RYBKA 4 HERE... PRICING

Order got shorted. More will be here next week.

Also stocking Deep Rybka 4.

Here's pricing.

Deep Rybka 4 retails for $129.95 I've also seen it listed at $159.95!!)

My G&L CHESS price is $102.50. Good only through June 16th.

The Gold Card 2010 price is $97.50. Price good only through June 16th.

Add $3.00 for shipping in the USA for any and all Rybka 4 items.

Rybka 4 regular retails for $64.95. (I've seen faux retail prices at $75!!)

My G&L CHESS price is $54.95. Good only through June 16th.

My Gold Card 2010 price is $49.95. Good only through June 16th.

Rybka 4 Book. Openings stuff, new, latest stuff. Retails about $32.00. I've seen it at $40!

My G&L CHESS price and Gold Card price are the same: $24.95! Good through June 16th.

Requirements: Deep Rybka 4 OR Rybka 4 recommends: PC Intel Core 2 Quad, 2.4 Ghz, 3 Gb RAM. Windows Vista or Win 7 and a Direct X10 graphics card (or compatible) with at least 512 Mb RAM loaded onto that card. Windows Media Player 11. Activation of the program requires internet access and of course a DVD player.

If you have a "regular Vista" or XP (service pack 3) you can get by with a little less such as DirectX9 with 256 Mb RAM and Windows Media Player 9. To play, yous gots to pay.

***

And, Jim Perry from Texas has signed up for the Chess Clinic, #6, and also reserved his room.

I hope all of you are coming and you reserve a room quickly with the Clarion Hotel. That same weekend, a Tattoo convention will be there and those guys are MORE rabid about tattoos than people are about chess... so they will fill up. Do NOT poke around. Take a stand (but come)!

The phone number is 563-391-1230 -- tell them you are coming to the Chess Clinic. Have 7 rooms left in the "block." Don't know yet if we can get more.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

WHITE SHOCKERS NOW AVAILABLE!

This is the big news for today (one of several anyway).

The two DVDs (White Shockers) by IM Andrew Martin have been duped and printed and will be put into a 2-disc box tomorrow with wraparound jacket... and be available for shipping. Here are the details:

$49.95 Retail. DVDs dual layers should play on most modern computers, Mac and Windows (I've tried them out on G4 (running 10.4.11) and a G5 running OX 10.5.8 and Windows 7.

G&L CHESS price is: $44.95 + $4 for shipping.

GOLD CARD 2010 price is $39.95 + $4 for shipping.

If you buy both the Black Shockers and White Shockers together you will get about 9 hours of video (dual layer DVDs, 4 of them). Retail is $99.90. The G&L CHESS price is $89.90 but I will drop it to $84.95 for both + $5 for shipping IF you order by June 16th. AND, the Gold Card 2010 price for both would normally be $79.90 and I will sell them both for $74.99 + $5 for shipping if ordered by June 16th, 2010.

On the White Shockers you will see and hear (on #1): The Ruy Lopez Exchange, The Sicilian Closed Extended (wild), and Prie's 1. a3 in detail... played to win. On disc #2 you will get a way to deal with the Caro-Kann, a "new" move in the Scandianavian which will catch players off guard, the "Old Speckled Hen" which is a Santasiere idea originally but ramped up in modern GM chess by GM Mark Hebden (the name Old Speckled Hen comes from a brand of beer), and finally the Polar Bear Opening--with lots of details on how to play a Leningrad Dutch in reverse with an extra move!

This is "shocking" stuff and will make your opponents flounder unmercifully.

CHESS CLINIC 6 EXTRA NEWS

Second bit of news (besides the NEW iPhone 4--which looks remarkable):

Registered for Chess Clinic so far:

1. Ron Nurmi, IA

2. Steve Lamansky, IA (who changed his schedule around to be here)

and others coming I am told...

Hotel Registration (so far)

1. Greg Delaney

2. Johnny Owens (a newcomer from Kentucky)

Remember, you can call and register now and pay later: 563-391-1230 -- tell them you are coming to the Chess Clinic. $74 room rate per night. Most will take Fri and Sat. nights. Don't put this off!

A NOTE:

Seth Godin published on his Blog today about his recent receipt of 1,000 applications for his free nano MBA program. You would have thought that would have gotten people activated right away. Wrong. Day 1 and Day 9 were second strongest. Day 10 (the last day) had most applicants coming in!! They had two weeks to respond. Then what happens? He wrote:

"I can guarantee I will hear from several (or dozens of) people with ornate, well-considered and thoughtful arguments as to why they missed the deadline. Never mind that they had two weeks... the last 15 minutes are all they are concerned with. If it's important enough to spend an hour complaining about, it's certainly important enough to spend four minutes to just do it in the first place."

I couldn't have written it better. As I've written before, "It's NOT about the cost."

I have at least ONE person who always registers at the Last Minute for everything. I said to him, "I know why you do this. You are afraid that in the interim something even better will come along and then you've already spent the money." He looked at me (I know this guy personally) like a deer caught in the headlights, and said, "You're right." It was pretty obvious to me--somehow he didn't think I would get on to him.

