A REMINDER ABOUT SEPT 18TH PRIZES

It was extended to September 18th, this Saturday. So you have two more days in which to register to win prizes such as FREE subscriptions and books between now and Saturday. $139 regular, $125 if you have a Gold Card. You can still get a Gold Card for $50 through this Saturday also (and several have).

35 registered, need 15 more. Make an effort will ya? (Teasing.)

In the past two days I have called several people up who came last year but so far I haven't heard from them for this year (locals, of course).... ahhhh, you wouldn't believe it anyway!!

Heading out to the gym now for some exercise. I hope you exercise PayPal, your charge card, or your writing hand, and sign up. Love to have you.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

BART LANCASTER FROM CALIFORNIA #35

Yippee! Bart has been a customer since the 90s and said he always wanted to get to one of the shindigs and this time, he will do it! He works at US Air. This guy loves chess and has tried to recruit 3-4 additional people to come. So far he's gotten: 1) guy fell down and thinks he broke a couple ribs (thinks???); I forget the second "reason" but it was another eye-roller. Got another one this morning which was a doozy.

I remember telling someone once: It would be nice to hear something that was really believable. People must be embarrassed to not be able to say "It's just not my cup o' tea!" Or, "I don't want to spend the money on chess. I'm a smoker." Whatever. (I haven't gotten the "whatever" reason yet. I know I could think of ludicrous but much more interesting reasons such as: "Our Heavy Metal Band is having it's last night that weekend. We've been a total flop all these years but we kept hoping it would turn around. Turns out people don't like Heavy Metal or Rap but are afraid they will get beaten up by their peers! Besides, my hearing is now completely shot and I would miss everything Andrew Martin has to say. Really wish I could be there, wink, wink.")

Bart is #35, we thank him and Martin Stafford.

Belly up guys, to the bar. We will probably eat that Saturday night at "Mo Bradys." Great food, but I better contact them first. A block from the Hotel, you can walk!

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

Bart remembers my old catalogs such as "Son of Killer Chess Catalogs" and all the other crazy stuff I had going on back then, the Chess Gazettes, and lots of etcetera.

ALL THE WAY FROM NEW ZEALAND -- #34 MARTIN STAFFORD!

This is initiative for you. Martin Stafford and I have been in touch for several years. Martin lives in New Zealand, a place CJS Purdy was very familiar with (and he won a championship there too). He knew he would be in the US in October on business. So he re-arranged his flight schedule from Florida and is stopping by to see us which includes his "hero" Andrew Martin. Andrew and I are happy to have him!! Thanks for making the effort Martin. All the way from a 5% chance to 100%!! I love challenges like these and making them happen. That leaves 16 seats left. Hop in, show me your stuff.

In 1972 I had made the determination to go to Iceland to see the World Chess Championship match between Fischer and Spassky. Naturally I was glued to the news as to whether Fischer would show up. I left on a 10 or 11 o'clock flight (at night) on Loftleider airlines, the last flight Fischer could take and be on time for the match. He wasn't on it. Was this going to be a $1300 fiasco for this budding chess writer? Well, Fischer finally did show. I was there to see him lose the first game, not show up for the second and by that time I had to leave. I did get to see and meet a lot of famous chess personalities there. I'll tell you about it sometime.

$139 to register for the "2-day" chess clinic, starting Friday evening and running all day Saturday.

$125 if you are the holder of a Gold Card.

Keep trying to get your friends to come. I know some people, right now, who don't want people THEY know to miss this. The reason I got some of you to come is through a repeated application of asking you to come. It will work for some of you also! Don't give up. If they turn you down, don't take it as rejection, take it that you are in a better to position to enjoy what YOU like... and that we will be happy to meet you!

Payment by PayPal is OK. Thanks Martin, look forward to meeting you.

P.S.: Want to see a "big-time" English cricketer? I have current pictures of IM Andrew Martin in his uniform which will be posted in this coming issue of The Chess Reports. Single issue sale, $7.50 via PayPal, or subscribe for $59.95 for 13 issues. He's a swimmer too. I don't have picture of that, this time.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

MONDAY MONDAY

What an insanely busy day here. I will be back tomorrow. Am trying to find the wholesaler for various new Simon Williams' products. Have found the one in England but she points to 4 distribs. in the USA but they are all resellers, not wholesalers. So I am trying to work that out.

