11/29/2019 – A good password paired with strong encryption protects data against unexpected loss. No password is unbreakable, but some can last for quote a long time. After 39 years, recently a few old Unix passwords were cracked. Computer pioneer Ken Thompson had hidden his access behind a chess opening. | Photo: Bell Labs
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Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
Perfect endgame analysis and a huge increase in engine performance: Get it with the new Endgame Turbo 5! This brings the full 6-piece Syzygy endgame tablebases on a pendrive. Just plug it in a USB socket and you are set!
In almost every chess game there comes a moment when you just can’t go on without tactics. You must strike to not giving away the advantage you have worked for the whole game.
€39.90
Pawn to queen four
Ken Thompson is one of the heroes of computer history. He worked at Bell Labs most of his life, was co-inventor of the Unix operating system, developed the programming language "B", a precursor to the current "C" language, and several other important things in computer history. Later he brought his knowledge to Google.
Thompson did great things for chess as well. Together with Joe Condon, he developed the chess computer Belle, who became chess computer world champion in 1980. Many years ago, Thompson had the idea to calculate endgames with limited numbers of pieces and compile them in a database. The first "tablebases", as they became known, with three, four and five pieces came from Ken Thompson. Others continued his idea later with newer computers and more pieces. The concept is in use today in all chess programs.
The most popular chess program offers you everything you will need as a dedicated chess enthusiast, with innovative training methods for amateurs and professionals alike.
A few years ago, an encrypted file with the old passwords of computer old-timers like Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Stephen R. Bourne and Eric Schmidt was found by chance. Leah Neukirchen (see below) had the idea to crack the old passwords that used antiquated encryption with new techniques — which proved to be possible reasonably fast. Only Ken Thompson's password resisted. With the help of a colleague, Nigel Williams, it too could eventually be cracked.
The password included the sequence p/q2-q4!
What looks reasonably cryptic to everyone else is an easy-to-remember string for chess players. the password means Pawn (Pawn) Queen 2 - Queen 4 (d2-d4). Not a bad password for a chess fan.
For cracking Ken Thompson's chess opening password, Nigel Williams needed four days use his modern tools. Boris Grishenko, an antagonist of James Bond in "Golden Eye" (1995), of course, would have done much faster, even to impress his charming colleague Natalya Simonova. Here we see him at work.
Alan Cumming opposite Izabella Scorupco in the 1995 Bond film Golden Eye
In this course, you’ll learn how to take the initiative against the London and prevent White from comfortably playing their usual system by playing 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 Nh5.
London System Powerbase 2026 is a database and contains in all 11 285 games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 282 are annotated.
The London System Powerbook 2026 is based on more than 410 000 games or game fragments from different opening moves and ECO codes; what they all have in common is that White plays d4 and Bf4 but does not play c4.
In this course, Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the London System, a structured and ambitious approach based on the immediate Bf4, leading to rich and dynamic positions.
Opening videos: Open Spanish (Sipke Ernst) and Classical Sicilian (Nico Zwirs). Endgame Special by Igor Stohl: ‘Short or long side’ – where should the defending king be placed in rook endgames? ‘Lucky bag’ with 35 master analyses.
YOUR EASY ACCESS TO OPENING THEORY: Whether you want to build up a reliable and powerful opening repertoire or find new opening ideas for your existing repertoire, the Opening Encyclopaedia covers the entire opening theory on one product.
The Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation with 5.Bf4 has a great balance between positional play and sharp pawn pushes; and will be a surprise for your opponents while being easy to learn for you, as the key patterns are familiar.
€9.90
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