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Is this still going on? Last I checked this topic was "only" 6 pages long. Since I realize it is futile, I'm not arguing a side anymore; I really just want this topic to die. Both terms are not perfect; they each have their problems.
One side argues that the term used must be a descriptive. Savestate/Slowdown Run is even more descriptive than tool-assisted speedrun, and it is exactly the same number of letters long. If you are looking for the most descriptive term, why isn't this being used instead?
Conversely, other side argues that "tool-assisted run" is a bland term, so a better sounding term must be used. God-Run, Miracle-Run, etc. are even more attractive terms than something derivative like timeattack. Why not use those? Why resort to something so unoriginal? Is it because timeattack is cool while at the same time being vaguely descriptive?
Finally, there is talk of precedence supported by references to a Doom Community that started it all. This community does not have to dictate what happens here. This site is not part of that community, nor has that community directly contributed to its the creation, growth, or maintenance. Moreover, constant arguments over "tool-assisted run" hints that it is not so well established. Strict adherence to precedence makes us inflexible and unchanging.
With this I start a new side of the argument. This is for those that don't particularly care what you call these runs and want this topic to be dead. Join me.
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This is like trying to play a perfect game of chess. In a 4-player run you're better off planning to have one player win than to try to play "perfectly" with all four; there are just too many possible variations to be able find which one is perfect.
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I gotta prepare though, it's over a thousand dollars for me if I win! I could technically set up an SNES and play DKC between moves, I don't think that's against the rulebooks. Unless I play SNES Chessmaster, but I still don't think they'd mind because SNES Chessmaster sucks. :)
I wish they had Chess tournaments in NFLD...
I remember one back in December, but you're right, there aren't as many as there should be. Just move to Ontario. :P
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yeah, my bad, I meant a2 instead of h2. The error is on the move Kf6, white can't recover after that, so try experimenting with other starting variations.
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You gave a good analysis, but there is a problem with the line. It is true that h5 is bad response for black, so we'll assume he does play Kxh7 (which you correctly identified as black's better response) and continue from 3. Ke4:
3... Kg6 4. Kf3 h5 5. gxh5+ Kxh5 6. Kg3 g4 7.Kg2 Kg5 8. Kg3 Kf5 9. Kg2 Ke4 10. Kg3 Kd4
Black is going to capture the h2 pawn, but white is too busy with the black g-pawn to be able to stop him.
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Newcomers don't know that there are fundamental differences between the two runs, so it is possible that they may choose the 96 exit run just because it "does more levels" then never watch the 13 exit run afterwards. If they watch the 13 exit run first however, they may get a taste of the gameplay and download the 96 exit to see how the rest of the game is handled. This is all speculation though, as I don't know what it's like to be a newcomer browsing the best movies page, but I think first impressions matter too much to cause confusion by having two runs of the identical game.
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Puzzle #3
White to Play and Draw.
Here's a puzzle where white is in quite a bit of trouble. Put this in a chess program it will probably tell you that black has a win, but with proper technique white can draw here. Like the last puzzle, this one is difficult, and the solution is at least around a dozen moves.
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Wrong. After c6 black releases the knight on e8, following by the rook on f8, knight h7-f8, bishop g8-h7 with possible check and finaly the queen on h8. So this pieces are not dead, it only needs some time to release them.
I was talking about the pieces on the top right of the board, meaning f8, g8, h8, and h7. I already mentioned that the knight gets free from c6 and that the rook escapes. This was all my guess before I did the puzzle so I didn't know for sure. I'm still going to call the queen "dead" though, because she has no time to free herself to terrorize white. :P
A side question: What is your current Elo (playing strenght) Deviance?
At a local club I play, I have an elo of around 2200, but this includes blitz games as well. My slow play rating is not as high because I haven't been in too many tournaments lately. Overall, I would estimate that I am very slightly over 2000. There's a FIDE tournament here in July, so hopefully by then I'll have an international rating.
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1. Nc2 Rd7
Nb3 eyes the f5 square but it does not lead to mate due to complications of having the knight move through d4.
2. Ne3 Bd8 3. cxd7
Else the black rook will be free.
