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There are 243 results for Groves in the forum.
Don Groves (2006-07-14 02:59:50)
Time limit per move
I feel there should be a firm limit (I would like to see 10 days) and a penalty for exceeding it: (1) Subtract one day from offending player's clock for each day over the limit. (2) If limit is exceeded more than double, game is forfeited. If player cannot abide by these time constraints, they should take leave (or perhaps play in fewer games ;-) Also, I agree with the idea of no moves at all during leave. Leave is leave from FICGS, not just from one game or tournament. Regards to all, Don
Don Groves (2006-08-21 01:38:40)
I agree ...
This would be a nice feature! Those who do not want to be contacted should be able to opt out. The rest of us should be able to communicate freely. The more we foster international communication, even over the chessboard, the better the world will become for all.
Don Groves (2006-08-23 05:04:33)
What about this case...
An opponent just resigned and said "good game" to me in his message. But now his game no longer shows up in my messages, so how can I answer him and express my gratitude for a good game?
Don Groves (2006-08-23 06:48:55)
True, but...
Thanks, Dinesh. But that is not the same to me as being able to send a personal message. -- don
Don Groves (2006-08-24 00:39:25)
re: private messages
ICCF allows this by keeping finished games in a players current game list until the player decides to remove it. This way players can continue to exchange messages about their game until at least one decides to stop. -- Don
Don Groves (2006-09-09 08:30:21)
Second vote for Backgammon
Like Chess and Go, Backgammon is an ancient game. Also it is a game with an element of chance but one where strategy and tactics can overcome bad luck.
Don Groves (2006-09-15 09:14:14)
Challenge GMs for money?
This sounds like just another way to pay for a lesson ;)
Don Groves (2006-09-16 05:05:55)
Go rules
Thibault, I have searched for "go rules" but cannot find anywhere on FICGS where all the rules are spelled out, komi, passing, etc. What is the standard komi for our games?
Don Groves (2006-09-17 08:02:47)
Go rules
Thanks, Thibault, for the information.
Don Groves (2006-09-17 08:48:46)
Good!
This partially resolves the "not being able to readily communicate with others" problem.
Don Groves (2006-09-29 03:16:53)
A small Go help
Thibault, How about leaving the last move highlighted (or maybe the last two moves) to serve as a memory jogger for where you were in that game without having to scroll down and read the moves. It would be a big help to us non-experts who are playing lots of games.
Don Groves (2006-09-30 04:39:26)
Prostate problems?
Speaking as one who has been there, a prime cause for frequent male urination is an enlarged, or perhaps even cancerous, prostate gland. Given that GM Kramnik has been described as ill, this seems a far more likely reason for restroom visits than cheating!
Don Groves (2006-10-05 08:05:37)
Why not manage the pace yourself?
If you only have time to make two moves per day then do that. You will then only receive two new moves per day maximum. If you don't want the emails in your inbox, create a box for unanswered moves, keep them there, and answer them at your own pace. Just my 2 pence.
Don Groves (2006-10-28 06:03:01)
Chess engine as a tool...
An average tool in the hands of a master will always produce better results than the best tool in the hands of an average person.
Don Groves (2006-10-31 09:51:41)
No marked move for me :(
I'm the one who requested the last move be marked but my games haven't had the mark so far. Is this my punishment ;)
Don Groves (2006-11-01 05:24:52)
Browser problem
Thibault, That I don't see the opponents highlighted last move is apparently the fault of my browser since it works fine using IE on someone else's computer. However my browser *does* display the highlight on my move just before I send it. Are the two highlights done by different methods? I can't think of any other reason why my browser would display one but not the other.
Don Groves (2006-11-02 07:27:41)
Browser problem
I'm using Camino on a Mac. Camino is another Netscape spin-off, like Firefox, but offers better integration with OS X. I'll send the Camino team a note about this. Thanks.
Don Groves (2006-11-07 06:43:17)
Now it works in Camino!
Hi Thibault, Did you change anything just now (about 0600 Monday, 7 Nov)? Suddenly, with nothing different in my setup, I see the red Go move in the Camino browser. Regards, Don
Don Groves (2006-11-08 05:48:47)
Now it works in Camino!
For whatever strange reason, it now is working for me. Thanks!
Don Groves (2006-11-13 06:26:54)
Wow...
... and I thought I was an old guy. Salutations and congratulations to Mr. Macarsindale! Oh, and welcome also :-)
Don Groves (2006-11-16 04:33:30)
Go scorer improvement
Very nice. Is it still necessary to have both horizontal and vertical scores?
Don Groves (2006-11-16 08:07:23)
Go scorer improvement
Ah.
