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BGonline.org Forums
I vote for Neil: Problem solved
Posted By: phil simborg In Response To: Wow--Monte Carlo uses Legal Moves! (neilkaz)
Date: Wednesday, 5 March 2014, at 11:47 p.m.
We all know that the best form of government is a benevolent dictator. I vote we make Neil the Dictator of Backgammon. He understands the rules, how they should be worded, and the implications as well or better than anyone, and nobody in the game over the past 20 years has demonstrated better sportsmanship.
I vote to make Neil International Rules Commissioner.
By the way, I am not being sarcastic. I believe the game needs an international ruling organization which has an international rules committee with a chairman to offer some standardization and stability to the game. And Neil, or someone of his experience, brilliance, good sportsmanship, and energy should take on that roll.
We're not there yet...I think first the Federations need to get stronger, and they are only really strong in a few countries (Denmark, Turkey, US, and Japan, and please forgive me if I missed an entire country), and then they need to merge into an international federation of federations. I hope it happens in my lifetime.
But it sure wouldn't be hard for Neil to represent the U.S. and someone from Japan (Mochy?) and someone from Denmark, and someone from one or two other countries where the person is clearly respected (England, Germany, France, Israel and Turkey come to mind) and form a rules committee to look at each rule and the best wording and agree on something.
Yes, they will make some rules that some of us won't like..for example, legal moves, but overall we'll have some standardization and look like a legitimate game. And yes, some individual tournament directors might have a rule or two they like to apply differently, and I see no great harm in that so long as they explain it clearly to all participants (e.g. Rory had one event where rolling a die on top of the checkers is not considered cocked and it worked well and everyone who played liked it, especially for speed gammon; or some tournament director might have slightly different clock rules or settings etc.).
But until we have such a committee and world-wide cooperation, this forum seems to be a great place to listen to what Neil, and Mochy, and Falafel, and MCG and others who are known not only for their skill but for their experience and good sportsmanship and for having the best interests of the growth of the game in mind, with no other ulterior motives. None have a vested interest in maintaining any rules they have established or adopted and defended for many years; none are threatened by change or resent anyone challenging their authority. All they care about is what is best for the players and best for the game--no agenda. Listen to these people. They are not always wise; they don't always agree; but funny thing--ask them if they play Legal Moves. Ask them if they think it is better for the game.
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