May 2005
Hello everyone, and welcome to May  Every time I begin writing my introduction, it occurs to me just how this year is flying by! As I have said before (and will probably say again), it seems only 5 minutes ago that I was frantically putting issue #1 of this newsletter together, and now on issue #5, we are nearly half way towards 2006, and I really have to wonder where all the time is going! Anyone who knows, please message me the answer, with much appreciation As far as the newsletter itself is concerned, it is still going from strength to strength, with comments and support coming in thick and fast! As it is impossible to respond to everyone individually we wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation of your support and encouragement! Keep sending the great comments and material in! You may notice that Chess Corner has been renamed for this month, due to a remarkable submission on Reversi strategy by Smaughster. If you are interested in writing a similar guide for your favorite game, feel free to submit it so we can have a greater variety of help guidelines for all the great games offered on Goldtoken! In this month's newsletter, we have:
Ok, all that remains for me to do now, as always, is to wish you much pleasure in your reading, and to invite you all to contact Kran with items to be considered for next month's issue (out June 6th) read on, and enjoy! Items can be submitted for this month by messaging Kran, or by emailing: kran@goldtoken.comin friendship, prophy tactics
-- Someone wants to wish a Happy Birthday to rabbitoid for May 10th -- Happy Anniversary to Hoosierenvy and her husband on May 17th! -- congrats to porkpie1 for reaching 1500 Gold Tokens!!! -- congrats to DragonHeart MIA for reaching 3700 Gold Tokens!! -- The ombudsmen would like to announce a change to the club name for easier use. You can now find them at The TradeWind Club any birthdays, anniversaries, etc. coming up for next month, feel free to send Kran a message and let her know so that we can give them a shout in next month's newsletter!
Woohoo, we have had so much fun planning for May that its hard to keep from jumping up and down!! And here it is already! This months treasure hunt logos are the best yet and truly exhibit the spirit of GoldToken. A huge thank you to firefly for another outstanding job well done!!!
--Badger
-- Matt
--John aka jingham
November Double Trouble 4iar- *J*masher 2nd Mid August Fast Chess- aaronnimzo Augusts Hot Backgammon- cocopuff Checkers Tournament June 2004- dama1 2nd Mid August Fast Nack- Dogpile Chessgi June 2004- rabbitoid Club vs Club Loop Trax- dgb February 8x8 Trax- dgb February Giveaway 4iar- streep February Giveaway Reversi- Dragon101 Goldtoken Olympic 4iar- grade1teacher Goldtoken Olympic Chessgi- rabbitoid Goldtoken Olympic Double Trouble 4iar- grade1teacher, Phil The Hat January Giveaway 4iar- ISHKA January Hotspot 4iar- N_a_z January Small Chess- Sir Face of the GoldTable January Reversi- eli Late August Outbreak- Gnahaha March 8x8 Trax Tournament- dgb Mid August ZeroG 4iar- Buffy the Backgammon Slayer October Checkers- Birds of Prey October Chess- Breaca October Devious Salvo- Nukkle Dragger Raving Reversi- Smaughster Septembers LG Reversi- Smaughster Trouble Brewing- Arctic Warrior Truckin 4x4- McStack March Giveaway Four in a Row- MORRIS
A while back, someone asked me whether I would like to write an article about reversi. Seeing the large amount of reversi players on this site, I figured there should be some people at least vaguely interested in the subject, resulting in me sitting in front of a screen thinking of what to say about reversi. The problem is not what to tell, since there is a lot to say about reversi, but what level to start. So my intention with this article is to estalish a basis for future reversi articles by explaining some of the major concepts and terms used in reversi. During this article, I have used links to several of my games to point things out, I can recommend looking at the links (using a second browser for example), since reversi is harder to visualize than other games, like chess, are. First of all, let's start with the most basic part: the goal of reversi. The rules on Goldtoken clearly state the ultimate goal: to have the most disks when the game is ended. So two important parts: 1) most disks and 2) at the end of the game. This is not the same as having the most disks during the entire game though! Beginning reversi players usually start to get lots of disks as soon at they can, to find out they lose all they have at the end. For example: have a look at http://www.goldtoken.com/reversi/reversi.cgi?g=1987049&v=38 In this position, white has half the disks that black has. However, white has something else, which causes a drastic switch later on in the game. The thing that white has is mobility, the first important concept in reversi. A first definition would be "the amount of possible moves that a player has". In the position mentioned above, white has 10 possible moves to make, whereas black only has two. This enables white to force black to make bad moves (both options that black has aren't good). So now that we know that having more options than your opponent is good, the following question is of course: how to get into this situation? One way would be to look at each position, then counting your possible moves, counting the opponents possible moves and count how much he/she has left after you make a move. You then make the move that keeps the opponents options as low as possible. If you feel confident, you can even look at the what the opponent does after you make a move, count the resulting options and try to optimize this. This is a solid approach,..... if you are a computer. In fact, this is roughly what each simple reversi program does. However, we humans are less good in this and second of all: it's boring! So let's start with a few tips that will help you in the beginning of a game: 1. Try to have fewer discs than your opponent. 