Carlos Torre Repetto

Carlos Jesús Torre Repetto (29 November 1904 – 19 March 1978) was a Mexican chess player and the first from his country to be awarded the title of grandmaster, accorded by FIDE in 1977.
Biography.
Born in Mérida, Yucatán, Torre spent much of his early life in New Orleans, US and developed as a young player under the tutelage of the New Orleans player Edwin Ziegler Adams. Torre later published an extraordinary combination that was supposed to have occurred in a game Adams–Torre and featured White's victory. It was determined subsequently that this combination was never played in a game; Torre's attribution of it to Adams was an homage to his teacher.
Torre first came to international attention when he attended the great New York 1924 tournament and impressed both the American and European masters with the high quality of his speed chess and analytical ability. The website Chessmetrics.com places Torre as eighth in the world following his tour of Europe. He was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1977.
Torre's career was cut short by mental illness. Torre spent much if not the remainder of his life hospitalized following his breakdown in 1926. A coming marriage that was broken by a Dear John letter is believed to have played a role in his breakdown, according to "The Oxford Companion to Chess". Chess historian Edward Winter, however, regards this as an open question. Reuben Fine visited him many years later and found that he still played very well.
Major tournament results.
Torre won the Louisiana state championship at New Orleans 1923, and began to reach world prominence in 1924. He was first at Detroit 1924 (25th Western Open), followed by Samuel Factor, Herman H. Hahlbohm, Norman Whitaker, Samuel Reshevsky, etc. He won at Rochester, New York 1924 (with Jennings). In 1924, Torre took third place in New York (Abraham Kupchik won).
In 1925, he made his European debut, in events with much stronger and deeper fields of more experienced masters. Torre took tenth place in Baden-Baden (Alexander Alekhine won). In 1925, he tied for third-fourth places with Frank Marshall, behind Aron Nimzowitsch and Akiba Rubinstein, in Marienbad. In 1925, he tied for fifth-sixth with Savielly Tartakower in Moscow (Efim Bogoljubow won), tied for second-third in Leningrad (quadrangular; Solomon Gotthilf won). In 1926, he tied for second-third places with Géza Maróczy, behind Marshall, in Chicago. In 1926, he won, ahead of José Joaquín Araiza, in Mexico City.
Legacy.
The chess opening Torre Attack is named after him. It is characterized by the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5. Torre also introduced the Mexican Defence to chess theory in a match against Fritz Sämisch in 1925 in Baden-Baden, Germany. It runs: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6.
A memorial tournament in his honour has been held annually since 1987 in his native city.
"The Windmill".
In the Moscow 1925 chess tournament, Torre defeated former world champion Emanuel Lasker with a queen sacrifice. The famous sequence is known as "The Windmill":
Torre wins with a queen sacrifice, as his rook and bishop form a grindstone that crushes Black with a series of checks and discovered checks.


B-Wings

 is a vertically scrolling shooter first released as an arcade game by Data East in 1984. The game was ported in 1986 to the Family Computer. It was Data East's very first home release for the platform.
Gameplay.
The game consists of 45 levels (30 in the Famicom version), and no background story or plot is given. The player controls a robotic aircraft called the FX-1, and collects weapon power-up parts (called a "wing") to progress through the levels and ultimately destroy a series of enemy bosses known as the "GOBUNASU" at every end of the level. The game consists of two different top-view screen levels, where the player can press the second button to descend to the ground whenever they do not have a power-up. The player is unaffected by attacks from airborne units while they are playing on the ground level, but the ship is automatically brought back into the air after a certain period of time. The player can still be hit by attacks from ground units while they are on the ground level, and can also lose their ship by crashing into obstacles. The 8-way joystick controls the player's movements, and one button is used for shooting, and the other is used for descending to the ground (or un-equipping wings). The background image continues infinitely when the player scrolls in the horizontal directions.
The game was remade to the Famicom in 1986, but many changes were made to power-ups, sound effects, enemy attack patterns, and enemy appearances, making the gameplay considerably different from the arcade version. New additional background music was also included, and it also became possible to rapid-fire shots. Several warps and hidden items were also added, along with an ending screen. The bosses are also more resilient and requires multiple hits to destroy them.
Weapons.
Weapons can be equipped onto the player's ship by collecting power-ups that corresponds to certain weapons. Weapons come in the form of "wings" that attaches to the ship's sides and each has different abilities. The weapon can be ejected by pressing the secondary button before equipping a new one, and may also be damaged by enemy attack. Damaged weapons will disintegrate and eject automatically.
When the player has no weapon, the ship will simply shoot two small projectiles at the front.
Special weapons.
In the Famicom version, there are three additional weapons that can only be obtained by destroying certain obstacles;
Items.
In the Famicom version, several items are scattered throughout the levels, usually hidden underneath certain obstacle structures or randomly flying around the screen. Certain items disappears when shot, while others will change its effect.
Reception.
In Japan, "Game Machine" listed "B-Wings" on their November 15, 1984 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the year.


Alexey Suetin

Alexey (Aleksei) Stepanovich Suetin (; November 16, 1926 – September 10, 2001) was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster of chess and author.
Biography.
A resident of Minsk (in 1953-1968), a mechanical engineer by profession, he became an International Master in 1961 and a Grandmaster in 1965. His philosophy was always that "mastery is not enough; you must dare, take risks". It was an axiom that fashioned him into a tough and fiercely competitive player and appeared to bring him his fair share of success.
His first major success came in 1955, when as a member of the Soviet team at the World Student Team Championships, he scored 80% and took individual and team gold medals.
As an active tournament player in the 1960s and 1970s, he achieved many fine results, including sharing or winning outright first place at Sarajevo 1965, Copenhagen 1965, Titovo Užice 1966, Hastings 1967/68, Havana 1969, Albena 1970, Kecskemét 1972, Brno 1975 (the inaugural Czech Open Championship – the title of Champion going to Vlastimil Hort on tie-break), Lublin 1976, and Dubna 1979. Third place finishes at Debrecen 1961 and Berlin (Lasker Memorial) 1968 were also noteworthy.
Suetin participated in seven USSR Championships from 1958 to 1966, his best finishes being 4th–6th in 1963 (behind Stein, Spassky and Kholmov) and 4th-6th in 1965 (behind Stein, Polugaevsky and Taimanov).
Until 1971, he served as a second and trainer to Tigran Petrosian for many of his most important matches, including his world championship victory in 1963. He was for many years Moscow's senior coach, overseeing the development of promising new talents, including Vassily Ivanchuk and Andrei Sokolov. Though less distinguished than before, his playing career stretched into the 1990s and beyond. He won the Hastings Challengers event of 1990/91, but was like Efim Geller, a chain-smoker, and found it difficult to adjust to the 1990 FIDE directive that banned smoking in tournament halls.
A renowned commentator on the game, he was from 1965 the correspondent for Pravda and his voice was often heard on Moscow radio and TV during the 1970s and 1980s.
As a veteran player, he won the World Senior Championship in 1996.
He wrote many chess books; principally those concerned with the middlegame or opening. These include: "Modern Chess Opening Theory", "Three Steps To Chess Mastery" (a treatise which combines his earlier works, "The Chess Player's Laboratory" and "The Path To Mastery"), "Plan Like A Grandmaster", "A Contemporary Approach To The Middle-game", "French Defence", "The Complete Grunfeld" and "The Complete Spanish". His last book, "Chess through the prism of time", was published in Moscow in 1998.
Alexey Suetin was married to Woman Grandmaster Kira Zvorykina and together they had a son Aleksandr, who was born in 1951. They lived in Belarus for some years and Suetin frequently competed in the national championship. Suetin was a six-time winner of the event (in 1953 – together with Vladimir Saigin; then in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961). At the beginning of the 1960s Suetin divorced with Zvorykina and married for the second time.
He died aged 74 of a heart attack shortly after returning home from the Russian Senior Championship.


Balloon Bomber

Balloon Bomber is a fixed shooter arcade game released by Taito in 1980. The player controls a ship at the bottom of the screen which shoots at balloon-carrying bombs overhead. If a falling bomb hits the bottom of the screen, it makes a crater which cannot be moved past, limiting mobility.
Legacy.
The game was re-released in multiple compilations, including "Taito Legends 2" for PlayStation 2, "Taito Memories Pocket" (Japan/Asia), and "Taito Legends Power Up" (Europe) for the PlayStation Portable.


List of chess openings

This is a list of chess openings, organized by the "Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings" () code. In 1966, Chess Informant categorized the chess openings into five broad areas ("A" through "E"), with each of those broken down into one hundred subcategories ("00" through "99"). The openings were published in five volumes of "ECO", with volumes labeled "A" through "E". This is a list of chess openings by the "ECO" classification.
A – Flank openings.
A00–A39.
White first moves other than 1.e4, 1.d4:
A40–A44.
1.d4 without 1...d5, 1...Nf6 or 1...f5: Atypical replies to 1.d4
A45–A49.
1.d4 Nf6 without 2.c4: Atypical replies to 1...Nf6
A50–A79.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 without 2...e6 or 2...g6: Atypical Indian systems
A80–A99.
1.d4 f5: Dutch Defence
B – Semi-Open Games other than the French Defense.
B00–B19.
1.e4 without 1...c5, 1...e6 or 1...e5
B20–B99.
1.e4 c5: Sicilian Defence
C – Open Games and the French Defense.
C00–C19.
1.e4 e6: French Defence
C20–C99.
1.e4 e5: Open Game
D – Closed Games and Semi-Closed Games.
D00–D69.
1.d4 d5: Closed Game
D70–D99.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 with 3...d5: Grünfeld Defence
E – Indian Defenses.
E00–E59.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6: Indian systems with ...e6
E60–E99.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 without 3...d5: Indian systems with ...g6 (except Grünfeld)
Statistics.
These statistics show a movement away from symmetrical defences to asymmetrical defences. In particular, in reply to 1.e4, the Sicilian and French defences, and to 1.d4 the Indian defences. Also, particularly amongst strong players, an increased use of the English Opening for White.


Multiplayer game


The Book Quiz

The Book Quiz is a BBC Four quiz programme. The first series, first broadcast in 2007, was hosted by David Baddiel with a second 2008 series hosted by Kirsty Wark.
Critical reception.
Rupert Christiansen, writing for The Daily Telegraph, offered The Book Quiz as an example of the BBC's "dumbed-down arts coverage", calling it "breezy drivel" that does "little more than twitter." Alex Larman's review on guardian.co.uk said it was "hard to think of a more misconceived programme", "a very poor thing indeed" that seems to be "designed for, and by, people who don't read books."


