OK, I took all the examples of "ladders" from the different sources, and came up with a plan for BrainKing which I think would work great - taking some of the best from each system, mixing them all together, and making something that BrainKing can call it's own. And the name of this is:

BrainKing Stairs

Here are the details of the BrainKing Stairs (Still a work in progress):
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* Step 1 - Lowest step (rung) - everyone starts at Step 1

* Multiply players can be on the same step

* You are allowed up to 2 games at a time
--- 1 game where you challenge
--- 1 game where someone challenges you

* You can ONLY challenge someone on the same step or within 3 lower as you. (And has not already accepted a challenge from someone else.) Since some better players will be at a higher step then everyone else, they are also allowed to challenge within 3 steps of themselves. (so if they are on step 6, they can challenge anyone from step 6, 5, 4, and 3 only.)

* You can not play the same person for at least 10 days has passed.

* If you win, you move up 1 step

* If you lose, you move down 1 step

* If you draw, you stay of the same step

--- NOTE: Since up to 2 games can be played at the same time, it is possible to end up playing with someone on a different step. The same win/lose rules apply - You move up 1 step for a win, move down 1 step for a lose. (Does not matter if the other person is multiply steps away from you once the game is complete)

* Since it is possible that some people will make it up to a very high step with possible many empty steps in between players, once a month a process will run to “remove” steps which have no players. So if someone is on step 8, and step 7 is empty. Step 7 will be “removed”, and the players on step 8 will now be on step 7.


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BrainKing Rules:

* All games are 3 day games. (If enough interest, at a later date make different BK stairs for faster/slower players?)

* All games are 2 point matches (one of each color)

* Pawns are allowed to enter only 1 BK Stair. (2 games DO count towards the 20 game limit.)

* Knights are allowed to enter 7 BK Stairs. (Games DO count towards the total game limit.)

* Rooks are allowed to enter unlimited BK Stairs.

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Retirement Rules:

* Sometimes you want to take a break from games, and you don't want to start back at the bottom step. This is where Retirement can be used.

* You can "retire" from the stairs.

* When you retire, you still have to finish any current games (win/lose still count)

* Your step position will be HIDDEN from public view.

* You must stay retired for AT LEAST 1 WEEK

* You may come out of retirement and resume the same step on the stairs as when you left. Once you come back, you will not be able to retire again for at least another week.

* If you membership lowers, you will automatically be put into retirement on some ladders to get you down to your limit. You will still be able to finish any current games, and your step value will be kept hidden in case you renew your membership, where you will be able to start where you left off from.

* Possible make an option to complete quit a ladder also, but if they were to ever rejoin, they will have to start at step 1 again.

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OK, that is all for now - my 1st draft of the BK Stairs. Please feel free to give me any comments/suggestions either here, or in my private message box.
… My 2nd draft was done October 2005 when I updated and changed a couple of things.