2. Try to occupy the center of the position (the 4 center-squares in the first few moves). 3. Avoid flipping too many frontier discs (those located on the outside boundaries of the position, i.e. avoid building walls). 4. Try to group your discs into one connected cluster rather than having several scattered isolated discs. 5. Avoid taking edges too soon (before the mid-game). Notice that tip 1 is exactly opposite of trying to get as many disks as you can in the beginning. Now why do the first two tips help you gain possible moves? If you have few disks, then the opponent can only flip a few disks, whereas if you have a lot of disks, then the opponent usually has many choices. So try to stay in the centre of the board, not gaining too many disks. Some players also call this "curling into a ball", a metaphor that speaks for itself I think. There is one danger though: you always have to take care that you will not be wiped away in an early stage. I made this mistake in this game: http://www.goldtoken.com/reversi/large.cgi?g=2157809&v=19. White has to move, and I played g3, because it connected my disks while it didn't create many new good options (I though). The only problem is that after g3, d3, white is completely enclosed and can't escape. A quick end was inevitable. So do try to minimize your disks, but try to keep one disk on the outside of the disks, (i.e. one disk that isn't enclosed). The same reasoning applies to tip 4: if your disks are scattered around, then you opponent can play in a lot of places. If you are connected, then only the disks on the outside of the cluster provide options, all the interior disks may be flipped as well, but only as a result of a disk that is next to an empty square. To see how this works in a game, have a look at the following game: http://www.goldtoken.com/games/play?g=1957207. Up until move 24 (i.e. move nr 12 by black, (H5)), each move black makes is focussed on keeping disks together. Another thing you can see in this game (a thing we will discuss later on) is move b7 eventually, where black gives away a corner (usually a strong square since a corner disk can not be flipped anymore) to gain more mobility. So far for the first tips, hope you liked themI will be writing more articles but would appreciate feedback on what you find most interesting. I would also appreciate questions or interesting games, which I can include for analysis in future articles, so don't hesitate to send interesting material. If you are interested and don't want to wait for the next article, have a look at www.reversi.se, a great site for learning the tips and tricks of reversi. Cheers, Smaughster
This months treasure hunt is flowers and maypoles. Be among the first ten to find all 12 GoldToken May Flower Logos not including the one on your gamesheet and win! The first treasure hunt player who hasn’t won before to find all 12 wins a Black GoldToken Coffee Mug!! Everyone can play! Guests included! Once you have found all 12, message Badger and the first 10 correct will win a prize! Good luck!! April Showers Winners are as follows -- congrats!:
I am Pamper Me aka Theresa. I started my addiction here In Dec 2002. I have only been clean off Goldtoken a few times in my stretch here! Once when my pc crashed in 2003, i was gone for about 3 months total. since then i have fallen off the wagon really hard and even injured myself as well in the mean time. I go through withdrawls while i am sleeping. <Why can't i be here in my sleep> you can find me here at least 12 to 15 hours a day depending on my mood! I have since gained a condition to my body that i will not go away. it is cause by staying here where i love to be all the time. ok i will tell you what i have don't laugh ok. I suffer from a case of rigor mortis in my Bottom there..<PHEW> i feel a little bit better now that i said it. I spend most of my time here as i take care of many things around GT. Thats my story and if anyone else tells you different they are spreading lies. :P Thanks for listening to me as well. Glad you could join the group! oh i forgot to mention that since i went platinum i have been to 1000 games stayed there for 2 weeks then i finally decided that i needed to lower my games. due to being president in about 10 clubs that i am very active in as well. and i have finished in the last 4 months about 6,000 games. I can't get enough. I need more. and when i need more i go to the betasite there i have many games as well! I eat, sleep, and dream Goldtoken. I am addicted in many forms of the word. Oh i have been typing too long. got to go play some more games! I LOVE GT!< Waves wildly > Catch ya later!--Pamper MeOh this is so funny. I was away for the weekend and most of last week at a huge quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. When I got home, I had a stack of mail awaiting me... my 16-yr-old son, Max, frantically digs through it all and presents me with the package from GT... lolol So I had to open that nearly the second I walked in the door... I DO love the wood tokens, I was dying! They are adorable!!! And thanks so much for the EXTRA pens - I was able to give both sons (Phil was right there watching the action too! lol) and hubby a Goldtoken pen, it was awesome to be able to share my winnings with them all! Provided us with a terrific family experience, too, since ol' Max, at 16, is usually too "cool" to get excited about things. --Buffy the Backgammon Slayer Would you like to make your affection for GoldToken known? Please send your testamonials (or any other material submissions) to, Kran or email them to kran@goldtoken.com for possible inclusion in future editions -- thank you!
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