Modern Benoni

The Modern Benoni is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. 2. 3. . It is classified under the ECO codes A60–A79. After the initial moves, Black proceeds to capture on d5, creating a majority of black pawns on the queenside. To support their advance, the king's bishop is usually fianchettoed on g7. These two features differentiate Black's setup from the other Benoni defences and the King's Indian Defence, although transpositions between these openings are common.
Frank Marshall invented the Modern Benoni in 1927, but his experiments with the opening went largely ignored for over 20 years. In the 1950s the system was revitalized by players in the Soviet Union, chief among them Mikhail Tal. Its subsequent adoption by players of a similarly aggressive and uncompromising style such as Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov established the opening's reputation as one of Black's most dynamic responses to 1.d4.
The Modern Benoni suffered a serious theoretical crisis in the 1980s and 1990s, when players as Black encountered great difficulties in meeting the and the . Only in the 21st century has the opening's reputation and theoretical standing made a recovery. Notably, it was Vladimir Kramnik's choice when he needed a win with Black in the penultimate game of the 2004 World Championship, though that particular game resulted in a draw.
Initial moves.
The standard move order for Black to enter the Modern Benoni is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5. Here it is possible for White to avoid 3.d5: respectable alternatives include 3.Nf3, typically transposing to a line of the English Opening, as well as 3.e3. Taking the pawn with 3.dxc5 is hardly ever seen, because Black easily recovers it after 3...e6 followed by ...Bxc5.
Still, 3.d5 has long been considered White's most challenging move, as it gains space in the centre. While it is possible for Black to avoid ...e7-e6 for the time being and play other moves such as 3...d6 or 3...g6, delaying this move until after White plays e2-e4 gives White the extra option of recapturing on d5 with the e-pawn. While recapturing in this fashion does not give White a central pawn majority, it maintains White's spatial advantage and denies Black the counterplay associated with possession of a queenside pawn majority. Thus players who are seeking the typical imbalance in pawn structure associated with the Modern Benoni tend to prefer the immediate 3...e6 followed by 4...exd5.
Alternative move orders and transpositions.
It is possible, indeed common, for Black's second and third moves to be reversed: thus 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 will both transpose into the Modern Benoni if White allows it with 4.d5. The latter move order has been especially popular since the 1980s, as it allows Black to reach the Modern Benoni while sidestepping the . It also gives Black the additional option of meeting 4.d5 with 4...b5, the Blumenfeld Gambit. Players who use this move order will often choose a different defence against 3.Nc3, such as the Nimzo-Indian with 3...Bb4.
Another frequent transposition into the Modern Benoni occurs when White invites a Catalan Opening with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 and Black responds with 3...c5. If White responds with 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5, Black can play 5...d6, which often transposes into the ; but a common alternative is 5...b5, which leads to independent positions.
Black can also try to reach the Modern Benoni through a Benoni Defence move order, i.e. 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6, when 3.c4 e6 would complete the transposition. However, White often prefers not to play 3.c4, since it takes away a useful square from a white knight. Several lines of the King's Indian Defence, such as the Four Pawns Attack, the Sämisch Variation and the Fianchetto Variation, can also transpose into variations of the Modern Benoni if Black plays ...c5 followed by ...e6 and ...exd5 and White recaptures with the c-pawn.
History.
The Modern Benoni was invented by Frank Marshall at the New York 1927 chess tournament. He played it twice, gaining a draw against José Raúl Capablanca in the , but losing soundly to Aron Nimzowitsch, who played the . Nimzowitsch received the third special prize of the tournament for this game and labelled Marshall's opening an "unfortunate" "extravagance" in his annotations; as a result, it lay virtually abandoned for decades. However, Karel Hromádka's experiments with the Benoni Defence in the 1930s occasionally featured the moves ...e7-e6 and ...exd5, resulting in a transposition to the Modern Benoni.
Only in the 1950s was interest in the system revived, when the King's Indian Defence gained in popularity among Soviet players and their investigations branched into related opening systems such as the Modern Benoni. The imbalance inherent in its pawn structure and the counter-chances this implied for Black appealed to aggressive players such as Rashid Nezhmetdinov and Alexander Tolush; the Israeli master Moshe Czerniak also employed it frequently. Lev Polugaevsky, Boris Spassky and Alexey Suetin were among the younger generation of Soviet players who used it regularly in the 1950s and 1960s.
But the player primarily responsible for elevating the Modern Benoni to the status of a major opening was Mikhail Tal, who took up the opening in 1953 after seeing one of Nezhmetdinov's games. The tactical positions it led to were a perfect fit for Tal's combinatorial gifts and he crushed many opponents in brilliant style. Famous examples include his game against Bukhuti Gurgenidze at the 1957 USSR championship, excerpted below, and his win against Yuri Averbakh at the same tournament the following year.
He also became the first player to use the Modern Benoni in a world championship match, playing it twice against Mikhail Botvinnik in 1960. Former World Champion and opening authority Max Euwe acknowledged Tal's contribution to the opening by naming it the "Tal-System" in his 1965 opening encyclopedia.
These developments did not go unnoticed outside the Soviet Union: the name "Modern Benoni" had appeared in print by 1955. In the 1960s Larry Evans began employing the system frequently, and from 1966 onwards, Bobby Fischer also included it in his repertoire, albeit as a secondary weapon. Even so, Fischer was responsible for one of the most famous games ever played with the opening: down 2–0 in the 1972 World Championship match, he answered Spassky's 1.d4 with the Modern Benoni in Game 3 and scored a momentum-changing victory.
The successes of Tal and Fischer inspired a new generation of players to take up the Modern Benoni in the 1970s and 1980s, including Walter Browne, Ljubomir Ljubojević, John Nunn, Dragoljub Velimirović, Lev Psakhis, Mihai Suba and Nick de Firmian. The young Garry Kasparov also had the defence in his arsenal—his win against Viktor Korchnoi at the 1982 Lucerne Olympiad
was considered the highlight of the tournament and remains one of the most famous games ever played in the opening. It became a favoured weapon for players needing to win against 1.d4: for example, Psakhis used it to defeat Yuri Razuvaev in the penultimate round of the 1980 USSR Championship,
catching Alexander Beliavsky in the lead and ultimately sharing first place with him.
But in the early 1980s, White scored several crushing victories at high-profile tournaments using the aggressive , which caused players to question the fundamental soundness of Black's opening. By the end of the decade, the had also emerged as a dangerous weapon for White, which only compounded Black's troubles. As a result, the opening declined in popularity and a number of grandmasters gave it up altogether. Those who continued to play it often chose to do so via the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5, when White's early development of the knight to f3 rules out the Taimanov Attack and gives Black opportunities to .
Mired in this theoretical crisis, the Modern Benoni remained unpopular in the 1990s. Veselin Topalov was the only top-level player to play it regularly, and he too generally preferred the 2...e6 3.Nf3 c5 move order. At the beginning of the new millennium, the theoretician John Watson published a well-regarded survey of the opening that may have contributed to the opening's revival. Many of the ideas he recommended, such as 9...Qh4+ versus the Taimanov Attack and 9...Nh5 in the Modern Main Line, grew in popularity after its publication. The opening regained some more of its former respectability when Vladimir Kramnik, needing a win with Black against Peter Leko, played it in the second to last game of the 2004 World Championship. While he did achieve a winning position at one point, the game ended in a draw. Nevertheless, Étienne Bacrot, Boris Gelfand and Vassily Ivanchuk have all since used the Modern Benoni at the highest levels of competition, while Vugar Gashimov became the opening's most notable proponent. He was the strongest player willing to use the original 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 move order and defend Black's cause in both the Taimanov Attack and the Modern Main Line.
Strategy.
The Modern Benoni is one of Black's sharpest and most active defences against 1.d4. The exchange of White's c-pawn for Black's e-pawn leaves White with a pawn majority in the centre and Black with one on the queenside. This asymmetry suggests that White will try to play on the kingside and in the centre, while Black will seek counterplay on the queenside. However, this simplistic generalization does not hold in many cases—depending on how the pieces are arranged, either side may be able to fight back on the flank where they are theoretically weaker.
The creation of such a pronounced structural imbalance so early on in the game implies that Black aims to counterattack rather than equalize. Thus the opening has acquired a reputation for being risky: as Psakhis once wrote, the Modern Benoni "is definitely not an opening for cowards." Since White's central superiority typically constitutes a positional advantage, Black must frequently resort to tactical play and material sacrifices in order not to be forced into passivity.
Black's queenside play.
The game Donner–Tal, Zurich 1959, was a classic demonstration of the power of Black's queenside pawn advance, backed up by the bishop on g7. After Black's 20...Qb4! White was unable to exchange queens, as 21.Qxb4 cxb4 22.Nd1 Nc5 would fork the pawns on a4 and e4. However, the actual game did not last long after Donner's 21.Qf1: Tal set his pawns in motion with 21...c4 22.Re2 b5 23.axb5 axb5 24.Kh1, created a passed c-pawn with 24...Bxc3! 25.bxc3 Qxc3 26.Rxb5 Qd3 27.Qe1 c3 28.Rb1, and forced Donner's resignation with 28...Nc5! when White could neither save his e-pawn nor stop Black's c-pawn from queening. According to Donner, while he spent over two hours on the game, Tal used only fifteen minutes.
White's kingside play.
The central pawn majority is White's main positional trump in the Modern Benoni. By staking out an advantage in space on the kingside, it allows White to develop an initiative on that side of the board. The most important tool in White's arsenal is the e4-e5 pawn advance, which can open up lines and squares for the white pieces, and result in the creation of a passed d-pawn if Black answers with ...dxe5.
A famous example of the e4-e5 break leading to a kingside attack occurred in the game Penrose–Tal from the 1960 Leipzig Olympiad. With 19.e5! dxe5 20.f5! Bb7 21.Rad1 Ba8 22.Nce4 White installed a powerful knight on e4, while Black's pieces were hemmed in by the pawn on e5. Penrose soon crashed through on the f-file and scored a stunning upset over the reigning world champion. Other classic examples of this central breakthrough include Ojanen–Keres, Estonia–Finland match, Helsinki 1960
and Korchnoi–Tal, USSR championship, Yerevan 1962.
Black's kingside play.
The half-open e-file gives Black a certain degree of influence over the kingside. A rook on e8 puts pressure on White's e-pawn and restrains it from advancing. Tactics involving ...Nxe4 are not uncommon—the games Averbakh–Tal, USSR championship, Riga 1958, and Uhlmann–Fischer, Interzonal, Palma de Mallorca 1970, are well-known examples. Black can initiate further kingside activity by playing ...Nd7-e5 followed by ...g7-g5. The pawn move prevents White from driving away the knight with f2-f4, and sets up the possibility of Black bringing a knight on f4 via g6 or h5. Further space-gaining pawn advances such as ...g5-g4 and ...f7-f5 may even be possible.
En route to winning his first USSR championship, Tal provided a brilliant example of how Black's dark-square control could lead to a kingside attack. Against Gurgenidze at the 1957 championship in Moscow, he unleashed the double sacrifice 14...Nxf2!! 15.Kxf2 Qh4+ 16.Kf1 (16.g3? Bd4+ 17.Kg2 Qxh3+ 18.Kf3 Bg4+ 19.Kf4 g5+ 20.Kxg5 Be3+ 21.Kf6 Qh6 mate) Bd4 17.Nd1 Qxh3! with the point that 18.gxh3 Bxh3 is mate. After 18.Bf3 Qh2 19.Ne3 f5! 20.Ndc4 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Ba6! White was unable to defend against Black's threats of 22...Rxe4 23.Qxe4 Re8 24.Qc2 Nxd5 and 22...Bxc4+ 23.Nxc4 Rf8+ 24. Bf3 Rxf3+, and Gurgenidze resigned after move 27.
White's queenside play.
When Black prepares the ...b7-b5 pawn break with ...a6, White usually tries to hinder it by playing a2-a4, even though this advance weakens the b4-square. As a further deterrent to Black's queenside expansion, White often moves the knight on f3 to c4 via d2. With the knight on c4, Black's ...b7-b5 break may be met by axb5 followed by Na5, when the arrival of a white knight on c6 could severely disrupt Black's position. The knight on c4 also attacks Black's backward pawn on d6, and White can often increase the pressure on this pawn by playing Bf4 or Nb5. The strength of White's knight on c4 often induces Black to exchange it off: typical ways of doing so are ...Nb6, ...Ne5, or ...b7-b6 followed by ...Ba6.
Even if Black should succeed in enforcing the ...b7-b5 break, White may halt the b-pawn's further advance by simply playing b2-b4. Even though this would give Black the opportunity to establish a passed c-pawn with ...c5-c4, blockading the queenside in this manner may allow White to pursue play in the centre and on the kingside undisturbed. The ...c5-c4 advance would also relinquish Black's control over the d4-square, which may be occupied to good effect by a white knight or bishop.
A successful demonstration of this last idea occurred in the game Pintér–Brynell at the 1998 Elista Olympiad. White answered Black's 21...b5 with 22.b4!, and Black was unable to keep the queenside open with 22...bxa4? because 23.bxc5 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 dxc5 25.Bxc5 would have left White's central pawns unstoppable. After the game's 22...c4 23.a5! Qe7 24.Bd4 Black's queenside play had ground to a halt; Pintér later won with a pawn advance on the kingside.
Variations.