Don Groves (2006-11-20 07:33:54)
Go : Komi
I feel 7.5 points komi is too much for some Go games. Since we do not use handicaps (which is good, IMHO) should not komi be reduced if White is a higher rated player than Black? For players of equal ability, 7.5 komi is fine, but when I must give Sebastian Ilie 7.5 points, it seems a joke. He beats me by 200 anyway ;-) I suggest komi be reduced by one point for every 100 (or perhaps 200) rating points difference (to a minimum of 0.5) when White is the superior player. What do others think about this?
Don Groves (2006-11-21 00:45:58)
Go: Komi
Hi Thibault, I'm confused as to why elo ratings matter. Go has used komi a long time to compensate for the first move while chess never has. But in chess, you have narrower rating groups, so practically never is an expert matched against a novice. Since in Go we have only three rating groups, these uneven matches happen many times. Until we have enough Go players to have more rating groups, a sliding komi scale would be a way to level the playing field a bit. PS - I'm not interested in traditional Go handicap games -- the empty board is the only true way to begin, IMHO.
Don Groves (2006-11-21 20:49:23)
Go: komi
Hello Lionel (and Thibault), I think you misunderstand what I wrote. I am suggesting "reducing" komi in certain games, not "increasing" komi as a way to handicap games. I agree the games should not be handicapped. I do not agree that a much higher rated player playing white should receive 7.5 komi against a much weaker player. The much stronger player already has a great advantage and does not need to be compensated for the weaker player making the first move.
Don Groves (2006-11-25 20:42:20)
"Next" request
I would like to see the "Next" function changed to move through a player's games by going to the next game in the list instead of going to the front of the list each time. The reason for this is: if I have skipped over a game because I don't want to move in that game until I have given it more thought, I can't use "Next" to step through my games but must instead use "My Messages" to keep skipping that game. With a long game list, this gets tiresome.
Don Groves (2006-11-26 06:39:26)
"Next" request
It'd be even easier if "next" meant "next", not "first."
Don Groves (2006-11-26 22:43:21)
"Next" request
Hi Thibault, I vote for next id, if that's how you have the list ordered. When the end of the list is reached, then go back to the oldest.
Don Groves (2006-11-27 21:44:06)
"Next" request
Thanks. I'll test it right now ;)
Don Groves (2006-11-29 08:04:02)
Go: Komi revisited
This may have already been discussed but I wasn't around then. ;) I've read in more than one place that komi in Chinese scoring should be half the Japanese value or 3.75 instead of 7.5. Comments please.
Don Groves (2006-11-29 08:18:21)
"Next" request
The new next function still can be irritating when the game with the newest move is the one you want to skip until the end. Next takes me back to that game each time. Is it not possible to cycle through the list of games presented when one logs on? As new games become available, they can be added to the end of this list, not the beginning. In fact, a "Next Game" button beneath the board would be a nice feature, making it easy to skip over games needing more thought.
Don Groves (2006-11-29 23:01:22)
Go: Komi revisited
Forget what I wrote ;) Chinese komi is only 3.75 but they both add it to white and subtract it from black!? Thus, 7.5 added to white gives the same result. In one place I read about this, they left out the second part, which led to my confusion.
Don Groves (2006-12-04 05:25:01)
Intuition
A good definition of intuition is the immediate knowing of something without the conscious use of reasoning. This leads to two observations: (1) Computers cannot do anything without reasoning (programming) and thus cannot act intuitively. (2) Intuition can be trained by practice. The more intimately we are familiar with anything (say a game), the more likely our first impression (immediate knowing) will be correct. So, I think intuition gained through experience plays a large role and an intuitive player can go far in Chess or Go. At some point, however, one must become a good analyst to progress further. I would be interested in opinions about how far in each game (elo rating) a purely intuitive player might progress.
Don Groves (2006-12-04 07:46:15)
Go: "Score" function
Hi Thibault. It would be nice to be able to score a Go game at any time it is being viewed. Is this possible to do?
Don Groves (2006-12-04 22:54:28)
Go: "Score" function
That works, thank you!
Don Groves (2006-12-05 02:05:37)
Intuition
Thibault, I understand your point but in humans (all living things having a brain actually) there is a moment between the observation of something and when we begin to think about it. Robert Pirsig calls this moment our entire knowledge of "external reality." Intuition happens in that moment. I don't think computers have a corresponding state to this (and possibly our own is an illusion ;). You are right that this is a more philosophical question than technical, but as long as we insist on comparing "artificial" intelligence to our own, computers must be subjected to these questions.
Don Groves (2006-12-07 09:01:45)
Scrabble
Thibault, I like this idea! It would be a very complex game and require not only good offensive ability (knowing lots of words) but also defensive ability to stymie the other person. There would still be the luck of the draw however, unless some method were devised to divide the letters evenly in the beginning, as in chess. Like Backgammon, however, it would be a game where skill could overcome luck at times.
