HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tolvanen@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Martti Tolvanen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Subject: Re: Teaching Go to Kids
Date: 31 Jul 92 07:53:31 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki

In <22929@oasys.dt.navy.mil> hendrix@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Dane Hendrix) writes:

>I have a three year old who I've succeeded at getting to the point with
>where we take turns putting stone on the board.  We haven't gotten 
>to captures or anything of the sort.  I've tried to get him to play on 
>a 9x9 board, but he prefers 19x19.

>What are others experiences?

My little girl, who just turned five, used to prefer 19x19, but now that
she knows what the game is about, she enjoys being able to finish the
game more quickly on 9x9.  I've taught her on about 10 occasions and she
knows pretty well what is capturing, escaping and linking, but the idea
of making territory seems a bit vague, although she knows that territory
is what is counted in the end.  As to her strength, I'm 15 kyu, and now
we play close games with 5 stones handicap on 9x9.

-- 
Martti Tolvanen, Dept. Biochem., Univ. Helsinki, Finland
tolvanen@cc.helsinki.fi
From: jonathan@cats.ucsc.edu (Jonathan Cano)
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Subject: Re: Beta testers needed for Amiga MGT2.2
Date: 27 Jul 92 01:51:44 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: si.ucsc.edu


txt15@po.CWRU.Edu (Tao Tao) writes:


>I wish some computer expert could port this MGT to mac to save us the poor
>Go players having access to old mac plus some money.

Nothing against mgt - I use it all the time but if you have a
Mac and you want to manipulate SmartGo files *you are missing
the boat* by waiting for mgt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The program _SmartGo_ (or is it _Smart Game Board_ ?) was 
developed on the Mac and it is one hell of a piece of software!
I don't know how much it costs because I don't own a mac hence
I'm not going to buy it but a friend of mine lent me his program
and a book written by Anders Kierulf (sp?), who is the creator
of the Smart Go format / program, and it was fantastic!!  I'm sure
that this program can't be too expensive so shell out the bucks
and get it if you have a Mac.

by the way, does anyone know where Mr. Kierulf can be contacted or
where to get his Smart Go program?  This would be good information
to put in a FAQ file ...

--Jonathan
-- 
============================================
| Jonathan Cano             |     //   _   |
| jonathan@cats.ucsc.edu    | \\ //   (_)  |
| 8kyu (+- 2kyu)            |  \X/     |<  |
============================================
From: timp@mks.com (Tim Prime)
Subject: 1992 Canadian Go Championships
Keywords: Go, Championship, Canadian, Vancouver
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 13:22:51 GMT


Recently, I received a letter informing me about the 1992 Canadian Open Go
Championships.  It will be held in Vancouver, September 5-7.  I have included
the letter below.

----

Keiji Shimizu, M.D. Ph.D.
General Practice
2620 Commercial Dr.
Com El Medical/Dental Building
Suite 305
Vancouver, B.C.
V5N 4C4

June 8, 1992


Dear Go Players:

RE: OPEN GO CHAMPIONSHIP 1992
	SEPTEMBERS 05, 06, 07

I am organizing The Canadian Open Go Championship 1992, held on Septembers
05, 06, 07.  This event is to be held at the Dumbar Community Centre here in
Vancouver, B.C.

Earlier this year, I had sent information and application form to various Go
Clubs in Canada and some to U.S.A.

Due to great difficulties, I ask that you forward your reservation and number
of person attending as soon as possible.  This would make organizing this
event much easier.

Arrangement for accommodations are individual responsibility.  I do emphasize
the importance of early reservation since there will be a famous car race
held here in Vancouver on almost same days.  Suggested accommodation sites:

	1. Shaughnessy Village: 1125 West 12th Ave	(Vancouver)
		Singles		$42.75	(Tax and Breakfast included)
		2 persons	$85.49	(Tax and Breakfast included)
		Telephone#	(604)736-5511

	2. City Centre Motor Inn: 2111 Main St.		(Vancouver)
		Singles or double	$65.50
		Telephone#	(604)876-7166

	3. Bilmore Hotel: 395 Kingsway			(Vancouver)
		Twin Bed or Queen	$69.95 + Tax (17%)

Again, pleas forward your reservation as soon as possible.  If you have any
question or need further informatino, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you.