After the initial moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6, the moves 4.Nf3 and 4.g3 reach positions discussed previously, while 4.dxe6 fxe6 is also ineffective, since Black gains a half-open f-file and the chance to take over the centre with ...d7-d5. Instead White's most popular move is 4.Nc3, preparing to support the d-pawn with 5.e4. As mentioned above, were Black to delay the capture on d5, White would then gain the option of recapturing with the e-pawn. Thus Black generally plays 4...exd5 immediately.
Following the recapture 5.cxd5, Black has an eccentric option in 5...Bd6, the Snake Benoni. But most players prefer 5...d6, which stops White's d-pawn from advancing to d6. Black's control over the central dark squares d4 and e5 will then be augmented by fianchettoing the bishop on g7. Meanwhile, White must decide whether or not to play 6.e4. Although this move gains space in the centre, it also gives Black a target of attack on the half-open e-file. White can deny Black this target for the time being by playing 6.Nf3 first.
4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6.
The most critical lines in the Modern Benoni occur after 6.e4 g6. At this point 7.Nf3 has historically been White's most popular move, intending to complete kingside development and castle. Here theory divides into three major branches:
Apart from 7.Nf3, White also has several important alternatives, including:
7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0: Classical Main Line.
Before the advent of the Taimanov Attack and the Modern Main Line, the sequence 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 was the most frequently contested line in the Modern Benoni. Here Black has a choice between three main plans. Two of them begin with 9...Re8, attacking the e-pawn. After 10.Nd2, Black's most dynamic plan is to prepare kingside play with 10...Nbd7 followed by ...Ne5 and ...g6-g5. This plan became popular in the 1970s after Fischer used it, and although it is riskier than the alternatives, it remains Black's best option to complicate the game.
Alternatively, Black can try the older move 10...Na6, intending to bring the knight to c7 to prepare the ...b7-b5 break. White most commonly responds with Gligorić's 11.f3 Nc7 12.a4, which clamps down on b5 and overprotects e4 so that White can follow up with Nc4. Black's position remains solid but offers fewer active possibilities than after 10...Nbd7.
At the 1973 Madrid international tournament Ljubojević demonstrated what is now considered to be Black's most reliable path to equality. Against Silvino García Martínez he played 9...a6 10.a4 Bg4 11.Bf4 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 and now the innovation 12...Qe7! which prepares ...Nbd7 while keeping the pawn on d6 defended. The exchange of Black's bishop for White's knight eases Black's slightly cramped position and weakens the force of White's e4-e5 break.
7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 0-0 9.Bd3: Modern Main Line.
By the late 1980s Ljubojević's plan of exchanging the light-squared bishop had been proven so reliable it was deterring White from entering the Classical Main Line altogether. The desire to prevent ...Bg4 led to the development of the Modern Main Line, 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 0-0 9.Bd3. If Black continues in the same manner as in the Classical Main Line, e.g. 9...a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.0-0 Re8, then White appears to maintain an advantage with 12.Bf4.
Originally it was thought that the temporary pawn sacrifice 9...b5 was an easy equalizer: after 10.Nxb5 Nxe4?! 11.Bxe4 Re8 Black seemingly regains the sacrificed piece without trouble. But in Alburt–de Firmian, USA ch 1990, White uncorked 12.Ng5! and went on to win: this move was judged the most important theoretical novelty in Volume 50 of "Chess Informant". Only later was it discovered that the immediate 10...Re8 is a better way of recovering the pawn, with a complicated game in the offing.
The other capture 10.Bxb5 has been subjected to extensive analysis and testing, which has led to the conclusion that the sequence 10...Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Qa5+ 12.Nfd2 Qxb5 13.Nxd6 Qa6 14.N2c4 Nd7 15.0-0 is more or less forced. In the resulting positions Black has found it difficult to generate any winning chances, and even finding equality has not been a simple task. The fact that one must know a lot of theory just to secure a draw has rendered the entire variation beginning with 9...b5 rather unattractive from Black's point of view, even though it appears to be objectively the best move.
Thus Black has sought other methods of combating the Modern Main Line. The sharp variation 9...Re8 10.0-0 c4 received significant attention in the mid-1990s, but after 11.Bxc4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Rxe4 13.Bg5 Black has yet to demonstrate clear equality. In 2001 John Watson published a detailed analysis of 9...Nh5, which stops White from playing Bc1-f4 and allows Black to follow up with ...Nd7-e5. While it is also unclear whether this move ultimately equalizes, at least Black retains significant counterplay.
7.Nf3 a6: Black avoids the Modern Main Line.
White's success with the Modern Main Line has spurred Black to search for ways to get in ...Bg4 before White stops it with h2-h3. After 7.Nf3, the immediate 7...Bg4? runs into 8.Qa4+!, when 8...Bd7 9.Qb3 or 8...Nbd7? 9.Nd2! threatening 10.f3 both give White the advantage. So Black first plays 7...a6 threatening 8...b5. Only after 8.a4 does Black play 8...Bg4, when a transposition to the Classical Main Line is likely: 9.Be2 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Bg7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bf4 Qe7 is Ljubojević's line, for example. Instead White may try to exploit Black's early ...Bg4 with 9.Qb3, but after 9...Bxf3 10.Qxb7 Black can either maintain material and positional equality with 10...Bxg2 or try for more with 10...Nbd7!?. To cut across Black's idea of ...Bg4, White has even resorted to 8.h3 allowing 8...b5, but after 9.Bd3 Bg7 10.0-0 0-0 Black obtains an acceptable position.
If White has entered the Benoni through the standard move order (4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6), White can dodge such sidelines by avoiding the immediate 7.Nf3 and starting with 7.Bd3 or 7.h3 instead: the latter two moves leave Black little choice but to enter the Modern Main Line after 7...Bg7 and 8...0-0.
7.f4: Taimanov Attack and other lines.
With 7.f4 White stakes out even more space in the centre and threatens to overrun Black's position with a quick e4-e5. After 7...Bg7 White can transpose to the main line of the Four Pawns Attack in the King's Indian Defence with 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Be2. A rarer option is 8.e5, the Mikenas Attack, against which Black can equalize with either 8...Nfd7 or the rarer 8...dxe5 9.fxe5 Nfd7.
By far the most popular continuation for White is 8.Bb5+, the Taimanov Attack. Analyzed by Mark Taimanov in 1956, the strength of this variation was not fully appreciated until the early 1980s. The point of the check is that both 8...Bd7 and 8...Nbd7 allow 9.e5 with advantage to White, since the knight on f6 can no longer retreat to d7. After the strongest move 8...Nfd7 the most popular move used to be 9.Bd3, preparing to meet 9...a6 with 10.a4. But in two crushing and high-profile victories with White (against Frans Andre Cuijpers at the 1980 World Junior Chess Championship in Dortmund, and against Nunn at the 1982 Olympiad in Lucerne) Kasparov showed that 9.a4 was more dangerous for Black, it having the advantage of not determining the bishop's retreat square for the time being.
White's success with this idea led some to question the soundness of the Modern Benoni, at least in its original move order. In 1982, Nunn concluded his analysis of the Taimanov with the words, "Black badly needs a new idea against 8.Bb5+ and 9.a4 to keep the Benoni in business"; two years later, he had given up the opening altogether. Other players such as Psakhis resorted to using the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6, only playing 3...c5 in response to 3.Nf3 to avoid the Taimanov, while choosing an entirely different opening against 3.Nc3. The damage this variation did to the opening's reputation led David Norwood to rechristen it the "Flick-Knife Attack."
Not until the 21st century did players and analysts begin to revive Black's chances in this line. First, Watson showed that the disruptive check 9...Qh4+ was playable, the point being that after 10.g3 White is no longer able to bring the bishop on c1 to the squares g3 or h4, where it can assist in White's kingside attack. Later players such as Gashimov showed that the queen check is not mandatory, and that Black also retains good chances in the line 9...0-0 10.Nf3 Na6 11.0-0 Nb4, taking advantage of the outpost on b4.
7.Bd3: Knaak Variation.
The move 7.Bd3 is sometimes used by White to enter the Modern Main Line after 7...Bg7 8.h3 without allowing Black's attempts to play an early ...Bg4. It is also the prelude to a variation championed by Rainer Knaak, 7...Bg7 8.Nge2 0-0 9.0-0. White's plan is to play for a kingside attack beginning with the moves Ng3, f2-f4, and then either e4-e5 or f4-f5. A famous demonstration of White's kingside attack was the game Penrose–Tal, Leipzig ol 1960. However, the development of the knight to e2 rules out the Nf3-d2-c4 manoeuvre, so Black is able to get quick counterplay on the queenside with ideas like ...c5-c4 followed by ...Nd7-c5.
7.f3: Kapengut Variation.
In 1996 Albert Kapengut published a dense analysis of the move 7.f3, which now bears his name. Kapengut himself gave it the name "Half-Sämisch Variation", because the positions it leads to are often reached via transposition from the Sämisch Variation of the King's Indian Defence. The pawn on f3 overprotects e4 and prevents ...Ng4, so that White can continue 7...Bg7 8.Bg5 and retreat the bishop to e3 after ...h7-h6 without it being further harassed by Black's knight. Notable past practitioners of this line have included Viktor Korchnoi and Murray Chandler.
4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6.
This position arises particularly frequently through the transposition 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6. At this point White can still transpose to the Classical or Modern Main Lines after 7.e4. Other common alternatives are:
7.g3: Fianchetto Variation.
The Fianchetto Variation has never been considered particularly dangerous for Black to meet, since White's setup does not put Black's position under immediate pressure. However, it also offers Black no obvious target to attack—the fianchettoed bishop covers e4 and d5 and also protects White's king. Since the same bishop no longer covers the a6-f1 diagonal, White typically plays Nf3-d2-c4 to help defend against Black's queenside expansion. After further preparatory moves such as Bf4 and Re1, White may be able to push forward in the centre with e2-e4-e5. Noted proponents of the Fianchetto Variation have included strong positional players such as Viktor Korchnoi, Gennadi Sosonko and Predrag Nikolić, and after a recommendation by the influential theorist Boris Avrukh in 2010, the line has become more topical.
Play typically proceeds 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0, and now the most common continuation sees Black developing in standard Benoni fashion while White manoeuvres the king's knight to c4, i.e. 9...a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.Nd2 Re8 12.h3 Rb8 13.Nc4. Here Black can challenge White's knight with either 13...Ne5 or 13...Nb6. White may also try to develop more quickly with 11.Bf4 in order to strengthen the threat of e2-e4-e5. The idea of an early Bf4 is also effective in other variations such as 9...Re8 10.Bf4. Black too can deviate: for example, the idea of playing for ...b7-b5 after 9...Na6 10.Nd2 Nc7 is frequently seen.
The Fianchetto Variation is often reached via transposition from other openings. For instance, the position in the diagram can be reached from the King's Indian via 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.d5 d6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Nf3 e6 8.0-0 exd5 9.cxd5, or from the Catalan via 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0.
7.Nd2: Knight's Tour Variation.
The Knight's Tour Variation 7.Nd2 immediately sends the knight towards c4, where it attacks the d-pawn; the pressure on it can be increased with moves like Bf4. Black can counter this plan with 7...Nbd7 intending 8.Nc4 Nb6, while 8.e4 Bg7 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 would lead to a major variation of the Classical Main Line after 10...Re8, with White having avoided Ljubojević's plan of ...Bg4.
Black is not obliged to allow this transposition though: 7...Bg7 is also playable. After 8.e4 0-0 9.Be2, Black has alternatives to 9...Re8, such as the 9...Na6 10.0-0 Ne8 Kramnik played against Leko at the 2004 World Championship, where Black intends to attack White's centre with ...f5. Alternatively, if White immediately completes the knight manoeuvre and attacks the pawn on d6 with 8.Nc4 0-0 9.Bf4, Black can either defend it with 9...Ne8 or sacrifice it with 9...Na6 or 9...b6.
7.Bf4.
The move 7.Bf4 is similar in spirit to 7.Nd2, in that White hopes to inconvenience Black by a quick attack on d6. After 7...Bg7 8.Qa4+! Bd7 9.Qb3 White attacks both b7 and d6, and Black must be careful not to drift into a passive position after 9...Qc7 10.e4 0-0.
More commonly Black prefers to rule out White's queen check with 7...a6, which incidentally threatens to expand on the queenside. White can ignore this with 8.e4 b5 9.Qe2, aiming to quickly overrun Black in the centre with the e4-e5 advance. However, 8.a4 Bg7 is the most popular continuation, when White can aim for a transposition to the Classical Main Line with 9.e4. Another possibility is 9.h3 0-0 10.e3, which gives the bishop a retreat square in case of ...Nh5 and delays further expansion in the centre until the White's development is complete. Although a number of opening books recommended the 7.Bf4 variation for White in the early 21st century, Black appears to be able to maintain the balance in this line.
7.Bg5: Uhlmann Variation.
The variation with 7.Bg5 is named after Wolfgang Uhlmann, who played it a few times in the 1960s. Botvinnik also employed it in his 1960 world championship match against Tal. By pinning the knight, White aims to transpose into favourable lines of the of the King's Indian Defence, which may occur after 7...0-0 8.Nd2!. To prevent this, Black can either break the pin immediately with 7...h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Nh5, or after developing with 7...Bg7 8.e4 h6 9.Bh4. At this point 9...g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 runs into the pawn sacrifice 11.Bb5+ Kf8 12.e5! when White has a dangerous attack, and in the late 1970s this line was even thought to have refuted the Modern Benoni. Later it was realized that Black can prevent the bishop check with 9...a6!: the only way White can forestall ...g5 and ...Nh5 is with 10.Nd2, but this allows Black to expand on the queenside with 10...b5 and reach a satisfactory position.


