The KM Invitational Corner Checkers tournament starts in a week. Not many people know how to play so don't be afraid to give it a try. Message me for an invite.

Congratulations neznalek, well done. :o)

Fortress Fortune - one player missing
Janus' Eyes - two players missing

Now no longer mucking about -
To the weapons, Pawns ... Be a Knight ... :) ~*~

Someone called to my attention the fact that it would be easy to create multiple pawn IDs and increase one's chances of winning a section prize. So, in order to participate in the event, please send an email to GothicChessInfo@aol.com with the following information:

1. Your full name (checks to winners will only be paid out to what you send)
2. Your complete mailing address
3. Your ID that you will be using.

Before you win any money, you will also be required to submit your social security number for tax purposes. THIS WILL ONLY BE ASKED OF THOSE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE WON PRIZE MONEY. You will receive the appropriate tax schedule from us to sign and return prior to getting your check. Do yourself a favor and claim your winnings as income if you are a United States citizen!

The address provided is the only one we will send checks to.

If there are any screen names that have not registered the information prior to the start of the tournament, they will be removed from the event.

This is the only way I know of to insure that only one person is using one screen name.

Please pass this word to all you know who are in the tournament.

Would 3 people from the same household (same address, same pc) be eligible to enter? Perhaps "one prize per household" should be a rule.

So do people like me (who has about 0.05% chance of winning a section) have to worry about this?

My addy and name are known to Fencer - that should be sufficient ... ~*~

I would like everyone who is playing to submit the information, just to make sure there are not two of the same information. I think the multiple player per household is really just one way the strongest player in that household would try and circumvent the issue, so the family should elect one player only.

How would everyone feel, for example, if my family of 8 would participate with me?

:)

Good point. In this case 8 would be more than enough. LOL (bad pun)
:o)

I forsee the Pente ratings in a frolic flipping when all
our Maharadscha's siblings would take bk under siege ... :D
and actually they could do it without consulting, by their own strength ...

advisory during a game violates the rules of online-tourneys ...
- but, happens regardless of people living together or not ...

e.g. I have a spooky feeling when my online-opponents list
shows two people watching a game of one of them versus me ...

nonetheless I hope for an appropriate sportsmanship,
that no control cAn entirely ensure ... ~*~

Just to reiterate, if the information is not supplied, I will assume it is because there are multiple IDs being used by the same person, and any and all such IDs without information attached will be removed from the event.

Those uncomfortable with this should remove themselves prior to the event.

I am sorry to impose this, but as I mentioned, someone could have multiple IDs created just to try and get and one or more section prizes.

I am sure everyone who does not have multiple IDs in the tournament will agree this is necessary. Those who object may be the ones who have created new IDs to cheat in the fashion mentioned.

You will notice several of the pawns in this event were created AFTER the tournament was announced.

I've got no 2nd ID in the tourney and,
I see it's idle and innecessary before the event ...

as ( just to re-iterate ) Fencer knows my name and addy ...

for the GCF whose privacy policy is entirely unknown to me,
I would use only a messenger for the inevitable cash traffic ... >8) ... ~*~

Well it's my money. I won't pay it to someone who had more than one chance to scale to the top.

Sorry, my rules. If there was an entrance fee, you could pay as many times as you want, but as there is none, this is the way I will insure compliance.

you're right --- it's still your money ... :P

just to stop the going spin ... Fencer may reveal as soon as I win ...

lil peace poem ( peace-math -> if every1 else uncovers, I'm nailproof ) ... ~*~

I joked before but this measure does seem reasonable to me and I do see the point. After all it is not everyday $3,000 is put up for grabs. I would assume in such a case that the sponsor would have a right to take certain precautions. Just my thoughts. :o)

I have to agree with Danoschek...as its a Brain King hosted tourny,I would be more than happy to trust my personal information with Fencer. Nothing against the gothic inventer...who is to be in charge of the payouts...
But I would be happy to give Fencer my permission to release my personal information...only in the event I should be so fortunate to be a prize winner.

I joked too ... but a serious background, maybe here we
are just a bit sulky towards ashcrofted college-libraries ... ~*~ ;)

You are missing the point. While bwildman's info is in the contact database, you could have 3 other IDs in there also, so you have 4 chances to win the money. Remember, even those who win the section get money. You could have your other IDs lose to you on purpose if they are in the same section.

I am sorry, but if the information is not furnished, you are not playing in the event.

if Fencer knows bwildman's addy and name he just cannot use
the same name and addy for other IDs, and if I'd invoke friends
any control-sense should volatilize at the latest ... ~*~

and what address would I give for these other Id's for payment?
I will save you the trouble...I just removed myself from the tourny.