3... c6 4. Ke4 cxd5+ 5. Kd4! f5
[5. Kxd5?? Nc7+ 6. Kxd6 Re8! -/+]
6. Nxf5+ Kf67. Kxd5 Nc7+8. Kxd6 Nxb5+
delays mate.
9. axb5 Bc7+10. Kd5! Be5
[if the bishop is taken with 10. Kxc7??, then 10... Ke6 -/+]
11. Ba3 Bd612. Bb2+ Be5
[12. Bxd6 also wins.]
13. Bxe5#
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black will free the rook, so it will distract white's plan a bit. My instinct tells me: the knight needs to be on f5, bishop on a1-h8, and that both the black rook and bishop need to be captured. Taking the rook of course allows c6 by black which means he frees his knight as well. The rook, bishop, knight, and queen on the top right of the board are dead pieces, so pretend they aren't there and don't let them intimidate you. :P
I'm pretty sure the first move is something like Nc2, I'll try solving this now.
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I have problems now and then with this codec; I must say I liked xvid better. I wouldn't mind waiting longer to download a bigger avi if it means avoiding having these problems.
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Here's a small twist I did on the Nunn puzzle: A game starts with c4 and ends with NxB# on the fifth move. Recreate the game.
Edit: I've found two solutions to my puzzle already, one for white and black. This seems a lot easier than solving for NxR#.
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I think I know where our differences are coming from. I was emphasizing the first part of the sentence, while you emphasized the last part. I meant "Sacrificing the rook is necessary to give black a legal move" (as opposed to sacrificing something else or moving another piece).
This case is similar to these two statements: "The rook must be sacrificed to give legal moves" and "it is the rook that must be sacrificed to give legal moves." In this sense, the statement is true. I suppose it is harder to tell when it is typed rather than said.
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Many times in chess annotations you see the comment "This is the only move." Does the annotator really mean that this is the only legal move? Of course not. He is saying this is the only winning move, but this is all implied. It is unlikely that anyone will complain that he was overgeneralizing.
Similarly, when it is said in the solution of a puzzle that it is necessary to sacrifice the rook to give legal moves, it is implied that this is the only winning move that does so. Any other working lines are usually given on the side. All other moves are not referred to both directly and indirectly.
That being said let's move on to some more puzzles. I'd rather fight on the board than off it.
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Sacrificing the rook is not necessary "to give black some legal moves."
In the context of the puzzle, that statement is false. It is necessary to sacrifice the rook to give black some legal moves. Without doing so, the puzzle cannot be solved. It is NOT necessary to sacrifice the bishop to give legal moves and it is NOT necessary to move Kf6 to give black legal moves. We can only say that the rook sac is necessary.
I think you mean to emphasize that there are other moves that give black legal squares. Yes, there are other moves but they are both unnecessary and fail to solve the puzzle. My annotation, like many annotations, pertains only to the line being analyzed. I find it doubtful that anyone was confused by what I said.
Oops, I mixed that one up big time, didn't I!?!? I should have said one thing and I said something else!! It's so difficult to just admit mistakes though, maybe I should invent some bullshit and argue about it all night.
I do not appreciate your sarcasm. You are clearly targeting me with that comment. You should not argue once you have lost your objectivity.
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It is true that I could have eliminated ambiguity by saying "Necessary to give black some legal moves and lead to mate in 4." This would make Rf5 the only move that would fit that description. But this is redundant, because the solution is presented in the context of puzzle. Thus, it is implied why it is necessary to sacrifice the rook to give black legal moves rather than to do the same with Kf6.
The puzzle doesn't state that it is white who mates, so it could also be 5. ... NxR#.
Mmm, all I can get it's a mate in 4 not 3 ... Like 1. Qb6 or Qf4..
I was surprised to see that Fritz finds mate in 4 instead of 3. Possibly because that's the mate it found first and then stopped looking. I'll give a hint, you're on the right track, the first move is with queen.
White to Play and Draw.
Here's a puzzle where white is in quite a bit of trouble. Put this in a chess program it will probably tell you that black has a win, but with proper technique white can draw here. Like the last puzzle, this one is difficult, and the solution is at least around a dozen moves.
White to Play and Win
the solution to this one looks good.