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Subject: Re: 12th WCCC, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel, July 4th-12th 200

Author: Amir Ban

Date: 16:52:15 12/05/03

Go up one level in this thread


On December 04, 2003 at 21:31:40, Eugene Nalimov wrote:

>On December 04, 2003 at 06:32:41, Amir Ban wrote:
>
>>On December 03, 2003 at 23:06:26, Eugene Nalimov wrote:
>>
>>>On December 03, 2003 at 05:57:49, Amir Ban wrote:
>>>
>>>>On December 02, 2003 at 20:16:20, Eugene Nalimov wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On December 02, 2003 at 16:19:58, Amir Ban wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On December 02, 2003 at 10:18:42, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On December 02, 2003 at 03:34:31, Roberto Nerici wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>July 4.
>>>>>>>>>>>What a bunch of morons.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Would have you gone anyway?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Roberto/.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Perhaps if the ICGA provided flak vests.  Bruce has attended recent
>>>>>>>>>events.  As have others over here.  I am not the _only_ USA computer
>>>>>>>>>chess person, you know???
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Of course I know.
>>>>>>>>You forgot to mention Charles and James (Noonian and Insomniac), both of whom
>>>>>>>>have also attended a recent WCCC.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>My point is that I don't believe you would go to an event in Israel regardless
>>>>>>>>of the date. I don't know if you would go to a WCCC outside North America,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I have attended an event in London, I flew to Paris in 1984 to do a chess
>>>>>>>demo.  I have gone to Canada.  And I have traveled multiple times to Europe
>>>>>>>over the past N years.  I was even at the _first_ WCCC event although I did
>>>>>>>not participate, in Sweden.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>My problem is time.  how to take about 2 weeks off from classes?  The events
>>>>>>>are now too long.  What is the point in 11 rounds with 16 participants?  Makes
>>>>>>>absolutely no sense at all.  It just drags out the event and triples the
>>>>>>>cost and time.  We don't have 2 week conferences anywhere.  Care to guess why
>>>>>>>that is?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>All the university professors I know take off for 2 or so weeks for wherever as
>>>>>>a matter of routine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm also pretty much in the corporate scene and trips by executives for 2 weeks
>>>>>>are nothing unusual. Actually it's the corporate way of life.
>>>>>
>>>>>Ok, so chess program written by some CEO surely can participate in WCCC.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>regardless of the exact location, the amount of money provided or the date, but
>>>>>>>>you have posted about this sort of thing _many_ times and the impression I have
>>>>>>>>got is that you would not.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>If any of the above, or any other US engine author, would go to WCCC12 if it was
>>>>>>>>on another date, then that would be a shame and I would be interested to read a
>>>>>>>>post by them.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Roberto/.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Again, the date is not the _only_ issue.  It is a minor one.  The time is
>>>>>>>the main issue, followed closely by the cost.  For example, in the ACM events
>>>>>>>we alternated east coast and west coast.  I managed to make it to almost all.
>>>>>>>One in Nashville TN was close.  One in LA was a long trip.  Next year NYC.
>>>>>>>Close.  Seattle.  Long trip.  We balanced it and always had more local
>>>>>>>participation than remote participation.  But it fostered the interest, which
>>>>>>>was the _point_.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The ICGA used to do that as required by the charter.  Somewhere that went
>>>>>>>in the tank.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>So there are three continents: the East United States, the West United States,
>>>>>>and the Rest of the World (called Europe for short) ? You don't teach geography,
>>>>>>I guess.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Notice that the event is being held in Asia for the third time in a decade. It
>>>>>>happens to be the largest and most populous continent.
>>>>>
>>>>>I can assure you that from Redmond, USA (where I live now) there is not much
>>>>>difference in travel time between Maastricht, Graz, Tel Aviv, or even my home
>>>>>city Novosibirsk (deep in the Asia). Either of them is in 11..15 hours of flight
>>>>>time, not counting time in airports...
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>My record time to the West Coast is 19 hours, including connections.
>>>>
>>>>I've done it more times than I can count.
>>>>
>>>>With a good connection Tokyo is 17 hours flight from here. I did it 5 times so
>>>>far.
>>>>
>>>>The world is a big place, but everybody's traveling like crazy.
>>>
>>>Unfortunately, the fact that you (or arbitrary large number of other people) are
>>>travel a lot doesn't mean that particular person would be able to travel far
>>>away for almost 2 weeks.
>>>
>>
>>If you travel for 2 weeks, I don't see how it matters whether you traveled far
>>or near.
>
>Unfortunately, there is difference. Several reasons, in no particular order:
>
>(1) You would not believe, but flying from Redmond to Europe (or Israel) is
>several times more expensive than to any location in the North America. And
>because we are talking about weeks, not days, I'd probably travel with kids --
>so we are talking about thousands of dollars price difference *on tickets only*.
>
>(2) Every year I am travelling to Russia. I am spending ~24 hours in planes and
>airports going one way. I am unable to do anything at least the next day;
>probably more if I'd had to do something complicated (programming, setting up a
>system, etc.). So add at least 2-3 days to WCCC time and travel time. And I am
>not talking about children -- they usually need 4-7 days to flip day and night.
>(Maastricht at 3:00am was really interesting, but as some by-walkers noticed,
>it's not proper view for children...)
>
>(3) My wife told me "you will *not* travel to Israel at least several next
>years". You can try to convince her that's safer than travel to NY, but I think
>I know the outcome...

Well I didn't think you have a program to play, but it will be great to have you
here, as in Maastricht.

Tell you wife that in May 2004 the European Basketball Association will hold its
final-four tournament in Tel-Aviv, and several thousand European fans are
expected to be here to cheer their teams.

Amir


>
>(4) As Russian citizen I have to obtain visa for travel into (almost) any
>European country. I have to do lot of paperwork, visit consulates or embassies,
>etc. (Ok, Ok, I don't need visa to enter Switzerland; there is direct flight
>from here to there -- I agree to go there). Yes, that is minor obstacle compared
>to precious ones, but that is the last straw...
>
>Thanks,
>Eugene
>
>>Amir
>>
>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Eugene
>>>
>>>>Amir
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>Eugene
>>>>>
>>>>>>Amir



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