Almost exactly. He hasn't felt that ChessCarpenter and me were moving too slow, but we were moving too slow!
I feel sorry about this because if i knew he would resign, i would play a lot faster.......

Chessmaster1000: I've a (short) list of players I no longer play as well, because they move too slowly. I don't mind if people move just before the time out every now and then, but I do mind if they make a habit out of it. If in a tournament I'm paired with such a slow mover - I resign at the first move (no rating loss that way). And yes, you've made the list as well. I'll finish our on-going games, but any new games you'll have easy wins.

Why not set up games between yourselves of move limits of 2 days or less.

Jules: Because I'm sometimes away for a few days.

I was looking forward to some very interesting battles between SMIRF and Rob/George. I am rather disappointed that Reinhard did not play at the time control that was set up for the whole rest of the tournament.

Reinhard has always been looking for notes from good players on how to make his program stronger, and I believe he wasted a very good opportunity.

I enjoy when players "take too long" to move. It allows me to map out how to handle every possible strategical scenario of consequence.

I would have enjoyed seeing how SMIRF did given 96 hours or more to move.

Good luck to Rob and George playing out the remainder of the tournament. I hope you both win

http://brainking.com/en/Tournaments?tri=2803

Caissus gets a free Gothic Chess set for coming in second place. Contact me at GothicChessInfo@aol.com to send me the address to send your prizes.

Another tournament ended today that has some very interesting games.

http://brainking.com/en/Tournaments?tri=3432

Note there is a "0" next to my name, as I lost a game to Andreas Kaufmann during the course of that 3-wins match. Andreas played an outstanding game with a surprising Chancellor sacrifice to win it at the end.

I was "motivated" more than ever after that loss, and the final game of the match ended with a very complex Queen sacrifice, taking many moves to turn into a positional gem.

I would like to thank Andreas for pushing me to my limits and playing outstanding games.

Grim Reaper: "... I am rather disappointed that Reinhard did not play at the time control that was set up for the whole rest of the tournament. ..."

If I have not complied to the set time control, then it is fully ok for me not to continue those games.

Sumerian: I'm sorry you feel this way...but I took vaction days for a reason! Anyone that I have played can tell you I move pretty fast in my games!
As for making moves in my other games during this time...well...I had moves planned to make so I made them! I shoud NOT even have to explain myself to you, but I'm a good sport.

ChessCarpenter: Please check following calculation: one move lasted for 11 days (and more if I would have continued waiting), a game consits of about 50 moves for both sides or more, that will finally be about 1100 days a game or more, giving a three years perspective.

If such delays would be caused by vacancies, ok. But if that would happen parallel to regularly played moves in other games, it simply would be a big provocation.

It might be an idea to be recognized, that Fencer should have handled a day with playing activities no longer as a vacancy day.

Sumerian: he could only use 30 vacation days max .. he has only 24 vacation days left so he cant keep using 11 days per move 50 moves long

the total time would be the normal time per move plus weekends without using vacation days .. the vacation days can only add a total of 30 days to the total sum (plus some weekend days which are covered because of the extra vacation days)

4 days per move becomes 6 days per move in most cases because weekend days being added ... would turn into 600 days for a game of 50 moves (minus some because of weekends 'missed') .. this is almost 2 years as well .. so calculating into the extremes a normal game of 4 days per move without vacation days would already take too long i guess

furthermore in your calculation you also assumed you would take 11 days per move as well :)

Hrqls: Well, I always assume equal rights for both side in my calculations. I have no problems with vacations, if that would be time spans without any playing activity. But playing other games while using vacancy days is signalling to the opponent simply to delay the game without reason, which is a provocation.

Sumerian: could be .. but doesnt have to be .. maybe the person who is online while using a vacation day has only limited time and cant move in all games (i often only move in my backgammon games while i leave my chess games (rarely play them) or froglet games for when i have more time

Hrqls: It is more common that the time of people not being in vacation is rather limited than of those in vacation.

Sumerian: not always the truth .. i have less time to play during weekends than during working days :)

people can set vacations because they know they will be busy that day .. not just because they are actually on vacation ..

Hrqls: Those people obviously are thinking they would be busy alone.

Sumerian: *nod* they are thinking they will be busy in real life away from the computer, so they set a vacation day, but during the day they find a short time in which they can pop online for a few seconds and make a move in a few games (or maybe just read a message on a board) and hurry offline again being busy in real life :)

I believe that exhausts the discussion about vacation days for this board ... if you wish to continue please take it elsewhere ... thanks ... WQ :)

I know that ChessCarpenter had just finished playing 9 rounds of chess at the World Open over the 4th of July weekend. He did this without taking any time off of work. The playing schedule plus other demands on his time were exhausting.