Well my thinking is getting a persons information before the tournament will not help much.

If I wanted, I could make 1 ID and put my brother-in-law's name and address (and let him know if I win, I get the check) - I could then use my friends address, etc... etc... Along with other tricks, I could probable find 10 different ID and information to send in.

Also, for the "pawn" accounts - you could just send if fake information anyway - and just purposly lose with those accounts so you already know you are not going to get money sent to them!

Even though I understand trying to get rid of cheaters, I do not really see this helping much.

BBW (BIG BAD WOLF)

So should we just ban pawns?

You know that is not a bad idea.

If someone really want to play in the $3,000 tournament, they should at least support BrainKing with a Knight membership!

I've been thinking a long time to start having some small $$ tournaments - and I would probable have them in my Fellowship - to reward people who support this site!

.... and if someone want to cheat so bad, at least make them pay a little money to BrainKing for a membership! :-)

Currently about 20 pawns in the tournament. About 30 paid Knights & Rooks in the tournament.

it would help brainking ... I second ... ~*~

Perhaps require the tournament information from pawns only since that is where the potential problem could surface. Banning them from your tourney will only make it smaller...unless of course that's what you want...

Maybe all pawns who suddenly became incarnate the day after the tournament started can be removed. This way, pre-existing pawn at least have the benefit of the doubt

After the tournament is started, nobody can be removed. It would require deleting all generated tournament games, recreating all sections [without deleted players] and starting the tournament again.

I was talking about prior to the start. The concern is that people have multiple IDs to try and increase their chances of winning.

... Before you win any money, you will also be required to submit your social security number for tax purposes ...

Ed, I have a serious problem with this for several reasons.

I have nothing against giving you my name and email address to check against cheating; I consider that a least precaution.

but I, for one, am an extreme paranoid in anything concerning transmitting any personal information to anyone. such as physical address, ID numbers, bank account, whatever. much more so transmitting such information to someone on the world wide sieve...

and by the way, non US citizens (there are some around, me for example) don't have a US social security number.

this is really putting the cart before the horse, since I probably stand very little chance of winning anything. but the principle bothers me.

I think that a note about "any suspicious IDs will be removed from the tournament with no explanation" should be sufficient. Especially in today's situation when anybody can have any number of free e-mail addresses and can use anonymizers and proxy servers to mask his IP address.

I would be LIABLE for paying the taxes of the winners if they do not pay it. I have given out my ssn# to casinoes, chess tournaments, poker tournaments, and I have never had a problem.

If you don't like the US Tax Law, join the club. But nobody is getting a check without their SSN being reported on a standard 1099 form.

rabbitoid: About SSN, I used to have this problems two years ago when MP3.com wanted to send me a check for my music because we also don't have anything like social security number. It was solved by sending a filled W-8BEN form for taxing purposes. I don't know all background of these things but what I am sure about is that I never had any more problems with that.

Here it is:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf

I sympathise with your tax law, but again, what about us non-gringos? we don't have an american SS number.

sorry, I posted before I saw fencer's answer.

If you are outside the USA, you are earning your money beyond the boundaries of our tax jurisdiction, and you are not liable for any tax.

On the other hand I am not sure if it is applicable for anything else than "art royalties". Maybe Ed could bring some light to this dark area :-)

All I know when I am on travel ouside the US, my salary, which is being taxed like hell, is not subject to tax, so the more often I am away, the more I get back on my tax return.

...my salary, which is being taxed like hell...

mine is as well. this is one area where France is not far behind the US...

however, I have no idea how anything on the internet is taxed, and by whom.

rabbitoid: My BrainKing income is collected on Swreg.org which is a part of Atlantic Coast [a British company]. When I ask [usually once a month], they send me the current amount via wire transfer and don't charge any taxes. It is always a subject to tax here in Czech Republic.

I suppose I'd have to declare it here. R i g h t, I'll do my best not to win anything :)

At least you will get to deduct the cost of the new server(s) from your Swreg income (LOL)

Running out of time to sign up for my best navy boats tourny.
UK is full, 2 more needed for USA/CAN ,4 more for Europe, 5 more KM's and none yet for the rest of world. :o(

My apologies to all who had patience for quite a while ...
But after almost a month without the required 15 players
signing up, I sadly had to close them now ... :/

The Janus Tourney will be re-opened around end of october ...

To attract a higher number of occasional players I'll create
a Crowded Backgammon Prize Tourney (Pawns only) ...

For more paying members on a site worth it. ~*~

Nice name for a tournament ?
Didnt someone say we should protect underaged players?

Another place to apply my filter.

I can't believe a BrainRook that has been around since April would create a tournament name like that. What was he thinking?

I've just removed the "F***" word and sent him a warning.