Single Comment

Thanks, Carlos, Jeremy, and Antoine Fourrière for the congratulations.
Antoine wrote, 'The victory went first and foremost to the better player,
but also to the inventor of the excellent Catapults of Troy.'  Actually,
Antoine, I feel that you are the toughest of players (who typically cuts
through board positions as though they are made of butter)and that I
simply had a lucky break in our Shogi game.  In fact, Joe Joyce had a
better Grand Chess position into the middle game, in Marseillais Chess
Michael Madsen was clobbering me with his Bishop and Queen manuevers and had
me on the verge of checkmate for many moves (... but I got a reprieve);
Shatranj with Tom was quite an uphill battle for me, and a long one at
that.  Switching Chess was a real gray-matter buster with Andreas, as was
Caissa Britannia with Roberto.  My point is, any one struggle could have
easily ended differently.   You also mentioned Catapults of Troy, my child
of sorrow.  Truth be known, after not doing so well in Tournament 1, I
decided to sit Tourn # 2 out.  But then I thought Catapults of Troy was on
the list, so I signed up.  When it later was dropped from the list, then
voted in, then vetoed back out I actually indicated that I was withdrawing
from the tournament but that my entry fee could be kept as a contribution. 
Fergus and I exchanged a few e-mails and he convinced me to stay in the
event.  So, I did.  But I would have liked Catapults of Troy to have been
a part of it.  Anyway, in my mind I was playing my first several games
with the romantic notion of 'fighting for the honor of Catapults of
Troy.'  Silly perhaps, but it helped me get started. Again, thanks to all
who participated and thanks for many excellent battles.  And thank you
again Fergus, for an excellent event.