Upon returning he was now faced with a very tough finals section of top-notch players.

Just try to put this all in perspective before rushing to judgement.

What is coming

[Note this link will take you to a site outside BrainKing ... mod approval for ad granted ... WQ :]

Someone asked me for this link recently, showing the longest win where an Archbishop and Pawn can win over the Archbishop.

http://www.gothicchess.org/kapka/game.htm

It was not me that asked but i have a question:
Is the 2.Kf5 forced for white in order to win......? By other words: Does all other moves at the second move draw the game(or lose it).......?

One more difficult answer to find (time consuming actually) is: What percentage of moves for the whole mating procedure of white, has just one move for white that wins......?

I think there are 20 moves that are the only winning moves in that ending. And I think 2. Kf5 is one of them, giving away the draw otherwise. I will have to load the ending and check out the solution.

The new live site is up and running today.

Grim Reaper: I asked for my forgotten password but up to now didn't received an answer :-P. "GrosPaul" there.

Grim Reaper: It was some days already.

Hi again,

Well the webmaster is passed out, sleeping right now, after working all night to get it ready.

I see Mattolin was on earlier.

Register another name, you will be able to get in right away!

I have seven games in the "Waiting games" section if anyone would like to play a game or two. 2 or 3 day time limit with vacations and weekends still going.

Attention:
Another tournament brought for you advanced players!
http://brainking.com/en/Tournaments?trg=9940&trnst=0

to grimreaper: A while back you mentioned something about Gothic Chess Board Game being made available by some toy company manufacturer. Has this happened yet?

tedbarber: I'd like to hear this answer as well!

Contact me privately and I will disclose what I can as I am bound by the terms of a contract.

Now this is what I call being in a tough position!

http://brainking.com/en/ShowGame?g=655187&i=88

A nightmare..........! Who is winning......?

Chessmaster1000: not me, for sure!

But why? The only problem i see with a quick look is the advanced d-Pawn. And you have a nice double-pin after all.....

Mate threats supercede all others, and black has them at every turn.

Grim Reaper: A predicament indeed

A tough position yes...but I blew it earlier with a nice ArchBishop sac earlier so.... I won't be too hasty from here on out!

Rob is referring to this position:

http://brainking.com/en/ShowGame?g=655187&i=71

...where Axj3!! wins. Can anyone demonstrate that checkmate?

Grim Reaper:
36. j2-j3 Axj3#
37. i2xj3 (if not then .. Axh2##) Rxj3#
if
38. K-i1 B-j2#
39. K-j1 B-i1#
40. Kxi1 Qj2##
if
38. K-i2 Nh4#
39. K-i1 B-j2#
40. K-j1 and so forth as above.

The only other option might be
37. i2-i3 (or i2-i4) but then Axh2#
38. K-i2 A-g3##

Hindsight is a wonderful thing ... WQ :)

Come on people, get on gothicchesslive.com sometime. It's a lot of fun!

You are right CardinalFlight.

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.

One thing I noticed when I access the Task Manager (cntrl-alt-del) is that sometimes Netscape is showing a process already running under the Processes tab (not the Applications tab) and at these times, I do not get the Java applet components sent to me properly.

Run the Task Manager before you launch your browser. Hit the Processes tab, then sort the "Mem Usage" in descending order (highest to lowest). Look for a process named similar to your browser. If the browser has not even been launched yet, select that item, then click on the End Process button down on the lower right.

Launch your browser.

This has always produced success for me.

I have no clue what this is saying.

http://www.kv.minsk.by/index2005310901.htm

Grim Reaper: Yes, I do. First they mention you as one who patented "Capablanca chess on 10x8 board under the name Gothic chess", then there is some info about world computer championships, then about some brainking tournaments, and live Philadelphia open. They also mention Grim Reaper is your current nick here, then there are some thoughts about online playing through internet etc. Then in the end there is some chess problem, mate in 2 for both sides, who is about to move, wins in 2 moves.

Great win by ChessCarpenter. I never thought I would lose a game with the white pieces!

http://brainking.com/en/ArchivedGame?g=655187

Grim Reaper: Mate in... ?

WhiteTower: I am in check about to lose my Chancellor wich is the only thing keeping his pawn from promoting. The game was clearly over for me