Don Groves (2006-12-08 03:00:18)
Scrabble+
Yes, trademark is a problem ;) I have played a game long ago with a 5x5 grid where each player took turns naming a letter and each had to put that letter somewhere inside her grid. Scoring was one point for each letter that was part of a three-letter word or longer both in the vertical and horizontal directions. This game could be expanded to a much larger board with a few premium squares and with more points for longer words. This may possibly be close to your idea about Scrabble+. You have my permission to implement this and we split the enormous proceeds evenly. OK?
Don Groves (2006-12-08 03:02:27)
Waiting Liszt
Sounds like Mladen wants to be protected from himself becoming overloaded with games ;)
Don Groves (2006-12-08 23:27:56)
Disabling Chat
Thibault, I hate to make more work for you but how about disabling chat only on the page where we study the board and make moves. This will satisfy those who don't like the distraction on that page (like me) but who want to see the chat bar on other pages, such as the forum page.
Don Groves (2006-12-29 04:47:56)
Cheating
Chess tournament organizers need only to contact casino owners who have been dealing with these problems for a long time and likely are experts at detecting all forms of cheating.
Don Groves (2007-01-18 07:25:27)
+1
Fairly standard forum jargon. It means he's seconding your opinion.
Don Groves (2007-01-18 07:29:24)
Entering a class tournament
Click on "Waiting lists" then "FICGS Chess Class Tournaments." Click on the tournament that fits your rating and confirm your entry.
Don Groves (2007-02-16 00:47:37)
I Agree...
... both for Chess and Go. Such information will give a much more accurate idea of where each player fits in on FICGS.
Don Groves (2007-03-11 07:04:51)
Draw on perfect play?
If this turns out to be true, then Black will never lose another game!
Thibault de Vassal (2007-03-11 23:44:31)
Quotes from the forum...
I picked up a few ones from the forum ! .. I have great ones by Elmer Valderrama, Ilmars Cirulis, Don Groves and Heinz-Georg Lehnhoff. I keep it secret and I'll add it very soon, I think the authors will appreciate :)
Feel free to suggest me other ones...
Phil, about your quote it also happen at chess ;)
Don Groves (2007-03-13 06:55:09)
Login timeout is sometimes too quick.
Hi Thibault -- I was just typing a long response to a Forum article and when I tried to preview what I had written, I got the dreaded "Try again" message. My login had apparently expired and when I logged in again, all my typing was gone! Is it possible to extend the period of inactivity before we are automatically logged out so this is less likely to happen?
Don Groves (2007-03-14 05:52:59)
CG Rules
You could have an expert player act as referee and when this situation happens, the player who is winning easily asks the referee to end the game. If the referee agrees, he/she notifies the losing player of the decision and, if necessary, explains why.
Don Groves (2007-03-14 05:54:25)
Login timeout
You mean we should backup our work? This is too simple ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-15 00:05:31)
CG Rules
I would not be embarrassed to ask the referee if the game were truly out of hand. The message must be worded properly. Not like "Tell this idiot to resign!" ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-15 22:52:56)
Adjudication in correspondence games
Yes, that is the situation we're talking about. It happens sometimes in games with beginners who just don't recognize the situation. At your level, I think you will never see it ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-18 00:19:33)
Spassky's reaction
I hope he will laugh in their faces, give them a good spanking, and send them back to the board play some chess!
Don Groves (2007-03-20 22:30:21)
Blaise Pascal
I just read that Pascal said that all of man's problems arise because we cannot sit in a room alone with ourselves. Obviously, Pascal never played chess or go on FICGS :-)
Don Groves (2007-03-21 01:44:57)
Pi
Interesting questions in there, Nick. Does order exist within the chaos or does the rational part of our mind impose it so that we can think rationally? Is order inherent in the empty goban?
Don Groves (2007-03-21 02:24:38)
chaos and order
Yes, I'm familiar with chaos theory and fractals but are not these examples of how our rational minds (and our mathematics) impose order on whatever we see?
Don Groves (2007-03-21 05:19:26)
chaos and order
Nick, no other game stimulates me to these thoughts and conversations but then I haven't played them all ;-) Yes, the falling tree does make a sound in the absence of humans -- it may startle a deer for example. Clearly *we* can never know anything outside of human consciousness but to imply that nothing else can exist outside of our consciousness is a bit too anthropic for me ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-21 06:31:14)
Anthroporph... what you said.
Einstein said the universe is like a finely-crafted watch that cannot be opened and that we poor watchmakers can only try to deduce its inner workings by examining the outside. I would only add that must be able to laugh at our feeble attempts to do so. As you say, bring on the games!
Don Groves (2007-03-25 03:10:20)
A new computer Go era?
Eventually computers will be able to play Go on a 19x19 board as well as they can now play on a 9x9 board. It's just a matter of spending the time and money to build a powerful enough computer. But, there's no reason why the Go board cannot grow larger. A larger board, say 23x23, wouldn't change the game much for humans but would astronomically increase the time required for expert computer play. But again, if someone wants to spend the time and money, computers will eventually have the power to be the best Go players, just as in Chess.
