First Blogiversary! A Celebration Quiz To Test Your Knowledge!
Dear friends,
Welcome to the party! A few days ago, on August 26th, it was the one-year anniversary of my first blog entry here! I thought about publishing this "text" on that exact day, but since I have long decided that the 15th and 30th of each month will be the days on which my blogs will be posted, I preferred to stick to the schedule.
First, I would like to thank everyone who has read anything I have written during this time, no matter if it was just one article or all of them. If you enjoyed it, that is enough of a reason for me to be happy. But of course, special thanks to my friends and readers who have been with me since the very first ones. I will not mention names to avoid forgetting anyone, but they know who they are.
I thought for a while about what kind of blog would be cool to celebrate this special date... I am not sure if you have noticed, but my last few texts here have been very "research-intensive" compared to my first posts when I just wrote my general opinions. So please understand that this process is exhausting and that the planes and pilots will not give me a break to write a chess blog before they can land. Therefore, I am naturally a bit tired after so many time-consuming articles.
Still, I wanted to write something nice for my readers that would be cool without being too hard for me to prepare. After all, I also don't want the one-year post to end up being completely disappointing.
So, I hope you like the idea I had of making a quiz about my past blogs. That way you can check how much you have learned in the meantime, and I can see how much of a "good reader" you are. (Just kidding, take it easy).
I don't mean to sound selfish or narcissistic, as if my blog was something extremely important, and I'm sorry if I give that impression. The only intention is to have fun with something different, while still interesting.
Now for the important stuff: This quiz will consist of thirty questions, one on each post (25) + 5 extra questions about "The Kiwi Hobbit's Blog" in general. Some of them are more personal and require that you have read the text to remember it well, while others are more universal, and some people might know the answer even without reading the articles.
Of course, the correct options are all easy to find if you open the blogs, but still, I kindly ask you to be honest and try to really answer them before "cheating". Also, please find a way to register how many you got right because I don't think there is a hack I can do here to automatically count your score.
At the end, I will give you a scale to rate your performance. If you want to read the blogs afterward, I would be very happy. 
Let’s get started!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1 - A MODEST BUT BOLD START / QUESTIONS #1 TO #5
PART 2 - THE ERA OF REGULAR POSTS BEGINS / QUESTIONS #6 TO #10
PART 3 - A SUCCESSFUL CONSOLIDATION PROJECT / QUESTIONS #11 TO #15
PART 4 - RECOGNITION: HARD WORK PAYS OFF / QUESTIONS #16 TO #20
PART 5 - BETTER QUALITY AND BLOG OF THE MONTH / QUESTIONS #21 TO #25
PART 6 - A HOBBY THAT IS GOOD FOR MY MIND / QUESTIONS #26 TO #30
CONCLUSION - BEST WISHES FOR A SECOND YEAR
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
PART 1 - A MODEST BUT BOLD START
1) Why did I write my first blog?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) My grandfather encouraged me to write a blog and suggested it could be about chess, one of my passions.
B) A friend from Chess.com suggested I start a blog on this platform, also as a way to improve my playing skills.
C) I wanted to learn more about why people like chess and decided it would be a good idea to ask them.
D) A non-chess friend asked me why I like chess so much, so I decided to write a detailed answer for myself.
E) I was bored with just playing and solving puzzles, so I checked out what other features Chess.com had.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) A non-chess friend asked me why I like chess so much, so I decided to write a detailed answer for myself.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2) Who was and who is now my favorite player? Why did I change my mind?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Before: Judit Polgár / Now: Gukesh. Because he won the Candidates Tournament.
B) Before: Magnus Carlsen / Now: Rafael Leitão. Because he left a comment on my blog.
C) Before: Garry Kasparov / Now: Ding Liren. Because I want to see him return to the good old days.
D) Before: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov / Now: Fabiano Caruana. Because I felt sorry for him after the Candidates.
E) Before: Bobby Fischer / Now: Mikhail Tal. Because I checked his amazing sacrifices and fell in love with them.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) Before: Magnus Carlsen / Now: Rafael Leitão. Because he left a comment on my blog.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3) Who were the midfielders of the football team I created?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) DM: Karpov; CM: Carlsen; CM: Polgár.
B) DM: Carlsen; CM: Spassky; CM: Kasparov.
C) DM: Anand; CM: Fischer; CM: Carlsen.
D) DM: Anand; CM: Gukesh; CM: Fischer.
