[Retros] Thoughts about P0000230

[Olli Heimo]

I have received a couple of comments to my yesterday letter. The most important came in German from Werner Keym. I have now got it translated. He writes:

"in den Regeln des Schachspiels sind 2 Möglichkeiten für die
50-Züge-Remisregel relevant: Schlagfall und Bauern-Zug.

Genauso ist es im Kodex für Schachkomposition von 1991/97, der sich bewusst
auf die Regeln des Schachspiels bezieht (Art. 17).

Anders war es im Kodex von 1958 (Art. 5), in dem die Rochade die 3.
Möglichkeit war: Das war eine bewusste Abweichung von den Regeln des
Schachspiels (Erläuterung 16)."

I understand it so that during the period 1958-1991 there was an option for the composer to decide if castling (or loosing the castle right) breaks the 50-moves rule or not. So P0000230 was perfectly sound when published. I personally have nothing against it if castling really breaks the 50-moves rule. But that change should first come to the OTB-rules. Problem chess rules should be as close as possible to the OTB-rules with as few as possible differences. In the beginning of the OTB-rules it is said that the main goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent. In problem chess a change is required, otherwise all helpmates and selfmates would be against rules. Olli.