					Sincerely,


					Keiji Shimizu, M.D.
					President
					Vancouver Go Association
					Office Tel: (604)876-2324
					Res.,  Tel: (604)263-9164
From: jansteen@cwi.nl (Jan van der Steen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Subject: Re: incremental Postscript game printout from Smart Go format ?
Date: 21 Jul 92 10:18:09 GMT

osman@hannah.enet.dec.com
("Eric, dtn 235-8439, DSG1-2/D8  20-Jul-1992 0953") writes:

> I had an idea, which perhaps some Postscript wizard could whip up
> faster than I could.

> I often receive news messages containing the Smart Go file for one of the
> latest pro tournament games.

> Being busy here at work, I often don't have time to study the game here at
> work, and I'd also rather not keep accumulating these Smart Go files for
> "a rainy day" which seems to never come.

> WHAT I WOULD LIKE, is if I could, upon receiving the file, run something
> that creates an incremental Postscript file.  The ipf would contain a
> series of go board images, each with the next nove shown of the pro game.
> For example, it might be 20 boards per paper side, four boards across and
> five down.  The first board would show the first move, the second would
> show the first two moves, etc.

> That way, I could print the ipf, then I could delete the Smart Go file.
> And since I now have the game in INCREMENTAL boards, I don't even need a
> real go board to study the game.

When I post Pro games I use the sgf format since that seems to be the
de-facto usenet standard. I enter the games with Liberty tough so I
could also post the games in "liberty" format. An advantage would be
that the "convert" program which I have posted earlier to this newsgroup
has exactly the option you describe:

	convert -f%1 game.lib -p ./gopro.ps > game.ps

will create a PostScript file with one diagram per move.
It prints default 6 diagrams per page, but this can be changed by
editing the resulting PostScript file. Somewhere in that file it says:

	"19 6.80 boardinit"

saying: initialise for a 19x19 board of size 6.8 cm x 6.8 cm.

You can change the 6.8 into something like 3.4 to double the number
of diagrams per page.

BTW. If you want this to be the default then you could decide to make
     the change in the gopro.ps file instead.

> Other desirable features, but not necessary for V1:

> o	Allow user to say how many boards per paper side should appear.  Some
> 	people's eyes are better than others.

As described above.

> o	Include commentary comments next to the board.

No such option.

One last note:
The above procedure is invalid if the game is only available in
Smart Go Format.

Jan van der Steen (3d)

-- 
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
     Jan van der Steen                 jansteen@cwi.nl
     Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI)
     Kruislaan 413, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Arguing about Roth
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 02:45:40 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

I do not wish to repeat all the previous arguments, so I will avoid quoting.
Roth and Stone had some nifty ideas about bridge, that were way ahead of
others at the time they were introduced.  Take the negative double, for
instance.  At the time they led American bridge, although critics charged
their winning streak to the unsual bidding methods (which included, for the
first time, I think, the unsual no trump)

The forcing single raise was imminently suited to their bidding style, which
had very high requirements for a first and second seat major suit opening
bids.  I am not sure abotu this, but I think they were also the first to
play 1M-1N forcing.

I think that the forcing single raise treatment is OK within the framework of
the Roth-Stone system, but to adopt it in another framework is folly.

BTW the legend is that the negative double was invented by Roth- Stone on
the day the Russians launched the first satelite, a.k.a the Sputnik. Stone
then suggested the name sputnik double, by which the negative double
is still known in Europe.  I think that originally the double was only used
to show a four card heart suit, after an opening bid of one of a minor was
overcalled with 1 spade.

Avi

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ben@ph.tn.tudelft.nl (Ben Verwer)
Subject: Re: Bidding of Hand, is there a good way to do this?
Organization: Delft University of Technology
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:50:41 GMT

jj@alice.att.com (jj, audio curmudgeon) writes:

>I must say that we lack any good way of interrogating (re)opener
>over that person's pre-empt.  Advice and suggestions are more than
>welcome.

>The hand.

