Of more immediate interest to me would be an interface (like WinBoard, for example) that could seve as a digital Gothic chessboard and that could read and save moves in PGN format. However, I do think a strong chess engine would also be nice (to play against, practice with, and analyze with). I would be more interested in an extensive endgame tablebase than an extensive opening book, but I may be in the minority. A downside to having a strong Gothic Chess engine is that some would use it to play for them in online games (as happens with chess now).

Does anybody think a program to play the game of Gothic Chess would be cool? One with an opening book, the ability to search ahead (fast, not like Zillions) and analyze positions? Or do you think that such a program might spoil the game?

Put your opinion in here, feel free to elaborate.

Ed, requested website change is done, but only for next Monday's update. Apologise for this, but really didn't have time this week to chase up on the earlier file.

PS: Know how to auto-point the bow/odyseuss account to the new account?

More-n-more 65 people showing up here without notice! :)

You might want to go to http://www.GothicChess.org/how_to_play_games.html (or just click here ) and review some of the games there. They are animated files, so you just sit back and watch a little movie.

as I am new to the game is their any place to go to get a hint of the openings to use with this game. thanks any help is needed.

I finally finished annotating my marathon game with nstre. I am working on getting caught up with the website.


http://www.GothicChess.org/gotm_2003_04.html

is the link or

click here to go there directly.

Something from a recent game. I must admit that it was unintentional, but demonstrates the usage of the additional firepower to win a 'lost' game.

I've been playing a little badly, but I hope to have a rather interesting endgame to share next week. It's called 'how to throw away two major pieces to win an endgame' ~ Hope I pull it off because there really isn't any other way to win that game :P

1. Nc3 f5 2. Nh3 e5 3. b3 Nc6 4. g3 e4 5. f3 d5 6. Ba3+ Ne7 7. Ac5 b6 8. Af2 Ba6 9. fxe4 dxe4 10. Nf4 c6 11. d3 g5 12. Nh3 Bxc3 13. Cg2 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 exd3 15. cxd3 g4 16. Nf4 c5 17. Ch4 Rc8 18. Ne6+ Axe6 19. Cxh7+ Kg8 20. Qh8# 1-0

I put your flags there intentionally :)

I like the Czech and Slovak flag at the
Additional International Shipping box. Were the flags chosen randomly or is there some hidden pattern? ;-)

Orders are now being accepted for the next batch of sets that will arrive in August.

This is the order link for those that are interested.

Thanks.. I just saw it listed at the top of the webpage..;)

The tournament will start on September 1.

I was curious as to when you had to be registered by. I didn't see it listed anywhere here or on GothicChess.org, so I figured this would be the place to ask..

Thanks,

Brian

Registrations are now being accepted for the World Championship Qualification tournament. Whoever wins this event will receive a MINIMUM of $2000 and earn the right to play me for the title of World Champion.

For more details, go to GothicChess.org and follow the links.

There are prizes of $150 for each section winner, so there is a 1 out of 8 chance you will win money in this event!

Here is a chance that doesn't come along everyday I'd imagine -- an archbishop forking 4 (count 'em - 4) major pieces in one move. You can see it HERE. My A simultaneously attacks the opponent's K, Q, C, & R. Felt very satisfying. I hope you'll agree.

In my match against Tonyh (http://brainking.com/game/ArchivedGame?g=117017),he has a little advantage at the beginning o the endgame after my to careless playing.Even so Tonyh lost this match after a long endgame.At which position did he mistaken? Who helps me with an analysis?

And to ensure that the link (and any other BK-related links) will really work for everybody, use relative URLs instead (<a href=/game/Tournaments?trg=822&tri=3319>) :-)

For those of you who tried to unsuccessfully join up using the link below, I think I have fixed it now.
W. :)

Join up in a Janus section, HERE.

Sets are $36 mailed anywhere in the United States. There is a greater cost if shipped elsewhere in the world.

Sponsors ask one question up front: What is the head count?