It's amazing how many people are in the software business or games, etc. who are Russian and they don't understand (some times) what we refer to as colloquialisms. But, I am sure we'll get it straightened out. I knew Americans who always confused a statement (of an account) with an invoice (of items) purchased. So it's not just internationals.

September 16th this coming up this Thursday for the deadline for getting your registration in for the Last Chess Clinic to be eligible for prizes. I am extending that to Saturday, Sept. 18th as that is more convenient. I was probably thinking (?) about something else when I chose that day. So, Sept. 18th it is.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

#33 HAS LANDED -- CALVIN HORI WELCOME

From out of the blue tonight I get a PayPal payment from my friend Calvin Hori in Massachusetts! He's coming! Yippee. Andrew Martin is a big draw, well-known, and lovable but I am happy to say a number of people have written, "I am looking forward to finally meeting YOU!" Gee guys, that's nice.

BOMBSHELL #2 FOR SATURDAY

I came home this evening from listening to the Riverfront Pops by the Quad-City Symphony (these people are super human in Musical skill), right next to the powerful Mississippi River and I got a phone call from California from someone who I am sure will be #34 and he's got a friend who certainly sounds like #35. The guy from New Zealand sounds very much like #36.

As I've said before, I am sure I can make 50 filled and paid for seats for this, the Last Chess Clinc. And guess what, the guesses keep coming in on the CHESS SECRETS book and so far all the guesses except one (from a 2400 who should know better) have been good but have missed the mark. The only way to find out what it is is to buy the book at the clinic for $39.95. At the end of the year the price will go to $99.95 which should keep the secret for a while (who would want to give it away to someone else after having paid $100 for it?) Will I meet price resistance? Of course. And it will come from those very people who don't think they should ever have to pay "real money" for any thing, no matter how good it is. Sorry, but Bob Long has never operated that way. He learned all about "crowd control" from being in the magic business where books at $50-100 changed hands for the BEST secrets in magic and that was Twenty-Five years ago!

MORE ON THE SECRET

There will be a "continuity program." Briefly, what that means is, after you find out what the big S is, some of you will want to go further to make it happen for you. Some won't have to (you are a minority) but others will want to have a program. What that program does is supply you with additional "how to" information in printed or CD form (maybe DVDs), either on a monthly basis or bi-monthly basis. I have to look at my ever-crowded calendar. If you know me, you KNOW you will get your money's worth. So if I don't get hear from the super-frugal (except to complain), it won't bother me a bit. You find throughout most of history that when someone invents, or in this case discovers, a terrific opportunity, they develop a thick hide about giving it away to those who believe they have a driver's license which has imprinted on it, "Exception to the Rules of Life."

People are saddling up in increasing numbers. I wish I could have planned it that way, but this is all above board. I'm loving it.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

LEADER BOARD SHOWS GEORGE LAVEN IS #32

My friend George Laven, formerly from the southern tip of Florida, has recently relocated to Tennessee after selling his boat and fishing business. George I am really looking forward to chatting with you when you get here!

George paid for his Last Chess Clinic registration by PayPal and you can too! Enter the amount in the right place on PayPal and my email address is what many know it to be: bob@thinkerspressinc.com -- I'll process you, send you a receipt and we're done! It's that easy.

Some people have to go to a web site for anything they want on the net instead of just simply contacting someone by email, which George, and many others do, in 5 seconds. No B.S., no surveys, no remembering your password, setting up an account or any of that. However, soon I will be setting up a Purdy account for the new publication, the Purdy Chess Chronicles. So pretty soon I will be part of all that crapola.

See you soon or see you later. If you have any questions just drop me a line.

CHESS AUTHORS

I just emailed a couple dozen Newsletters (#3) to "prospective" chess authors" (or any other kind of authors). Worth reading.

If you would like a copy, send me an email to: bob@thinkerspressinc.com

DO YOU LIKE CHESS BLOGS -- HERE'S 50

You must like at least one. I suppose many of us have one or two and a website here and there. But Matt O'Brien has served up 50 for "How to Improve Your Game." Isn't that a lot? Don't people have better things to do (I don't mean him, I mean readers)?

http://www.onlinemasters.org/50-great-blogs-to-improve-your-chess-game

The Chess Museum (this one) was chosen as one of them.

That's the news for today. Have to get back to 2-3 projects I have running. As I said to someone very recently, at some point you have to turn this "expended time in research" into something or you give diletantes a bad name!

Remember: October 22-23.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com