Don Groves (2007-03-25 05:50:08)
Computer Go
I was thinking about that very thing, Thibault, the idea of using neural networks to analyze the board first in small areas and then higher level networks would combine the small areas into larger and larger areas until the whole board was analyzed. The problem with this approach seems to me that the size of the small areas is variable depending on the depth of the game. Developing algorithms to deal with this variability could be a very hard problem, whereas humans deal with this problem easily.
Don Groves (2007-03-26 02:04:20)
Computer Go
Yes, we were saying the same things about Chess 30 years ago. This is one reason I feel as I do, the fact that computer capabilities are still increasing just as fast as they did over that period. From experience, using the past 30 years as a guide, I just cannot bring myself to doubt there is much they won't do in the next 30 years. The reason I mentioned neural networks is that they are very good at pattern recognition which must be a large part of the solution if computers are to excel at Go. I do not think a brute force approach, or even a statistical one, will ever succeed at computer Go except in the endgame where they can dominate as they do in Chess once the number of possible moves becomes small enough. But if neural nets can be trained to recognize good shape and then apply basic fundamentals in the opening and early middle game, we already know they will excel in the endgame. It's the latter part of the middle game where I think the action will be in designing computer Go programs -- where fundamentals are not enough and there are still too many moves available to use brute force. But, if computers are ever good enough to get to a winnable endgame, watch out ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-26 22:13:24)
Chess and politics
Elmer wrote: "Was Churchill a chess Master? if that is so, then Bush and Blair must be ELO 1200 ;-)" LOL! I can't speak about Blair but you are overrating Bush by several hundred points.
Don Groves (2007-03-27 02:55:47)
Chess and politics
It probably isn't known much outside the US but Bush is merely a figurehead, not the brains behind what is going on. Cheney and his gang of neoconservative fascists are the real power behind the throne. But, you are right in the sense that they have done so much damage to US democracy in just six years :-(
Don Groves (2007-03-28 01:24:06)
Chess and politics
Now the Taliban has regrouped and is back in the game. Bush doesn't know how to finish a won game. Does he really want to win, or does he just want the game to go on forever, keeping his gang in power in the US and making even more money for his corporate buddies?
Don Groves (2007-03-28 08:46:47)
Chess and politics
Then other country's leaders must stop cooperating with Bush! Unless they do, the US will continue on this path of world domination. There was a report today that Russian intelligence says Bush will bomb Iran on April 6th. The entire world must condemn this action starting now! US military is overxtended and if other countries will just refuse to support more US aggression, it will have to stop at Iraq and Afghanistan.
Don Groves (2007-03-28 21:13:12)
WikiGo?
Not just for joseki but for Go theory at all levels.
Don Groves (2007-03-29 05:55:31)
Droppers: New rule
This rule penalizes resignations the same as quitting (silent withdrawal) and it seems to me that quitting is much worse. With a resignation at least the other player knows what is happening and can forget about the game. Not so with quitters.
Don Groves (2007-03-30 02:40:19)
Droppers rule
Perhaps trying to fit all cases into one rule is not going to work well. How about a ruling troika, Thibault plus two experts of his choice, that rules on the merits (or demerits ;-) of each case and penalizes appropriately. Serial droppers are banned for some period, others are punished less harshly. An undefended resignation is only penalized if the troika decides it was unwarranted. The same applies to Go games as well.
Don Groves (2007-03-30 23:11:57)
100 games per player
Charlie, you are talking to a person who spends 20 hours a day online, or so it seems on many days. You expect him to save you from too much time online? Surely you jest ;-)
Don Groves (2007-03-31 02:53:09)
Too addictive?
Yes, Janos, everyone should have such a good addiction -- the world would not be in such bad shape then :-)
Don Groves (2007-04-01 05:47:37)
EUR 30.000
Here in the backward US, EUR 30,000 would be a big prize -- but 30.000 isn't worth so much ;-)
Don Groves (2007-04-01 23:39:29)
Internet Go vs. Masters
I did not know that April 1st jokes were so popular around the world ;-)
Don Groves (2007-04-02 03:48:17)
Abuse
Probably it should be sent to info -at- ficgs.com (replace -at- by @ without spaces)
Don Groves (2007-04-02 05:41:14)
Sorry
I'll remember to do that in future posts. I forget about those damn ibots :-(
Don Groves (2007-04-05 07:51:16)
FICGS Birthdays
I just learned that Alejandro Suarez-Moreno's wife's birthday is also today! I think we should know players birthdays so we can send them greetings on that day. Maybe put them in each player's information. Mine is Sunday ;-)
Don Groves (2007-04-05 09:25:53)
Opponents last move
It should already be highlighted. What browser are you using, that may be the problem.