>N

>S   -   Axx
>H   -   
>D   -   xx  
>C   -   Q J 10 9 6 5 3 2 

>S

>S   -   x
>H   -   Axxxx
>D   -   KQx
>C   -   AK84

>bidding opens with West, who opens 1H  (using Std. American 5 Card Maj)

>What really happened was preposterously stupid, we got to 5C,
>doubled. (I think that E was supposed to pull the double, but
>I won't answer for their side since I don't read minds!)
>Declarer north.  Whoops, sorry, didn't rearrange it.

>How to show the preposterously long suit in second seat and the
>strength in 4th?  Like I said, suggestions are welcome.

I would bid 4C with the north hand, and some days maybe even 5C.
The south hand has a problem after both bids. Suppose north bids 4C,
which looks like the most reasonable bid, 4H by south is nice. If North 
can bid 4S, south can bid 6C.

Ben
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Theory of bidding
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 22:35:15 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

One of the main advantages of transfer overcalls over 1NT is that it places
the lead in the hands of the NT opener who is likely to give away a trick.

I therefore see no merit for the canape style.

Given the auction at hand, the redouble is IMHO a genuine call. The redouble
loses nothing, if you go down, but I've seen defenders do rediculous things
when playing redoubled contracts. For some odd reason, the redouble tends to
confuse even relatively strong opponents.

If S had no support for hearts he could have passed. This can't mean a diamond
stack, as there are only 13 diamonds in the deck.

Avi

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: olle@solaris.astro.uu.se (Olof Morell)
Subject: Re: after 1N - X - 2S
Organization: UDAC, Uppsala, Sweden
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 08:12:47 GMT

In article <1544i6INN76g@agate.berkeley.edu>, grove@triangle.Berkeley.EDU (Eddie Grove) writes:
|> 
|> I am interested in the following ordinary auctions:
|> 1N - X - 2S - X and 1N - X - 2S - P; P - X
|> 
|> If the doubles are penalty, what to do with 1-4-4-4?
|> If takeout, what to do with a penalty holding?
|> In any case, what to do with 2 or 3 cards spades and
|> reasonable values?

I believe the standard approach, penalty double, is the best here,
all doubles when the enemy runs out of a penalty double should be
played like this. If your trump values are doubtful, then you have
to guess (intelligently preferably) wether to bid or double. I don't
think there is a general rule: "double with x trumps, but bid with y..."

|> Is 2N some sort of cue-bid?  If so, how does it differ from 3S?

2NT from responder to doubler could be used as forcing, asking 
partner to bid suits up the line (including stopper in enemy suit),
while the overbid more straightforwardly asks for a stopper 
(alternatively shows a five card major).
2NT from doubler could well be natural, with something like a
long running suit and a stopper. 

-- Olle
-----------------------------------------------
E-mail - Olle.Morell@astro.uu.se

Snail Mail - Astronomical Observatory, Box 515, 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Short vs Long suit game tries (was re: "Constructive" raises)
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 03:08:46 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

IMHO the reaseon for this debate is simply because on some hands long suit
tries are more usefull, while on others SSGT are more informative.

Why not use both?

After 1H-2H, the bid of 2S asks partner to bid 2NT, after which
opener will make a SSGT in the suit above the singleton. (3c with a singleton
spades). 2NT is a long suit try in spades. 3C 3D are natural and long.
Similarly, after 1S-2S, 2NT is a relay to 3C, and again opener bids the suit
above the singleton.

You don't lose anything by this approach. Bidding the suit above the
singleton minimizes the risk that the oppenents will be able to find a cheap
sacrifice by doubling.

In addition, if partner has a two-suiter, he can ignore the relay, and make
a long suit try of his own.  It is possible to bid very smart games this
way.

I hope this will solve the debate.

Avi
From: sater@cs.vu.nl (Hans van Staveren)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: report 19 from the EBL juniors
Date: 28 Jul 92 09:42:13 GMT

desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins) writes:

]Hans van Staveren <sater@cs.vu.nl> writes:
]> brd 20  A J                     NS: Italy
]> W/All   7 6 5 2
]>         Q 5 2
]>         J 6 4 2                 W       N       E       S
]> Q 9 5 4 3 2     10 8 7 6        1S      p       2S      dbl
]> A K Q 10 8      -               3H      dbl     3S      4H
]> 10 7            K J 8 6 4       dbl     all pass
]> -               10 7 5 3
]>         K
]>         J 9 4 3
]>         A 9 3
]>         A K Q 9 8

>I don't understand how 4H* could go down only 500.  Don't E-W always
>score five trumps and a diamond?  Looking at the dummy I can't imagine
>that West would decide to sacrifice a trump trick---is that what
>happened?