E) DM: Giri; CM: Gukesh; CM: Carlsen.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) DM: Anand; CM: Fischer; CM: Carlsen.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4) What is the opening and the result of the first chess battle?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Italian opening. White wins.
B) Ruy López Opening. Black wins.
C) French defense. Black wins.
D) Queen’s Gambit. White wins.
E) Sicilian Dragon defense. White wins.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Italian opening. White wins.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
5) What analogy do I use to support my view that Carlsen is the GOAT?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) The number of living kiwis (bird) in New Zealand.
B) The speed and lack of noise of modern aircraft.
C) The final matches of football World Cups.
D) The size of the whales in the ocean.
E) The rivalry between ”Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings”.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) The size of the whales in the ocean.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
PART 2 - THE ERA OF REGULAR POSTS BEGINS
6) In which cities have I lived in New Zealand, Germany, Brazil, and Spain?
⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Wellington, Hamburg, Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona.
B) Auckland, Wolfsburg, São Paulo, and Madrid.
C) Dunedin, Munich, Rio de Janeiro, and Las Palmas.
D) Auckland, Berlin, Belo Horizonte, and Valencia.
E) Auckland, Wolfsburg, Belo Horizonte, and Las Palmas.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
E) Auckland, Wolfsburg, Belo Horizonte, and Las Palmas.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
7) Which checkmate pattern is honored in the second part of this story?
⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Bishop + Knight checkmate.
B) Two knights vs. pawn checkmate.
C) Philidor's checkmate.
D) The ladder checkmate.
E) Two bishops’ checkmate.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) Philidor's checkmate.⠀⠀⠀⠀
8) Have I ever cheated at chess?
⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Yes, both online and over-the-board. I don't think this is a big issue for amateur players.
B) No, but I avoid judging those who have, unless they are professionals.
C) Yes, but only online. I truly regret it and will never do it again.
D) No, and I think those who did are not worth a second chance because their character is dirty.
E) Yes, but only over the board. I was caught and never did it again out of fear.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) No, but I avoid judging those who have, unless they are professionals.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
9) Who is the GOAT of chess in New Zealand?
⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Ortvin Sarapu.
B) Mark Noble.
C) Vanessa Bristow.
D) Nicolas Croad.
E) Murray Chandler.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
̷C̷)̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷V̷a̷n̷e̷s̷s̷a̷ ̷B̷r̷i̷s̷t̷o̷w̷.̷ E) Murray Chandler.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
10) Which blog had I enjoyed writing the most up to that point?
⠀⠀⠀
A) Why I Consider Magnus Carlsen the GOAT.
B) Chess Where I Lived - Ep. 1: New Zealand. “The Game of the Kiwis”?
C) Building The Chess Dream Team.
D) A Short Medieval Chess Tale.
E) My Top 5 Favorite Chess Players.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Why I Consider Magnus Carlsen the GOAT.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
PART 3 - A SUCCESSFUL CONSOLIDATION PROJECT
11) Which German player played the Immortal Pawns game?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A) Emanuel Lasker.
B) Emil Joseph Diemer.
C) Vincent Keymer.
D) Adolf Anderssen.
E) Matthias Blübaum.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) Emil Joseph Diemer.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
12) Who is the author of the book "How Life Imitates Chess"?
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
A) Bobby Fischer.
B) Viswanathan Anand.
C) Garry Kasparov.
D) Magnus Carlsen.
E) Anatoly Karpov.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) Garry Kasparov.⠀⠀⠀
13) Which of these openings was created by a Brazilian player?
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
A) Torre Attack.
B) Grob Opening.
C) Brazilian System.
D) Trompowsky Attack.
E) Sicilian Samba.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) Trompowsky Attack.⠀⠀⠀
14) What was the reference game for the third part?
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
A) Wilhelm Steinitz vs. Mikhail Chigorin. (1892)
B) Bobby Fischer vs. Boris Spassky. (1972)
C) Edward Lasker vs. George Thomas. (1912)
D) Viswanathan Anand vs. Magnus Carlsen. (2013)
E) VOB96 vs Anonymous Chess.com User. (2024)
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) Edward Lasker vs. George Thomas. (1912)⠀⠀⠀
15) Who is my favorite Spanish chess player?
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
A) Alexei Shirov.
B) Francisco Vallejo Pons.
C) David Antón Guijarro.
D) Ruy López de Segura.
