#205: The Intrepid vs. topazg: The Pistols
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:29 pm
The Background
This duel was supposed to commence months ago. I issued the challenge to topazg around the same time I challenged EdLee to a game. However, topazg turned out to be a modern-day Pushkin--his list of pending duels so long and so pressing, I had to take a number and wait in a queue!
What is topazg’s offense such that it would cause me to demand a duel? Simple. I was playing a game against uranther (game #177). There was a violent fight raging on the board. A big chunk of uranther’s stones was under severe attack (and the group did die in the end). However, the game was quiet as far as observer-commenting was concerned. Then, all of a sudden, topazg made a post (#47). Immediately thereafter, the post got “liked”--twice!--and a flurry of other comments commenced.
I was irked and befuddled by this. Did I make a mistake? Did I miss something? If you read Ellison’s Invisible Man, you might recall a scene where the main character is told to make white paint but not told how to make it. Not knowing how to complete a task, yet being expected to do it, greatly infuriated the character. topazg’s post created a similar situation. Although I could not read the comment and, thus, did not know what it said, I still felt like my honor had been slighted.
That said, the fact remained that I did not know what the post said. For all I knew, the post might have been entirely polite and replete with helpful diagrams and variations regarding the position. After all, the post did get “liked”--twice! As such, when I issued the challenge, I thought I would justify it by saying that “the insult might be imaginary in reality, but it sure is real in imagination!”
Then, I read the comment.
“The very idea of allowing
here makes me so upset as White that I’d never give it a second thought .. in fact, it seems so clearly bad straight away that I would never spend the time to think through any further continuations” (emphasis added). Seriously? So, in other words, I was an idiot not because I played a bad move, not because I missed a good move, but because I thought about a move other than the obvious one! Go Seigen would disapprove. I mean, holy excrement! As far as reasons for demanding a duel go, this reason is, like, legit! So, yeah, bring it! 
Also, I would be remiss not to quote what skydyr said about his latest game against topazg (game #186, post #2, emphasis added):
Given the bloodlust, there is only one set of weapons available to choose from: the pistols! All the fancy-shmancy concepts like footwork and finesse that come with a sword duel can take a hike. Guns' lethal efficiency is what's needed here. One bullet, one body. Simple.
It is, of course, possible to inflict a wound that is not immediately fatal, but instead causes a slow and agonizing death from sepsis. It is also possible for the gun to misfire, severing a few of the shooter's fingers. Yet, more often than not, one round of shooting is all it takes ... and if doesn't, keep firing till the deed is done. Such is the plan.
Rules for the game: I'll be playing White, taking 6.5 points of komi; Japanese ruleset with free access to books and game databases.
This duel was supposed to commence months ago. I issued the challenge to topazg around the same time I challenged EdLee to a game. However, topazg turned out to be a modern-day Pushkin--his list of pending duels so long and so pressing, I had to take a number and wait in a queue!
What is topazg’s offense such that it would cause me to demand a duel? Simple. I was playing a game against uranther (game #177). There was a violent fight raging on the board. A big chunk of uranther’s stones was under severe attack (and the group did die in the end). However, the game was quiet as far as observer-commenting was concerned. Then, all of a sudden, topazg made a post (#47). Immediately thereafter, the post got “liked”--twice!--and a flurry of other comments commenced.
I was irked and befuddled by this. Did I make a mistake? Did I miss something? If you read Ellison’s Invisible Man, you might recall a scene where the main character is told to make white paint but not told how to make it. Not knowing how to complete a task, yet being expected to do it, greatly infuriated the character. topazg’s post created a similar situation. Although I could not read the comment and, thus, did not know what it said, I still felt like my honor had been slighted.
That said, the fact remained that I did not know what the post said. For all I knew, the post might have been entirely polite and replete with helpful diagrams and variations regarding the position. After all, the post did get “liked”--twice! As such, when I issued the challenge, I thought I would justify it by saying that “the insult might be imaginary in reality, but it sure is real in imagination!”
Then, I read the comment.
“The very idea of allowing
here makes me so upset as White that I’d never give it a second thought .. in fact, it seems so clearly bad straight away that I would never spend the time to think through any further continuations” (emphasis added). Seriously? So, in other words, I was an idiot not because I played a bad move, not because I missed a good move, but because I thought about a move other than the obvious one! Go Seigen would disapprove. I mean, holy excrement! As far as reasons for demanding a duel go, this reason is, like, legit! So, yeah, bring it! Also, I would be remiss not to quote what skydyr said about his latest game against topazg (game #186, post #2, emphasis added):
Clearly, this proves that topazg is known for having grudges with people left and right. This makes me morally justified to demand bloodshed.skydyr wrote:I should emphasize that this is a grudge match.
Given the bloodlust, there is only one set of weapons available to choose from: the pistols! All the fancy-shmancy concepts like footwork and finesse that come with a sword duel can take a hike. Guns' lethal efficiency is what's needed here. One bullet, one body. Simple.
It is, of course, possible to inflict a wound that is not immediately fatal, but instead causes a slow and agonizing death from sepsis. It is also possible for the gun to misfire, severing a few of the shooter's fingers. Yet, more often than not, one round of shooting is all it takes ... and if doesn't, keep firing till the deed is done. Such is the plan.
Rules for the game: I'll be playing White, taking 6.5 points of komi; Japanese ruleset with free access to books and game databases.