Finders Keepers (American game show)

Finders Keepers is a children's game show that debuted on Nickelodeon in 1987 and later aired in first-run syndication starting in 1988. The show featured two teams of two children attempting to find hidden objects in different rooms of a house.
The Nickelodeon version premiered on November 2, 1987, and was hosted by Wesley Eure. Following this version's cancellation, Larry Toffler hosted a syndicated version that premiered on September 12, 1988.
Gameplay.
Main Game.
The main game was played in two rounds, each with two halves. The first half of each round involved finding hidden pictures in a complex drawing, and the second half involved ransacking rooms in a large house built on-stage.
Hidden Pictures round.
In the first half of each round, the object for the teams was to find hidden pictures drawn into a larger picture based on clues given by the host. On the Nickelodeon series, the picture was displayed on a telestrator and the team used a light pen to circle the object. On the syndicated series the picture was displayed on the game board with plastic laminate stickers similar to Colorforms representing the objects, and the team had to run to the board and stick a laminate to the picture to show where the hidden object was.
Each correct item located earned $25 for the team and an opportunity to search one of four rooms in the house for that round. During the first half of the Nickelodeon series the players chose the rooms they wanted to search, but this was later changed so that each hidden object found awarded the opportunity to search a specific room.
Each picture had a maximum of six objects hidden within it. In the first half of the Nickelodeon series, an incorrect answer meant a room would go unclaimed. For the subsequent episodes and syndicated series, the round was played until all four rooms were claimed or all six clues were played
Searching the house.
The house consisted of eight rooms that could be whimsical versions of traditional rooms in a typical home (e.g., a living room, a bathroom, a den or a kitchen), or complete fantasy rooms, such as "Sherlock's Study," "Ali-Baba's bathroom", a sewer (which contained a pool of water), Tarzan's tree house, a pastry shop, or "Frankenstein's laboratory."
In each room, the host read a clue describing an object hidden within that room. The team had 30 seconds to find the object, and were given one chance to show it to the host once found. Each room in this round was worth $50, which went to the team if they found the object in the room. If the team either failed to find the correct object or showed an incorrect one to the host, the opposing team won the money.
Rooms were frequently set up with distractions to hinder the teams' searches of finding the object, such as ping-pong balls falling onto them from cabinets or the ceiling, sprays of water or confetti, and (in later episodes) entire shelves collapsing.
Round two.
The process repeated with a second hidden pictures round and set of rooms to search. The dollar values increased to $75 for finding a correct hidden picture and $100 for successfully finding a hidden object in a room.
One of the rooms in round two was the "Instant Prize Room". If a team was in the room, a bell would go off and the lights in the room would flash to indicate this. If they managed to find the hidden object in the Instant Prize Room, both teammates won a bonus prize in addition to the $100 for finding the object; the prize could only be claimed by the team in the Instant Prize Room.
The team with the most money at the end of this round won the game and advanced to the Room to Room Romp. Both teams kept all money earned, the losing team receiving consolation prizes.
Tiebreaker.
In the event that both teams were tied at the end of the second round, everyone went back to the play area and a shortened Hidden Pictures round was played. The first team to find two objects in the picture won.
Room-to-Room Romp.
In the Room-to-Room Romp, the winning team had 90 seconds to find a hidden object in each of six rooms, in a sequence given to them before the round began. All six objects had tags attached, with each of the first five tags directing them to the next room and giving a clue for the object hidden there.
The team won a prize for each object found, increasing in value to a grand prize for getting through all six rooms within the time limit.
Broadcast history.
The original version premiered on Nickelodeon on November 2, 1987, with Wesley Eure as host and John Harvey as the announcer. Harvey was later replaced by Bob Lorman and then by Joe Conklin. New episodes continued to air on Nickelodeon until July 29, 1988.
A first-run syndicated version, distributed by Fox Television Stations and Viacom (now part of CBS Media Ventures) premiered on September 12, 1988, and was hosted by Larry Toffler with Harry Stevens announcing. The syndicated series ended its run on March 10, 1989, and began airing in repeats on Nickelodeon the following Monday (March 13), which continued until August 25, 1990. Nick GAS re-aired the series from 1999 until 2006.
A Brazilian version of "Finders Keepers", called "Bobeou Dançou", aired by Rede Globo from July to December 1989. This version was hosted by Brazilian star Xuxa.
A British version of "Finders Keepers" aired on the CITV block of ITV from 1991 to 1996, followed by a brief revival in 2006. The first five series of this version was presented by Neil Buchanan, who was joined in the last series by Diane Youdale. Jeff Brazier presented the revival.
Production information.
The music for "Finders Keepers" was written by Edd Kalehoff. The music package was updated when the show went into syndication.
The first two seasons of "Finders Keepers" was taped at WHYY-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (as was "Double Dare"), while the syndicated version was taped at Hollywood Center Studios in Los Angeles, California. The sets of the Nickelodeon and syndicated versions differed slightly. The set of the Nickelodeon version consisted of a mock exterior of a house that included a door through which Eure entered at the beginning of the show. Prior to searching the house, the set would break away to reveal the house and rooms the teams would be searching. On the syndicated version, the play area and house shared the same set, with the house built stage left and the play area stage right.
Converse was a major sponsor of the show during its run, and every contestant and stage crew member (including the host) wore a pair of the company's shoes.


