CHESS (4) A Guiness Record Attempt - Sinka, Brigitta's 13600 simul games

José Raúl Capablanca is holding a record of the most simultaneous exhibition games played. The number is 13545, although the games leading to the record are not well documented. 

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Sinka, Brigitta (87), or as her friends call her 'Bici néni' of Hungary is really close to beating this record. In April she was at 12160 games and from May on she has started a new trip in the world of simultaneous games.Beginning at the age of 6 she's been playing chess for 81 years. She was not a national champion, she did not earn the GM title, but still became a Master. Besides her good results against different chess masters she is very proud of beating in a tournament Nina Hrušková-Bělská, the then Czechoslovakian champion, although the Hungarian champion and the player who came second, have lost to her. As one of my chess friend, FM Létay, Gyula remarked, everyone wanted to play against her club, the Vörös Meteor as he still remember her stunning red hair and marvellous look. A nice win of her from the 1950s:

Despite being selected for the national team in 1957, she could not play in the first unofficial Olympiad due to a very unfortunate coincidence: she's got her passport tardily. At that time, only 2 players played for a team (they were Hönsch, Irén and Karakas, Éva) and she became a reserve member. However, in a way she was compensated as the Dutch organiser were the first to organise her a 6-board simul. After that, it is history. There is also a documentary on her life: Queen of the Board - with 10000 games to the top (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2023364/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt)

At the school where we met she played exactly 100 games with  an extraordinary result of 81 wins, 15 draws and only 4 losses. It is worth mentioning that even in the 8th hour of the simul she was not tired to refuse a draw offer without hesitation when she saw she had an advantage.  

When I was invited I was happy to take part in the world record attempt. Our game was her 12495th, an unbelievable number. Below is what we created together.

Have you ever played the Capablanca chess with the Archbishops?

RELIGION (6) - Is anybody there? (5)

 LOVE. LOATHING. ATARAXIA. 

 

In religions the most highly regarded emotion is the love (charity). As Paul writes (1 Corinthians 13), “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (…) Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (…) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Love is mutual, God loves their children and humans love God. And those whose love is greater have a greater power too. But can God or humans live without love? Probably not, except for those having hellish darkness in their soul. 

 

An exception is Taoism, where according to Lao-ce Tao precede Love. On the contrary, loathing aims for destruction and annihilation. It can be with or without motivation. A vindictive person can be corrupted, intimidated, silenced by conformist pressure, but hatred itself does not cease to exist. It seems that hatred is decoded in humans’ ancient aggressive instincts. 

Apart from Love and Loathing we might choose Ataraxia (a lucid state of robust tranquility, characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry) which is closely related to apatheia (a state of mind where one is not disturbed by passions). English words for this feeling, closest in meaning: unconcern with contemplation, equanimity, tranquillity. So this is definitely not apathy which has negative connotation. This unconcern is an opt-out which roots deep in ourselves; this is sage, this is the inner freedom of the soul. This is the emptiness, the nothing. This is to be found in everything, as all the colors are to be found in the white color. This is the way of the silence. 

RELIGION (6) - Is anybody there? (4)

Sophists considered thinking an endless process. It can only be stopped by applying value judgements, a characteristic of social studies. Having an opinion means stopping the process and having a view, having a standpoint. This also means that the rational process of thinking is interrupted by emotions, so we feel we have an opinion and we feel it right and true. 

Religions begin with an axiom – the teachings of a Great Spirit are unquestionable. Scientific thinking, however, aims cognition that is making known the unknown; the motivation being the eagerness for knowledge. This also means that every theorem must be provable and confutable. Therefore there is no absolute truth in science. In contrast, religious thinking cannot result in confuting the axiom. The religious truth is not proven but revealed and it is valid through acceptance. In religious thinking the result is sure (predetermined), which is the proving of one of the postulate. So, science is about how the world is, and religion is about how the world should be – as pointed out by Descartes.

There are phenomena which cannot be described or explained by rational means or in a combinative-logic way. In these cases come emotions handy. Since emotions such as mythicism, magic, vision, calling (of God), intuition, dream, interpretation, symbols, tantric representations, mantras, along with deliberately abandoning rationality, and prayers literally are irrational. However, teachings should be considered false if 1. they alienate the disciple from his inherent culture (since it is not a coincidence he was born in that culture); 2. they make the disciple haughty; 3. they do not require spiritual and moral efforts. Similarly, teacher should be considered a swindler, if 1. he accepts everyone who pays the fee, and does not select among students; 2.he makes the disciple dependent on him and kneel before him, and not before God; 3. he prohibits doubts and humor; 4. he keeps chasing up followers and does not wait for disciples coming themselves.

Thinking aims for objectivity and strives to separate the subject (who recognizes) and the object (what is recognized). Emotions are subjective reactions to recognized phenomena. Characteristics of emotions: 1. their opposite is the unconcern, the opt-out; 2. they are not ruled by human will; 3. they do not emerge on a logic base; 4. for emotions chronology does not count; 5. their strengths do not depend on the objective importance or significance of the occurrence; 6. so, emotions have their own subjective laws. 

image credit: skoften.net