Russia's End of Game Statement from Game "Chopin"

Broadcast message from Russia in 'chopin':

	It was a nice touch to let France have Liverpool.  I was
convinced that, with all of Dan's broadcasts, he would try to mix
things up completely by ordering Naf -> MAO with support from the
Western Med and Portugal.  Since England was likely to order MAO ->
Por, and the French fleet was unlikely to assist England with the
control of MAO, this seemed like a risky bet, though the odds on its
success were not so bad.  Of course, it could have backfired had
Lowlands supported MAO -> Por, but that seemed unlikely.  Had Austria
gotten a fleet in the MAO, he could have forced a win in the following
year.
	Well, so much for the ten thousand year game.  Again, kudos to
Dan.
					Rick

Broadcast message from Austria in 'chopin':

Russia said:
> I was convinced that, with all of Dan's broadcasts, he would try to
> mix things up completely by ordering Naf -> MAO with support from the
> Western Med and Portugal.
>
I'm insulted!  ( :)  ).

You think I would take an inferior play having worked out a 100% solution!

(Any play which doesn't give me 100% is inferior to the play that does!).

> Since England was likely to order MAO -> Por, and the French fleet was
> unlikely to assist England with the control of MAO, this seemed like a
> risky bet, though the odds on its success were not so bad.  Of course
> it could have backfired had Lowlands supported MAO -> Por, but that
> seemed unlikely.
>
Why unlikely?

YOU thought about it. You were a member of the opposition team. Therefore
the concept was (or could have been) available to the entire opposition
team. Therefore, the correct counter-move may well have been executed.
After all, if you (the opposition) thinks there is SOME chance (greater
than 0%) that I would have risked POR like that, then by exploiting it
you would have gotten SOME chance of stopping me -- which is better than
you have when I play sound. In fact, for a thinking opposition, this
defense would hardly be unlikely.

Bottom line: NAf-MAO was an unsound move. I don't make unsound moves!
(if I can help it!)

The only possible motivation was if I was afraid of the "10,000 year game;"
but I hardly was. All I needed -- if the game was to be reduced to
a battle of patience -- was to outlast just one opponent, any opponent, in
the patience game. Even failing that, I would still have high-probability
victory anytime I chose.

> Had Austria gotten a fleet in the MAO, he could have forced a win in the
> following year.
>
The best possible way.

Dan Shoham
Austria in Chopin.

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