Unauthorized Psychedelic Opening Laboratory

Remember Alan Lasser’s Game of the Week newsletter (GOTW), last seen in On the Edge with a Tablebase? In the issue of 26 April, he had this to report:-

At the recent Vassar Spring Open I lost my expert rating again when I could only draw against Dr. Craig Fisher. My bad tournament actually began in the first round when I hung a piece by inadvertently playing the second move of a three move sequence first. I knew I had to win all my remaining games to have any chance of saving my title so I took a few risks, but in this game I just couldn't seem to turn the control of the open c-file into a point.

On that Saturday I clearly deserved the mathematical expulsion from the expert ranks; and so for now, I will enjoy the honor and distinction of the humbler, minimum title, the "ex-expert". Oh wait, there is a lower title; there is one appellation more trivial; that would be "chess journalist".

Ouch? No, because there is one appellation even more trivial: that would be 'chess blogger'. In the issue of 10 May, he confirmed this:-

For the reader who, thinking I had insulted chess journalists everywhere, emailed -- "The reason you're just a letter and not a web site, is; that if you had a blog, you'd have to put your picture on it!" -- attached is a recent photo of the psychedelic opening laboratory.

To prove you can't get any lower than chess blogger, let's put his picture on this blog -- an unauthorized copy, of course.

Psychedelic Opening Laboratory

How was the photo made?

I was playing around the Motion FX app (now a FREE download from the Apple App store) and making extreme grooviness when I discovered I could create a hilariously appropriate chess photo.

Who is higher than both chess journalist and chess blogger? That would be 'chess artist', and you can see samples of Alan's art on the wall behind the chess set. On the left is a poster with heart and on the right is a galaxy or something. For more examples of his unusual work, see blacklightmazes.com.