Miniconomy - economic browser game

Well the blog is also about pc games. So here is the latest browser game i am testing

An economic browser game. It doesn't have the nicest graghics around but it seems fairly complex. Every movement costs gas and everytime you search your land for resources the condition if it gets worse.
You can choose to dig for resources or create a more advanced product. You may even found your own bank or try to get elected as mayor. Even a life in crime is possible. It is totally up to you....Now see you in miniconomy....You can find my shop in Centropolis.

Professional Go player defeated by computer

Some time ago I wrote about checkers being completly solved. And i was happy to say that Go is still something everyone can win against a computer opponent. About 2 weeks ago I was proven wrong :-(
A supercomputer matched a professional Go player. Kim MyungWan, an 8 dan pro (9 is the maximum) was defeated by the program MoGo running on an IBM Power 575 Hydro-Cluster system. This supercomputer (located at Amsterdam, Netherlands) has a peak speed of 60 Teraflop per second. So it is save to say that the average player will not face such a opponent every other day but we all know how fast the computational speed is increasing.
Go still is one of the hardest games for a computer and it seems like only speed and mass (storage that is) enables such a system to beat a human player. It is still a long way to go for all working on artificial intelligence (AI) to make a computer "think".
On the other hand the human brain is nothing else.....and even if we are slow at math and things like that the human brain is working incredible fast because there is so much going on at the same time. And we a freaking good at guessing ;-)
Many of us would struggle to solve a quadratic equation. Still each and everyone is able to catch a ball or at least to teach it by predicting its flight curve. That is just the same and you even do it without pen and paper or even a calculator. Never correct but always close enough to survive. So keep making mistakes but enjoy your games and life.....

Improve your chess with Chess Tactics Server

Here is another way besides the personal chess trainer to improve your chess skills. The Chess Tactics Server offers 23803 different chess problems of different difficulty. And the number is growing.
You can choose to solve the puzzles as a guest or create a account. If you get a totally free account (you only need to choose a nick and enter a email address) you can trace your rating development. Also if you get a account you will always get problems that match your rating.
The problems are not always typical puzzles where you have to find a mate in X. There are also lots of exercises where you just have to realiz the best move is to take back a figure.
The only thing I don't like about the site is that each puzzle has to be solved with very little time. So it is a good way to improve your blitz chess. You should make sure to redo puzzles you didn't solve on the first attempt. Solving same on later tries will not affect your rating on the site but will help you to improve your chess skills. Remember most of the time chess is just detection patterns and move accourdingly. Chess Tactics Server will help you in doing so.
Now have fun solving problems and dream of chess patterns all day and night :-)

Duplicate Poker - Poker as a game of skill

There is a new pokersite called DuplicatePoker. But what is the difference between this site and all others already on the net ?
Poker on Duplicate is different to what you know. You don't compete against the other players on your table. There is always one other with the exact same deck of cards and one other player who gets the same cards as you. After a couple of hands your results are compared to this player. This way the element of chance is reduced because the way you play your hands is more important than the cards you get. Because the element of skill is increased DuplicatePoker claims to be not a gambling site therefor they are open to US players and everyone who is allowed to play games of skill for money.
If you sign up now they will give you a free $3 to start playing with. You can cash out this amount after a couple of hands (a couple of players from the 2+2 forums have already cashed out successfully). They are also offering a 200% up to $100 bonus if you cash in.
The only downside right now is that the games play really slow because each table has to wait for a other table to finish first. Now go give it a try at: