Sometimes I feel envy for those people
Complaining about how time elapses.

But sometimes is just sometimes,
And don’t blame me for the use of “but”s.
I’m challenging my brother to a chess game —
That’ll show him I’ve got some guts.

This move is very hard to make
Half of black’s pieces are blocked.
The safe corners are taken up,
So now the black king is locked.

In this case the best thing black can do
Is pushing the pawn — terrible.
At least the knight is not in danger anymore,
But the pressure is simply unbearable.

You told me to persevere, not to resign,
Even if the position is losing.
Just like carrying on with my life,
Hopefully that’s the way I’m choosing.

But sometimes doing that is agonizing,
Sometimes there are comebacks.
Next time I want to learn from you —
How to build strong attacks?

13.Rhe1

Though my life is in a dangerous position,
Let’s see if I can save the loss.
Next time when we play a chess game,
Play f4, g4 like a boss.

I’m planning to pursue graduate study,
My parents approved doing so.
I believe full recovery is drawing near,
The recovery might be bogus though.

When in an attack, every piece should be involved,
So white brings the last piece out.
Black will struggle to avoid mate,
That’s what the gambit’s all about.

White’s pieces are involved in attack,
Black’s are sitting on the back rank.
Now black must find an escaping route,
To the left or right flank.

I’m afraid of some sharp lines,
Because defense is harder than expected.
Still, playing chess is a good kind of hobby,
It makes me feel respected.

13.... Kd7

Yes, I’m used to those cycles,
But things are better this September.
One way to get rid of the bad mood
Is to try not to remember.

Every time when I play you in chess,
The position is lost before move twenty.
I should avoid making apparent blunders —
Sadly, my blunders are in plenty.

Like this one black makes — It seems normal,
But just loses on the spot.
The king has nowhere to go, it’s trapped,
And white is threatening a lot.

E8 is maybe quite safe now,
But only if the knight is there.
If the knight is distracted somehow,
Then it’s a dangerous square.

Everybody likes unusual checkmates,
And here black may get smothered.
But that requires precise calculation —
So hey, don’t be so bothered!

It’s another tranquil night,
And it’s another better day of mine,
As I am now a grown-up girl,
Things will turn out fine.
(Or so I believe...)

14.Rxd5

Glad to know your interview was a success,
Hopefully I’ve got a mind patch.
If there’s spare time at the end of this year,
I’ll follow the world championship match.

The position is still complicated,
White must continue the scheme.
What if white flips the board and resigns?
That’ll be a funny meme.

Another sacrifice! Not only is it strong,
It is a kind of a skewer.
That’s why there were lots of Fried Liver games,
But nowadays there are fewer.

Sacrifices are hard to calculate,
And sometimes they are not intentional.
Always try sacrifices when down material already,
Even if they’re not conventional.

After these long and busy weeks,
It’s time for some recreation.
You can call be Symphony Stephanie from now on,
Using Stephony as an abbreviation.
(Wait, is there any difference?)

Am I free of all the previous nightmares?
I’m afraid not yet, sadly.
But can’t I get a blunder master award
For playing chess that badly?

14.... cxd5

It’s poem time again! Or logs time!
It’ll be exponential time next.
If anyone reads one of my logs randomly,
They’ll post it in r/nocontext.

After that I’m never the same again,
But I try to be normal.
Subtract the mean, divided by standard error —
Don’t be so formal!

There are many possible moves on the board,
But only three are legal.
Two of them are bad so this move is made,
Not requiring white to inveigle.

But this move is equally as bad
As losing queen and mate in one.
White only needs to find two moves.
After that the game is won.

It’s very easy to notice that
Black is up a knight and a rook.
But the white bishops are controlling the board,
Maybe black shouldn’t overlook.

I finally beat the simple computer in chess,
Without a single takeback allowed.
That is meaningful, or is it?
Maybe that’s too easy to be proud...

15.Bb5

Another year is about to end,
I feel recovered if evermore.
And with my family and friends’ help,
Maybe I can live to twenty-four.

But the chess world championship is very boring,
All they did was making draw offers.
Maybe chess players should play more actively,
To steer away all the scoffers.

This game, in contrast, is sharp and exciting,
As the black king has nowhere to hide.
So this bishop check is quite deadly...
(Yes, now I can even use these words...)
The mating net is very wide.

This is quite an obvious move,
But seeing the sequence is hard.
So that’s why it’s important to pre-analyze.
Calculation is impossible to disregard.

But I understand why the games ended in draws
Draw may be the optimal result.
There are beautiful draws and boring wins,
So don’t join the anti-drawing cult.

15.... Nc6

The suspicious cycle strikes inevitably,
And Carlsen again retains his title.
As is confirmed by professional players,
The safety of king is vital.

Black is in check, so how to deal with it?
Well, there’s no good way.
The best way is just to resign,
But that contradicts what you say.

So here it is, the only move,
But now the knight is distracted,
As the rook is controlling the e-file,
Black’s position is negatively impacted.

Now there are three moves for white,
Two mate-in-one’s and a mate-in-two.
But if white can’t find any of them,
White’s resignation is due.

Checkmates are hard to calculate,
So are real-life events.
But if you resign your game is lost,
Which simply nothing prevents.

It’s May, and everything goes quite well,
Hopefully there won’t be any “they”s.
So how to deal with possible future problems?
Like chess, there will be many ways.

16.Qh3 mate

It has been so long since our last small party,
But that can’t affect our linking chain.
I did this before in the antiphonies,
Now I’m doing it ___.

Note: Yes, chain does not rhyme with again, I know, that was my mistake xD

My old stories are deep in my heart,
They might still be haunting,
I want to fully accept my memories,
That task is a bit ___.

You introduced online chess to me,
Where players might be overrated,
It might be fun to play strange lines,
But it’s not fun to get ___.

