Play online chess!

From	Message
coram_deo 15-Sep-21, 18:13	Jesus in the Old Testament I think a lot of people think Jesus Christ came into existence 2,000 years ago when He was born to the Virgin Mary. But Jesus, as God, has existed eternally, as the opening verses in the Gospel of John (my favorite Gospel) make clear: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:14-18) Jesus Himself in the Gospels said, directly and indirectly, that He has existed eternally and was/is God. See this thread for examples of how Jesus identified Himself in the Gospels: m.gameknot.com And Jesus’ birth to the Virgin Mary wasn’t the first time He interacted with the human race. Some scholars and enthusiasts of the Holy Bible think Jesus may have directly interacted with men and women dozens of times before His birth in Bethlehem. And while Jesus is referenced many times in the Old Testament in Messianic prophecies (see this thread: m.gameknot.com) this thread will only look at instances where Jesus interacted with men and women prior to His birth to the Virgin Mary, and, if it can be discerned, in what form Jesus appeared to humans.
coram_deo 16-Sep-21, 20:39	Some great timing on God’s part! I felt prompted yesterday (9/15) to start a thread on Jesus in the Old Testament, and I handwrote Daniel chapter 3 today, and guess who’s in that chapter? Yes, Jesus Christ Himself! Rather than try to summarize Daniel chapter 3, I’m simply going to print it here. But, to give a short preview, three Jews who worship God refuse to bow down to a golden statue set up by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, even though punishment for anyone who refuses to worship the golden statue is to be cast into a burning furnace. Will the three men cave and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue? Will they refuse and get thrown into the furnace? Where is Jesus Christ in all of this? Read on! “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3)
coram_deo 22-Sep-21, 18:32	From what I’ve read, some Biblical scholars think the “Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament refers to Jesus Christ. Naturally, Jesus did not receive the name “Jesus” until He was born of the Virgin Mary, which occurred centuries after the final book of the Old Testament. And He did not become the “Christ” or “Messiah” (Saviour of the World) until His birth to the Virgin Mary. But He, as the Son of God, has existed eternally (see the Gospel of John chapter 1 and this thread m.gameknot.com) So while you won’t find the name “Jesus Christ” in the Old Testsment, that doesn’t mean the Son of God wasn’t in the Old Testament - beyond Messianic prophecies - and actively involved in and helping His creation. Before I cite passages in the Old Testament where the “Angel of the Lord” appears, here is a great article that makes the case that the “Angel of the Lord” cited in the Old Testament is the Son of God who would become Jesus Christ - God in the flesh and the Saviour of the World - after His birth to the Virgin Mary (which was prophesied 700 years beforehand in Isaiah 7:14.) (BTW, Yahweh in this article is the Hebrew word for God.) From bibleproject.org: Who is the Angel of the Lord? The importance of this character to the Biblical story The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, contains some figures and features difficult for our modern minds to understand. Flip through the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures and you’ll come across a figure who seems to carry a contradiction: the Angel of the Lord. So who is this character, and why is understanding him so important? The Messenger of Yahweh Let’s start by looking at the phrase “angel of the Lord” in Hebrew. The Hebrew word translated as “angel” is malak, which means “messenger.” This particular messenger is not just an angel, but the “angel of the Lord.” The messenger of Yahweh—or in Hebrew, malak Yahweh—is the only messenger who bears the name of Yahweh. In Exodus 23:20-21. Yahweh tells Moses that this angel will lead them, saying, “my name is in him.” Yahweh, or like Yahweh? As you explore this character further, you’ll encounter a big problem: Sometimes the angel of the Lord speaks as if he is a messenger from Yahweh, and other times he speaks as if he is Yahweh. How is this possible? When you encounter problems like this in the Bible, you may think the Bible is contradictory or convoluted—especially in the Hebrew Scriptures. But you have another option. You can ask the question: Is there something more the author wants to communicate by presenting this figure or feature in this strange way? In other words, is the “contradiction” intentional? Taking this approach will open your eyes to the literary art of Scripture and may even help you see some of Jesus’ central claims in a new light. The Story of Hagar The story of Hagar illustrates the complex way that the angel of the Lord is portrayed in Scripture. In Genesis 16, we encounter a slave woman who has become pregnant by her master, abused by her master’s wife, and has now fled to the desert to meet her likely death. The narrative tells us, “the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness” (Genesis 16:7). This figure speaks to Hagar. But then something strange happens. “And the angel of the Lord said to her, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too many to count.’” (Genesis 16:10). Yahweh is the one who typically issues this kind of blessing (e.g., Genesis 22, 26, 28). Who does this angel think he is? Keep going, and the angel of the Lord speaks about Yahweh as a separate person, saying, “Yahweh has heard your affliction” (Genesis 16:11). At best, we think this angel is speaking on behalf of Yahweh—that is, until the narrator tells us it was Yahweh who spoke to her! And Hagar calls this angel “God.” “Then she gave the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, ‘You are God of seeing’; for she said, ‘Truly, how have I seen the one who sees me?’” This story illustrates the complex way the authors portray this figure as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh. But how do we know whether this is just a lack of precision or a discrepancy in the text? In order to answer this, we need to ask: Do the authors of Scripture consistently refer