Star Trek Fleet Command

Star Trek Fleet Command is a 4X "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate" mobile strategy game created by Irish developer Digit Game Studios and published by Scopely and CBS Interactive. Players can explore star systems, build ships, mine resources, level up, complete missions, join alliances and battle other gamers.
The game follows the Kelvin timeline from the "Star Trek" franchise, and includes iconic characters from the series: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Nero, and more. In the likeness of 2016's "Star Trek Beyond", players can collect and upgrade characters and deploy on ships for a RPG role-playing game-style element.
Gameplay.
In "Star Trek Fleet Command", players start out with a space station and one ship. They can explore galactic systems, interact with NPCs and other players as well as complete missions. Missions, mining and combat rewards give the player resources used to upgrade their space station and invest in new ships.
The combat system is calculated based on turns but occurs in real-time gameplay. It is possible to attack or be attacked by NPC or other players' ships. The game features an alliance system as well as a galaxy, alliance and private chats.
There are also events that can reward players with various in-game rewards.
The game also includes a variety of in-game purchases ranging from $4.99 to $99.99. It has been characterized as pay to win. Free to play is classified as VERY frustrating past level 14.
Reception.
Joe Jordan of Pocket Gamer reviewed the game in 2018 and found "a deep mobile MMOG that combines its licence, metagame and gameplay in a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging manner," giving a final score of 4.5 out of 5. Glenn Wilson of GameZebo gave a score of 4 out of 5. Doug Mercer of COG Connect reviewed the game giving a score of 80% out of 100%. Italian website multiplayer.it gave the game a score of 8.2 out of 10.
The game received an 83% according to the review aggregation website GameRankings
The game was nominated for "Excellence in Convergence" at the SXSW Gaming Awards, and for "Best Music in a Casual/Social Game" at the 2019 G.A.N.G. Awards, and won the People's Voice Award each for "Strategy/Simulation Game" and "Technical Achievement" at the 2019 Webby Awards. It was also nominated for "Song/Score - Mobile Video Game" at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, and for "Game of the Year" at the "Pocket Gamer" Mobile Games Awards.


Double Wing Attack, Floating Rook

In shogi, Floating Rook (浮き飛車 "ukibisha") is a variation of the Double Wing Attack (相掛かり "aigakari") opening in which Black's rook falls back to rank 6 (R-26) aiming to protect this rank and prevent White from exchanging pawns on the eighth file to get a pawn in hand.
The translated term "floating" is synonymous with the term "hanging" as in "hanging piece" used in western chess where "floating" means a piece that is not defended by another piece.
From this position, there are numerous subvariants.
Development.
6. R-26. Floating Rook.
6. ...72 or 6. ...62. White has two options regarding their right silver: it could advance either to the seventh file or the sixth file. The seventh file (S-72) option is more common and has become the standard move in Double Wing Attack while the sixth file option is an older move according to professional player Kiyokazu Katsumata (勝又清和).
6. ...72. Moving the silver up to the seventh file allows White the following possibilities:
However, this gives up defending 53 with the silver and moving to the central file via that square.
6. ...62. Moving the silver to the sixth file allows White the following possibilities:
However, the silver on 62 and the gold on 61 may form a wall blocking the king from escaping toward the right side of White's board if under attack. White can still attempt a Climbing Silver strategy although it will be a slower Oblique Climbing Silver strategy since White must move a pawn out of the way first.
Both moves allow for a Reclining Silver positioning of the silver on 54.
After move 22, Floating Rook Double Wing Attack branches off into several different substrategies, which are detailed below.
Sickle and Chain Silver.
Sickle and Chain Silver or Chained Sickle Silver (鎖鎌銀 or くさり鎌銀 "kusari gama gin")
Reclining Silver.
In order to play (Double or Mutual) Reclining Silver or Sitting Silver, Black must advance their right silver to the 56 square through 47 while White advances their silver to 54 through 63.
Since a pawn is blocking the path of the silver, it must be pushed forward first. White usually makes this pawn push (on the sixth file) earlier than Black's pawn push on the fourth file.
13. ...P-34. White activates their bishop by opening the bishop diagonal. It's possible that opening the diagonal could have been done sooner before moving the silvers and edge pawns.
Clanging Silvers.
Clanging Silvers (ガッチャン銀 "gatchan gin")
Nakahara Floating Rook.
Nakahara Double Wing Attack (中原流相掛かり "nakahara-ryū aigakari") is a Floating Rook variant has Black advancing the third file pawn.
This allows a space on the 37 square for either the silver or the knight to move to.
White responds by activating their bishop.
These strategies are named after Makoto Nakahara.
Nakahara Silver-37.
Nakahara's silver variant starts with a silver advanced on the third file.
White likewise advances their silver.
Black then aims for an attack on the third file.
Nakahara Knight-37.
Nakahara's knight variant moves the knight to 37 instead of the silver.
Tsukada Special.
Tsukada Special (塚田スペシャル) is a Floating Rook variant of the Double Wing Attack opening developed by professional Yasuaki Tsukada.
Rook on Pawn.
Rook on Pawn (タテ歩取り or 縦歩取り "tatefudori") is a subclass of Floating Rook openings in which the Floating Rook player moves their rook to the third file aiming to capture their opponent's pawn used to open their bishop diagonal at the 34 square.


Yeongsan soemeoridaegi

Yeongsan soemeoridaegi is a traditional game in Korea which is selected as the 25th Important Intangible Cultural Property next to Andong's Chajeon Nori. It is originally played in Yeongsan-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. It is also called Mokwujun, wood cow fighting or cow wood fighting in the province.
History.
It was started to pray for the prosperity of farming for the next year and there was a belief that the winning town would have a rich year. The origin was in the real fighting of cows and it was replaced by wooden cows. Although there is no record of its origin, Youngsan is the place where the performance has flourished among in Youngnam Province according to related researches. It is influenced by Andong Chajeon Nori, which is the traditional game in Andong Province as its equipment for playing and the appearance of a wood cow is similar to it. Also the rule of play is the same: that the team which pushes from upper side is the winner.
Procedures.
Like any other traditional game in Korea, Yeongsan soemeoridaegi is also played in the 15th day of the New Year according to the lunar calendar. The full moon stands for prosperity and people believed that the winning team would have a rich year. When the game players met in a barley field, even the owner of the field was pleased because it was thought to help the barley to grow well.
As the date approaches, people starts to make a wood cow with three logs to be tied together and lifted up so that people could climb. A cow mask was then put on the upper side. Teams were divided into two as east and the west; each team with a general, major-general, and lieutenant general to lead their team. Then dozens of people carried the wood cow's head on their shoulders. On top of wood cow, generals directed the event and danced with swords.
Transmission.
Yeongsan soemeoridaegi disappeared in the era under the colonial administration of imperial Japan and it was revealed by the 3.1 event in 1968 after 30 years of disappearance. Kim hyung-gwun for playing the game.


List of chess openings named after places

Below is a list of chess openings named after places. "The Oxford Companion to Chess" lists 1,327 named chess openings and variants. Many of them are named for geographic places.
Z.
A number of less well-accepted ethnic chess opening names (including such gems as the "Anglo-Polish Dutch," 1.c4 f5 2.b4) can be found in this list of chess opening names.


Crush (American game show)

Crush is a game show which aired on USA Network from March to August 2000. The series was also broadcast in Canada on YTV's teen-oriented "Limbo" block. It was hosted by Andrew Krasny and was known as "The show that begs for an answer to the question, "Should friends try love?".


