There are two new changes on our Little Golem:

<img src=‘http://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/logo/paypal_logo.gif’/> I change money service from MoneyBookers to PayPal, because PayPal is more popular system. When Little Golem was born my homeland was not very trustworthy and MoneyBooker was only possibility. But it is enough trustworthy for PayPal now (<a href=‘http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/10/17/us.visa.waiver.ap/index.html’>from today for USA too).

Second novelty is this new blogger module.

BTW in <a href=‘http://www.boardgamenews.com/index.php/boardgamenews/comments/jess_international_gaming_photo_2008_the_award/’>International Gaming Photo 2008 was my picture between 29 selected pictures. In this <a href=‘http://www.flickr.com/photos/jugamostodos/tags/pidfl2008/page2/’>VIRTUAL EXPOSITION it is last picture.

I wonder why? I have not seen any request for a blog and I wonder why it is implemented.
I will give it a try though. Wonder how it works and where my blog will show up:)

Is this a new look for the touney lists/winners/scores or is it just asystem error? If a new look, I do not like it. Too hard to tell who is winning tourney. Anyone else notice?

I’m new here. I’m glad that there’s a blog. It’s a good way to raise issues and introduce yourself to others. Please extend invitations. Thanks.

In blog posts (and forum) is new easy way as include tournament table or game position.

You can write [game;id:123456] or [game;id:123456;move:20] or [game;id:123456;move:20;title:some text]. For tournament table you can write [tournament;id:chess.ch.10.2.1].

I choose some tactic positions from last finished chess championship. Tournament was very close:

Positions:

#825352 BigChicken vs. Time_Dilation
Move: 45

23...Ba6!

#825352 BigChicken vs. Time_Dilation
Move: 61

30...Bg3!

#825365 MRFvR vs. Alexander Yakimov
Move: 47

31...Ne3!

#825370 dimitriallaert vs. YHW
Move: 81

41...Rxf5 42.gxf5 Re5

#825375 BigChicken vs. kali
Move: 113

57...e5! (if Bxf5 then g3)

#825383 Henrik Sjøl vs. MRFvR
Move: 54

28.f6! (Bxf6 Nf5!

#825386 kali vs. joerg
Move: 66

34.Rc6"/>

And some positions from 2nd league:

#825402 Horst DOG vs. Jaroslav zisek
Move: 46

24...Rxd5!

#825403 Zul Nadzri vs. Horst DOG
Move: 37

19...Rxf2!

#825407 dimitris vs. John
Move: 21

11...Nxe6!

#825408 Gabi vs. dimitris
Move: 47

24... Bxf4! 25.Bxf8 Bxg3 26.Bxg7+ Qxg7 27.Ng2 Bf2+ 28.Kh1 Be4 29.Rg1 Qg3 and Qh3#

#825413 wurscht vs. Freddie Sorensen
Move: 54

28.Rc8! Rxc8 29.d8Q!

#825415 wurscht vs. Gabi
Move: 48

25.Rxb7"/>

#825430 Gabi vs. John
Move: 75

38....Rxf1+!

#825443 Ray Garrison vs. Mirek Voracek
Move: 18

10. Nxg5!

#825445 Ray Garrison vs. alain
Move: 28

15. e5! fxe5 16.Nxe5!

#825445 Ray Garrison vs. alain
Move: 38

20. Nxd6!

#825458 ogogo vs. Mirek Voracek
Move: 60

Really very nice move 31.Be7!!

Since I am iPhone owner I usually play Little Golem games on this one. Because it was not very comfortable, I made special iphone pages for it and I change size of graphics in several games. iPhone users can type address www.littlegolem.net and they are redirected to www.littlegolem.net/iphone. There are some screenshots from iPhone:

M - return to main page
S - skip game
I - info

With permission of Christian Freeling I implement Havannah on Little Golem. Havannah was invented by Christian Freeling in 80'. In 1981 and 1982 game gained Spiel des Jahres Recommendation.

Rules

Havannah belongs to the family of connection games as TwixtPP or Hex. Game is played on hex board with 8 cells per side. Bigger or smaller boards are possible too and game is often played on board with 10 cells per side.

• Each player places one stone of their color on the board per turn.
• Stones are never moved, captured, or otherwise changed.
• A player wins when they complete one of three different structures from unbroken lines, or paths, of connected stones, all of their color:
• • A ring is a loop around one or more cells (no matter whether the encircled cells are occupied or empty).
  • A bridge, which connects any two of the six corner cells of the board.
  • A fork, which connects any three edges of the board. Corner points are not considered parts of an edge.

Links

• Mindsport - this is best page about Havannah. There are articles with basic tactic, strategy and two example games.
• BoardGameGeek - On BoardGameGeek has Havannah average rating 7.05 (more than Hex, Twixt, Four in Row or Gomoku)
• Wikipedia - short article on Wikipedia.

Implementation on Little Golem

Implemented version is with 8 cells per side. I am planning implement all sizes between 4 and 10 cells per side soon. iPhone version is implemented too.