Don Groves (2007-04-09 04:33:46)
Chess movie
"Searching for Bobby Fischer" is about a young chess player. More info here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065/
Don Groves (2007-04-10 01:41:45)
Go / Weiqi : Enigma
I wonder, would this move n ever be a good move?
Don Groves (2007-04-12 01:12:45)
Suji
It seems to be an excellent source for Go. Thank you, Mikhail!
Don Groves (2007-05-01 04:44:44)
Small correction...
Thibault -- It should read "more than one clock." More than "a" clock would usually be interpreted differently. [corrected, thx]
Don Groves (2007-05-12 03:19:07)
Skip feature
Hi Thibault, The skip feature is nice but it only skips the game one time. If there are 10 games waiting to be played, skip must be used many times if I want to leave that particular game until last. Is there a way to put the skipped game last in the list?
Don Groves (2007-05-15 07:21:17)
Double RR Go tournaments
I'd be open to trying this -- maybe with four players, so it would still be six games.
Don Groves (2007-05-22 06:40:38)
Dragging out lost game
Just playing devil's advocate here: If a forced mate can be demonstrated, should this be sufficient for a win? On the other hand, should the losing player have the right to play on in hopes of an error by his opponent? It seems one of these questions should be answered with a "yes." That said, what is the rationale for the one month rule? It seems logical that either (a) the game ends immediately upon demonstration of a forced mate, or (b) the game ends normally, most likely when the loser's clock drops or he finally resigns.
Don Groves (2007-05-23 07:33:24)
Go Tetris
Go is difficult enough without dealing with moving stones ;-)
Don Groves (2007-06-11 08:21:25)
Go scoring
Hi Mladen -- Here, it counts the Chinese way (total area occupied, including stones) and always has. -- Don
Don Groves (2007-06-12 09:22:59)
Nigel Davies on the Pirc
Interesting that he would write about the Pirc since I thought he said something in his mailing list a few months ago about giving up on the Modern (a variant of the Pirc) for black which he had played for some time.
Don Groves (2007-06-13 09:22:01)
Rating lists for established players
I agree with this also. Either that or remove inactive players from the current lists. If a person wants to establish an FICGS rating, let them play some FICGS games!
Don Groves (2007-06-18 08:24:45)
New Go rating lists, please
Hi Thibault. The new rating lists are nice! I hope you can find the time to extend them to Go as well as Chess :-)
Don Groves (2007-06-20 09:42:19)
Go rating lists
An active players list for Go would be excellent, Thibault. There are so many inactive players at some ratings that it takes a few "page downs" to get through them all ;-)
Don Groves (2007-07-20 07:43:36)
Go ratings
Hi WIlliam -- To convert from ELO to dan/kyu simply compare the ELO rating to 2100. ELO 400 corresponds to 17 kyu; ELO 1100 corresponds to 10 kyu; ELO 2100 corresponds to 1 dan; ELO 2400 corresponds to 3 dan; etc.
Don Groves (2007-07-20 07:46:32)
Checkers anyone?
It has now been proven: checkers (draughts) is a draw with best play. Details are at http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~chinook/ Is chess next?
Don Groves (2007-07-20 23:09:28)
You beat me to it
Hi Mladen -- I saw it there first too but decided to post the link to the site where the program is based. Now we have both ;-)
Don Groves (2007-08-12 07:56:45)
IE, yeah right
I'll second that sentiment!
Don Groves (2007-08-14 02:16:17)
General comments
Is it possible to write a rule that has no loopholes? There will always be those few misguided souls who will find a way to violate the spirit of a rule while staying within the letter of the rule. They inhabit all segments of society. We can only do our best and hope that FICGS is not cursed with too many of them. IMHO, trying to write bulletproof rules will lead to much complexity, confusion, and even more dissatisfaction.
Don Groves (2007-08-19 00:37:44)
Quote
Internal peace cannot coexist with external war.
Don Groves (2007-08-19 00:46:27)
For poker, bridge, and maybe chess ;-)
If you look around the table and don't see a pigeon, you are it! (pigeon is US slang for an easy mark; a sucker.)
Don Groves (2007-08-31 06:40:09)
Parkinson's other law
Quotes expand to fill the thread alloted to them ;-)
Don Groves (2007-09-02 00:08:08)
Another one about practice
Rodolfo wrote he saw this on t-shirt: "Practice, practice and practice, I will always beat you." In New York City, a tourist once asked someone how to get to Carnegie Hall (New York's most famous concert hall). The answer: "Practice, practice, practice!"
Don Groves (2007-09-20 07:58:42)
New interface!
Excellent changes, Thibault! Much smoother now. One request I have: please show the remaining clock next to each game on the page after we submit a move. This will help greatly in deciding which game to visit next. -- Don
Don Groves (2007-09-20 08:23:56)
One more thing...
