I'm going with Walter (and ellie and Kevin) on this one. Gary & Dmitri, I like both of you guys, but I think you've pretty much gone berzerk, and I must say I'm a bit peeved you pulled this cloak and dagger act on us without even waiting until our trial games were concluded. But it is done, and I don't want to argue about that; I'll just say I think Fencer's decision was hastily and arbitrarily made. I would also like to know where this supposed "analysis" is that proves it would be virtually impossible for player 2 to win at keryo 13 without that restriction. Or, did Fencer just conjure up this phrase from thin air? I have a lot of games at IYT that would prove otherwise (including some against VERY STRONG keryo13 players).

Gary, you have stated before that you would really like to get pente players from IYT to come here. I believe your intent, but in reality I also believe you have done a fantastic job of accomplishing just the opposite. Telling others how they MUST HAVE IT, despite knowing they have had and can have it how they please elsewhere, isn't going to be very persuasive.

I concur with Walter's assertion that the explosion of internet games has done much more for the rebirth of pente than anything else ever could have. Pente's heyday has come and gone among the general population, whether we like this or not. Perhaps it should have been play-tested and better designed in the origin, and who knows? I think pente is a fascinating genus, but that is just one voice, and I'm not really even a serious pente player, it is kind of a sideline game for me. I'm just a player who mainly enjoys chess variants, but am smitten with just about any type of board game that is mentally challenging, rather than those based on dumb luck.

Keryo13: I hate the restriction because I like the challenge of playing second and letting the first player move close in, then seeing if I can find a win. I am now convinced that aspect is just about totally lost on Gary & dmitri, but..........