Grand is an enjoyable game, yes. Nice 10x10, active, even-handed. I wish Masters had to qualify on 10x10 boards. Let the 8x8 be for us novices, a "training ground", so said; and when the players reach master level, let the tournaments be played on a 10x10. NOW let's see how the draw offers fall!

redsales: People can be led to fresh water at anytime. FRC is not known to everyone, but it only takes one good exhibition to reveal the powers of new games. Every new idea is unknown until one good exposure throws some light onto it.

Once a few bugs are knocked out, GC Live will be a well-trafficked place, and the gameplay is very good. I hope all are looking forward to it.

WhisperzQ: That current game (as of this post) is not over. The previous game (click on the number "1" on the page) was completed, and they started the game there.

I am enjoying following this...

...one for each of his first magnificent thousand heartbeats!

Grim Reaper: That's called "impossible" for the rest of us ...but the impossible is possible in Janus and Gothic. Small changes on the board open big possibilities. Good luck!

mahavrilla: You could buy 2 Gothic Chess sets ( ) and take the Archbishop out of each one. Or try a Grand Chess set, or a SuperChess set if overseas. Plunder a couple of standard sets and paint the bishops a silver color with fingernail polish, to distinguish them.

I don't get to play enough Janus to answer correctly, but I have gotten that feeling when I played. I would rather let my opponent go first and have the opportunity to weaken her/his position.

ColonelCrockett: Congratulations. well done!

I have Java 1.5.0_02, which should be OK with the requirements, but I am still having trouble seeing the Gothic Room.

Any ideas that might help?

I sent a message to the webmaster,
and I looked at the help screen; it is probably something I have overlooked.

Sumerian:What circumstances?

As before, I have said dialogue is important.

If the conversation does not lend itself to improvement of both sides, keep your piece to yourself, and keep it peaceful for the environment.

We are talking about excited youths playing a fun game (backfield starting positions notwithstanding) and improving board vision, whether in 8x8 or 8x10. That is all this line is discussing. Aspersions cast in either direction will not help this conversation. I know all involved are wellsprings of good information in the right circumstances; I ask that all involved pretend these are the right circumstances in which you each can give your best. I expect nothing else, so I am sure that the right spirit will come to this conversation.

The ability to weigh options you had not previously before considered is a great tool in this game. I saw many kids using the Gothic games as tactics warmups before their 8x8 games, and I had a few come back to me to say their decisions were different as to attacks after playing the Gothic. The idea that "boy, I had never considered that before" tactically means that it had an effect. That the kids felt the effect was positive means that it WAS positive. They were excited, they won their games, and the attacks they used were new means that the game became new to them. To me, that is a plus.

I was a counselor at Emory's Castle Chess Camp in June, and I took my Gothic board and pieces with me. The kids LOVED the game, and it would often be played for hours after class. IMs Jon Schroer and Jim Mundy also had played (and enjoyed) the game. I played FM Andrew Whatley 3 blitz games; I "won" the first one -- he had played before, but he was getting his "gothic legs" back. The second game, he slaughtered me; but game 3 I played more aggressively, and though I lost on time, he admired the mate in 2 I had on the board.

As for the kids, a good many of them wanted to play--we decided 7 min/game with 3 sec/move delay would give them plenty of time, but would keep the board open to new players.

The thing I did not foresee was that the kids wanted to use my board as one of the boards for a bughouse game, with one 8x10 board, and one 8x8 board, with the gothic pieces dropping in and out of both boards as they were captured. They would scream in delight as the chancellor and archbishop changed hands. Other counselors came running at one point because they thought some kids were fighting, but they were yelling and screaming and laughing because of the predicaments the knighted-bishops and knighted-rooks were giving both teams. It was hilarious. One player, David M., age 10, said it was "the future of chess." Several kids agreed. I wanted two of the GMs to play one another, and they were for it--but classes ran so long, and we packed so much into the week, that I couldn't ever get them all together. But I wrote down your website several times for the kids and for the counselors too. I hope the exposure sends some business to some eager chess fans; the kids really loved the game, and some of the counselors suggested that I bring more boards next year to have a gothic tournament there. I figured I could be a bird on your windowsill, GM--had I known I was going to particpate in this camp earlier, I would have suggested it to the organizers this year. But it is held in June here in Atlanta, usually the first week.