Far Cry

Far Cry is a franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, "Far Cry", was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequently, Ubisoft obtained the rights to the franchise and the bulk of the development is handled by Ubisoft Montreal with assistance from other Ubisoft satellite studios. The following games in the series have used a Ubisoft-modified version of the CryEngine, the Dunia Engine, allowing for open world gameplay. There have been five main games in the series, along with three standalone expansions; the first game, initially developed for Microsoft Windows, also saw a number of ports to video game consoles.
The "Far Cry" games, due to the history of their development, do not have any significant shared narrative elements, but instead share a theme of placing the player in a wilderness environment where they must help fight against one or more despots that control the region as well as surviving against wild animals that roam the open spaces. The "Far Cry" games feature a robust single-player campaign with later titles offering co-operative campaign support. The games also offer competitive multiplayer options and the ability for users to edit the games' maps for these matches.
The "Far Cry" games have generally been well-received and are considered commercial successes. Ubisoft reports that through 2014, lifetime sales of the "Far Cry" franchise has exceeded 20 million units.
Premise and gameplay.
The main "Far Cry" games are first-person shooters (FPS) with action-adventure elements. Whereas the first "Far Cry" and its spinoffs were typical FPS with discrete levels, "Far Cry 2" and the subsequent games have adapted an open world-style of gameplay, with main story and side missions and optional quests to complete.
There are minimal narrative elements or chronology between the games. Instead, the "Far Cry" games have generally shared the theme of taking the player to "a lawless frontier" where "values and laws of today are non-functional", along with elements of having to survive in the wilderness including hunting and crafting. The player often needs to work with freedom fighters attempting to regain control of a region from a ruling party, and may have to pit different sides of a conflict against each other through their actions. Some of the series' games have been more rooted in realistic conflicts, while others have involved elements of the supernatural or science fiction. Ubisoft Montreal, the principal developers of the series, do consider that all games share the same common fictional universe, and have reused some minor characters to maintain that, but otherwise anticipate each game can be enjoyed as a standalone title without knowledge of the other games.
History.
Origins with Crytek (2004–2007).
The first "Far Cry" game was developed by the German studio Crytek, and premiered their CryEngine software. One of Crytek's goals with the CryEngine was to be able to render realistic outdoor spaces with large viewing distances, which was a unique feature compared with other game engines at the time of its release. The CryEngine was originally demonstrated as a tech demo at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 1999 under the name "X-Isle: Dinosaur Island" specifically aimed at NVIDIA graphics processors. The demo allowed the user to explore a virtual tropical island populated with dinosaurs, showcasing the size of the virtual world that the CryEngine could handle. Following E3 1999, they secured a deal with NVIDIA to distribute "X-Isle" alongside all NVIDIA cards as benchmarking software, as at the time the CryEngine was the most demanding game engine on the market. Ubisoft made a deal with Crytek to build out "X-Isle" into a full AAA title, and obtained publishing rights for this title.
This game develops the story of player-character Jack Carver, who stumbles upon the genetic research of Dr. Krieger and the Krieger Corporation, on a fictional Micronesia island, to create powerful Trigen Beasts as weapons later sold to mercenaries. "Far Cry" released in March 2004 for Microsoft Windows to critical praise and strong sales, with over 730,000 units sold in the first four months.
Following "Far Cry"s release, Crytek, wanting to show that CryEngine had other applications, signed a deal in July 2004 to develop a gaming franchise with publisher Electronic Arts (EA), a direct competitor to Ubisoft. This franchise became the "Crysis" series, and through which Crytek continued to improve their CryEngine. With Crytek unable to work with them, Ubisoft assigned its studio Ubisoft Montreal to help port the title to the various game consoles through the "Far Cry Instincts" and "Far Cry Vengeance" titles. These titles required Ubisoft Montreal to rework much of the game as the consoles at this point in time were not as powerful as personal computers, and could not handle the wide open levels without performance problems. These games created more linear levels from the original "Far Cry", added campaigns and multiplayer modes, and in some cases, changed the game's narrative to less-realistic outcomes. In March 2006, Ubisoft acquired all rights to the "Far Cry" series and a perpetual license for the CryEngine version used in the development of "Far Cry". Ubisoft Montreal remained the principal studio developing all future "Far Cry" games.
Shifts to internal development (2008–2011).
"Far Cry 2" was announced by Ubisoft in July 2007, and featured two significant changes from the previous "Far Cry" games. First, it premiered the use of the Dunia Engine, a modified form of the licensed CryEngine by Ubisoft Montreal. The Dunia Engine was developed alongside "Far Cry 2" to make a fully open-world game as well as adding realistic physics and destroyable environments. Second, rather than continuing in the narrative of the first "Far Cry", it created a more open-ended narrative, featuring nine playable characters and the means for the player to create their own stories with the other non-playable characters in the game with an advanced artificial intelligence system. Part of the reason the narrative from "Far Cry" was dropped was that its main character Jack Carver was not memorable with players, and that the ending of the game, particularly with the changes made for "Instincts" and "Vengeance", took a significant turn into science fiction, something that the developers wanted to avoid with "Far Cry 2". Ubisoft also recognized that through the various console versions that players would be tired of the tropic setting as well as fearing that Crytek's project with EA was also set in a tropic location, and thus opted to change the locale to the plains of Africa. For "Far Cry 2", the game takes place in a fictional African county in the midst of a civil war that is being financially funded by a figure known as the Jackal, whom the player-character, a mercenary for hire, is tasked to bring down with the help of other mercenaries and locals.
"Far Cry 2" was released in October 2008, and was critically praised and commercially successful, with over 2.9 million in sales by 2009. However, the game's director, Clint Hocking, noted that internally, much of the design of "Far Cry 2" was haphazard. "Far Cry 2" had a polarizing reception from players over some of the gameplay features that were implemented to make the game feel diegetic and immerse the player into the world. Some of these disputed mechanics included the random onset of malaria that would impact the character's vision and movement until they obtained and took medicine for it, a weapon decay system that would cause guns picked up from enemies to wear down and break over use, military checkpoints that a player could clear out but which would become repopulated with enemies minutes later, and the game's buddy system, where the player could call a selected non-player character to help their character in battle, but only for a short while and would not be available until the player reached a safe house to rest.
Expansion as series (2012–ongoing).
Pre-production work for "Far Cry 3" had reportedly started just after "Far Cry 2" was shipped, with plans to keep it as a narrative sequel, but in the few years that followed, many of the development leads for "Far Cry 2" left the studio. The project had a significant shift of locale, returning to a tropical island theme similar to "Far Cry" while retaining the open-world nature of "Far Cry 2". They also looked to keep the key elements of "Far Cry 2"s open world that worked but add in more features to make it feel like a living world but with purpose behind how they designed it. This led to the development of Dunia Engine 2 to implement some open-world features such as weather system, which premiered in "Far Cry 3". Several of the questionable gameplay elements of "Far Cry 2" were eliminated. Further, to make this world meaningful, they eliminated the multiple player-characters and instead provided one character that they could write a strong narrative around. Within "Far Cry 3", the player-character is part of a group of adventuring tourists caught by the pirate Vaas Montenegro who has tortured the island's native population. "Far Cry 3" was formally announced in 2011 and released in November 2012. Though "Far Cry 3" presented some controversial elements within its narrative, it still received positive reviews and had sold more than 10 million units by 2014.
The basic gameplay of "Far Cry 3" established the series' general approach that was used in the next main series' iterations, but shifted locales from the tropical setting. These games included "Far Cry 4" (2014), set in the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat ruled by the tyrannical Pagan Min and his Royal Army, "Far Cry 5" (2018), taking place in fictional Hope County in Montana where a doomsday cult Eden's Gate, led by Joseph Seed, has locked down the region, and "Far Cry 6" (2021), set on a fictional Cuba-like island in the midst of revolution which "El Presidente" Antón Castillo rules as a dictator. All these games maintained the theme of a lawless land and required the player to rely on a number of gameplay skills beyond combat, such as hunting and crafting to a degree, to succeed. Each iteration of the games has used the Dunia 2 engine with further enhancements to improve performance and take advantage of newer technologies.
Extending from the main games were smaller side games that were built using the main games' existing maps and assets. The first of these was "", released in May 2013, following its announcement by Ubisoft on the previous April Fools' Day. The game, a standalone title, was an experiment release developed by Dean Evans that worked atop the existing "Far Cry 3" assets, reskinning some of the game's existing maps and geometry. It took a tongue-in-cheek approach to the culture of the 1980s. It became a commercial success with more than 1 million units sold. Its success led to similar "reskins" for the next two main games in "Far Cry Primal" (2016) (from "Far Cry 4") and "Far Cry New Dawn" (2019) (from "Far Cry 5").
Main series.
"Far Cry" (2004).
"Far Cry" is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004 for Microsoft Windows.
"Far Cry" sold 730,000 units within four months of release. The game's story follows an ex Special Forces operator named Jack Carver, who is stranded on a mysterious archipelago in Micronesia. He is searching for a female journalist he was escorting after she went missing when their sailboat was destroyed by mercenaries.
"Far Cry 2" (2008).
"Far Cry 2"s plot revolves around "The Jackal", an arms smuggler who has turned two fictional factions in a Central African state against each other. The game's sandbox gameplay has been highly touted, allowing the player access to 50 km2 of African terrain, complete with open savannah, forests, animals, and towns. The game was released on October 21, 2008 in North America and October 24, 2008 in Europe.
"Far Cry 3" (2012).
"Far Cry 3" revolves around Jason Brody and his friends, American tourists who arrive on an unmarked set of islands in the Pacific and are abducted by pirates who lay claim to the land, led by the insane Vaas. Jason escapes, and must learn the ways of the jungle to survive and rescue his friends. The game was released on November 29, 2012 in Australia, November 30 in Europe, and December 4 in North America.
"Far Cry 4" (2014).
The game is set in the fictional country of Kyrat in the Himalayas region, ruled by a despotic self-appointed king named Pagan Min. The protagonist, Ajay Ghale, is caught in a war and has to overthrow Min, when he is instructed by his late mother to travel again, from the U.S., to his homeland to spread her ashes there. The game was released on November 18, 2014 in Australia and North America, and November 20, 2014 in Europe.
"Far Cry 5" (2018).
"Far Cry 5" is set in modern-day Montana in the fictional Hope County. The player takes on the role of a sheriff's deputy who becomes entangled in a violent conflict between a doomsday cult called Eden's Gate led by "The Father" Joseph Seed and his siblings, and the resisting residents of Hope County who have seen their friends and family taken or killed by the cult. Announced in May 2017, the game was released on March 27, 2018 worldwide.
"Far Cry 6" (TBA).
"Far Cry 6" was announced by Ubisoft at its Ubisoft Forward event on July 12, 2020, teasing the game with a short video of the game's antagonist Anton Castillo, voiced by Giancarlo Esposito, days prior. The game was originally scheduled for release in February 2021, but was later delayed due to impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Spin-offs.
"Far Cry Instincts" (2005).
Developed and published by Ubisoft for the Xbox on September 27, 2005, it resembles the earlier PC game "Far Cry". However, the gameplay is not as open-ended as the first installment in the series. It makes up for this by including extra multiplayer modes through the Xbox Live service, alongside new abilities (feral powers) and a map creator mode which allows the users to create their own maps for multiplayer. Ports were also planned for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, these ports were not released.
"Far Cry Instincts: Evolution" (2006).
A sequel to "Far Cry Instincts", released for the Xbox on March 27, 2006. "Evolution" includes a new single-player campaign, although it is considerably shorter than the campaign found in "Far Cry Instincts". The game includes new weapons and vehicles, as well as an expanded map-maker and an extra multiplayer mode. Maps that are created on the Xbox version of "Instincts" can not be transferred to the Xbox 360 version.
"Far Cry Instincts: Predator" (2006).
"Far Cry Instincts: Predator", an Xbox 360 title, was released on the same day as "Evolution". It includes graphically enhanced versions of both "Instincts" and "Evolution". It featured a map editor in which the player can create maps.
"Far Cry Vengeance" (2006).
A video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the Wii console, released on December 12, 2006 in North America. "Far Cry Vengeance" has a similar story to "Evolution", and features three levels, weapons and vehicles, and changed controls.
"Paradise Lost" (2007).
"Paradise Lost" is a rail shooter arcade game port of "Far Cry Instincts" developed by Global VR and published by Ubisoft in 2007. Players use stationary turrets armed with rockets and grenades as power-ups.
"Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon" (2013).
"Blood Dragon" is a stand-alone "expansion pack" based on the world of "Far Cry 3". Although "Blood Dragon" does not continue the story of "Far Cry 3", it shares the same game engine and gameplay mechanics. News of its development was leaked by the Brazilian ratings board, which awarded an 18+ certification based on the title's references to violence, sex, and drugs. The game's retrospective story, characters and visual style are inspired by 1980's action movies, especially the films of Arnold Schwarzenegger, such as "Commando", "The Terminator", and "Predator", and Sylvester Stallone in "Cobra", "First Blood", and "Rocky IV". Other film/television references include "RoboCop", "Escape from New York", "Scarface" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", among others. Pre-orders of the PC version received a digital copy of the soundtrack, produced by Melbourne, Australia-based Power Glove. Due to the success of the title, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has stated that the game may also get a retail release.
A crossover title with the "Trials" series, "Trials of the Blood Dragon" is based on "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon", and was released in June 2016.
"Far Cry Primal" (2016).
Announced in October 2015, "Far Cry Primal" was released on February 23, 2016 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and in March 2016 for Microsoft Windows. The game is set in the Stone Age, and revolves around the story of Takkar, who starts off as an unarmed hunter and rises to become the leader of a tribe. "Far Cry Primal" was developed by Ubisoft Montreal.
"Far Cry New Dawn" (2019).
"Far Cry New Dawn" is a narrative sequel to "Far Cry 5" that was released on February 15, 2019. The game is set seventeen years after the events of "Far Cry 5" and follows the survivors of a nuclear war as they attempt to rebuild their community.
Sales.
As of September 2019, the "Far Cry" series has had over 50 million sales.
Breakdown of sales are as follows:
Animated series.
It was announced that Ubisoft are teaming with Adi Shankar to develop an animated series titled "Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Vibe".


