I love those kind of buddies. I haven't had one in a while, but they're a great opportunity to test an unsound attack! :)
Years ago my now almost senile mother commanded a singing group on waikiki beach, for 22 years; sort of a hawaiian aloha/welcome wagon kind of thing. She was BORN to sing and we had people from all over the world in our group, plus passing troubadors, native hawaiian singers, etc.
After my father passed away there in 1995, A couple of years later I took his place : trucking the mike, amp, chairs, etc to/from the pavilion on the beach. I was PREVAILED upon to sing my 2 or 3 songs/day(bali hai, over the rainbow, etc), ie, SING for your supper; but as often as I could I'd play HOOKEY and sneak down to play chess at the next pavilion. It was CHESS CENTRAL for waikiki beach.
The full time pros I could never beat, but Howard from AZ was always there, playing the german guy Walter. We'd let him win one in 10 games. Classic masochist/shepherd. He has a fundamental idea to protect all of his little lamb/pawns. Did GWB go into Iraq expecting not to lose some guys?
So when we both left HI a couple of years ago, probably never to return(too expensive and mom too old), we agreed to play e-chess. As his guru I keep telling him : open your K/Q pawns, take COMMAND of the center. CARPE DEUM, sieze the day, get in the enemy's face, KICK ASS. Faint heart neer won fair lady.
Don't be afraid of a Q exchange, he HAS to take your Q in return, thus giving you the go-ahead move(BIG MO). A single N is worth TWICE what a single bishop is worth in the end game(put all your pieces on the other color). When you have the K by the gonads(check), hold onto his gonads until you run him into the ground, ie, saddam until HUNG by the neck.
Chess is WAR, and war is LIFE. As it's mostly a left brain exercise, do well in it and you'll do well in life; or at least become a Sherlock Holmes detective, not easily fooled. Things like : beware greeks bearing gifts : GREED does howard in time after time....and I'm the Flim-Flam Man, matriculating the sucker in the scam-school....(Oh boy, Oh Boy : FREE PAWN....WHACK!)