to the angel of the Lord as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh? Is There a Pattern? Continue reading the narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures, and you’ll notice several places where the authors portray this angel in the same complex way as in the story of Hagar. For example, in the story of Moses and the burning bush, the angel of the Lord appears to Moses from the midst of a bush, but then God calls to him from the bush (Exodus 3:1-6). The same pattern emerges in the stories of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22), Balaam (Numbers 22), Gideon (Judges 6), Elijah (1 Kings 19), and David (1 Chronicles 21), to name a few. Because this pattern occurs throughout Scripture, we can conclude that the authors are carefully and intentionally depicting this figure as a complex being. Part of the way these authors want to engage the reader is by creating gaps that require participation and investigation. This is the way all good stories work! The authors of Scripture are skilled literary artists, and this complex portrait of the angel of the Lord is just one example of their artistry. What Does All This Mean? The consistent way that the authors refer to the angel of the Lord as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh not only helps us understand this mysterious figure, but it also makes a profound claim about the identity of Yahweh, namely, that Yahweh himself is a complex being. Understanding the complex portrayal of the angel of the Lord prepares us to grasp the overarching story of Scripture in some significant ways: 1. THIS FIGURE HELPS US MAKE SENSE OF JESUS’ CLAIMS. It seems strange that Jesus would claim he was “one with the Father” and yet distinct as “the Son” (e.g., John 10:30). Yet these claims that sound confusing to modern readers fit in the same category as the portrait of the angel of the Lord. 2. THIS FIGURE CREATES SHELF SPACE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY. This ancient and creative way of portraying Yahweh as a complex unity helps readers understand that Yahweh is a diverse yet unified community of love. This is foundational for understanding that perfect community of love—Father, Son, and Spirit—that we have come to call the Trinity. 3. THIS FIGURE HELPS US KNOW GOD’S CHARACTER MORE. Yahweh interacts on a personal level with humans while also maintaining his identity as God above all, yet entirely other. This God takes on an embodied form to relate with humanity, ultimately taking on human flesh to restore humanity to right relationship as partners with him. This complex portrait of the angel of the Lord uniquely communicates truths about the character and identity of Yahweh—that he is a complex unity, one who is both unified and diverse, near, and above all. What we see in the angel of the Lord is brought to a culmination in the person of Jesus, who draws near to humanity in order to draw us near to God. bibleproject.com
coram_deo 30-Sep-21, 10:36	While I mostly trust gotquestions.org, it appears the website is fallible. In an article about who “the angel of the Lord” is, the website states the angel of the Lord only appears in the Old Testament, before Jesus Christ’s birth to the Virgin Mary (which would seem to indicate that *the* angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was Jesus Christ Himself.) But in this passage from Acts, which takes place well after Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, Resurrection and ascension into Heaven, the angel of the Lord appears to Philip the Evangelist and tells him to go into a desert. “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:26-40) I suppose it’s possible that Bible versions other than the King James Version don’t identify the angel as “the angel of the Lord,” but the second-oldest English translation of the Bible (KJV) does. Just checked - the New International Version, English Standard Version and New Living Translation all say “an angel of the Lord,” while Young’s Literal Translation says “a messenger of the Lord.” But the Geneva Bible, which actually predates the KJV, says “the angel of the Lord” in Acts 8:26. So I guess the accuracy of the gotquestions.org article depends on the version of the Bible. I go with the oldest English translations 📖👍👍 But I suppose it’s possible “the angel of the Lord” could still be a reference to Jesus Christ after His Resurrection and ascension into Heaven. But in the very next chapter of Acts (chapter 9,) the Resurrected Christ identifies Himself as Jesus to Saul of Tarsus. The Geneva Bible (from 1599) has this interesting study note on Acts 8:26: “(11) Christ, who calls freely whom he wishes, now uses Philip, who was not thinking about any such thing, to unexpectedly instruct and baptize the eunuch, and by this means extends the limits of his kingdom even into Ethiopia.” www.sacred-texts.com So it appears the Geneva Bible is saying “the angel of the Lord” still could be Jesus Christ *after* His Resurrection and ascension into Heaven. Anyway, here is the gotquestions.org article about the identity of “the angel of the Lord.” The precise identity of the “angel of the Lord” is not given in the Bible. However, there are many important “clues” to his identity. There are Old and New Testament references to “angels of the Lord,” “an angel of the Lord,” and “the angel of the Lord.” It seems when the definite article “the” is used, it is specifying a unique being, separate from the other angels. The angel of the Lord speaks as God, identifies Himself with God, and exercises the responsibilities of God (Genesis 16:7-12; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; Exodus 3:2; Judges 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-24; 13:3-22; 2 Samuel 24:16; Zechariah 1:12; 3:1; 12:8). In several of these appearances, those who saw the angel of the Lord feared for their lives because they had “seen the Lord.” Therefore, it is clear that in at least some instances, the angel of the Lord is a theophany, an appearance of God in physical form. The appearances of the angel of the Lord cease after the incarnation of Christ. Angels are mentioned numerous times in the New Testament, but “the angel of the Lord” is never mentioned in the New Testament after the birth of Christ. One