Just like here — white’s diagonal check
Is too strong for black to resist.
After a lost game, it’s good to analyze,
But don’t rue the winning chances ___.

So the game ends, the black king is captured,
As Michigan legend Finegold goes, “Rawr.”
Time can really heal some nasty scars,
I believe I’ll live to ___.

This is not the end of the series,
It’s just a normal goodbye,
You said I can play freely on Lichess,
I guess I will give it a ___.

Polyphonies -- The sequel on lichess

1. c4

A game has ended in previous poems,
But that’s not the series’ end.
Can you play some irregular opening?
Do you really like to defend?

English opening is hard to learn,
For its violation of opening rules.
Games on Lichess can be exciting,
Here is even a team of “kools”.

Note: Kool and the Gang. Was a good team. :(

I believe playing chess is a way to relax,
Just as good as any other game.
Knowing after years of friendship,
Lives of us are sometimes the same.

Maybe it’s your love that saved me,
Not actually the game of chess.
Of all the good games you have played,
Patience is always key to success.

Quietly I’ve come such a long way,
Ready to do something more.
So the confidence is back and do you believe
That I will live to ... thirty-four?

Yes, the initials were intentional. I like these tricks.

1. ... e5

Chess is more than just a distraction to me,
I hope timing-out players are fewer.
Most positions seem to be kind of boring,
But hey, I just walked into a skewer!

When things are better and weather permits,
I'll reconsider a Steph Ride.
Your messages are always encouraging,
Trying to push all the worries aside.

How to play against the English?
I'll play in the center nevertheless.
"Get your pieces out and try to castle,"
And start to play normal chess.

"Any opening is playable," you said,
"But some of them are questionable and lame."
Although playing normally might lead to a draw,
Draws are a part of the game.

I should be aware that I can't get addicted,
So I'd limit my online chess time,
But even writing these suspicious poems
is more interesting than calculating f'.
(Yes, basics can be really annoying because you can drop a minus sign and... boom)

There are interesting features added to the Lichess site,
Some variants are also cool.
Don't use your two e-mails to fool me around,
That would be against the Steph Rule!

2.g3

Winter is arriving, here comes the snow,
Playing chess is a kind of zen.
As Thanksgiving is around the corner,
I decide to thank you again.

I’m still worried at times, especially after waking up,
But all in all everything’s fine.
So let’s ignore the bad news using a hypothesis test,
And play out your favorite line.

Many opening moves are made with pawns,
Like when you’re playing “Horde”.
Unless you’re trolling and like to get mated,
Don’t march the king up the board.

The g-pawn can make away for the bishop,
So fianchetto-ing is the next thing to do.
Many people think this line ends in boring draws,
However, it’s only move two!

Common openings are common because they’re studied,
And there should be no room for tricks.
No one plays the opening in my last series now,
Because the king shouldn’t be on e6.

Sharing the poems is a risky decision,
But I must face my suspicious history.
When will chess be fully solved by engines?
I hope it will remain a mystery...

Note: I started sharing my poems on lichess at this point.

2.... Nf6

The year is ending and in the coming year,
I prefer to “live” rather than “endure”.
If one plays passively and shuffle the king around,
They won’t get a win, for sure.

I play normal when tired and atomic when boring,
And anti-chess when in a bad mood.
My clock is broken and apart from that
Everything is somewhat good.

I’m sure you know the dark side of me,
Like on discord — that trolling account.
(Yes, in ’The House’...)
I try to be funny, but my sense of humor
Is limited to a negligible amount.

Now how to play as black in this opening?
Let’s choose the most common line.
There’s nothing more natural than developing a knight,
And black’s position seems totally fine.
(Of course, it’s move 2)

The squares c3, c6, f3 and f6
Must have some knight-mares.
Let’s forget that! Now we’re left with
My 60 memorable squares.

Good players play solidly and defend well,
Not leaving any tactical flaws.
The London Chess Classic once again proves
That it’s difficult to avoid draws.

Finishing 50th in a “3-check championship” on lichess
Is hardly a reason to be proud.
But good luck in your upcoming tournament,
I’ll cheer for you in the crowd!

3.Bg2

The vacation is coming, and everything turns out fine,
Or at least up till now, I guess.
Even when I’m not in the right mood to talk,
It’s still fun to play some chess.

On a good day I can play somewhat better,
On a bad day I blunder a lot.
If the blunder is obvious I’d slam the table,
And then resign on the spot.

Many people like fianchetto-ing their bishops,
It’s a logical move in some sense.
The bishop on long diagonals can be powerful,
Hence the birth of Modern Defense.

This is a common line in the English Opening,
It doesn’t just give away the center.
The white king will have a safe shelter
Which is hard for black to enter.

Solid openings are linked with many draws,
But exciting positions can easily occur.
Given the first 20 moves in a normal chess game,
The final position is still hard to infer.

The candidates next year might be quite interesting,
But for now let’s just focus on math.
Because of you my life is still savable,
After taking such a winding path.

3.... d5

Time flies by, a new decade has started,
Let’s celebrate the new year’s day.
Humankind still faces tough challenges,
But hopefully, we can find a way.

I’m never an optimist, and nowhere near,
But my poems are meant to be upbeat.
There are annoying people on lichess site,
But most people are kind and sweet.

Regrets after decisions are useless in chess and life,
After blunders we have to play on,
If you push a pawn it can’t move back,
and sometimes the pawn will be gone.

But in this case, center controlling is vital,
Playing passively is bad for black.
So top players always try active play,
And build a good counterattack.

Again, this line is considered too uneventful,
With half of the master games drawn.
But playing solidly is reasonable for black,
It’ll be good to grab a pawn.

Our OTB Atomic chess game was funny,
Next week’s the start of a new term.
Next time if you misclick the “Delete” option,
Make sure you never hit “Confirm”.

4.cxd5

Days turn into weeks, everything might be boring,
and sometimes I’m easily provoked.
If only there are no creepy people anywhere,
Just like in school, I once joked.

A little “distraction” won’t get you addicted,
I need to keep that in mind.
But at least I won’t get stuck as before,
I don’t need any “life rewind”.

In chess pawn sacrifices might well be sound,
Many gambits occur in games.
I tend to accept all those sacrifices,
Regardless of their weird names.

Some people prefer material to compensations,
In the endgame a pawn would matter.
Modern chess is notorious for boring draws,
But players now are getting better.

No one likes spamming openings in atomic,
It’s hard for black to escape the doom.
Variety in openings is welcome in standard as well,
‘Coz then novelties can have their room.

Maybe I’m still some weird nerd girl,
I might as well leave it be.
I know limited theories and next time we play,
I’ll open with knight a3.

4.... Nxd5

I know you're concerned about your cousin's family,
Hopefully, the virus can get controlled soon.
The start of 2020 is not looking good,
I hope things will be better in June.

Atomic chess results in wild positions,
In 3-check sacrifices are not rare.
If you know how to play racing kings--
hanging pieces are found everywhere.

Even at the cost of moving the knight twice,
Material balance should still be kept.
Different positions lead to different strategies,
Make sure your evaluation is apt.

Every recapture should be double-checked,
It's possible to lose a piece.
In online chess when the time control is tight,
The probability will increase.

Life is harder than the board game,
We both know that's true,
I know you are my friend in need,
And chess helped me a lot, too.

Time flies and hopefully you can say,
I'm not that weird anymore.
Guess what will happen next year--
Just that I'll turn 24.
(Remember the 24 meme?)

5.Nc3

You always say that everything will be fine,
It's dumb to whine about a loss.
Things are messy in the RK community,
Where I blunder pieces like a boss.

I must deal with all the midterm pressure,
And I mustn't get addicted in chess.
Machine learning topics are unavoidable nowadays,
More than equations could express.

The game in the poems is getting boring,
Since it is still in the main line.
White is trying to kick away the knight,
After trading everything is fine.

There are indeed some disrespectful players online,
And that can sometimes ruin the fun.
Self-claimed geniuses are at most normal --
Theoretically, with mean zero and variance one.

Every time I get bored I'll take some time
Playing and chatting in the House.
Here you should never disconnect the Internet,
And never mess with your mouse.

Now the candidates is coming, I know you're excited,
I'll root for Ding with you.
(Ellie and Liam will root for Giri. Mainly Liam.)
I know you're concerned with your losing streak --
I hope a good rest will do.

Steph Rides are fun and all things get settled,
Probably at the League Underground.
If you're paying attention and using detective skills,
A secret message can be found!

Note: The names are one of my friends and my brother. Some personal information but they think that's fine.

5.... Nxc3

Do you still believe in miracles?
Do you still believe in flames?
Do you still think human can still
beat AIs in board games?

Whether to trade pieces is always
a good question to think about.
But if a piece is not well placed,
trading is an easy way out.

The game is very boring so far,
Like a markov chain after burn-in.
But markov chains never converge,
there's still interesting stuff within.

Candidates is going to start,
Despite all the dramatic events.
Carlsen can defend his title this year --
I'll bet 39 cents.

I hope the championship will be exciting,
And Magnus is such a mogul.
Thanks for your concern and I'll mind my health
As the virus becomes very annoying. (Of course, it rhymes.)

Recent weeks are not so eventful,
Projects still give me much stress,
But as you know, I'll still refresh myself
By playing some games of chess.

I still believe in miracles,
I still believe in flames.
If you also like chess variants,
We can create some interesting games.

6.bxc3

It's only a day since the last one,
But I decided on a follow-up log.
I'm glad that your father is better.
Do you still read these to your dog?

This move is probably a premove,
As the pawn takes towards the center.
The defense around the white king is solid,
It's hard for black to enter.

But the position is still quite boring,
As we are only at move 6.
The isolated a-pawn might be a problem,
But there's no need to hurry to fix.

I think I'm much less hesitant now,
Albeit perhaps only in the virtual space.
How will everything pan out in the future?
That's Detective's impossible case.

Parodies are not just changing words,
Anagrams are not random strings.
If you are afraid of getting banned,
Please don't play Racing Kings.

Spring Break is over, not surprisingly
Now everyone is wearing a mask.
Can you use 'Zycaphogy' to stop the virus?
It's not a simple task...

Note: that's an old inside joke.

6.... Nc6

Things aren’t going so well recently,
And we are surrounded by the virus news.
Let’s stay safe and don’t panic,
Maybe play some chess games and lose.

The courses are now online, the midterms await,
Hopefully we can see these days through,
No matter how time flies and the world changes,
All the axioms and theorems stay true.

As you said, developing is very important,
It has a small variance and a high mean,
Black puts the knight on the normal square,
These opening knight moves are often seen.

Candidates is under way, as you expected,
Boring theoretical draws frequently occur,
After a few rounds they play even more solidly,
Similar to the way you prefer.

I’ll face the top seed in the CWC,
Of course, I’ll fight to the end,
I’ll use your Zycaphogy Defense
To avoid getting 0-10ed.
(I didn’t say I will succeed, obviously.)

I’m lucky to have friends like you,
People in “the House” are also kind,
I believe most people are nice and friendly,
Better than rings and fields combined.

Our future plans are still unchanged,
And the city is still the same.
So just calculate the chance of a miracle,
And include it in your data frame!

7.Nf3

I believe in the power of love,
That's how my life was saved.
Now I'd say I'm halfway there
Finding the cure I craved.

I will get everything sorted out,
I like trying different things.
I'm not afraid of getting banned,
So I still play Racing Kings.

Of course I hope that people can
Get the virus controlled soon,
Usually flu viruses will be easier to cure
Later in the year, maybe June.

In the chess world there are controversies,
Since the candidates is cancelled now.
Still I used your defense in the CWC,
That didn't work somehow.

Unlike most people, I don't hate draws,
Playing solid as white is fine,
Is develop a knight a good choice here?
Does it draw in the main line?

Surely this game is still pretty boring,
But the opening is getting to an end,
Exciting positions are generated from normal ones,
So you said it's important to defend.

I am still not optimistic,
I am still kinda weird.
But I believe I'm gradually
Getting rid of what I feared.

(Ode to Ogul)
Note: this was just an answer to Ogul1. I overreacted on discord. It's included here because it can explain the poem above.

I don't mind getting pinged,
I don't mind random strings.
You're much better than me
Even in Racing Kings.

Maybe our trolls annoyed you,
So I'll say sorry about that,
You can block me but please stop
Posting cringe in the chat.

Almost everything has a limit,
Maybe we were out of line,
But if you stop teasing people
Then everything would still be fine.

Cmonbruhing occasionally is funny,
But it's annoying to overuse.
Do most people like your messages?
It's not hard to deduce.

We shouldn't really be enemies,
As playing variants is just for fun,
Please stop before going too far,
The antichess legend _____.

The House is a nice community,
Unnecessary dramas need to end,
Spamming pings and emotes is not funny,
I hope you can comprehend.

7.... e4

I always remember what you said --
There's hope because we're alive.
The virus can get controlled,
And I can live to 25.

I hate unnecessary dramas,
I hate involuntary retreats.
One thing I learned from chess —
Don’t rage over defeats.

Pushing pawns too far is risky,
As they can’t be moved back,
But to make the game more interesting,
It’s good to go for an attack.

Old memories can always return,
Bad trolls can always annoy.
But you can always leave the woes,
And try to find some joy.

I wish I could be optimistic,
I wish I could be bright.
But everything can get sorted out,.
And hopefully I am right.

I like moving randomly,
I like posting in the chat.
Chess is what brings us together,
There’s no doubt about that!

8.Ng1

Chess960 is the future,
Horde chess is the soul.
Perhaps we shouldn’t overreact
When dealing with a troll.

There are always reasons for hope
No matter what life brings.
If you hate pawn endgames,
Try playing Racing Kings.

The term is over this week,
Top players are back into action,
Chess has become my hobby,
Rather than a so-called “distraction”.

If the knight moves forward,
You might run into “free pawn” memes.
But maybe a funny-looking retreat
Is not as bad as it seems.

White has a slow development,
But has time to reposition the knight,
It comes with a tempo on e4,
So the theory still prefers white.

We can learn from our mistakes,
Both in life and in chess.
Even in a complicated position
It’s possible to clean up the mess.

Let’s stay safe and wait for a cure,
As the amount of patients is still large.
If you find typos on lunchroom bug,
Tell Liam — I’m not in charge!

8.... f5

Every physical theory has some limits,
Every grandmaster has their prime.
Did I go too far in the chess world?
Perhaps I need to control playing time.

Chess variants can easily be created,
But it's not easy to create a good one.
Hopefully when the virus is controlled,
We can meet again and have some fun.

Delaying castling can be dangerous at times,
But losing a pawn is equally bad,
The black king won't be happy because this pawn push
Weakens the protection he had.

Black is still very undeveloped,
There were reasons for the delay--
The attack of the pawn must be replied now,
So in the back rank the pieces stay.

People are trying to solve atomic,
And antichess is already solved.
But even in "simple" RK,
Some positions are really involved.

The pains are drifting away,
The memories can still remain.
As long as I don't get addicted,
Chess is always the timely rain.

9.Nh3

Toxic people exist everywhere,
You said that I shouldn't get annoyed.
But sometimes those toxic comments
Is just more than I can avoid.

When things are in a rough state,
There is the community of chess.
It's always here to encourage me
To clean up all the mess.

Every chess rule has exceptions,
This position looks boring and dim;
White should develop so it's reasonable
To put the knight on the rim.

White has moved the knight thrice,
But black pieces are undeveloped, too.
A long game awaits, so the plan
is to put pressure slowly like you.

Some people think modern chess is dead,
Some think the future is dire.
But I believe chess can stand the test of time,
Where there's a board, there's fire.

Toxic people won't just vanish,
Like the notorious atomic spam.
But as you said, I won't let them affect me --
I am who I am.

9.... Bd6

I hope things are getting better,
But bad news never seems to end.
You helped me through the hard times,
And now hopefully I can defend.

In crazyhouse sacrifices are common,
In horde pawns are left on both wings.
If you like draws and tactical ideas,
I recommend playing racing kings.

Opening rules still apply here,
Black slowly develops the king side.
This is surely an interesting position,
As many pieces are somewhat tied.

The bishop move doesn't create threats,
It just tries to limit the white knight.
The king can castle to safety then,
With a positional long game in sight.

Friendliness always wins people's hearts,
That's what I learned from you.
Variants championships are going on,
You can spectate the matches too.

Polyphonies are meant to be upbeat,
So I'll end this poem with a wish --
Hopefully, we can all be safe and sound,
And in chess you can beat stockfish!

10.O-O

Things that happened can never change,
No matter how hard we try.
You said when bad feelings come back,
Just have a grandmasterly cry.

Integrals are not always calculable,
Functions are not always smooth.
"Chess is a waste of time and energy" --
That's hardly close to the truth.

When castling is an available move,
Many players play it without a glance.
Generally it's preferred to castle quickly,
And finally white has the chance.

The king is now safer behind the pawns,
Also better is the position of king's rook.
The position looks weird for both sides,
But it's still within the opening book.

Online chess tournaments are interesting,
Top GMs are back in action.
Did you spectate Liam's match?
I want to see the reaction!

Kind words can be powerful --
Does that line ring a bell?
I still believe in the future --
All is well that ends well.

10.... O-O

I start to remember the polyphonies
When things are not going my way.
The day I've been looking forward to
Is nothing more than a normal day.

I try to control my feelings,
I try to be helpful and kind.
Hopefully with the progress of time,
"Demons" can be out of my mind.

Chess has been promoted on twitch,
More people get to know this game.
I don't mind so-called "low quality chess"
I believe you feel the same.

Now black castles into safety,
The middlegame is about to begin.
The black pawns seem to be pushed too far
But white's pieces are cramped in.

In openings players needn't care about
The computer evaluation amount.
I preserved memories in the lichess forum,
So I won't close my account.

My family and you are always caring,
And I don't hate Liam's parodies anymore.
So hopefully all problems solve themselves
After the day I turn 24.

Epilogue

I said I won't close my account,
But that's perhaps a white lie.
Maybe I'll come back later,
So this is a temporary bye.

I had fun playing chess online,
I got to know many friends.
After almost a full year,
Today is when the journey ends...

I need time to continue my study,
I need faith to deal with stress.
Before all things get sorted,
I'll just take a break from chess.

I don't mind you dirty flagging,
I don't mind you forgetting me.
I don't mind if nobody plays
The best atomic opening Na3.

But I still wish the best to all,
All the lichess playing field.
You can hit a new peak,
and you can win a shield.

The last year is not perfect,
But I don't need to ask for more.
Don't worry, I promise a return,
When I turn 24.

Note: At this point I was having a breakdown and shutting down my social accounts again, sadly. Thankfully that was the last breakdown I had till now.

Baryphonies -- Random words

1. Nf3

Months after the last poem from me,
with months of stories untold.
I hope you remember the A and P,
and the virus can soon be controlled.

I'm not new to chess at any rate,
But I am never the sharpest tool.
Do you remember that time when I said mate,
forgetting about the en passant rule?

It's still about chess, under a new name,
And white opens with the knight --
A solid opening to a new chess game,
with an interesting battle in sight.

But things might be different this time,
this is actually a threatening move.
Only 3 moves are fine in this line,
I'll leave it for readers to prove.

Whoa, chess theory is not that advanced,
And yes, I'm trolling, you can say.
But the power of engines has been enhanced,
That's why '960 is the way'.

I'm lucky to have friends like you,
And my family is supportive and strong.
So forget about the 'good' times I went through
and things that had gone wrong.

I still believe in miracles,
I still believe in flames.
Behind all those obstacles
are the most beautiful games.

1....f6

Normal days just come and go,
At least a new spring is near.
The new series has just started so —
Don’t worry, it won’t end here.

The world is slowing clearing up the mess,
I hope everything’s still fine for you.
Sometimes unnecessary dramas in chess
Are worse than Liam’s WeirdChamps 2.

In the opening you can play for tricks,
It’s possible to play anything —
But did black forget about “Never play f6”,
And severely endanger the king?

No, as you’ve probably guessed,
This is an atomic chess game.
f6 is undoubtedly the best,
With all engines supporting the claim.

A knight is dangerous on your 4th rank,
This solid move keeps it away.
White may still attack on the flank,
But we don’t need to care today.

f6 is the only move that makes black fine,
At least it’s not losing by force.
But theories are advanced in this line,
So Na3 is better, of course!

Everyone has some bad days,
Everything might come to an end.
But you led me through the maze —
So thank you, my best friend.

2.Na3

Life can bring challenges to us,
But we all need to face it.
"Don't complain about life" and thus
I'm trying to embrace it.

The semester is ending soon,
Safely we all stay at home.
Legend says if you can't see the moon,
Chances are that you use Chrome.

Sometimes in chess it's hard to avoid
Taking a "free pawn" -- Don't grab it!
It's very easy to get annoyed --
Like me, I'm changing my habit.

White put the queen's knight on the rim,
But in atomic it's a different story.
The future of that knight is not dim,
In many cases it brings home the glory.

This move is not entirely a "scam",
("Scam": A term used by some good atomic players when they lose)
If you like positional games like me.
Now that most people hate the "spam",
("Spam": 1.Nf3 f6 2.e3 in atomic)
Why not try knight to a3?

Atomic is notoriously good for white,
As can be seen in AWC.
But don't think it's solved as you might,
There are still lines left to see.

My friend group is still relatively small,
I'll try to be as nice as you.
Chess drama are unnecessary, after all,
What is true remains true.

2....b5

Chess dramas are really unnecessary,
In the variants world we need peace.
We are all excited about the candidates,
So buckle up, everyone, please.

Liam will support Giri as usual,
I support MVL instead.
I’ll keep records of all the 'poems'
(Yeah, I also post these to lichess forums, why not?)
Just like I once said.

OK, atomic openings are very tricky,
It's difficult to defend as black.
You'll have chances in the endgame
after fending off white's attack.

Pushing the b pawn is recommended,
As it dominates white's side knight.
But white still preserves the initiative,
So I still play this as white.

In crazyhouse, you make unsound sacs,
In horde, you attack on both wings.
If you really want to avoid drama,
Don't consider Racing Kings.
(Yeah, Racing Kings community has a lot of drama, although doesn't make it a bad variant)

Life is hard during the quarantine,
I hope the pandemic can end soon.
Real life is not like the atomic variant --
Kings together are somehow immune?!

Integration has an improved definition,
Atomic has a balanced Version 2.
While going through all the challenges,
It's good to have friends like you.

3.e3

A stressful period has already ended,
Hopefully you're also doing fine.
I know today brings back bad memories,
So I won't cross the line.

Not all prior distributions are proper,
not all functions can be expressed.
I can still choose reasonable options
Even if I can't find the best.

