White Team Leads Avatar Chess Tourney 1 – 0
by Pixeleen Mistral on 25/11/06 at 2:28 pm
Red team seeks rematch in december – 32 players particpate in each game
by Pixeleen Mistral, Sports desk
avatars who have been taken sit on the sidelines as the battle rages
Fashion-forward gargoyle Barney Boomslang is not just another pretty face in SL. While Barney is usually seen rocking this season’s hottest look for gargoyles – moss on his head and floppy ears – he also one of the organizers involved in forming a new in-world chess tournament where teams of avatars wear chess pieces to fight it out on a metaverse chess board.
In a tense first match of the season, the white team – lead by Ahmad Hosho as king – defeated the red team. Spectators say that the white team got the organization right – one or two good players along with a few analysts and helpers. The challenge of organization should not be underestimated – teams need to have 16 players on a side and coordinate their moves carefully. This suggests the SL version of the ancient board game has an added challenge – the social element and the need to form a cohesive group.
Barney Boomslang – not just another pretty face
A trash talking Barney Boomslang dissed the red team for having “problems with organization – what I groked from the chat and from comments after the game they had 3 ppl who tried to give orders LOL”. The white team’s on-board leader, Ahmad Hosho agreed and said white was “democratic” under his leadership, “I was just telling the next move, and they all agree”. It is hard to argue with white’s success – but the red team is already asking for a rematch. White team members I spoke with discount red’s chances of success — is a classic rivalry in the making here?
Anyone who has tried to run a series of events in SL can appreciate the difficulties in getting 32 players to meet in the same place at the same time. The hope of the organizers is that the next match will be easier – and eventually more teams will form. Mr. Boomslang said, “hunting down the players was a bit of work” and suggests that interested players join the group “Avatar Chess”.
The long term goal is for more people to get copies of the avatar chess pieces and modify them. Mr. Boomslang hopes that people will begin “picking up the pieces and start their own designs on them, so we can have different teams in a tournament”. For more pictures from the first match, see Barney Boomslang’s blog.
Pixy Haifisch
Nov 26th, 2006
I have a BIG REAL life tourne to put on with real life Kasperov and Polgar.
WHO IS IN???
Contact me with interests for more info
be well and live well
Urizenus
Nov 26th, 2006
Kasperov and Polgar? I sense a Second Life hypervent waiting to happen.
Jerry Paffendorf/SNOOPYbrown Zamboni
Nov 26th, 2006
> Kasperov and Polgar? I sense a Second Life hypervent waiting to happen.
OK, let’s do this. Let’s make Torley’s dream of Wu-Tang entering SL come true at the same time. The RZA is a big chess man so let’s get some Wu rap action going at Kasperov vs. Polgar. I’m dead serious. If there’s a hypervent, let’s be truly hyper about it. This would bend minds. I also see that the Deep Fritz chess AI is currently taking on grand masters and not letting them win. Plug that badboy into SL too.
Wu Tang + Chess Masters + Artificial Intelligence = your family getting that proverbial “write home about it”
$L.R.E.A.M. (YouTube)
SL could also be the setting that makes RZA’s Bobby Digital character make sense — it just couldn’t pop off in the RL
Urizenus
Nov 26th, 2006
I want whatever Jerry was on when he posted that. Maybe half the dose.
But definitely go for it! And if you can get Method Man to participate too I’ll take you fishing on the Herald yacht.
Jerry Paffendorf/SNOOPYbrown Zamboni
Nov 26th, 2006
> I want whatever Jerry was on when he posted that. Maybe half the dose.
Can’t cut the red pill in half, dude. Some emails and phone calls are in order for December. I’d been in touch with Kasparov’s agent a while back about asking him to come out to something in RL. It didn’t work out, but he was very nice and if I recall the biggest barrier, as usual, was travel costs. SL annhilates that issue.
> But definitely go for it! And if you can get Method Man to participate too I’ll take you fishing on the Herald yacht.
If you bring the yacht decorations (steering wheel, floaties, lifeboat, Cristal) maybe we can fish from the Herald balony at SXSW (AKA The Yacht)? Toss the line down with a note asking random people on 6th st. to attach things that we can reel up? What will we get? Money? Baby photos? Drinks? Cease-and-desist orders? Would be fun! It’s not immediately apparent what Wu-ers will be at SXSW 2007, but you never know… The Herald crew mixing with the Wu-Tang entourage is a match made in mixed-reality Heaven.