But isn't checkmate the quintessential end game? TBsr Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Joshua Kronengold <mneme@xxxxxx> Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:54:24 To: <icehouse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [Icehouse] Homeworlds Terminology Christopher Hickman writes: >On Wednesday, April 01, 2009, at 01:26PM, "Don Sheldon" <don.sheldon@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >>When an early decision guarantees a quick path to victory for the >>opposition. A few simple misteps, especially in the "the second >>players makes the first normal move" variant, can end the game in just >>a few moves. >So this is like the "Bluebird Mistake" that Andy vlogged about? Not really -- Bluebird is an endgame issue; if, while planning your opponent's distruction, you fail to notice that the first catastophe will also give them a clear attack into your homeworld from theirs, you may find out that it's a mistake you don't recover from. Fool's mates (and relatives) are the results of mistakes in the early game that allow the opponent to cut past any early build-up in favor of a quick win; no endgame or midgame needed. -- Joshua Kronengold (mneme@(io.com, labcats.org)) |\ _,,,--,,_ ,) --^-- "Did you know, if you increment enough, you /,`.-'`' -, ;-;;' /\\ get an extra digit?" "I knew," weeps Six. |,4- ) )-,_ ) /\ /-\\\ "We knew. But we had forgotten." '---''(_/--' (_/-' _______________________________________________ Icehouse mailing list Icehouse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/icehouse