Hope for the future.

I took some pics with the kids playing on the gothic board.

Ed and 8x10 fans, I wish you could have seen the "Gothic bughouse". Never have I seen kids have such a good time. I played a couple of times -- it made my head hurt. ;-)

But fun it was indeed.

Good job, Ed. Your work made a lot of kids happy 2 weeks ago.

Well done, sir.

EdTrice: I like it.

EdTrice: How did the conversation go about GC on ChessFM? I didn't hear the broadcast, but if they are replaying it, I would be very interested.

Caissus: Those games are some entertaining ones. Thank you, Uwe.

Caissus: ...and CM 1000 also, both Nigel Davies and Nigel Short are GMs, both British as far as I know; the Nigel Davies I was thinking of is also a writer and a correspondence player. I like his style, and his goals in his games. Just curious.

EdTrice: Is this GM Nigel, or is it a Philadelphia local Nigel? (Or is that the same thing?)

I want each of you to look at how much GC (Gothic Chess) is being played – and some of the good ideas that are being used in the games.

--on Apr 03-2005, we have these currently running tournaments…

Committee Gothic—Rex Nihilo, 4 players--Committee Gothic CrossTable




Ides of March—Ed T., 4 players.-- CrossTable

GC Xmas Giveaway—Ed T., 18 players--Crosstable

Middle Gothic—Tony H, 7 players--Crosstable

Under 1700 Ratings (Intermediates)—GC—Tony H, --CrossTable

GC $500.00 Ist prize, Free to Enter—Ed T., 57 players--CrossTable

GC Tournament under 1900 BKR—PawnMe, 8 players--Crosstable

Remembering Jestone—Bwildman, 15 players--CrossTable

2004 third quarter Open #1 GC—Walter Montego, 14 players--CrossTable

Shooting Fish in a Barrel GC—Bwildman, 16 players--CrossTable

Greenknight’s first GC Tourney—Greenknight, 9 players--CrossTable

March Medley—Nirvana—4 players-- CrossTable

That’s a lot of games, folks. That means that there are a lot of stories to tell. I would like to hear some of them. If you are playing in one of the games, post your side of the story—tell us about your favorite win, loss, or struggle. Any thoughts?

I just received a gothic set from www.gothicchess.org, and it is excellent. I had made a set on my own, scavenging a bishop and knight from another set, and painted a board from scrap board. I painted the bishop and knight to distinguish them from the other pieces. But to have the tournament set helps to dismiss the naysayers at coffeehouses where I have played the game; whereas before some would say I made the game up to give myself some mystical advantage, now they can read the patent # and see the time that has been taken to detail the powers of the piece in the design itself. I have said all that to say to the gothic fan, make a set if you have to, but I encourage you to get a tournament style set for your collection.

Then take it and play one in the public. Shake up the FIDE diehards ;-).

Caissus: (From Feb 15th) www.janusschach.de, I think. I have to check it. I am not sure about 4 times, as I have not read it in a while, but more than once.

I went to gothicchess.at and saw some of the games at the tournament on 01/15/2005 and was quite pleased to see that the option exists for looking at several "live" games as they are progressing. Some are complete; it is good to see the gamescores and play through the games. Well done!

Sumerian: The choice of symbols are great and easy to explain to new players when I show them the board to share the game. Well done.

Strong, strong. Worth checking out. Thanks, CC.

Welcome to the board, HUBY40. We should have a Janus Chess tournament in your honor.

I am also curious about the tourney. Will it be held there again soon?

I am really enjoying the articles at www.chessville.com. It has a great analysis of the possibilities of the game. I appreciate all the work that has gone into it.

