blaickner's record Wins 175 Draws 1 Losses 3.
Impressive record from a player whom I have never even heard of but then it is easy to win games by using WZebra, isn't it? I don't recall anyone from Austria ever appearing on the European Rating List in the fifteen or so years I have been playing over the board Othello, let alone any big name players. If Blaickner wants real competition - then why doesn't she join the tournament circuit?

Arnie -

I don't know who you think you are! Do you have specific verifiable evidence that Blaickner is cheating? If not, then get the hell off of the discussion board and quit being a sore loser and cry baby.

I don't play Othello/Reversi much and have just now aquired a strategy book for it and may eventually take the game up. But I am the 2-time defending World Email Pente champion and have experienced exactly what you are putting Blaickner through.

I too have run into butts like you who accuse me of using a program or cheating. As a matter of fact, I got so sick of it that I went down to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and proceeded to kick everyone's butt except DmitriKing whom I tied. This made us both U.S. over-the-board Pente champions. Now everyone can shut up about me using a program. But if I had not had the money to go to Oklahoma City, then people would still be saying the same thing.

The point is, you have NO idea what you're talking about. I don't know Blaickner at all, but she has been VERY good about answering questions and providing information on the board here. Also, it sounds like she is an excellent 1 and/or 5 minute player. If you don't think she is for real, then I would suggest you both find a real-time site where you can play 5 minute games and play a 10-game match. THEN maybe you'll believe that she is for real!


Gary Barnes

in all fairness, the only time i've played Blaickner (on IYT) she accused me of using a program, so she gives as good as she gets.

I have looked at blaickner's previous moves by using WZebra in my most recent game against her and ALL but two of her moves they are identical to what WZebra (on maximum search). This along with record that seems to be too good to be true and the fact there has been no Austrian otb players causes me to be very suspicious. The thing is Gary Barnes, you went out to prove that you were not a cheat - and no doubt you obtained an over the board reputation where previously you had none. Gary, you also say that it sounds like blaickner is an excellent 1 and/or 5 minute player but even on realtime sites people do cheat. I am inviting blaickner to do the same by participating in one event on the European tournament circuit. If she really was committed to this, then I very much doubt that she would find distance no problem, or for that fact money as there are several companies offering rock bottom european air fares. Or what about blaickner hosting an event in Austria? But all blaickner seems to be posting is excuses, which doesn't really help her credibility.

Arnie,

I played blaickner online several times after getting sorely beaten in Goldtoken and I can tell you she has a very solid grasp of this game. Checking out a cheater with wzebra does not tell all, the best methode is talking about strategy and checking whether the opponent knows human strategy and acts like it. Blaickner does.

Smaughster, Blaickner, and all -

GREAT comments Smaughster! The best way to tell if someone is as good as his/her rating is to talk to him/her and find out what he/she knows about the game.

For instance, I could talk until I would bore you all to tears about opening strategy, end game strategy, keystone pairs, triangles, skews, elongated triangles, offensive pairs, etc. at Pente because that is my game and I am one of the best at it.

I also have played some real-time Chess at www.pogo.com. The cheating there is amazing!! I am decent at Chess, U.S. Chess B class over-the-board and a master in postal play so I have a good idea of 'just a few' concepts. :-)

At pogo.com, if I see a player rated over 2100 (about my Chess rating there), I simply ask them what they know about the Najdorf and Sicillin as well as some basic concepts of end game play, which anyone over about 1900 should easily be able to talk about. I'm amazed at how many people don't even know that the Najdorf and Sicillin are OPENINGS!

I'm always polite when asking my questions so the truly good players will sometimes go to great lengths to talk about them and an interesting conversation usually follows. But if they can't answer them, I ask them if they have played in real-time U.S. Chess tournaments. If they haven't or can't quickly come up with a reasonable answer, then I pretty much know they're cheating. If they're bold enough to continue talking, I'll ask them what software they're using. I actually have had TWO tell me!

My point is, Arnie, before accusing someone of something, get more information first instead of saying inflammatory remarks about him/her. If you have substaintial evidence to prove your theory, THEN people will listen to you and not think that you are whining.

One last thing here. I have also had a person accuse me of cheating because something like 15 of my 20 moves in a Pente game matched the best Pente playing software on it's highest level. My comment to that is: If I'm one of the best players and the software is some of the best software, then OF COURSE a high percentage of moves are going to be the same.

So my suggestion would be to ask Blaickner what she knows about the opening, middle, and end-game strategies of Othello/Reversi. If she knows little, you have a case. Otherwise I think that the accusations should stop.


Gary Barnes