[Retros] 50 moves rule

[raosorio at fibertel.com.ar]

Guus Rol  wrote,


The most remarkable side of this issue is that the correct approach was 
already available in the FIDE/Codex, the repetion rule. From the 
insightful understanding that "essential progress" should be read from 
positions and not from reversible or reversed moves, it was decided to 
base the rule on the repetition of positions and not of moves! From this 
highly commendable example I now rate article 5 in the same category as 
I rate chess players who still believe in "move repetitions". 
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I agree with this approach. It should be understood that "essential progress"
does not apply to feseable moves but reachable positions. Say, if from diagram
A the play can go to diagram B  but, after making 50 moves from A we get diagram
C wich from B is not reachable, then the play from A to C "has essentially changed
the things on the overall board".

Example: wK on e1, wR on h1 (keeping castling right), bK and bN somewhere on 
the board. The following position can be reached,
8/8/8/8/8/8/5n2/k4RK1

Obviously, last move  was 0-0, so this position is can't be reached if white
has no castling right. Perhaps is better to think this way, future potential
of the position instead of "reversability".

There is  something  fascinating underlaying here. let's  say "after 50  moves
without captures or   pawn moves the game  is  not draw  if a position that
was  reachable at the beggining is not reachable any more".

Then the example would not be draw after 50  moves  if the  castling right was
lost  on the way. What about a twin "replace  bN  by bR"? There is no  unreachable
position so the game is  draw. This is quite  similar to  the Dead Reckoning
nature  and it would provide a  new basis to build paradoxical problems (we  deal
with these, isn't it?). Say, to state "draw" the reachable positions at the 
beggining and at the end have to be compared.

This is a bit delirious but......
Roberto Osorio