For my part, I really would like to see Gothic Chess stay here at BrainKing, as that is my great joy to come here and play.

I would like to see Ed unbanned. We learn from his perspective on the game, and as long as we come together to do that in this fellowship, we collectively benefit.

Long live Gothic Chess.

Of course.

Game ends April 1 2004.

Game ID 309251

HerculesBeast anticonformista
23. March 2004, 03:50:47

1. g2-g4 d7-d6
2. h2-h3 Nb8-c6
3. c2-c3 i7-i6
4. d2-d4 Bh8-i7
5. Ni1-j3 Bi7xc1
6. Qd1xc1 Ag8-h6
7. Qc1-c2 f7-f5
8. Ce1-f3 g7-g6
9. g4-g5 Ah6-g7
10. i2-i4 h7-h6
11. g5xh6 Ag7xh6
12. Cf3-h4 Ce8-f6
13. Ch4xh6 Ni8xh6
14. Qc2-d2 Rj8-h8
15. Ag1-j4 Cf6-h7
16. Nj3-i5 Ch7-f7
17. Ni5xg6+ Kf8-g7
18. Ng6xh8 Cf7xh8
19. Bh1xc6 b7xc6
20. Rj1-g1+ Kg7-h7
21. Qd2-g5 Qd8-f8
22. i4-i5 Nh6-j5
23. Nb1-d2 Bc8-a6
24. O-O-O Ch8-f7
25. Qg5-g6+ Kh7-i7
26. e2-e3 Ba6-e2
27. Rd1-e1 Be2-h5
28. Qg6-g3 e7-e5
29. f2-f4 e5-e4
30. Qg3-f2 a7-a5
31. Rg1-g5 a5-a4
32. Re1-g1 d6-d5
33. h3-h4 a4-a3
34. b2-b3 Ki7-i8
35. Aj4-h3 Bh5-g4
36. Ah3-i4 Bg4-h5
37. Rg5xh5 i6xh5
38. Ai4xj5 c6-c5
39. Rg1-g6 c5xd4
40. e3xd4 Ra8-e8
41. Nd2-f1 Cf7-e7
42. Aj5-h6+ Qf8xh6
43. Rg6xh6 e4-e3
44. Qf2-e2 Ce7-e4
45. Kc1-c2 Ce4xf4
46. Nf1-g3 Cf4xe2+
47. Ng3xe2 Re8-f8
48. Ne2-f4 Rf8-e8
49. Kc2-d3 Re8-e4
50. Nf4-e2 Re4xh4
51. Kd3xe3 Rh4-h2
52. j2-j4 f5-f4+
53. Ne2xf4 Rh2xa2
54. Nf4xd5 Ra2-a1
55. Rh6-a6 h5-h4
56. Nd5-f4 a3-a2
57. Ke3-f3 Ra1-f1+
58. Kf3-g4 a2-a1C
59. Ra6xa1 Rf1xa1
60. Kg4xh4 Ra1-a3
61. Nf4-e6 Ra3xb3
62. Ne6xc7 Rb3xc3
63. Nc7-b5 Rc3-c4
64. j4-j5 Rc4-b4
65. Nb5-c3 Rb4xd4+
66. Kh4-h5 Ki8-i7
67. i5-i6 Rd4-c4
68. Nc3-e2 Rc4-c5+
69. Kh5-i4 j7xi6
70. j5xi6 Ki7xi6
71. Ki4-h4 Ki6-h6
72. Kh4-g4 Rc5-j5
73. Kg4-h4 Rj5-j4+
74. Kh4-i3 Kh6-i5
75. Ne2-g3 Rj4-a4
76. Ng3-f5 Ra4-a3+
77. Ki3-h2 Ki5-h5
78. Kh2-g2 Kh5-g4
79. Nf5-h6+ Kg4-f4
80. Kg2-h2 Ra3-a6
81. Nh6-i4 Kf4-g4
82. Kh2-g2 Kg4-h4
83. Ni4-h2 Ra6-a2+
84. Kg2-g1 Kh4-h3
85. Nh2-f1 Ra2-g2+
86. Kg1-h1 Rg2-b2
87. Kh1-g1 Rb2-j2
88. Nf1-e3 Kh3-g3
89. Ne3-f1+ Kg3-f3
90. Nf1-h2+ Kf3-e3
91. Kg1-g2 Rj2xh2+
92. Kg2xh2

Ends with white's King and knight versus black's King and Rook.
Annotations, anyone?