possible difficulty is that the angel who appears to Joseph in a dream in Matthew 1:24 is called "the" angel of the Lord. However, this angel is clearly the same one appearing in verse 20, which calls him "an angel." Matthew is simply referencing the same angel he had just mentioned. There is also some confusion regarding Matthew 28:2, where the KJV says “the angel of the Lord” descended from heaven and rolled the stone away from Jesus’ tomb. It is important to note that the original Greek has no article in front of angel; it could be “the angel” or “an angel,” but the article must be supplied by the translators. Other translations besides the KJV say it was “an angel,” which is the better wording. It is possible that appearances of the angel of the Lord were manifestations of Jesus before His incarnation. Jesus declared Himself to be existent “before Abraham” (John 8:58), so it is logical that He would be active and manifest in the world. Whatever the case, whether the angel of the Lord was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (Christophany) or an appearance of God the Father (theophany), it is highly likely that the phrase “the angel of the Lord” usually identifies a physical appearance of God. www.gotquestions.org
coram_deo 19-Oct-21, 08:34	Received this devotional today about the Resurrected Jesus Christ (in the New Testament) teaching two of His disciples about all of His appearances in the Old Testament. That must have been some Bible study! I’ve always wondered about people who, when asked what time period in history they would most like to visit or live in, say a time period other than the 3+ years of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Can you imagine going back to roughly 30 A.D. and witnessing Jesus’ miracles and Resurrection for yourself? Wow. From Joseph Prince Ministries: Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:25–27 - OCTOBER 19 - STUDY THE BIBLE TO SEE JESUS UNVEILED After Jesus rose from the dead, He ministered comfort to two sad and discouraged disciples who were walking to a village called Emmaus. From the way they spoke, you could tell that they did not believe that Jesus would be resurrected. They said that they were hoping that it was Jesus who was going to redeem Israel, so they were utterly discouraged when He was crucified. They were also astonished when certain women of their company, who had gone to Jesus’ tomb, told them that they could not find His body. In today’s scripture, the two indictments that Jesus spoke to those disciples are the same ones He speaks to the body of Christ today. The first is that we are “foolish,” that is, we are suffering from ignorance and the lack of knowledge of and revelation from the Word of God. The second is that even when we do have knowledge of the Word, we are “slow of heart to believe.” Now, our Lord Jesus is so loving that He would not just tell the disciples what their problem was without giving them the solution. So immediately, He began to expound the Scriptures. He started at Moses, which refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), before moving on to the rest of the Old Testament, which would include the major and minor prophets. He expounded to them “the things concerning Himself” in every single book, showing them pictures of Himself throughout the Scriptures. What a tremendous time of Bible study it must have been! This tells us that the Bible is all about Jesus. Jesus is in the Old Testament concealed and in the New Testament revealed. Jesus began to unveil to the disciples that He was the promised Seed in the Garden of Eden who would crush Satan’s head. He would have moved on to share about how each of the five Levitical offerings depicted different aspects of His one perfect work on the cross. He would have shared about the high priest and how the high priest’s garments spoke of Himself as our perfect representative before God. Jesus would even have unveiled Himself in all the typologies embedded in the Old Testament stories. There are no insignificant details in the Bible and everything in it is there to point to Jesus. In expounding the Scriptures to the two disciples, I believe that Jesus showed us how we are to study the Bible today. He does not want us to read the Bible to find out what to do and what not to do. He wants us to study the Bible to see Him and all the things in the Scriptures concerning Himself. When you begin to see Jesus in every page of the Bible and to search out all the hidden gems and truths about Jesus, the Bible comes alive. Faith comes alive in your heart to strengthen your heart and to receive your breakthrough when you see your Savior and His saving grace toward His people. Jesus’ solution for those who are “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe” is for them to study the Bible to see more of Him. At the end of the disciples’ journey, the Bible says that they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). My friend, when Jesus is unveiled in the Scriptures, our hearts will burn within us with the warmth of His love. Whatever your need is today, whether it is physical, emotional, mental, social, or financial, your solution is found in a greater revelation of Jesus. When Jesus is unveiled in all His magnificence, the poor will experience provision, the weak will be made strong, and the sick will be healed. I pray that you will make it your priority to read the Word and hear preaching that unveils the beauty and grace of your Savior. Your life, finances, marriage, and your entire household will be blessed beyond measure. This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.
coram_deo 19-Oct-21, 08:58	Here’s a video (3:33 long) of the Resurrected Jesus Christ appearing to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus and teaching them about His Presence in the Old Testament. This was one of the first appearances of the Resurrected Christ. youtu.be And here’s the passage from the Gospel of Luke upon which this video (and Pastor Prince’s devotional) is based. “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” (Luke 24:13-35)

GameKnot: play chess online, online chess puzzles, monthly chess tournaments, Internet chess league, chess teams, chess clubs, free online chess games database and more.