We are not nearly ready to begin appealing to sponsors.

idea: you could also look for external sponsors. I understand Intel might be keen on computer gaming if you would talk to them.

How much are the chess sets?

What I am thinking is that maybe (for bunnies like me unlikely to get past the first round) it would be the extra enticement to get me in. It would mean the entrance fee might need to increase to say $75 but that way every participant gets some recognition of being in the comp and doesn't go away empty handed. It would be great for working through games and could be embossed with something like "PARTICPANT IN THE FIRST WORLD GOTHIC CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP". Probably wouldn't work next time (as many would already have sets) but that is a while away. It would also have the benefit that it gets the tangible product out into the world and not just left being played (for most of us) on here.

Comments? [Revsion 1]

When figuring out the payouts, why not include some other things like mugs, board, etc... (other non-cash items).

That would be a $300 payout per $400 of entrance fees, leaving nothing of substance for the winner.

The formula will be:

$150 per preliminary section round winner, no matter how many sections.

If we used your example, with 16 sections and a second tier of payouts, then only $1600 would be available to the FINALIST who gets to play me for the world championship.

I think you will agree a split of $1000 to the winner then $600 to the runner up is rather thin for such a grand title.

The finalist who wins the whole thing will get another $125 times the total sections playing at the start. With your 16 section example, that is $2000 for the finalist.

Are you taking into account rounds 2 and 3 having the $150 dollar payout as well? Or just round 1?

If there was 16 sections of 8 players in round 1, assuming that there is only one winner per section, there would be 16 players divided into two sections for round 2. Would the winners of those two sections also get the $150?

I am thinking $50 to enter, with 8 player sections. The winner of each section gets $150, no matter what, paid immediately as the results are determined.

This way there is one payout for every 8 entrants, independent of the total number of players.


There would then be a payout to the finalist who wins this event, and this dollar amount would depend on how many sections we have.

My thoughts are that this payout should be very, very high. Like ridiculously high.

When the person plays me thereafter, it would be for a trophy and a title with the money depending only on how many are in the tournament.

Some examples:

8 sections of 8 players will produce 8 winners of $150. The person who wins the tournament would get an additional $1000 and gets to play me for the title of World Champion, but there is little money left over for this.

The more sections we have, the richer the payout is.

10 sections, $1250 to the winner
15 sections, $1875 to the winner
20 sections, $2500 to the winner

What do you guys think?

I certainly would play!!! I think only the top 2 players should get money, but I'm sure if we got 200 or more players in the tournament that we can have an alternate winning formula prepared. September isn't that far away but i think $50 is a steal of an entrance fee to win this kind of money! Also, I think Ed's offer of playing him to win an additional $1500 is very generous and we would be crazy to turn this down.

I would like to play but I currently have no extra money to pay. On the other hand, the situation can be better on September :-)

I might. But I'm hoping that maybe the top 10 could get a little bit of return, somewhat like in golf, so there is some hope of a return even if you dont make it all the way.

I am wondering how many people would pay a $50 entrance fee to play for the World Championship Qualifying event here on BrainKing?

I would not participate, of course, but the winner would play me for the title.

As soon as the person wins, they get the $1500 second prize money, since they can do no worse than this. If they beat me, they get another $1500.

What do you guys think? Would you pay to play?

I think one of my partners at www.the65thsquare.com is working on our own viewer for Chess, and is trying to figure out how to implement the system for use with Gothic. The Janus one might have to wait. He's busy trying to get a degree in Programming or something like that..

I am already working on a way to catalog all of the games here on BrainKing, but it is a ways off.

With the new download-feature in pgn,fencer gave us a good possibility to collect and read games with a pgn-reader.
Naturally we can not play with these utilities games on a 10x8 board (only standard chess)Perhaps there is a computerfreak who can produces a pgn-player for 10x8 boards? Best would be with the Gothic and Janus pieces.

Yes, it is planned for September, but as I read his question, which uses the present tense:

"Aren't we playing for the title of World Champion in the current BrainKing Gothic Chess Tournament?"

