[ 
Currently: Eating extending my lunch break ]
a co-worker of mine (mr.hall) recently went to third shift, which made it essentially impossible for us to continue our after-work chess games. these were epic battles, typically lasting three hours or more.
so i gave my co-worker a little surprise by setting up a chess game on a disused blackboard in one corner of the bakery.
of course he couldn’t resist the challenge.
when i went in to work early to schedule around turkey city, i met mr.hall at the end of his shift. after he clocked out he set up the game on a cheap plastic board. he sat there at a bakery bench and stared at the game for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES!!!
at first i scoffed. this was only the third turn. i had just moved 3.Bb2…, which is the last official move of the orangutang opening. the object of the orangutang is to pin down black’s B-knight, while using the bishop on the diagonal as a continuing threat against black’s H-rook. and, of course, like all the hyper-modernist openings, the orangutang is meant to jumble up the game, getting away from the traditional, stodgy efforts to control the center by opening with the king or queen pawns, rather controlling the board by keeping the center as clear of pawns as possible and setting up longer-range pieces on the side. it’s intended as board randomizer.
meanwhile, mr.hall, after his forty-five minutes of contemplation, completed his english defense by moving 3….e6, the same move HE ALWAYS MAKES IN EVERY GAME WE’VE PLAYED!!!
after all this, the moves were 4.e3…Nf6; 5.Bd3.
mr.hall refused to accept my last move, developing my bishop. i came in this morning to find written on the board: "you sure you want to do this? you’ll lose the g pawn and the next move the rook too."
geez. i’m no longer scoffing.