Super Scrabble

Super Scrabble is a board game introduced in 2004 and a variant of "Scrabble". It is played on a 21×21 grid board instead of Scrabble's usual 15×15, and uses twice as many letter tiles.
In North America "Super Scrabble" is made and marketed by Winning Moves Games, but licensed by Hasbro. In the rest of the world it is manufactured by Tinderbox Games under license from Mattel. "Super Scrabble" is available in English and German. In February 2007, a "Deluxe Super Scrabble" was released with a rotating gameboard and interlocking tiles, just like "Deluxe Scrabble".
Gameplay differences.
The changes from standard "Scrabble" in "Super Scrabble" are summarized by the latter's tagline, "More spaces, more tiles, more points—add to your fun!" The board is larger; (21×21 or 441 squares vs. 15×15 or 225 squares); there are more premium squares (going up to quadruple letter and word score spaces); there are 200 tiles, twice as many as a normal "Scrabble" set. The middle 15×15 squares are identical to a "Scrabble" board, so standard "Scrabble" may be played on a "Super Scrabble" board. All the high-scoring quadruple premiums lie near the outside of the board, with the quadruple word squares at the four corners of the board.
Other than the differences in the board and the number of tiles, gameplay is similar to "Scrabble". Each player has seven tiles in their rack as normal, scoring is the same, and the same word lists are used. However, the differences are enough to upset normal "Scrabble" strategies. For example, the fifty points earned from a bingo (using all seven tiles) is not nearly as significant when compared to the high final scores. For a two-player game, scores over eight hundred points are not uncommon.
Tournament-level "Scrabble" games are usually limited to two players. Many tournament players find games with more players cramped. With its larger board, "Super Scrabble" is ideally suited for three- and four-player games. Indeed, its scoring sheets do not have enough lines to keep score for most two-player games.
"Super Scrabble" has exactly twice as many tiles as "Scrabble", but the distribution of letters is not simply the original distribution doubled. The distribution is:
The and indicate modifications from double the original distribution, with indicating more than double the original distribution, and indicating fewer. Note, for example, that there are more than twice as many S's (ten, whereas standard "Scrabble" has four). This was done to make more opportunities for plurals and third-person singular verbs.
Strategy.
Many of the same strategies that are applied in standard "Scrabble" play can be utilized in this version. Premiums play a larger role in "Super Scrabble", due to both the presence of quadruple letter and word scores, and also because near the edge of the board, double word scores are spaced closely together, making it much easier to score a "double-double". In addition, opportunities for bingos are increased due to the three extra squares in each direction. For the same reason, hooks can play a larger part in strategy (a hook is a letter that can be played at the start or end of a word already on the board and as part of the same move in a new word in the cross direction).
Certain high scoring words that are impossible to make in "Scrabble" without using blanks, such as words with doubled Z's (e.g. FUZZ, JAZZ, DAZZLE), can be played. The word KNICKKNACK, with 4 K's, cannot be played in "Scrabble" because there is only 1 K and only 2 blanks - but it is possible to play this word in "Super Scrabble". With quadruple-letter scores spaced only three squares away from a double-word score, it is not uncommon to see a single play score over one hundred points, even without a fifty-point bonus. Guarding against such plays becomes vital to strategy. However, due to the larger size of the board, this becomes increasingly difficult, especially late in the game.


Astra Superstars

 is a 1998 2D versus fighting arcade game illustrated and designed by SANTACLAUS, developed and published by Sunsoft, and distributed by Tecmo in Japan on June 6, 1998. It is Sunsoft's fourth fighting game after the 1994 Super Famicom "Hebereke" franchise spin-off "Sugoi Hebereke", the 1995 "" and the 1996 "Waku Waku 7". It is powered by the Sega Saturn-based ST-V (Sega Titan Video) arcade system. "Astra Superstars" is an airborne-based fighting game.
Gameplay.
The object of the airborne-based fighting game is to knock out the opponent in two out of three rounds (except the one round-only final boss fight). There are two modes in the original arcade version: "Story Mode" (1P-only) or "1P VS. 2P". In "Story Mode", at the beginning of each battle, the player must converse with the opponent by selecting one of three sentences. Depending on which sentence is selected, the CPU-controlled opponent will either "Heat Up" (become hard), "Cool Down" (become easy) or stay neutral before fighting (no difficulty change).
Depending on what is said, the player can encounter the Devil (based on bad judgment of character) or the Angel (based on good judgement of character) to fight before the final boss, though the Angel requires the player to judge their opponent well and not have any hiccups, or else the Devil will inevitably show up, should just one choice be bad.
Players control with an 8-way joystick and six buttons, similar to one of the two arcade cabinet versions of the 1987 "Street Fighter" and its sequel "". However, the six basic moves work differently compared to typical six-button layouts. The two heavy attack buttons usually send the opponent flying across the stage; however, sometimes the opponent can bounce off the side of the screen. Depending on how aggressively the combos are performed, sometimes the opponent bounces back and forth around the screen like in pinball (as indicated by the game). The player's character can move briefly below or above the screen, which can be used for dodging attacks or chasing opponents above or below the screen. The energy bars below the screen are "Star Rank" bars, which are used for filling enough energy to perform one of two desperation moves per playable character called "Star Specials".
Unlike most fighting games, "Astra Superstars" features the small basic moves and the large Star Special moves, but no medium-sized special moves. The player can summon a shield around the character. If the player constantly attacks an opponent that is guarding, the guard breaks, making the opponent briefly unable to move. When next to the opponent, the player can "turn behind" the opponent. If the player KOs the opponent the second time either with one of two heavy button basic moves or with a Star Special, the opponent will exit the screen. If the player aggressively attacks and KOs the dizzied opponent, it becomes a "Doctor Down" KO. Like in Data East's 1984 "Karate Champ" arcade, when the time is up, the judge will determine who fought the best. Depending on how the player or opponent wins a round, the winner will have a certain letter placed below his or her lifebar. The "V" means the winner KO'd the opponent with a basic move, the "S" means the winner KO'd the opponent with a Star Special, the "D" means the winner aggressively KO'd the dizzied opponent, and "J" means the winner was chosen by the judge.
Ports and related releases.
"Astra Superstars" was later ported to the Sega Saturn exclusively in Japan on August 6, 1998, two months after the original arcade version. While this version features the same "Story Mode" and 1P VS. 2P modes, it also features seven exclusive modes. "1P VS. COM", "COM VS. COM", "Character Profile", "Option Mode", "Illust Gallery" and "Exit". "Exit" returns to Attract Mode. This version's soundtrack is an updated version of the arcade version's soundtrack.
SANTACLAUS, the illustrator of the "Astra Superstars" art and design, developed and released a novelty freeware software on their website Astra Inn for Mac and Windows PCs dedicated to "Astra Superstars" fans titled , which allows users to dress Rouge in different clothes, who is one of the characters from the game as well as SANTACLAUS' mascot. They also developed and uploaded an online casino-style online card game on December 12, 2001, for members of Astra Inn only. Fooly from "Astra Superstars" was added to this game as its protagonist. Rouge, Maron, and Stella, also from "Astra Superstars" were also added to the game with three exclusive characters: Ravi, Prato and Trasche.
Soundtrack.
A soundtrack album of the Sega ST-V arcade system version was released by Pony Canyon and Scitron Label on February 18, 1998, exclusively in Japan under the catalog number PCCB-00298. It contains nearly every background music, as well as sound effects and voice samples from the arcade version. It also includes "Angel Star -Soundtrack Version-", an exclusive version of Maron's theme "Angel Star". It was composed and arranged by Kazuo Nii, Atsushi Takada, Satoshi Asano.


Touken Ranbu (film)