We are glad you are here, WhisperzQ--to play is most of the point of being here. Ed and Rob and Uwe are fantastic, and their sharp play makes us all sharper by exposure; those with lesser power bring other things to the table instead. Both inputs are important. Keep playing.

As for the computer question, insight is more powerful than the calculation. Man the toolmaker can program the algorithm, but the machine cannot program itself, or program insight. The human machine is outfront. I read an op-ed article in Chess Life that machines calculate in chess faster than a chessplayer; in the same vein, a motorboat moves faster through the water than a swimmer, and a forklift can lift more than a weightlifter. But none of the machines initiate any effort to play or to win--they only do what they are programmed or designed to do, and then only when they are told to do so. Sweep the pieces off the board in a rage against the machine, and the computer does not feel any anger towards you; it doesn't care.

You keep playing, and enjoy your games. Those for whom machines are a crutch, will hang themselves on their own ropes. Correspondence chess is a powerful thing.

I did. How you pulled his king out so early...nice.

Don't pull out the White Shark's teeth so quickly--how will he eat?
(:D)

Points on April 14, 2004:

1.GC:Enter The Vortex—can we set up a chess team and show the standard players how well we do at the standard variation?

2. Look at Gothic Chess King of the Hill2--it began April 11th. Already things are heating up!

3.OOOhh, Fight! One BKR point separates the two warriors. Look in and see what is happening after the 29th move—it is a tight squeeze. Strydor v HerculesBeast

--at 29.h3xg4, we have Black to move and
*FEN b]5R4/PPKNC4P/3P1A1PP1/3PP5/2a1p5/2p1cp1pp1/pp1n5p/1k4r3.

4. We have here another reason why GothicChess is the Kendo of MindSports!

--Tangram (BKR1988) v Taikoki (BKR1442), Mar 6-20th, 38 moves, white resigns, 0-1!

Well played by our chessfriends, but the plan’s the thing!

New players bring new attacks, new priorities, new strategies.

Once GothicInventor said that if Capablanca had gotten the backfile right, we would perhaps be calling Gothic Chessà”Chess”, and I hope he is right someday! Great games.

Thank you for the kind offer.

You did a great job, sir, and you are absolutely right--longtime chessplayers are very intrigued with the gameplay, the actual age of the pieces, and their history. It takes their understanding to new levels, and they cannot contest the logic of the pieces. 3 & 3, singular and dual powers, already hinted at in the use of the Rook-Bishop. Or "queen", if you wish. :D

I'll let him know about your offer.

Yesterday I got to share some GC joy by playing a longtime chessplayer 4 games of Gothic Chess, OTB.

He is a sharp thinker by nature, and has been playing chess for 15 years. He played in high school and college, in the military and his police force also has a "team" whereby they play each other and across precincts. No novice to the standard game, we played a couple of tough games which I had the good fortune of winning. I showed him a couple games of FischerRandom to level the field a bit--I won one with Black, and so did he--and then I offered to show him something new.

We played 4 games of Gothic Chess, and the first 3 he traded off the Gothic pieces, to his disfavor. The 4th he kept them on the board, and we had such a powerful game (for our abilities, of course). The end came to pass with me holding my Chancellor and Queen against his Rook and Archbishop. Had he chosen not to attack, I would have had a time prying him out of his "pawn cloud" he spread quite creatively on his queenside. His king ran inside of it as one would a forest. :)

I pried him out of his safe zone after he tried to attack me. After this last game, he talked and talked about how powerful my Chancellor showed himself to be after some enjoyable attacks on my part, and corralled him out of his safe area.