I just noticed there is no longer a "back" button. With no "back" button, I am afraid of sending a wrong move! Can we have the "back" button back ;-)
Don Groves (2007-09-20 08:47:33)
Please don't min my poor eyesight!
I just noticed the clock is there already, in smaller print Which I missed seeing :-(
Don Groves (2007-09-21 04:31:25)
One more thing...
Thibault escrit: "About the clock in My games, should I understand that you never used this page before, after one year playing at FICGS ? :)" I've always used the "My messages" page instead ;-)
Don Groves (2007-09-21 04:33:39)
One more thing (again)
Josef escrit: "Hello Don, simply click on the target field and the move is take back." Hello, Josef, and thanks for the tip!
Don Groves (2007-09-23 00:37:32)
100 best moves on FICGS?
Even though it is my own move, I nominate White's ninth move in game 1972. It proves the adage that the only absolute pin is against the King!
Don Groves (2007-09-23 00:46:41)
One more thing...
You are correct, Thibault! My Games is easier to use than My Messages. So why don't you send us directly to My Games after logging in? ;-)
Don Groves (2007-09-24 10:14:28)
Good points...
... by both of you ;-)
Don Groves (2007-09-28 05:48:24)
New interface
Just as I was getting used to seeing My Games after submitting a move, now I'm taken to a game! I'd rather see My Games so I can choose which game to see next.
Don Groves (2007-09-28 20:07:16)
Next game option
Ah, merci!
Don Groves (2007-10-02 05:32:52)
Rating lists
It is good to have a rating list now for active players, that list is much shorter. But still, I see a problem. I checked only one person for this but I'm sure there are others -- this person is playing several games of Chess and no games of Go, yet is on the list of active Go players. IMHO, the active players lists should be limited to those currently active in each game.
Don Groves (2007-10-03 01:57:25)
Go fork?
I think "double atari" would be the term for a fork in Go.
Don Groves (2007-10-10 00:59:50)
Cracking Go?
As I've pointed out before, unlike Chess, the Go board can be made larger without seriously affecting the game for human players. Making the goban 23 by 23 (Big Go?) would multiply the number of possible games by 3.74e+50 and render brute force algorithms ineffective once again. This would also stimulate Go research as new fuseki and joseki would need to be discovered. Sadly, the day will come when the computer will dominate Go -- and every other human endeavor, except maybe for sex ;-)
Don Groves (2007-10-11 01:03:35)
Cracking Go...
I don't agree, Thibault. If your statement were true, how do you explain that computers can play at nearly the highest level on a 9x9 board today, yet not on the larger sizes?
Don Groves (2007-10-11 02:08:40)
Cracking Go
Svante Carl von Erichsen escrit: "This statement seems to relate not so much to Go but more on projected calculation power of supercomputers. My impression is that "provocative" is the main intent here." No, my intent was serious, only the small joke at the end was not ;-) By making the goban lager, Go can avoid the fate of Chess regarding brute force analysis. Even at a trillion moves per second, as mentioned in the article quoted by Thibault, brute force analysis will fail if there are trillions of trillions of trillions of possible moves!
Don Groves (2007-10-11 02:12:45)
My mistake...
I meant to say "making the goban 'larger' in my previous post, not "making the goban 'lager'! If the goban were lager, then after a few games nobody would care about stupid computers anyway ;-)
Don Groves (2007-10-11 03:52:23)
Re: lager?
Yes, same for me. Or sometimes a glass of Pinot Noir.
Don Groves (2007-10-11 23:04:10)
Pinot Noir
Bonjour, Claude! It's been a long time since we last spoke. I'd love to have a glass of that 2003 vintage ;-) And I agree with Hofstadter also...
Don Groves (2007-10-11 23:33:36)
knowledge and 9x9, etc...
My 0.02€: Chess has rules which make it easier to program than Go. Just one example, when the King is in check, the search tree of possible moves is pruned enormously. Go has no analog to this. Until the endgame, even when several pieces are in atari there still may be a better move than saving them. As for "playing like a master...," Chess is far more local than is Go. In Go, the whole board must be nearly always in focus, not so in Chess where losing a local battle can spell almost certain defeat. Another factor in making Go so difficult to analyze is the evaluation function which the program uses to decide on the best move. This is far easier to do for Chess than for Go. Maybe I'll start working on a Go program, just to prove myself wrong ;-)
Don Groves (2007-10-12 03:05:24)
knowledge and 9x9, etc...
I'll be very happy to resume in ten years! That means I will have made it to age 80 :-)
Don Groves (2007-10-18 04:40:54)
Feynman on Go
Hi, Philip -- I don't know of any specific details on that sort of progress but Richard Feynman was one of my heroes. I was blessed to get to attend a lecture of his on a field trip to Caltech for high school math and science seniors and have never forgotten the experience.