>                                        David desJardins

I couldn't understand that part either. However there was little time to
spare, it was a busy session, and I haven't checked out the hand records.

The Italians would have been a lot more upset if they had gone for 800,
as it was they won three imps because the other side made 4S.

I am back in the real world, and will post a last report tonight, containing
the articles that won prizes in the daily bulletin.

I have not found an Italian site yet that is willing to have the Salsomaggiore
daily bulletins pumped into it. Any Italians reading this?

	Hans van Staveren
From: morgan@math.psu.edu (Ilene Morgan)
Subject: Re: Short vs Long suit game tries
Organization: Penn State Department of Mathematics
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:35:33 GMT

In article <24158@castle.ed.ac.uk> graeme@castle.ed.ac.uk (G J Ackland) writes:
>In article <1992Jul21.030846.5333@ramon.bgu.ac.il> avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira) writes:
>>IMHO the reaseon for this debate is simply because on some hands long suit
>>tries are more usefull, while on others SSGT are more informative.
>>
>>Why not use both?
>>
>>After 1H-2H, the bid of 2S asks partner to bid 2NT, after which
>>opener will make a SSGT in the suit above the singleton. (3c with a singleton
>>spades). 2NT is a long suit try in spades. 3C 3D are natural and long.
>>Similarly, after 1S-2S, 2NT is a relay to 3C, and again opener bids the suit
>>above the singleton.
>
>This is a nice solution, but why bid the suit above the singleton?
>
>>You don't lose anything by this approach. Bidding the suit above the
>>singleton minimizes the risk that the oppenents will be able to find a cheap
>>sacrifice by doubling.
>> [rest deleted]
>
>I am not generally in favour of banning new ideas, but it seems to me
>that the claimed advantage of this (suit above the singleton) is to exploit
>the fact that opponents have not had chance to discuss defences to it.  
>A ten second discussion (X shows length in the singleton suit) would
>resolve it - but who has the time?  As an opponent waiting to double the
>SSGT, I'll have to ask about the alert, digest the information, consider
>how partner will read a double of the suit above the singleton and
>then...  but by now partner's constrained by my hesitation.
>
>Surely a straight SSGT is fairer (and after the transfer, I suppose,
>rebidding trumps to show the unbiddable S/C suit).
>
>                              Graeme

Hi - I haven't really been paying attention to this thread but I noticed
this article.  I also am against conventions whose main advantage is that
unprepared opponents will be taken unawares.  However, I like two-way game
tries, and since we only play them in uncontested auctions it is not that
likely that an opponent will be damaged by failure to discuss a defense, since
both opponents have already passed.

I play them a little differently.

1H-2H-2S:  prepares for long suit game try
2NT:       relay (responder)
3C, 3D, 3H:  long suit game try (opener)

1H-2H-2NT:  short suit try in spades
1H-2H-3C,3D:  short suit try


1S-2S-2NT:  prepares for long suit game try
3C:         relay (responder)
3D,3H:      long suit game try (opener)
3NT:        long suit game try in clubs (opener)

1S-2S-3C,3D,3H:  short suit game try

I'm sure other methods are playable, but this has worked well for me.

Ilene
morgan@math.psu.edu
From: desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: report 19 from the EBL juniors
Date: 26 Jul 92 18:05:10 GMT
Organization: IDA Center for Communications Research, Princeton

Hans van Staveren <sater@cs.vu.nl> writes:
> brd 20  A J                     NS: Italy
> W/All   7 6 5 2
>         Q 5 2
>         J 6 4 2                 W       N       E       S
> Q 9 5 4 3 2     10 8 7 6        1S      p       2S      dbl
> A K Q 10 8      -               3H      dbl     3S      4H
> 10 7            K J 8 6 4       dbl     all pass
> -               10 7 5 3
>         K
>         J 9 4 3
>         A 9 3
>         A K Q 9 8

I don't understand how 4H* could go down only 500.  Don't E-W always
score five trumps and a diamond?  Looking at the dummy I can't imagine
that West would decide to sacrifice a trump trick---is that what
happened?

