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Glenn, it is true that the amount of opening lines is very central to the long-term vitality of a variant (i.e. if it can survive theorization). If we go back to Kramnik - Kasparov World Chess Championship 2000. How inspiring was this to the vast majority of amateurs? In the eyes of the experts it was probably a good and interesting match. But can amateurs really appreciate the Berlin defence with queen exchange, where the result is a draw in game after game? Of course, the promotive effect would have been greater had they played King's gambit, or the Evan's gambit in the Giuoco Piano. But such openings are obsolete among the elite. Had the possible opening lines been vastly greater, then white needn't try to prize open that stubborn defence in game after game. But Kasparov is forced to play 3.Bb5 because 3.Bc4 is a draw. It is as simple as that! King's gambit is a draw, too, or possibly worse. Do you see my point? The grandmasters are facing a problem in the openings which risks making the game tedious. They have to rely on 'Fritz analyses to the 45th move' in that particular critical variant. Soon we must rename the World Championship to 'The World Championship in Opening Preparation With The Aid of Computers and Seconds.' I'll have a look at Tiger Chess. /Mats
Regarding comments by M. Winther, Mark Thompson & Graeme Neatham – There have been some very interesting comments recently about the future of (western) chess particularly in connection with what is being termed the problem of “scrabblization” and the possible solution by the use of randomisation. I am not myself keen on the idea of randomisation and I do not think this is the long-term future of chess, at least as far as being the standard form of the game. There is another way to overcome this problem, however, and it was partly with this problem in mind that I wrote the game of TigerChess. In this game there are in all probability many billions of viable opening lines and possibly many more than this and together with the greater possibilities of middlegame tactics and strategies the problem of scrabblization should be permanently solved. The game also keeps alive something of the game of checkers. G. Nicholls
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- Sam