Just like chess, any variant of it,
Players prepare in the opening phase;
But even in a losing position
there are often saving ways.

White opens up the bishop and queen
while keeping the defense intact;
It seems that no threats are made --
But white is still better, in fact.

After the first few forcing moves,
atomic players also develop pieces;
If nothing is going on for several moves
White's advantage gradually decreases.

Nepomniachtchi has won the candidates,
That's a name that I can't spell;
Who can win the world championship?
Of course it's too soon to tell.

But I can't win the atomic championship,
Neither can Mr. Weird Champ.
So what? I'm still more than happy to
slowly get out of the cramp.

Note: Weirdchamp United was a group with my brother and some of his friends. We regrouped it for puzzle hunts quite recently.

I might still be weird and evasive
But there's so much to live for.
Bad memories can end soon, you know --
after I turn 24.
(Well, this is more like a meme now...)

3.... e6

On this special day I'd continue this series,
celebrating me turning 24.
Now we can review all the old poems,
rewinding the memories galore.

Under the bookshelf buries my sad history,
ever so distant and so true.
Quickly enough I was able to recover,
poems did help a lot, too.

Entering the middlegame, black starts developing,
using a logical pawn push.
Now black is aiming for the center,
scheming a nasty ambush.

Some says Na3 is a boring opening,
coz both sides seem to be defending.
Early stages feature many boring pawn moves,
until the players trade into an ending.

-- But atomic is slowly losing its charm,
largely due to the annoying "spam".
If you hate "spams" you can always avoid them,
and be a Yokke player like I am.
(I know you don't care about atomic chess, but it's not as 'lost for black' as you think. Yokke = Na3 opening)

Slowly I'm sorting out all the mess,
regardless of what the old poems speak.
"Dark histories" are temporary and also forgetable
-- like Liam's WeirdChamp-free week.
(Liam used WeirdChamp a lot everywhere, even on my twitter, so I challenged him to stop using it for a week. He did.)
.
The virus should be controlled soon,
everything is returning to normal.
Hopefully my atomic poems can give you a charge,
but hey, don't be too formal!

4.d4

(Two updates on my birthday because why not?)

I like to hide secrets in my poems,
but not all are known to you.
Not all of them are "inside secrets",
and not all are backed by truth.

Some say atomic is just lost for black,
chess is just a waste of time —
I say if it can bring you happiness,
killing some time is fine.

Do you remember that troll incident
ending the Polyphonies game?
Everything starts to be in place now,
do you still remember the first series' name?

Sadly I won’t be that active online,
but I still play chess once in a while.
Enjoy your life and the game of chess—
yeah, that’s better than my old style!

Center control is still vital in atomic,
"When in doubt, just push the pawns."
— There are many strategies in the opening,
they all have their pros and cons.

Rarely is d4 a top engine move,
rarely is it a blunder as well.
Every bullet game in this line was "positional",
until someone’s flag fell.

That’s obviously an exaggerating claim,
there are many attacking ideas here.
Sac the knight on c4, for example,
hoping breakthrough chances appear.
.
Today is hardly a milestone for me,
but let’s honor it for the memes.
I believe your poems can be better than mine —
Poetry is not as hard as it seems!

4...d5

We don’t need more drama,
we don’t need more pain.
My tournament has failed,
and the gang was gone again.

But after all the drama,
everything can still be fine.
Just like the game of chess,
enduring the test of time.

Atomic is not a forced win,
horde is not a forced loss.
If you encounter a “spammer” —
fight till mate like a boss.

In atomic, as you know,
opening principles are the same.
Black mirrors white’s move
and here starts the middlegame.

White must still be slightly better,
but black’s camp is hard to invade.
Now we arrive at the phase to decide
whether it’s a good idea to trade.

As long as you play honestly,
It’s acceptable to blunder at times.
Even if you lost some variants games,
they’re still better than my rhymes.

Not everything is supposed to be true,
Not everything can go as planned.
But the baryphonies will continue
hopefully you’ll understand.

5.Bd3

Farming, bannings and surprise alts,
now I almost achieve drama immunity.
Despite all the stuff that happened,
I still have faith in the community.

Twists and turns are common in chess,
tournaments are slowly coming back.
Sometimes the old chess style still works,
sacrificing pieces for the attack.

Bishop moves are quiet and simple,
but here it threatens the rook.
Developing with tempo is always nice,
better than the notorious “hook”.
(Qh5 Qb5 Qb6 is called the hook)

Some hate blocking center pawns,
Some hate one-move threats.
Middlegames are better than openings—
You don’t need theories or stats.

Not all functions are continuous,
not all opening theories are true.
Chess variants are not like chess—
Just do whatever you wanna do.

It’s sad to see old members leave,
it’s sadder to disband the gang.
But you can still try atomic 2,
Hope you can get the hang!

(My Atomic 2 team though...)

5...g6

Don’t care too much about the drama,
Don’t worry too much about the rain.
The despair surrounding the quiet city
Reminds me of the never ending pain.

But humanity can overcome the virus,
Your chess memes are still neat —
Everybody can enjoy online chess
As long as nobody tries to cheat.

The engines might become stronger,
But atomic chess is still not solved.
That being said, over the recent years
Opening theory has surely evolved.

This is effectively an easy forced move,
As black defends against the threat.
“Check the purpose of the last move” —
Sometimes it’s easy to forget.

The notorious first move advantage of atomic
Might be hard to ignore,
But even after years of theory creation
There’s still much to explore.

Best players might say black’s lost in atomic,
But everybody has hope in atomar.
(It’s a variant trying to make atomic more balanced, but nobody knows what it is yet)
Remember when I started playing chess?
Well, I might have gone too far...

I might still be evasive and sensitive,
But I’ll try not to act so strange.
Time flies but whatever time it is,
Our friendship will never change.