E) Rey Enigma.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
E) Rey Enigma.⠀⠀⠀
PART 4 - RECOGNITION: HARD WORK PAYS OFF
16) Who was my favorite player to win the Candidates Tournament?
⠀
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
A) Vidit Santosh Gujrath.
B) Fabiano Caruana.
C) Nijat Abasov.
D) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
E) Hikaru Nakamura.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Vidit Santosh Gujrath.17) What does the pawn in the thumbnail represent?
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
A) The great influence the USA has in the world.
B) The soldiers of the U.S. Army.
C) The patriotism and unity of the Americans.
D) The immigrants chasing their dreams in the USA.
E) The social and poverty problems, even in the richest country.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) The immigrants chasing their dreams in the USA.18) What was the first REAL autonomous chess machine in the world?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Deep Blue.
B) El Ajedrecista.
C) The Mechanical Turk.
D) Turochamp.
E) Stockfish.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) El Ajedrecista.⠀⠀⠀
19) In which cities did Anand win and lose his World Championship crown?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Won: Mexico City, Mexico / Lost: Chennai, India.
B) Won: Chennai, India / Lost: Sochi, Russia.
C) Won: Dubai, UAE / Lost: Bangalore, India.
D) Won: Buenos Aires, Argentina / Lost: London, UK.
E) Won: New York, USA / Lost: Bonn, Germany.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Won: Mexico City, Mexico / Lost: Chennai, India.⠀⠀⠀
20) What is the secret of Magnus Carlsen's chess skills?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) A chess genius at the Auckland airport gives him some hints.
B) A chip on his brain powered by biomass energy.
C) The tactics he learns by watching the Dallas Cowboys play in the NFL.
D) A confidential training camp in New York City.
E) A team of analysts at the University of Wyoming.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
E) A team of analysts at the University of Wyoming.⠀⠀⠀
PART 5 - BETTER QUALITY AND BLOG OF THE MONTH
21) In the Harry Potter movie chess scene, who is sacrificed, and who gives the checkmate?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Harry sacrifices himself. Hermione gives the checkmate.
B) Hermione sacrifices herself. Harry gives the checkmate.
C) Ron sacrifices himself. Harry gives the checkmate.
D) Harry sacrifices himself. Ron gives the checkmate.
E) Ron sacrifices himself. Hermione gives the checkmate.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) Ron sacrifices himself. Harry gives the checkmate.⠀⠀⠀
22) Which historical figures did Kaida meet on her journey?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) The King of Bharat, a Persian trader, Ruy López, and Wilhelm Steinitz.
B) The inventor of Chaturanga, a Persian soldier, Paolo Boi, and Adolf Anderssen.
C) The King of Bharat, the King of Persia, Luís de Lucena, and Emanuel Lasker.
D) An Indian soldier, a Persian trader, Paolo Boi, and Wilhelm Steinitz.
E) The inventor of Chaturanga, the King of Persia, Ruy López, and Emanuel Lasker.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
E) The inventor of Chaturanga, the King of Persia, Ruy López, and Emanuel Lasker.⠀⠀⠀
23) Which football game was compared to the famous 1978 Karpov vs. Korchnoi chess match?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Brazil 4 - 1 Argentina, 2005.
B) Portugal 1 - 0 Netherlands, 2006.
C) Spain 1 - 0 Portugal, 2010.
D) Netherlands 2 - 0 Brazil, 1974.
E) Argentina 3 - 3 France, 2022.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) Portugal 1 - 0 Netherlands, 2006.⠀⠀⠀
24) Who are the 3 mentioned athletes who play chess?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Carlos Alcaraz, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jakob Schubert.
B) Novak Djokovic, Simone Biles, and Katie Ledecky.
C) Carlos Alcaraz, Gabriel Medina, and Armand Duplantis.
D) Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, and Julian Alvarez.
E) Novak Djokovic, Katie Ledecky, and Paola Egonu.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Carlos Alcaraz, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jakob Schubert.⠀⠀⠀
25) According to historian Vanessa Bristow (irony alert), what would have happened if Napoleon had escaped from St. Helena?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) The French monarchy would kill him before he had a chance to rise to power again.
B) France would lose a new war against the Coalition and be divided by its enemies.
C) France would conquer all of Europe and become the most powerful nation in 2024.
D) He would choose to be peaceful and grow the French economy instead of starting wars.