So I will make this guarantee right now. Register early (I do need to know HOW to set up the layout, they charge $300 for a room change! And, I need to know how much equipment I will need, and items to give away in a gift bag.). If something drastic comes up and you can't make it, and it is at least 10 days before the event, I will refund ALL of your money. That's pretty hard to beat. Time to "belly up" to the bar.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

EXCITING NEWS ON MONDAY

I was going to publish it today but it seems like most people do not look at their email seriously on the weekend... so let's wait a couple days.

Something that is still serious but just a reminder is that I signed and faxed back the contract to the Clarion Hotel on Friday and I did get the message that the desk will now accept calls to register for $74 for the "Chess Clinic." Make sure you mention that so you don't pay any higher price even if you have AAA! Hotel phone: 563-391-1230

We are starting only with a block of 10 hotel rooms for Friday and Saturday and if they fill up I will ask for more (but there is no guarantee I will get them). I checked around and this is a very good deal. I think the only one which will beat it is Motel 6 and they are a mile away.

Yesterday I mentioned a valuable Secret and I better get working on that PDF. This ONE thing will do more to improve your play than any book or DVD (unfortunately). Done the right way you will actually begin to start "understanding" those books and DVDs (fortunately!). Then the Secret really kicks in.

I remember being in the magic business and a professional magician told me, "If you want to keep something a secret, publish it!' What he meant is that the pros (because they ARE pros) will pick it up, but the regular "magicians" won't. It seems it is that way in most things.

I hope you people have a great weekend... no more news today.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

563-271-6657

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

A REAL SECRET, A REALLY VALUABLE SECRET

Find out what it is at the October 22-23 Chess Clinic.

Subject: What to do to REALLY get better? It works for 95% of us. Guaranteed. No joke and no funny business.

I "discovered" it yesterday while in a bookstore. It turns out I already knew it, but now I had scientific research to prove it. And, it's not that hard and it is fun.

But I can't reveal it here, I want you to hear my mini-lecture on the subject this fall at Chess Clinic 6. I will deliver a white paper on this. I know Andrew agrees with me on this because in one of the DVDs I am working on, he mentions it without realizing it!

I signed hotel contract papers today. Hopefully the Clarion will have the "Chess Clinic" stored in their reservation computers (I am getting questions!). Please don't dink around. I have 10 rooms set aside for Friday and Saturday night. There is another convention there at the Clarion that weekend and they will fill up as it is one of the bigger hotels in the Q-C area. If we need more rooms I need to know in advance. The rate of $74 is extremely reasonable these days. On the brochure I sent out I did list other place to stay.

I want you to come. I have already heard from one person who said the event looks interesting, but he can't make it, but maybe in the future (I am amazed at the # of people who already know what they will be doing in October when I don't know what I will be doing next week!). Apparently he didn't look at page one which said LAST ONE! I need a separate clinic for this type of person, a medical clinic.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

563-271-6657

JUNE UPDATES

Yesterday PDFs went out to a bunch of people announcing the details of Chess Clinic 6 by IM Andrew Martin and myself (Bob Long). Ron Nurmi signed up first and so became #1. Ron has attended most of the Clinics (hurrah) and always brings conviviality and fun to any of our functions. His spirit of enjoying chess is contagious. Even though his USCF rating is below 1500 (I think) he gets tremendous enjoyment from participation. Welcome Ron.

It takes all night but the "master" for White Shockers #1 is almost completed. It will be checked over to make sure it makes sense (I hope) and then copies will be made. Ditto for #2. It's not like copying ONE DVD in your computer, there is more to it than that--lots of encoding. Then printing and then shipping. It will be good when those phases are completed. I know some of you have waited a long time.

When Chessco had autoships for British Chess Magazine, Chess Informants, and New in Chess, business was pretty good for those several-times-a-year products (except BCM). Starting over means teaching new customers the advantages of getting certain publications as they come out. Hence, I have been preparing a several pages PDF on the HUGE advantages of getting "regular" with the English version of New in Chess, esp. issues 91-94. It's funny that when one goes into more than ordinary research on subjects such as this how much one learns for themselves. In a few days the PDF will be finished and FREE upon request. Myself, I prefer buying (no, I do not get review copies, unfortunately) the hardcover version, but a softcover edition is also at hand.

Boris Gelfand, a very strong GM and player who has won very many big events probably doesn't get the credit he is due, yet in a rare show of photography in an Olms' chess book, there is a picture of him and his friend Alexander Khalifman playing or studying chess together when they were much younger. They are almost unrecognizable, esp. Gelfand. Boris is known for two things in opening theory and practice and that is the Gruenfeld Exchange Variation and the Petroff Defense. I hope to have more on those and him in the future. I don't think I have any in stock at the moment, but if you are interested let me know and I will lay in a supply. Sometimes "gems" are found in dark corners, or maybe I should write, especially dark corners.

