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interests / rec.games.chess.misc / Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company

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* Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and hWilliam Hyde
`* Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and hThe Horny Goat
 `- Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of hisWilliam Hyde

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Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company

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Subject: Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company
From: wthyde1...@gmail.com (William Hyde)
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 by: William Hyde - Fri, 25 Jun 2021 21:16 UTC

On Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:37:46 AM UTC-4, Offramp wrote:
> In The Eastbourne Gazette of 7th March 1894, Aleister Crowley wrote,
> after 1.e4 c5:
> "This defence has been mightily abused of late. Torrents ow wrath have
> been poured on it, but to those who understand it, it is as strong as
> one could wish. Personally I always make this reply and throughout the
> season have not lost one single game opened in this way."

Five years later in his games collection, Blackburn commented that
the opening had been very popular in his youth, but declined in
subsequent years owing to Steinitz' doctrine of "The accumulation of
small advantages" - the advantage in this case being for white the backwards
d-pawn that often arises in the Sicilian.

But, he went on, the younger generation of players such as Maroczy and Janowski (and Crowley?)
were taking it up, and he himself had never considered it to be inferior, though the French suited
his style better.

Tarrasch didn't entirely parrot Steinitz. He believed that a fixed weakness, such as the Siclian d-pawn,
could be compensated for by activity. You'd think he'd be a natural for the Sicilian, but he referred to it
as unsound in principle, as it doesn't immediately develop a piece.

If Crowley never lost in a Sicilian then clearly he wasn't playing strong enough opponents. But as Somerset
Maugham pointed out, Crowley tended to achieve remarkable things, but then exaggerate them to
the point that he got less credit than he would have with the simple truth.

William Hyde

Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company

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From: lcra...@home.ca (The Horny Goat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.misc
Subject: Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company
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 by: The Horny Goat - Sun, 27 Jun 2021 01:37 UTC

On Fri, 25 Jun 2021 14:16:29 -0700 (PDT), William Hyde
<wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:37:46 AM UTC-4, Offramp wrote:
>> In The Eastbourne Gazette of 7th March 1894, Aleister Crowley wrote,
>> after 1.e4 c5:
>> "This defence has been mightily abused of late. Torrents ow wrath have
>> been poured on it, but to those who understand it, it is as strong as
>> one could wish. Personally I always make this reply and throughout the
>> season have not lost one single game opened in this way."
>
>Five years later in his games collection, Blackburn commented that
>the opening had been very popular in his youth, but declined in
>subsequent years owing to Steinitz' doctrine of "The accumulation of
>small advantages" - the advantage in this case being for white the backwards
>d-pawn that often arises in the Sicilian.

Really? there are lots of Sicilians that don't involve a backwards
d-pawn - for instance all Dragons and many Sozins. I've seen a few
19th century games with e5 in the Sicilian but not many.

>But, he went on, the younger generation of players such as Maroczy and Janowski (and Crowley?)
>were taking it up, and he himself had never considered it to be inferior, though the French suited
>his style better.
>
>Tarrasch didn't entirely parrot Steinitz. He believed that a fixed weakness, such as the Siclian d-pawn,
>could be compensated for by activity. You'd think he'd be a natural for the Sicilian, but he referred to it
>as unsound in principle, as it doesn't immediately develop a piece.

How so? There are lots of 2 ... Nc6 lines in the Sicilian some with e5
some not.

>If Crowley never lost in a Sicilian then clearly he wasn't playing strong enough opponents. But as Somerset
>Maugham pointed out, Crowley tended to achieve remarkable things, but then exaggerate them to
>the point that he got less credit than he would have with the simple truth.

Most expert level players can ring up a huge plus score if they never
play masters.....so I tend to agree with your comment about weak
opponents. I don't know enough about Crowley to comment on your second
point though I definitely know all sorts of players in the 1900+ range
of whom your comment could reasonably be made.

Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his time and how he liked it so much he bought the company

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Subject: Re: Aleister Crowley on the Sicilian Defence, how he was ahead of his
time and how he liked it so much he bought the company
From: wthyde1...@gmail.com (William Hyde)
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 by: William Hyde - Mon, 28 Jun 2021 19:17 UTC

On Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 9:37:36 PM UTC-4, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2021 14:16:29 -0700 (PDT), William Hyde
> <wthyd...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:37:46 AM UTC-4, Offramp wrote:
> >> In The Eastbourne Gazette of 7th March 1894, Aleister Crowley wrote,
> >> after 1.e4 c5:
> >> "This defence has been mightily abused of late. Torrents ow wrath have
> >> been poured on it, but to those who understand it, it is as strong as
> >> one could wish. Personally I always make this reply and throughout the
> >> season have not lost one single game opened in this way."
> >
> >Five years later in his games collection, Blackburn commented that
> >the opening had been very popular in his youth, but declined in
> >subsequent years owing to Steinitz' doctrine of "The accumulation of
> >small advantages" - the advantage in this case being for white the backwards
> >d-pawn that often arises in the Sicilian.
> Really? there are lots of Sicilians that don't involve a backwards
> d-pawn - for instance all Dragons and many Sozins. I've seen a few
> 19th century games with e5 in the Sicilian but not many.

Sicilian theory in the 1880s was not particularly advanced. And the concept of leaving the
e-pawn at e7 was not one that would meet with then "modern" ideas. Even with the d6/e6
formation the pawn was considered to be weak.

> >But, he went on, the younger generation of players such as Maroczy and Janowski (and Crowley?)
> >were taking it up, and he himself had never considered it to be inferior, though the French suited
> >his style better.
> >
> >Tarrasch didn't entirely parrot Steinitz. He believed that a fixed weakness, such as the Siclian d-pawn,
> >could be compensated for by activity. You'd think he'd be a natural for the Sicilian, but he referred to it
> >as unsound in principle, as it doesn't immediately develop a piece.
> How so? There are lots of 2 ... Nc6 lines in the Sicilian some with e5

Emphasis on "immediately". C5 does not develop or aid in the development of a minor piece. In his
book "The Game of Chess", Dr T said that the Sicilian had to be unsound for this reason. I don't have a
copy of his "three hundred chess games" so I can't see how he treated this opening.

Tarrash could be terribly dogmatic in his writings, so much so that at times I think he must be kidding us.

In his actual play he was much more flexible, e.g. fianchettoing his KB in games played from the 1880s to the
1920s.

> some not.
> >If Crowley never lost in a Sicilian then clearly he wasn't playing strong enough opponents. But as Somerset
> >Maugham pointed out, Crowley tended to achieve remarkable things, but then exaggerate them to
> >the point that he got less credit than he would have with the simple truth.
> Most expert level players can ring up a huge plus score if they never
> play masters.....so I tend to agree with your comment about weak
> opponents. I don't know enough about Crowley to comment on your second
> point though I definitely know all sorts of players in the 1900+ range
> of whom your comment could reasonably be made.

Crowley did some very decent mountain climbing in the Himalayas, for example, setting new records. But (at least according to Maugham) he claimed to have done even more, claims that were not credible and only hurt his reputation among the informed. A little L. Ron-ish, but not quite so extreme.

William Hyde

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