He wants to play again next Friday.

Gothic Inventor taught me that! :)

<You have to capitalize the 1st letters of the words "ArchivedGame"-->
(take out the asterisks when you add it)
<*a href=/game/ArchivedGame?g=98589*>Game 98589<*/a>

And if you have space at the bottom of your screen, when you put the mouse arrow on top of the "click here" part of the screen, the tag will show up on the bottom left hand side of your screen.
98589

What is a link to this game? Or the game #?

We have the Germans to thank.

Have you ever had a mutual zugzwang in your games?

Tomorrow I have to go and play this through.
Thank you for looking.

Peace and good health to all.

The Gothic Chess Ladder has begun accepting challenges.

Come and see!

Also, the group decided to make it a one-game challenge.

6 battles are ongoing:

A) bwildman (position 12) challenges clean4today (position 9)!
B) ChessCarpenter (3) challenges Oliottavio (2)!
C) MidnightMedic (17) challenges Lythande (15)!
D) MatthewHall (16) challenges Spocko (14)!
E) Nasmichael (10) challenges Fencer (7)!
F) Greenknight (8) challenges Tangram (6)! --this one is particularly important,
as the winner of this clash may face one of the top 5!

OOps. Let me try again. The Gothic Chess Ladder

Please look at The Gothic Chess Ladder to see the list.
Commentary is welcomed.

Following are some of the sites (other than those who name it in the title of the fellowship) that play Gothic Chess. If you are in regularly in contact with any of these “Big Bosses” please let them know we are working on a Gothic Chess Ladder (see the fellowship) and we would welcome their players to come and try their hands and minds there.

I collated some players names, ratings, records, and will put them at that fellowship.

If you are interested in helping manage that site, send a note my way. Thanks to Greenknight and Taikoki for their quick responses as to the possibility of a ladder.

Lion Heart Chess—Nomad, BigBoss
USA—PUPPETMASTER, BigBoss
Wombats United—Cariad, BigBoss
!The Zoo!—Nightstorm, BigBoss
*practice room*--Jason, BigBoss
Ironhorse Saloon—bwildman, BigBoss
THE CAVE—bwildman, BigBoss
Noodleland—Judd, BigBoss
The Mercenaries—Goonerg, BigBoss
HOME—harley, BigBoss
Show must go on—ability, BigBoss
Peppermint Patty’s Challengers—Radiant 36 9, BigBoss
New Beginning—Erika, BigBoss
MadMonkey’s Swing Madhouse—MadMonkey, BigBoss

We need 16 players for the tourney. It will not begin until March, so as not to pull away from one whose registration closes this week.

Gothic Invitational--Fihankra CC

Are you thinking of having another one soon? I'd be interested.

Not invented so much--studied, improved, developed, tested, patented, elevated. A student of the game contributes to the centerpiece, which at its highest levels is burdened by heavy drawing chances.

Chess is now the standard, and of course that is uncontested. I call it "the FIDE variant" because there was a time when it was not the standard, and it was a variant then. Now it has been accepted as such. We all know that, and I am glad it has been time-tested and accepted. We don't argue about it. We all just come together and enjoy it. I am glad to meet you at the boards.

I am finding the same thing as Greenknight. The "FIDE variant" looks a bit simpler, after several games of Gothic Chess. I was just telling a new player the same thing. People that were beating me at the standard boards are NOT winning anymore. The perspective changes at the Gothic board, and the War of Different Armies makes for a stronger player overall.

I hope all parties can work together to keep one of my favorite games, and the reason I play here and have enjoyed myself so much here, on this site which has so much going for it. I know personalities can clash, but "Iron sharpens Iron" and perhaps the sides can rediscover the common ground--the love of the game--that brings disparate personalities together. I love the Gothic Chess here, and I wish for it to stay.
Not Capablanca. Gothic. Work it out.