Don Groves (2007-10-21 04:25:53)
Go freestyle tournament
Another consideration is which time zones the players are in. Standard tournaments around here are two hours per game (1 hour on each player's clock plus five, 30 second extra periods.) Even being all in the same time zone, it's still difficult to play four games per day.
Don Groves (2007-10-21 04:46:54)
Garry Kasparov
One the video guests on Friday night's US television program, Real Time with Bill Maher, was Garry Kasparov who had been in New York (his family is still there for a while longer). Maher is a political comedian and most of his show revolves around anti-Bush humor. Everyone (including myself) was amazed at the knowledge (particularly of Middle East politics) and political maturity shown by Kasparov! In addition, he easily outdid Bill when it came to comedy, saying at one point that he was aiming quite a bit higher than simply being better than Bush. I wish we had him running for our president!
Don Groves (2007-10-22 07:14:48)
Re: Kasparov and humour
Hi, Dinesh -- Kasparov seemed so relaxed and spontaneous with his humour on the show, it seemed like he had been that way all his life. Maybe he has been lurking on FICGS for quite a while ;-)
Don Groves (2007-10-26 01:29:15)
Elections...
And here in the US, we are fighting to have fair elections instead of stolen ones, so we have a lot in common with Kasparov. One difference between the two battles: in response to a question from Bill Maher, Garry said he had hired bodyguards for himself and his family. So his fight is more dangerous than ours -- so far...
Don Groves (2007-10-26 07:45:43)
Stolen elections
There is much evidence that the vote count was manipulated in favor of Bush both in 2000 and 2004. The states of Florida and Ohio were suspected both times. In Ohio, the president of the company that makes most of the US voting machines said in 2000 that he would do everything he could to insure that Bush was elected. His voting machines leave no paper trail, so recounting votes manually is impossible -- we are left to trust the machines! Such is the state of political affairs in our so-called democracy. One of Hitler's minions, I forget which one, said "it doesn't matter who votes, it matters who counts the votes."
Don Groves (2007-10-27 02:49:01)
Voting machines
The US now has some states banning voting machines also. But the states that favor the neo-conservative (more correctly, neo-fascist) status quo in our country will keep using them. Another vote-stealing effort that has been used in Florida and probably others as well, is challenging poor and minority citizens over their right to vote. Often these people cannot prove their resident status and so they are deprived of their rights. A tactic used in Ohio in 2004 was to put very few voting booths in minority neighborhoods, forcing voters to stand in long lines. When the polls closed, those still in line were told to go home. Politics is a very ugly business...
Don Groves (2007-10-30 04:22:43)
New Go categories
Excellent!
Don Groves (2007-11-13 22:59:04)
Number of games limitation
Hi, Thibault -- I agree with a limit but not for the reason of protecting a player from himself (or herself) because that cannot be done ;-) But to protect the rest of us from long waits between moves, unnecessary forfeits, poor quality games, etc., it is a good idea.
Don Groves (2007-11-20 23:21:28)
Life imitates chess
It's interesting how we humans invent things and then begin to to behave like our own inventions, or let them run our lives. Money, time, ..., chess. Is the Matrix coming or is it already here in a more subtle form?
Don Groves (2007-12-23 23:09:57)
Happy Holidays...
... to all and best wishes for the new year! -- Don
Don Groves (2008-01-17 03:33:19)
Same here...
Hi, Thibault -- Since I only play Go and the challenges are only for Chess, I will never use this either.
Don Groves (2008-01-17 06:38:49)
The list...
... the never ending list of improvements ;-)
Don Groves (2008-01-25 09:45:36)
Logged out!
Hi, Thibault -- I'm being logged out rather quickly again. I log in, take a few minutes to decide on a move but when I make the move, I am told to try again. I thought the practice of being logged out automatically had ended a while back.
Don Groves (2008-01-26 00:04:01)
Logged out!
Hi, Thib -- it just happened again. It's been happening regularly just in the past few days. I use Firefox on a Mac with OS X, which shouldn't matter, but I know sometimes does ;-)
Don Groves (2008-01-27 06:44:11)
Logged out!
I think it was scrolling. I'll pay closer attention from now on ;-)
Don Groves (2008-02-02 22:21:23)
Logged out!
Hi Thibault -- It seems much more forgiving now, did you make a change?
Don Groves (2008-02-04 00:18:53)
Logged out!
I do have an active imagination ;-) It must be an obscure interaction with Firefox on OS X. It is very sensitive to extra keystrokes on FICGS. If I accidentally hit a second key while waiting for FICGS, Firefox hangs (only on the FICGS tab) and must be restarted to fix the problem.
