Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

The fault is mine but the credit yours. It's easy, and it's fun, to toss
out a 'brilliant' idea for a strange CV in an offhand remark, but to
actually make it work, that can sometimes be hard work. 

One criticism. and one only: Basingstoke. Where is it in the rules? I
suggest that in order to offer a draw one must say 'Basingstoke'.

In the same vein, should one wish to announce check (not required by the
current laws of FIDE Chess), one should say 'Beware! Beware! Beware!'

(((((((((((((( it just occurred to me in a 17th level digression tat the
actor who delivers this line is usually anything but gaunt. ))))...)))

'Inky clouds like funeral shrouds sail over the midnight skies' -- isn't
that some of the finest poetry in musical theater (second only to 'svani'
per sempre un sogno d'amore')? 

Just like the chessboard in my head, I have a record player in my head, and
Ruddigore Chess has moved me to put that platter onto the turntable of my
mind; and for this if nothing else it would deserve an excellent rating. It
is said that one's favorite G-and-S opereta is always the one most recently
attended (exception being perhaps the overperformed but excellent Pirates
-- NYGASP recently gave my lifetime best Pirates, far exceeding DC in
London (and please note: if you know Pirates you gotta see Il
Trovatore!!)).

Listening to Ruddigore again, what a pleasure, and the theme of G-and-S
Chess, well, hey, what's next? I once hitchhiked to Penzance from
Stonehenge, and although of pirates I saw not one there, yet I wait in
breathless anticipation for

Pirates Chess. With different armies, no less. Instead of Bishops, the
Pirates have a Pair of Docs, Doctor Einstein and Doctor Schweitzer (unless
you despise Marxism), the Q is a nursemaid, and Frederick is a semi-neutral
piece who, being the Slave of Duty, can belong to either side according to
the argument most recently presented.

Two 'excellents' because i love the way it's written up.

The idea of going back to the source of the play to justify the
alternate-move requirement is excellent as well. Perhaps I should have made
this line a separate comment for 3 'excellent's.

Seems to me that Basingstoke indicates a temporary mitigation of the
situation, not a permanent cessation; thus Basingstoke seems to me to be
inappropriate for an offer of a draw.  However, 'Beware! Beware! Beware!'
is a perfectly good way to declare check.

Most logically, 'Basingstoke' could be used to force ones opponent to vary
his move in a perpetual check or draw by repetition situation.  This would
hardly have a broad application.  Perhaps some mechanism could be added,
allowing one player to force the other to withdraw a move under some
circumstances.  To keep it under control, this could work like doubling in
backgammon, where once you use the option, you can't do it again until your
opponent has.
Maybe could work like that more exactly, where you could compell a move to
be taken back, but the value of the game doubles each time it's done.

'Seems to me that Basingstoke indicates a temporary mitigation of the
situation, not a permanent cessation;'

Wonderful. Supposed to be chess variants and here we are sitting around
discussing the deeper meaning of Basingstoke.

All praise to Meander, the god of Usenet thread drift, but the great thing
is that Basingstoke is totally on-topic for this CV!

Using Basingstoke as the official verbiage for a draw offer avoids
introducing any new rules that affect the play of the game; and it is only
a temporary thing because it is assumed that one might start another game.