6.c3

New semester starts, let’s not be sad,
We can turn all the stuff around.
Getting trapped indoors is not as bad
As falling to the ground.

You took me out of the past,
You helped me through the mist.
How to learn Python really fast —
Let’s put that on the list.

Is the Resurgence of Chess over
After all these months of hype?
Do you still like playing the Rover
Or something of its type?

Something never changes, indeed,
Like the atomic game in progress;
Forget drama like the AWC seeds
Or old players quitting chess...

White pushed c-pawn in a solid line
Which is what I usually do;
White’s position is completely fine
But black’s pretty safe, too.

When we get into the middlegame,
It’s hard to decide a plan;
The board is quiet without a flame
So why not push pawns, man?

In gamic a pawn is taken away,
In atomar the king is strong.
Let’s keep our heads up and OK—
Show them where we belong.

6...h5

Am I shady? Am I dumb?
Am I just an “attention seeker”?
Am I weird? Am I numb?
Am I that infamous “information leaker”?

If things don’t go well, I’ll read the old “logs”,
Things are far better for me now.
I need to consult the Secret Blocks
to beat Wolfram EP somehow.

You brought me into chess after “that day”,
But then I just can’t turn back.
Old memories will eventually fade away,
I believe everything’s back on track...

We are in a middlegame, nothing’s going on
And no clear plans can be seen.
Remember whenever you move a pawn
It can never return to where it’s been.

But pawn pushing is safe in atomic normally,
As long as you don’t let other pieces in.
It can be called a “waiting move” formally,
Limiting white’s plans with the queen.

"Don't care what some people say",
it's easier said than done.
The "big match" is within one day,
I believe I can win one...

In the near future, this series will continue,
Hope it’ll never converge.
If atomar can make its way to the main website,
Atomic will surely resurge!

7.h3
I hope the community is free from drama,
the post-quarantine era can begin,
I obviously lost that “important match” —
But at least I got a win!

Chess was a distraction at first,
it becomes a hobby now.
I might need to remind myself
To avoid addiction somehow.
(jk, I hardly ever played after work started)

I hope the world can find peace,
I hope things are back on track;
As for chess, atomic and atomar —
“Just believe in the Steph Attack”.
(This is what Liam calls Na3 in atomic and also standard chess, but I personally won’t name openings after myself. You can call it "Yokke attack")

The position is equal and solid,
it’s hard to find a plan.
Everyone likes peaceful openings,
unless you’re a Two Knights fan.

So how to continue as white?
Play random pawn moves and wait.
My game plan is always doing nothing,
till my opponent hangs mate.

One of your “rules” states,
“When in doubt, play h3.”
It works in atomic too,
for players better than me.

Not everyone is a turbator,
not everything is a scam.
(These are discord memes)
Regardless of what “they” say,
(FB trolls)
I am still who I am.

7...Bxa3

Is black lost in atomic?
Is there still some hope?
Can everybody unite to get
things back up the slope?

It’s good to have atomar,
even though I was eliminated.
If you don’t care about your king,
it’s easy to get mated.

The temperature changes rapidly,
thank you for your care;
Carlsen vs Nepo is coming soon,
I’m sure you are aware!

On the board we have a strange position,
white doesn’t seem to have threats.
But black still decides to trade pieces —
already no games in the stats.

I don’t like studying atomic theories,
That’s probably why I’m not great.
Playing atomic is just for fun,
don’t you like the explosion mate?

My detective skill needs improving,
I can’t figure out all the trolls —
I also like trolling sometimes,
doing weird stuff for the lols.

But I have supportive friends like you,
and the community can still grow.
Hopefully after settling down this winter,
we can meet again in the snow!

Retrophonies -- The Revenge of Polyphonies

1.Na3

I don’t know what this is going,
but I need to revive "the Log".
Uncertainties about the world is growing
but together we can clear the fog.

Are you in a better situation?
Do you still read my random words?
We’ve never met since graduation,
that old group of chess nerds...

I’m now rusty and weak and slow
but chess in general is fun.
Things were OK a while ago,
So let’s go back to Steph One. (bad pun, I know)

You already know I’ll play the Yokke
And yes, it’s atomic again.
I started to play it as a joke
but now it’s by far my main.

The move looks stupid by itself,
but it reduces memorization.
I can’t defend against it myself—
A sad but true realization.

Atomic is probably win for white,
but the creative idea is the key.
Don’t underestimate the power of side knight
You can just wait and see!

Everything is kind of in a mess,
let’s hope the world can find peace.
It’s unnecessary to quit chess,
(Liam quit... :(( )
our friendship will never cease.
(Yes, I know it’s a shaky rhyme, forgive me once)

1... e6

We need no more conflicts,
we need no more drama.
The world has been suffering
since Covid variant gamma.

Let's stabilize everything.
Let's clean up the mess.
Even in these difficult days,
we can still talk about chess.

Math is about finding the origin,
but chess is about planning ahead.
If one plan fails to achieve its goal,
just use another one instead.

Black doesn't need to defend,
it's fine to make a new threat.
Mate is more important than material —
so this threat must be met.

In atomic, unlike standard chess,
Openings are full of tricks and traps.
If all the traps are successfully avoided
then white just wins, perhaps?

That's why I often play the Yokke,
variety and craziness can be seen.
Chess is never about memorization,
Remember Immortal and Evergreen?

I can't promise anything,
but let's just hope for the best.
The difficult period is temporary,
we will be stronger after the test.

2.e3

Note: lichess forum posts can no longer be read by anyone.

Lichess closed its team forums,
so our poem sharing is over.
Things are not getting better,
can there be a problem solver?

We all remember the old days,
we all want to rewind time.
But nobody can change what happened
so we can only follow the line...