E) He would die on his return to France, killed by an enemy submarine.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
B) France would lose a new war against the Coalition and be divided by its enemies.⠀⠀⠀
PART 6 - A HOBBY THAT IS GOOD FOR MY MIND
26) Which of my blogs has the most views? (On August 30, 2024)
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Beyond The Board: An Ongoing Journey Through My Life.
B) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?
C) Iconic Chess Scenes In Fiction: Top 5 Games From Movies And TV.
D) Viswanathan Anand. The History And Legacy Of A True Game Changer.
E) Life Imitates Chess And Chess Imitates Life.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) Viswanathan Anand. The History And Legacy Of A True Game Changer.⠀⠀⠀
27) Which of my blogs has the most comments? (On August 30, 2024)
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) From Boards To Fields: When Chess Matches Meet Football.
B) A Brief Dive Into The History Of Chess.
C) My 10th Post! Retrospective And A New Year's Message.
D) Iconic Chess Scenes In Fiction: Top 5 Games From Movies And TV.
E) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
E) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?⠀⠀⠀
28) Which of my blogs has been selected as "Blog of the Month"?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) A Brief Dive Into The History Of Chess.
B) Bombastic Chess Revelations Through Meticulous Data Analysis.
C) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?
D) From Boards To Fields: When Chess Matches Meet Football.
E) The Butterfly Effect: How Chess Has Changed History.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
C) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?⠀⠀⠀
29) What was my first post published as a "Top Blogger"?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Bombastic Chess Revelations Through Meticulous Data Analysis.
B) Viswanathan Anand. The History And Legacy Of A True Game Changer.
C) A Brief Dive Into The History Of Chess.
D) Iconic Chess Scenes In Fiction: Top 5 Games From Movies And TV.
E) Engines And AIs. The Revolution Of The Machines In The Chess World.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
A) Bombastic Chess Revelations Through Meticulous Data Analysis.⠀⠀⠀
30) Which of my blogs is the longest in terms of number of words?
⠀
⠀
⠀
A) Chess And The Olympics Games: An Eternal Friendzone?
B) Beyond The Board: An Ongoing Journey Through My Life.
C) Reflections On Cheating: What Makes A Chess Player Do It?
D) A Brief Dive Into The History Of Chess.
E) My Top 5 Favorite Chess Players.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE ANSWER
D) A Brief Dive Into The History Of Chess.⠀⠀⠀
CONCLUSION - BEST WISHES FOR A SECOND YEAR
Yay, congratulations on making it to the end! Or, if you just skipped the questions and got here, that's okay too! Now it is time to rate your performance:
| SCORE | PLAYER | PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTION |
| 30 | Stockfish | You were perfect like an engine: 100% accuracy. I'm proud to have you as a reader! |
| 25 - 29 | Magnus Carlsen | Some inaccuracies happen to everyone, but you are a living legend and a GOAT contender! |
| 20 - 24 | Fabiano Caruana | Excellent performance! But maybe not enough yet to put your name in the Hall of Fame. |
| 15 - 19 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | I'm sure you are a great reader, but felt the pressure and made some blunders. It happens! |
| 10 - 14 | Alireza Firouzja (Candidates version) | I see potential. Try to concentrate on reading instead of what clothes you are wearing. |
| 5 - 9 | Ding Liren (2024 version) | Quite disappointing. I'm sure you can do much better if you focus and get back to your best. |
| 1 - 4 | Hans Niemann | Your score speaks for itself. |
| 0 | Vanessa Bristow | Aren't you ashamed of your existence? |
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you didn't do as well as you expected, don't be sad… When I first thought of the questions, I didn't know all the right answers either. Luckily, I was forced to "cheat", otherwise it would be boring to have items without an answer.
To conclude this article, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have already read any of my texts. Although my main goal is to write them for fun, and I would do so even if no one reads anything, it is always a great pleasure to know that so many people appreciate what I do here. If you are one of them, please receive a warm virtual hug. Also, a special thanks to my friend @OnyxOrca for helping me with this feature of hiding the answers, and for his patience in explaining some details when I was confused.
And finally, if you like to read chess blogs and think that your taste is similar to mine, but aren't sure which ones are good, I will give three recommendations based on my general opinion. I would be very happy if you gave these bloggers a chance because I think you might like them.
KevinSmithIdiot’s Blog by @KevinSmithIdiot
Astro's Aerospace by @AstroTheoretical_Physics
Jessicamel’s Blog by @Jessicamel
Thanks for reading and I hope you will stay with me for the second year! See you again on September 15th!