Don Groves (2008-02-04 05:12:27)
mystery
Maybe it's a rotating problem so as not to bother one user excessively ;-)
Don Groves (2008-02-04 23:18:00)
don's bug
Ha! I've already learned that lesson. Now I save long posts frequently ;-)
Don Groves (2008-03-24 22:34:11)
Quote festival
"The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket." -- unknown
Don Groves (2008-03-24 22:35:16)
another...
"There are two theories about arguing with women. Neither one works." -- unknown
Don Groves (2008-03-24 22:52:52)
correction
I just discovered those last two quotes I sent were by Will Rogers, an American humorist who died in a airplane crash in 1935.
Don Groves (2008-03-26 06:00:24)
Teaching games?
Go teaching games would be way for FICGS to improve the caliber and possibly the number of Go playing members. How about it, Thibault, and other top players?
Don Groves (2008-04-15 06:11:08)
Resigning
To resign a game, check the box that says "Resign" and then press the "Send" button
Don Groves (2008-05-09 07:02:53)
Go categories
Hi, Thibault -- I think the Go categories need to be looked at. We don't have enough players in the 5 Kyu to 10 Kyu range to fill the Kyu II groups, making it difficult to continue to improve after reaching 10 Kyu. Maybe combining Kyu II and Kyu III would help? One can only continue to improve by playing against stronger players.
Don Groves (2008-05-12 03:26:14)
Rating changes
I disagree. The rule has always been that TER (tournament entry rating) is what counts. I vote to keep it that way. Sometimes tournaments can wait weeks before starting and I don't think anyone should be penalized for losing a game while waiting.
Andrew Stephenson (2008-05-12 11:40:20)
Rating changes
I agree with Don Groves - there is no need to make the change suggested IMO
Don Groves (2008-05-16 06:03:34)
Erm...
Hi, Lincoln -- You learn quickly here to save long postings. That has happened to me more times than I care to admit ;-) The timeout for automatic logging off seems to vary considerably -- sometimes minutes, other times hours.
Don Groves (2008-05-29 00:17:16)
Fast games vs. slow games
Hi, Mik -- Fast games are more often lost by a mistake rather than won by good play. Many of us enjoy the challenge of finding the best move and winning by good play instead of relying on opponent mistakes. Try it, you may like it too ;-)
Don Groves (2008-05-31 09:53:29)
Scientology virus
This new virus is also called HIV, Rodolfo. Instead of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, it is the Human Intellideficiency Virus ;-)
Don Groves (2008-06-01 00:14:24)
Scientology
I guess Heinlein lost that one although, as I recall, it didn't become an official "religion" until after Hubbard's death.
Don Groves (2008-06-02 04:42:09)
Satanic elements
I don't know if they are satanic but they have lots of lawyers, which amounts to the same thing ;-) What other "church" has so many lawyers or so much money to spend on them.
Don Groves (2008-06-02 04:45:58)
Films with Go
"A Beautiful Mind" and "Prime" both have scenes of Go playing.
Don Groves (2008-06-03 06:43:39)
Poker at FICGS
Skill in poker is in how you manage your money and knowing when to bluff and when not to. If the stakes are not large enough to make bluffing meaningful, then it becomes simply who gets the better cards -- a game of chance. Just my $0.02 worth ;-)
Don Groves (2008-06-04 06:13:07)
Poker
--- Jason Repa wrote: "There's a bit more to the game than just knowing when to bluff. Poker is all about exploiting mistakes and minimizing both the frequency and magnitude of the mistakes that you make. Mistakes can take various forms, ranging from tells, to lack of or too much aggression, to letting your emotions get the better of you, making mathematical errors, etc." -------- I should have said my statement was about those who know the mechanics of the game. Once someone can play technically correct poker, as you would find in any high-level game, then bluffing and money management become paramount.
Don Groves (2008-06-04 07:18:03)
Poker
As usual, Mr. Repa, you eventually turn every disagreement into a personal attack. I'm surprised you didn't mention how much higher your chess rating is than mine. You prove my point about bluffing when you say that poker is more a psychological game than a mathematical one. That is one thing we can agree on. Yes, I'm quite sure Barry Greenstein knows a bit more about the game than I do, and I'm just as sure he knows at least that much more about it than you.
Jason Repa (2008-06-04 09:11:18)
Poker
As usual, Groves, you're returning to your trolling ways once again. You're the one who started with the personal attack here, not me. I simply stated that that there is more to poker than mere bluffing and money management, as you contended. You seriously don't know anything at all about the game of poker. That's not an attack, that's a fact. I was studying the value of inflection points and stack to pot ratios when you were struggling to learn the difference between a straight and a flush.
Just as you're a 1600 chess player, so you're showing your mediocrity where poker is concerned by grossly oversimplifying what the game is about. Saying that poker is more a game of psychology than math is hardly saying that all there is to poker is bluffing, as you repeatedly and mindlessly keep stating. For starters, bluff