Hello Chillians
It's been much too long since I blogged here last. As I predicted, my life has rather been taken over for the last few months by things unrelated to Chilli. This will continue for a few weeks more, so this blog has some news but little bridge substance.
Having got all the bad news out of the way, let's look at some good news. First, Geoff, Peter and I have been giving the system some extensive run-outs, and as a result come up with some fine tuning. Well, fine tuning is the correct description for most of it, and all in the direction we like here at Chilli Towers - simplification. It includes a little tweak to the high-level fit bids that I can't believe I didn't think of five years ago, so much easier does it make the system description.
There is one big change though. We've proved fairly comprehensively that shunts are technically complete and admirable, and I'm very happy I thought of them. We've also proved that they make us feel very tired when we play them, and that we spend most of the time in fiercely competitive auctions worrying about whether we've selected the right bid. That's not how it should be. And one or two of you are at this very moment thinking 'Yes, I always knew that' and you were right.
So we have put them to one side for the moment in our Twiddly Gadget storeroom, and replaced them with a much simpler tool that is a complete doddle to drive but provides much of the shunt goodness.
I'll have to leave you in suspense on this and the other changes, which I promise I will come back too in the next blog and update on the website when I get my life back.
Another bit of good news is that Michael is back from China for a few weeks holiday, and has been running his excellent critical eye over where we are with the project, and his summary is very encouraging.
So I am taking a solitary two-week holiday at the end of September, when I'll set up camp somewhere on the coast of Britain and start writing the book. I have so much material now, I can't wait to get started.
And when I get back I will do a little more for Chillians everywhere. I will set up a forum so that we can better organise theoretical discussions, and also organise some online sessions so that even if you can't find anyone far-sighted/brave/naive/foolish to play Chilli at the table, we can still all enjoy a game.
Best wishes
Alan