 is a 2019 Japanese fantasy film adaptation of a video game series of the same name, The cast from "" will be reprising their roles. The film will be distributed by Toho and Universal Pictures, directed by Saiji Yakumo and written by Yasuko Kobayashi. It will be released in Japan on January 18, 2019. The theme song of the film, "UNBROKEN" by Takanori Nishikawa feat. Tomoyasu Hotei.
Plot.
It is the year 2205. The , a sage who has the power to animate legendary swords and bring them to life, informs one of his Touken Danshi (swordsmen) Mikazuki Munechika of the Time Retrograde's Army (TRA) plan to change history by preventing Oda Nobunaga's death at the Honnoji Incident. The Saniwa sends a team consisting of six swords left in their citadel home: captain Mikazuki Munechika, , , , , and Nihongou to travel back in time to the Honnoji Incident.
At Honno-ji temple, Nobunaga and his vassal, Mori Ranmaru, attempt to hold down the fort while the traitorous Akechi Mitsuhide and his men attack. Seeing no way out, Nobunaga retreats to his room and commands Mori to hold down the fort. The TRA show up at the scene and attack Akechi’s soldiers, but Hasebe, Fudou, and Nihongou arrive to assist while Yagen and Yamanbagiri tackle a strange individual TRA member. Mikazuki reaches Nobunaga's quarter's in time to stave off the TRA and gives Nobunaga his space to commit seppuku.
 welcomes them back to the citadel and introduces a newly arrived Touken Danshi: , older brother to Yagen and former companion of Mikazuki. It is revealed that Honebami cannot recall his past due to amnesia. Mikazuki dissuades the others from visiting the Saniwa, raising suspicions. Meanwhile, news of Nobunaga’s death travels to his general Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who grieves in a mad rage.
While Mikazuki reports the success to the Saniwa and discusses recent events, the Touken Danshi become suspicious as to why they have rarely seen their master besides Mikazuki.
Back in 1582, Nobunaga Oda awakes in a cavern and is faced with the strange TRA member who Yagen had previously battled. The stranger introduces himself as Mumei (No Name) and pledges the loyalty of the TRA to Oda Nobunaga, who is more than pleased to have cheated death. Mikazuki is urgently summoned to the Saniwa's room with the same news. Upon hearing the Saniwa’s self-reproach, Mikazuki insists he will set things right. The team is reassembled, with Fudou being replaced by Honebami.
Mikazuki is confronted by a suspicious Uguisumaru, who asks about the Saniwa and is told he would be needed soon. Nihongou eavesdrops on them. At the portal, Honebami expresses his conflict over what it means to protect history. Mikazuki announces the team's new mission: to assassinate the still-alive Oda Nobunaga.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi returns to avenge his lord by chasing Mitsuhide to Shōryūji Castle. Nobunaga, his new TRA army, and Mumei send a messenger to Hideyoshi of his survival and plans. The Touken Danshi split up to trail Nobunaga, Akechi and to stop Nobunaga's message from reaching Hideyoshi. Yamanbagiri, Hasebe, and Nihongou voiced their concerns about Mikazuki's secrecy before departing. Mikazuki addresses Honebami’s concerns and asks him for a favor.
Yagen and Yamanbagiri trail Mitsuhide and bump into Mikazuki and Honebami who were trailing Nobunaga. Nobunaga attacks Akechi directly, but in a sudden change of heart, Mumei jumps between the two men in defense of Mitsuhide. Mikazuki intervened in the battle using the moment of shock and directed Nobunaga away, fleeing into the night. The other Touken Danshi attempt to follow, but a TRA ootachi brute forces them to retreat before re-assuming control over Mumei. Akechi Mitsuhide vanishes from history.
Hasebe and Nihongou trail the messenger to Hideyoshi and cut him down, but Hideyoshi had received Nobunaga's letter. Despite being persuaded that the letter was fake, Hideyoshi reveals to the two that he is going to occupy Nobunaga’s castle, Azuchi Castle, and insists the Touken Danshi follow him. Yamanbagiri and Nihongou trade messages via carrier pigeon, stating Mikazuki’s apparent betrayal, and the rest agree to meet up at Azuchi Castle.
Mikazuki tells Nobunaga that he only wishes to escort him to Azuchi Castle safely. Nobunaga does not trust Mikazuki but he accepts Mikazuki’s aid.
While Yamanbagiri, Yagen, and Honebami rest and recuperate, Yamanbagiri and Yagen are confused at Mikazuki’s betrayal to run off with Nobunaga. As Honebami assists them, they decide that they would stop Mikazuki if he turns traitor.
On route to Azuchi, Hideyoshi reveals to Hasebe and Nihongou that he knew all along that the two were lying: Nobunaga was indeed alive and Hideyoshi intends to kill Nobunaga himself. Hideyoshi attempts to assassinate the two, but both escape.
Mikazuki and Nobunaga arrive at Azuchi Castle with Nobunaga waiting expectantly for Hideyoshi to arrive with support. Nobunaga goads Mikazuki, insisting that his history now is the correct history. The TRA split up their forces, with Mumei protecting Nobunaga while the ootachi leaves to complete their own mission: an attack on the Saniwa’s citadel. Fudou notices the attack on the citadel's shields. He rushes to find the Saniwa but finds his master shrouded in a bright glow. Uguisumaru quietly steers Fudou away.
Hideyoshi arrives at Azuchi Castle. However, Hideyoshi starts attacking its walls while ordering his men to ‘flush Mitsuhide’s men out’. Angered at Hideyoshi's betrayal, Nobunaga draws his sword on Mikazuki, who only calmly replies that history can be rewritten but Nobunaga is still doomed. The rest of the Touken Danshi arrive to find Azuchi Castle under attack. Yagen, Nobunaga’s dagger, finally recalls the newly-corrected history: Nobunaga escaped Honnoji with Mori’s help but dies at Azuchi Castle after being betrayed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Mikazuki’s buried historical secret is revealed as Hideyoshi brandishes the sword of Mikazuki Munechika, a war spoil that Nobunaga gifted to Hideyoshi.
Mumei and the TRA move in to attack Hideyoshi’s men. Honebami speeds off, leaving the others behind to face the rest of the enemies. Mikazuki leaves Nobunaga and reunites with Honebami, who passes him a bag of items. Nobunaga ambushes them and holds Honebami hostage, demanding Mikazuki to escort him to safety. Mikazuki refuses and answers both Nobunaga's and Honebami's concerns: Mikazuki believes that protecting history as he knows it will protect the many things he cherishes. He will protect Nobunaga as the legendary fearsome general he knows, but not the man that was now begging before him. Ultimately bested, Nobunaga releases Honebami and accepts his fate.
Back in the citadel, the shields break from the continuous assault. The ootachi brute materializes with his army on the citadel grounds, with only Uguisumaru and Fudou standing in their way.
When Mikazuki rejoins his companions, he reveals that Honebami had taken their teleportation spheres and passed them to him and sends them all back to the citadel against their wishes, stating that the Saniwa was in urgent need of their help. He confronts the enemy alone.
Upon their return, Uguisumaru is shocked that Mikazuki was not with them. The truth is revealed: The Saniwa was transferring out due to advanced age and loss of power. This put their citadel at its weakest state and the TRA chose to attack their home at this critical moment.
At Azuchi Castle, Mikazuki fights a losing battle. He gives out and falls - only to be caught by Hasebe and the returning Touken Danshi. They received new orders from their master: to retrieve Mikazuki. Rejuvenated and reunited, they take on Mumei and the TRA and successfully eradicate them. Nobunaga uses his blade, Yagen Toushirou, and commits seppuku successfully. As the Touken Danshi return to the citadel, a swirl of sakura petals surround Mumei and he vanishes as well.
The team returns to assist Uguisumaru and Fudou while Mikazuki stops the ootachi brute from directly attacking the Saniwa. Mikazuki bids farewell to the Saniwa who vanishes in the light. Mikazuki throws the ootachi out for the final confrontation, only for Mumei to sink his blade into his former comrade. Mumei finally overcomes his possession and reveals himself to be a Touken Danshi: , Akechi Mitsuhide’s short blade that was used against Nobunaga. Altogether, the Touken Danshi finish off the ootachi brute and end the TRA’s invasion.
After some time, the entire retinue of Touken Danshi awaits Mikazuki in the Saniwa’s hall. He reveals to them their new Saniwa, a little girl. Mikazuki mused to his old master that he now had more to cherish and protect, while the other Touken Danshi entertain their new master in peaceful times.


Randling

Randling was an Australian comedic word-based television quiz show hosted by Andrew Denton. It aired on ABC1 at 8:30 on Wednesday nights, with the show repeated on Fridays on ABC2 at 11pm.
The show was hosted by Andrew Denton who posed questions to two teams of two guest panellists. The panellists included Merrick Watts, Julia Zemiro, Annabel Crabb, Jennifer Byrne, Rob Carlton, Angus Sampson, Robyn Butler, Genevieve Morris, Wendy Harmer, Dave O'Neil, Toby Schmitz, Benjamin Law, Heath Franklin, Felicity Ward, Toby Truslove, Anthony Morgan, David Marr, Jonathan Biggins, Chris Taylor and Michael Williams.
The guests competed in teams such as the Fitzroy Fireballs, The Southern Furies, Manchester & Haberdashery United, Northern Thrusters, The Argopelters, West Coast Odd Sox, The Bette Davis Cup Squad, Roget's Ramjets, The Ducks of War and The Help RC. The teams battled it out over 27 weeks to win the Randling trophy.
The show concluded on 31 October 2012 with The Fitzroy Fireballs, consisting of Dave O'Neil and Anthony Morgan winning the Grand Final defeating The Ducks of War, consisting of Heath Franklin and Felicity Ward.
The show did not return in 2013.


Dark Secrets of Africa

Dark Secrets of Africa is a 1999 action video game developed by German studio New Generation Software and published by Magic Bytes for Windows. It was released on 18 August 1999.
The game sees historian Howard Hawk join Marduk and the followers of Anubis in their fight against followers of Azag-Thot.
Gamezone felt the title had enjoyable gameplay. Absolute Games gave specific praise to the special effects.


Idiot Savants (game show)

Idiot Savants was an American television game show on the MTV network which ran from December 9, 1996 to April 25, 1997. It was created by Michael Dugan and Chris Kreski, directed by Steve Paley, and hosted by comedian Greg Fitzsimmons.
The show's title refers to a label historically directed toward autistic people with savant syndrome.
Format.
Four contestants competed through an entire week of shows (Monday through Friday), answering questions in a variety of categories. In each of the first four shows of the week, contestants were eliminated one by one, and the day's top scorer played a bonus round for a prize. However, all four contestants returned to start each new episode, and each contestant's scores from the Monday through Thursday episodes were added together to create a total that served as his/her starting point for Friday's game. The contestant who had the highest total at the end of the Friday episode won the week's grand prize, usually a vacation or a car.
Before appearing on the show, each contestant chose a specific topic in which he/she was particularly knowledgeable as his/her "savant category." These categories covered a broad range of fields such as entertainment, academics, and popular culture.
Many of the questions were asked (or performed) by the "savant contestants", a group of actors who acted out comical sketches that led to the questions. Many of these actors were also writers on the show, including senior writer Tom Cohen, along with Jason Nash, Paul Kozlowski, Eric Friedman, and Shonda Farr.
Monday–Thursday.
The contestants' scores were set to zero at the start of each day. On Monday episodes, initial control of Round 1 was determined first by a toss-up question, and later by a random draw.
Round 1.
The contestant in control chose one of eight categories from a board. A toss-up question was asked, and the first contestant to buzz in with the right answer received 100 points and the chance to answer a bonus question worth 200 points. If that contestant answered the bonus correctly, he/she then had the right to try for a 300-point "Big Gamble" question, the last in the category. No points were deducted for a miss on the toss-up or bonus questions, but an incorrect response on the Big Gamble deducted 300. Whenever a contestant answered a question incorrectly or ran out of time, the other contestants could buzz in and give the correct answer to steal the points, after which the category would be closed and the contestant in control would choose another one. A category would also end if the same contestant answered the toss-up and bonus, but declined the Big Gamble.
The round ended when either time ran out or all eight categories had been used. At this point, the lowest scorer was labeled as the day's "dunce" and made to sit in a corner of the stage, separate from the other contestants.
Round 2.
The question format remained the same, but all point values were doubled (200, 400, +/-600 points), and category selection was given to the "Brain" (an on-stage oversized brain featuring a monitor showing a close-up of Matt Price's face). If none of the three contestants could answer a particular question correctly, the dunce was given a chance to answer and steal the points, after which a new category was announced. At the end of this round, both the dunce and the lowest scorer of the other three contestants were eliminated for the day. The dunce on any given episode received initial control of Round 1 for the next day.
Round 3: Brainstorm Round.
Rapid fire questions from a specific category were asked over a period of 60 seconds (later reduced to 45 seconds). Contestants earned 200 points for a correct answer, and lost 200 points for an incorrect answer. The contestant in the lead after this round advanced to the Grand Savant Round.
Grand Savant Round.
The winner of each day's contest played the bonus round for a mid-level prize, such as a vacation or a television set. For the Grand Savant Round, the contestant was placed into a device called the "Cylinder of Shush", a clear tube somewhat reminiscent of the "Cone of Silence" from "Get Smart", but covering the entire upper half of the contestant's body.
The contestant was then asked a series of rapid fire questions from his or her savant category, and had to answer 10 of them correctly within the allotted time to win the bonus prize. Win or lose, 200 points were added to the contestant's weekly total for each question answered correctly. The time limit was originally 45 seconds, but was soon increased to 60 seconds.
Friday Finals.
Each contestant started with the total points they had accumulated over the previous four episodes. Point values for the first two rounds were doubled (200/400/600, then 400/800/1200), and the lowest scorer at the end of each round was permanently eliminated from the game.
Instead of playing a Brainstorm after Round 2, the two remaining players competed for the weekly grand prize in the "Double Grand Savant" final round. Each contestant entered the Cylinder of Shush and answered questions in his/her savant category for 60 seconds, receiving 1,000 points per correct answer. Once both contestants had played, the one in the lead became that week's champion and won the high-level grand prize. Four new contestants appeared the following Monday.
Awards.
In spite of its short run, "Idiots Savants" won the CableAce Award for Outstanding Game Show in 1997.