There was a slight delay due to problems at the replicator but the first batch of DVDs have already been sent out. We await to hear your reviews!

I am afraid to announce that there is going to be a slight delay in the release date for the Killer French DVD’s.

I have just been told that the replicator had a slight problem that took a bit of unexpected time to overcome.

This means that the new release date for DVD 1+2 will be the 1st August – For Europe

15th of August – For the USA and Canada.

I must sincerely apologise for this. The delay has annoyed me somewhat but the product must be perfect before we send it out. I hope that you will agree that it is worth the wait.

Well, I had another French Defence today against a talented, young, Swiss player. It was an interesting battle but unfortunately the game ended in a rather premature draw.

My opponent played a very interesting and unique idea in the opening which is well worth investigating. So far I have played 4 juniors out of 5 games which is starting to make me feel like an old man! Where did all those years go? (do not answer that!)

That leaves me on 4/5 and half a point off the pace, which means I need to up my game and finish with a big score to have any chance of winning the event.

Aly is doing ok but also need a big finish to become Swiss ladies champion. Anyway, fingers crossed, we need to earn our petrol money home! (Yes I decided to drive)

I have attached a video file of today’s game which can be seen below. I have also managed to download 3 photos off my phones camera to my computer. Basically we did a 2 hour walk up a mountain to find a massive waterfall, very nice!

This two-part DVD is scheduled for release on 15 July. Each part has a running time of roughly 5 hours!

More details here, including rough DVD contents and an illustrative game annotated by Simon.

Pre-order your copy now via our shop. Customers buying this product through Ginger GM will receive a free e-book of the DVD material 3 months after the release date!

The first on the list was, ‘Leonard Cohen’s’, ‘Everybody knows’. This was a suggestion of the webmaster, Simon Ansell, so it is bound to hold a bit of weight.

I can vaguely remember listening to this song late in the evening at the Hastings chess tournament with Bob Eames and Si. It did not seem to help my result there…

Anyway a great song, which would be well suited to a tense game (last round of the British?) when the nerves are jingling and a bit of relaxation is needed…

Here’s the u-tube link to this song Leonard Cohen’s ‘Everybody Knows’.

A well deserved 10/10. Which is going to be a very hard song to beat.

I feel like I am making progress here, my i-pod play list is slowly growing. I think this is what I need to reach the 2600 mark!

Can music help you play better chess?

Well here at gingergm.com I am going to conduct a very important Scientific experiment. An experiment to  find out what music helps a chess player.

A bit of hip-hop? Classical? Heavy Metal? Or maybe some dance?

To start this experiment, I set up my lab. Which included me and a laptop with ICC. The music in question was, The Prodigy.

This was the result:

So what score does the prodigy get? An 8/10 seems fair.

Anyone want to suggest the next song?

I have just made a quick video of the game that I played at the Swiss league. Now viewers have the option of either looking at the game in text or watching the video!

All comments are welcome as usual.

If only I could get that kind of position in all my games with the Black pieces!

Here it is! Check out the video below!

Myself and Clive of Chilli Pepper Films have been working on a short film that shows another version of Winston Churchill’s ‘Black Dog Day’.

Winston used this expression to explain his bouts of depression that he used to get. Well the video below shows my worst game, a game I had against Danny Gormally. My chess depression.

It is a bit fun, so do not take it seriously. Any comments are welcome.

 The full results can be found at:

http://www.e2e4.org.uk/sunningdale/May2011/open.htm

I would also like to say that it was great meeting some new people, hi Kevin!!