I took that to mean 65 thinks that the winner of the CURRENT 103 player tournament would be the World Champion, and this is not the case. Whoever wins that tournament would be $250 richer.

The World Championship will have an entrance fee, and the winner will get thousands of dollars, not just a few hundred.

I thought that World Championship was planned for September, wasn't it?

Nope. Just money.

Aren't we playing for the title of World Champion in the current BrainKing Gothic Chess Tournament? I thought that was what you mentioned in a previous message.

Today I received my Gothic Chess Set and I would like to say that it is a beautiful set. Even in very low like it shines. I would suggest that anyone who doesn't have one yet should spend the 36 bucks and join the future of chess. Thank you Ed.
GK

That is defintely a pounder!

Another example of "lethal archbishop":

Here :-)

...I am trying to remain IMPARTIAL as this is a CONTEST...but if you show me SOMETHING leading to a perpetual check draw you get the mug.

If Cassias, whose GAME this is NOT, but who seems to be closer to the mark in being able to analyze it....should he show the correct sequence, the mug is his.

Now back to work, this IS boot camp LOL!

Of course I can! What is this? Boot camp? ROFL!

It appears to me that after 39...Qxh7 40.Nxh7 Kxh7, White must play 41.h5 (41.Ah5 doesn't seem to go anywhere since it doesn't even set up a check next move). Then, after 41...Nxf4 42.Ai5+ Ki7 43.Bc1 e5 44.Ng6+ Kh6, it's not at all clear (at least to me) how White is supposed to force a perpetual check. It does appear that White can gobble up a couple of Pawns along the way and that his chances of holding the draw are excellent, though.

Aaarghh! I've lost one game in my section of $250 tourney. Luckily, my opponent has one lost game as well so I hope that S-B points will work for me ;-)

You can't give up analyzing your OWN GAME! Back to work!

Interesting! I admit to not considering 39...Qxh7 seriously since it appeared to give up Black's advantage. OK, I've spent enough time on this and don't see how White can force a draw in this line, although it seems to me that Black's chances for winning have essentially evaporated. I guess I'll just have to use the stainless steel mug I already have! :-)

By the way this is the same kind of mug they sell in target for $14, it is stainless steel and has one of those thermal lids that keeps hot stuff hot for hours! I bought 300 hundred of them, so I need to make some damn money on this deal :)

Anyway, Caissas has the correct idea, exchanging off the queen for the Rook, Knight and Pawn is the only way to keep Black from getting in trouble.

With the king off of the back rank and the Rook able to eventually get free, white would have to settle for a 3-fold repetition.

So, after 40...Kxh7 continue, you are not out of the woods yet :)

But Juan,after 38...Ng6, 39.h7+ he plays 39...Qxh7 40.Nxh7 Kxh7 and this is the critical position you have to prove...,probably a little bit better for black...

OK, I'll step up to the plate; after all, it's my game! In fact, I think perhaps I should get a GCA mug just for coming up with the idea of 35.Rxh6+ against Ed. :-)

After 38...Ng6, 39.h7+ Ki7 40.Ah5+ Kh6 41.Aj7+ Kg7 42.Ah5+ Kh6= (42...Kf8 Axg6+)

After 38...Qe8, 39.h5 (with the idea 40.h7+ Ki7 41.h6+ Kj6 42.Ai6 Ng6 43.Ah5+ Ki5 44.Aj4+ Kj6=). If 39...Qf8, then 40.Ai5 followed by 41.Ah7+ Kj6 42.Ai5+ Ki8=. Moving the Bishop doesn't help: For example 40...Bf6 41.Ah7+ Kh8 42.Ai6+ Ki8=.

After 38...Nc6, 41.Ai5 followed by 42.Ag6+ Kj7 43.Ai5+ Ki8=. If 41...Rg8, then 42.h7+ followed by 43.hxg8=Q (or, perhpaps, 43.hxg8=C). If 41...Qj7, then 42.Ag6+ Kj8 43.Nh7+ Ki8 44.Ni5+ wins Black's Queen for a Knight.