                                        David desJardins
From: varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Problem Solvers' Panel 15.3
Date: 21 Jul 1992 22:14:34 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: coltexo.cs.utexas.edu

In article <3484@sol.deakin.OZ.AU> doug@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Douglas Newlands) writes:
>on AKQx Axxx AQJx 9 after 3C(vul) pass to you:-

>:Submitter's Comments
>:--------------------

>:I suspect that a fair number of people will call 3N.  

>I cannot comprehend how one could want to bid 3NT. 

Nor can I, nor, presumably, could the submitter (having played the
hand in 5C).  The usual rule is that without a fitting card for
partner's suit you are allowed to count on preempter for a stopper
in his suit but not a trick.

>This should be an automatic 6C bid if partner just plays it out in his mind
>before he bids - when an expert goes into a huddle in the auction (s)he's
>usually playing various contracts out before making a final bidding decision.
>This is a most valuable habit to develop!

Is partner not allowed to have a hand with two potential losers in
clubs, even vulnerable?  But I agree that if there is no way to
investigate, 6C is better than 5C (despite having answered 5C
myself).

As for the comment (not Doug's) that "there are no preempts at
unfavorable", maybe in somebody else's partnership.  There are no
*sacrifices* at unfavorable, but there are weak hands with long
suits that call for high bids.

-- Don Varvel (varvel@cs.utexas.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: brdgstar@wam.umd.edu (Paul Grossman)
Subject: Which Squeeze?
Originator: brdgstar@rac1.wam.umd.edu
Keywords: squeeze play
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 15:52:28 GMT

How do you play 7NT on the following at matchpoints:

                 North
                 J 6 4
                 8
                 A K Q 3
                 A K J 9 2


                 South
                 A K 9
                 A K 3
                 9 5
                 Q 10 7 4 3

The play so far: West leads D-7, won in dummy, (D-2 from East). On the run
of the clubs, West pitches: spade, heart, heart, heart. East pitches: heart,
spade, heart. On your spade ace, West drops the ten. Now what?
From: junzhang@acpub.duke.edu (Huilai Zhang)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Bridge game software
Date: 30 Jul 92 21:29:15 GMT

Hello! Does anyone here know where I can find a bridge game software so
that I can play the bridge on the net with others? If you do, please
mail me a message to the following email address:

	junzhang@acpub.duke.edu

Thanks in advance!

-Huilai Zhang
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ST402256@brownvm.brown.edu (Paul)
Subject: Re: Short vs Long suit game tries (was re: "Constructive" raises)
Organization: Brown University
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 14:36:15 GMT

>IMHO the reaseon for this debate is simply because on some hands long suit
>tries are more usefull, while on others SSGT are more informative.
>
>Why not use both?

discussion of game try sequence deleted

>Avi

Another method is called 2 Way Kokish Game Tries, after Canadian
bridge star Eric Kokish.  It works like this:

After 1H - 2H, 2S is a game try.  It asks partner to bid the first
suit in which she would accept a help-suit game try (NT for spades).
Similarly, 2NT over 1S - 2S is a game try.  3 of a suit is a short
suit game try with 2NT over hearts being short suit in spades.

After a sequence like 1H - 2H, 2S - 3C, opener can bid 3D to say
'Clubs is nice but I really want to know about Diamonds'.

This system provides both short suit game tries and help suit
game tries.

Thanks to Ted Ying for teaching it to me.

Paul



-----------------
st402256@brownvm.bitnet st402256@brownvm.brown.edu
prm@the same two places

"There are a billion people in China.  It's not easy to be an individual
in a crowd of more than a billion people.  Think of it.  More than a
*billion* people.  That means even if you're a one-in-a-million type
of guy, there are still a thousand guys exactly like you."
--A. Whitney Brown, _The_Big_Picture_