It may be weird to play atomic
when a war is going on.
But "atomic" is just a name
so why not push the pawn? :)
(You can call it "Centered Removal" if you want)

The main idea in the Yokke,
is not to create immediate threats.
Just play solidly and develop
without weaknesses and regrets.

In atomic chess, the opening phase
can often decide the result.
But don't think it's everything
like the Nf3 e3 cult.

So is life, the "opening" is important
but everybody can change.
I don't know how everything is going
maybe life is indeed strange...

2... Qh4

Facebook trolls can be annoying,
but conspiracy theorists are worse.
The human race needs to unite
to beat the apocalypse curse...

You know I'm pretty busy now
but hopefully we can meet again.
The Karjakin drama is unneeded
to add to chess players' pain.

We all know at the highest level,
most chess games are drawn.
But in atomic white is much better,
people say the golden era is gone...

But Na3 is probably equal,
black threatens mate with the queen.
In atomic queens are dangerous,
don't ever let them in.

There are many ways to play this line,
this is the recommended one for black.
But can you find the correct plan
to follow up with the attack?

Will everything get better in the future?
Will the AWC happen this year?
If nobody is willing to be the director,
I'll accept the task! Oh dear.

3.g3

It's a special day for our friendship,
it's a special day in my life.
The past year was messy and eventful
but here I am, now 25.

I still log on to lichess at times,
I still check the House.
(Discord server)
But before I come back to chess,
I'll need a new mouse.

School life might be a bit boring
but at least no "random events".
Alireza won't win the Candidates,
I'll bet 24 cents!

Forget the candidates just for now,
let's come back to the game.
g3 is forced, defending the mate,
"Stockfish defense" is the opening name.

This opening is dangerous for both sides,
and don't fully trust the fish.
The fish is not perfect, there's still hope,
Atomic is never solved, I wish...

There's no need to complain now,
there's no need to whine.
Hopefully in the atomic community,
everybody is doing fine!

3...Qb4

Will Magnus defend the title?
Will Nepo crash in the second half?
What's the probability of Naka winning,
and what's its function graph?

If one method can't solve the problem,
don't struggle in the dead end.
You helped me through the difficulties,
you are always my best friend! :)

Back to the game! Black tries again,
threatening mate on d2.
This is a good choice to save tempo
and is kind of a fork, too.

It's still early in the opening,
Stockfish thinks black has the edge.
In atomic one miscalculation
can create a big del -- I mean wedge.
(I know you hate that word :))

You finally decoded my weird cipher
long after some reddit user did.
But your cipher is frankly better,
better than Times' crossword grid.

Unneeded drama needs to stop,
unlike drama on the board.
White is not necessary better in variants --
Have you heard of horde?

4.c3

King of the hill is indeed a variant,
and en passant is not forced.
If chess pieces have human feelings,
king and queen would be divorced.

The drama finally settled down,
let's wait for the championship match.
The atomic engine has become stronger,
at least it's not Basic or Scratch.

The AWC will happen, after all,
together with other things.
I'll also cheer for Liam -- yes,
he still plays racing kings.

White has no choice in the game,
the natural move defends the mate.
Pushing pawns is OK in atomic,
allowing a piece in is not great.

White's pieces are now opened up,
waiting for the queen to move away.
With so many possibilities left in the game,
"Atomic is a dead game", they say.

Maybe atomic has fewer players than before,
maybe chess is getting "outdated";
but as long as it brings me happiness,
it will always be decent rated.

4...Nf6

Not all functions are integrable,
Not all sets are well-defined.
Life is complicated, but like you told me,
it takes nothing to be kind. :)

Magnus won't defend the title,
Liam is also eliminated;
The hope that atomic is not a white win
is slowly getting checkmated.

Many improvements are proposed,
like atomar, pass and atomic 2.
But they all seem to be unpopular,
maybe banning Nf3 will do?

Anyway Na3 is always nice,
especially when you are on tilt.
Black continues to pressure the white king,
a defensive setup should be built.

The opening is not studied in depth,
maybe there are some more tricks.
But for now the main line is "best by test",
So here we go -- Nf6.

Random events happen a lot in life,
but chess is more than a distraction.
I have a probability to win the AWC,
Estimate the denominator of this fraction.

5.f3

Hans' drama has drawn the media,
and opinions are changing every day.
People sometimes ignore the facts —
please ignore what the trolls say.

You are always my best friend,
we went through life's tough test.
Every time in a critical position,
do whatever you think is best!

Does e4 force a win in 3-check?
I'll say it won't spoil the fun.
Neither will solving atomic imply
getting white is just a game won.

Chess has so many possibilities,
on the board white moves a pawn.
Ne4 would be a crushing move,
g4 also needs to be focused on.

Realistically this is fine for white,
as all the attacking ideas are stopped;
Theoreticians might disagree and say —
Sup, new response just dropped!

Some say the future has challenges,
and maybe it's not the best timeline.
Nevertheless on this special day,
I hope everything turns out to be fine! :)

5...Qxb2

The puzzle hunts were really fun,
it's nice to have the group back.
The failure in AWC was expected
but I'll stick with the Yokke Attack. (Na3)

Chess is more than a board game,
Math concepts are more than tools.
Variant championships are still going on,
but have you read the AWC rules?
(Spoiler: it's really long!)

Duck chess has a lot of potential,
Automove can result in weird things.
If you don't want unnecessary drama,
just avoid playing Racing Kings!

Here black chooses to go for the trade
which is evaluated as the best.
The queen imbalance can be tricky,
so play b5, I would suggest.

But not everyone likes playing safe,
sharp positions can be really exciting.
Sometimes even the engine is confused
and misstep in the middlegame fighting.

Maybe things start to get better,
glad to hear you're doing great.
I'm planning to become a grandmaster,
Will that be a bit too late?
(^ Just a joke. I don't even play chess that often now xD)