I hope others come forward soon to sign up for the Last Chess Clinic (#6). Last night Bob Rasmussen asked why it would be the last one and I spent quite a bit of time telling him why. I'm not sure I will be going through that again, just take my word for it, it will be the last chess clinic. So if you've been "meaning" to come for years, this is your final chance. Besides the usual frivolity and fun, Andrew will be concentrating on:

attacking the King

pawn endings

chess intuition

The night before, Friday, will be a question and answer session (2 hours). Questions must be submitted in advance to me (email address is below).

Prices have finally been established:

$125 if you own a Gold Card for 2010;

$139 if you register by October 16th;

$150 otherwise.

There will be T-shirts sold at this final event.

Hope you come. There will be giveaways, gifts, and coupons.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

MONTHLY SPECIALS (JUNE) + CLINIC INFO

Hello Daily Friends!

Showers are great places for me to think. Yesterday I came up with an idea for G&L CHESS, which I am sure some others may have already implemented to a small degree, but not this way.

As some of you have discovered, every month I put out a "Tip sheet" (I include it with your orders) on ways to improve your chess, or to get a book that will improve your chess, and so on. This month I am combining a Tip sheet of 4 books (with lots of tips in them). That TIP sheet is enclosed with each order I sent out to you. Hopefully this might generate a few extra sales.

But here is the important part, the books which have been hi-lited for that month are discounted even beyond the regular G&L CHESS prices and beyond the GOLD CARD prices, almost an extra 8 percent!

So while I won't be twisting anyone's arm or credit card, if you've been looking for some top-drawer improvement, you can save some more bucks also. On top of that, this month, if you live in the USA and get all four books, the shipping is FREE--proving I am nuts.

Before 1-2 out of a 100 become unhinged at how much money I am making (I see people online decrying the pricing of Apple's electronics, all the time, when somehow it has never occurred to them that Apple is not making them buy anything--except that it looks so good they can't resist). Same here, good deals but it's other people products so basically I am solving an inventory situation rather than making $$$ (unfortunately). What happened this time, as it occasionally does, is a supplier shipped me stuff I didn't ask for with my order. I don't know if they do this on purpose or not because I am sure they are aware of what a pain it is to return products for credit, adjust for shipping, etc. Or perhaps their employees are from another galaxy. It's annoying but I can't waste minutes over it. Doesn't improve my bottom line, just solves a problem... and you will benefit. No way to run a Navy but I hope it helps you.

As to the Chess Clinic (#6), I have heard back from the hotel and details appear to be finalized. A brochure will be sent out today. I hope you'll come, Andrew and I are counting on 50, and if we get that many he will work from a platform. As I mentioned earlier there will be another convention there at the Clarion that weekend. I have to get the contract signed and then you can call in and register. I wouldn't wait long as they tell me the other convention is taking the spaces (rooms). This may sound freaky to you but Davenport, IA has long been a convention center across the United States. At one time the big Bowling Congresses were here. Across the river in Rock Island they had National Baseball events for kids (Little League). It isn't easy to plan a weekend with these or weddings, etc. (Civil War re-enactments, Bix Beiderbecke, the huge Mississippi Valley Fair) I will however list other hotels and motels, some close by. In the meantime they will be giving us a block of 10 rooms (singles and doubles are the same price I believe).

I haven't finalized a price yet, but it will be somewhere around $150 (less if you register early or use your Gold Card). In Savannah, GA it was $195 and it was easily the best Clinic of them all. This one will be my last (some have groaned and sent in regrets, thank you) but I will be selling T-shirts for it. Probably something else will take its place, but I don't know what that is yet. I will be contacting USCF members in the surrounding area so expect this to be more than the usual event. Remember, this will be Friday evening and Saturday.

AVRUKH #2 IS HERE

Came in this afternoon... will be shipped tomorrow along with other mail orders. This terrific book covers a lot of ground. It's a monster 614 pages, retails for $34.95, G&L CHESS: $29.75, Gold Card $26.25. Add $4 for shipping.

It includes: the King's Indian, Dutch Defense, Gruenfeld Defense, the Benoni, Benko Gambit, Budapest, the Modern Defense, 2... b6, b-pawn systems, English Defense, Black Knights Tango, Old Indian, Queen's Indian "Attempts," and Odd Ideas such as 1. d4 e5 and The Chigorin Defense.

The book is: Grandmaster Repertoire 1.d4 Volume Two by GM Boris Avrukh.

Also restocks are in of other Quality Chess products.

I am watching out for John Nunn's now book, Vol. 1, on Endings. You know some times it feels disheartening to get a book and discover your "moves" or ideas are marked is "wrongos" only to find out that perhaps you weren't nuts in the first place. One of the things about John Nunn is that he bends over backwards to give you Correct Information, especially on the endgame. So I suspect these two books as well as his recent one will become quite popular. If you remember some of the tug of wars in the recent Topalov-Anand match you will note how important the endgame is at the higher levels... I'm certain it is just as true at the lower levels... or should be.

More work is being done this evening on the White Shockers DVDs, hopefully it will be finished.

Chess Clinic #6 details have been pretty much finalized and the brochure should go out tomorrow. Just doing some last minute checking with the hotel and the various fees I will encounter.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com