To all -

The below is a cut-and-paste of part of a message that I put on the Small Pente discussion board.

Here is what I would like to do to resolve this dilema once and for all. I would like to issue a challenge. Not a game challenge like we are doing with some other players, but a 'finding' challenge. Here is the challenge:

Find a VARIANT of ANY mainstream game at IYT or Brain King (I'll consider other sites also) OTHER THAN Pente or Keryo Pente that has the following conditions:
1. The variant must have a name that contains the name of the regular version of the game.
2. Only one SINGLE rule is changed. (I'll even consider 2 or 3 rules based on the situation.)
3. NONE of the pieces, stones, men or whatever is used for moves and/or movement is changed from the mainstream game.
4. The method of winning the game must still be the same. (i.e. no anti-variants which are obviously substaintally different from the original games)
5. The change in the rule(s) DRASTICALLY affects the chances of one side or the other so that one side now wins a substaintal percentage of the time or the game now results in a large % of draws.

In making these requirements, keep in mind that even in GoMoku without the restriction, player 1 has MUCH less of an advantage then in Pente without the restriction, so that cannot compare either.

If ANYONE can come up with ANY variant in ANY game at ANY of these sites that meets all of the above requirements, then I will personally recommend that Fencer create a variant called no-restriction 13x13 Pente and if necessary, I will enlist the help of Dmitri King to do so.

But if people CANNOT come up with a variant of ANY game that is so similar to it's original so that it misleads MANY new players into playing the ACTUAL game incorrectly, then this should be considered a dead issue and should not be brought up again.

The ball is now in everyone else's court. I look forward to hearing about such a variant.


Gary Barnes