out of State hunter

[hunt_it]

hello guys,
I'm from outta state and I was just wondering if any of you had any helpful info on some public water that I might could hunt..in no way am i looking to intrude or 'cyber scout' but if any had any info that would help i would greatly appreciate it..thanks again

[duckbuster330]

NO ducks in Mississippi, right now. However with all that free time you could take up a game like Backgammon. Here is some advice on the history and how to play.

Backgammon is a board game for two players in which the playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice. A player wins by removing all of his pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits. Backgammon is a member of the tables family, one of the oldest classes of board games in the world.

Although luck plays an important role, there is a large scope for strategy. With each roll of the dice a player must choose from numerous options for moving his checkers and anticipate possible counter-moves by the opponent. Players may raise the stakes during the game. There is an established repertory of common tactics and occurrences.

Like chess, backgammon has been studied with great interest by computer scientists. Owing to this research, backgammon software has been developed capable of beating world-class human players.

Backgammon playing pieces are known variously as checkers, stones, men, counters, pawns, or chips.

The objective is to remove (bear off) all of one's own checkers from the board before one's opponent can do the same. The checkers are scattered at first and may be blocked or hit by the opponent. As the playing time for each individual game is short, it is often played in matches, where victory is awarded to the first player to reach a certain number of points.


[edit] Setup
Each side of the board has a track of 12 long triangles, called points. The points are considered to be connected across one edge of the board, forming a continuous track in the shape of a horseshoe, and are numbered from 1 to 24. Each player begins with two checkers on his 24-point, three checkers on his 8-point, and five checkers each on his 13-point and his 6-point. The two players move their checkers in opposing directions, each from his own 24-point towards his 1-point.[1]

Points 1 through 6 are called the home board or inner board, and points 7 through 12 are called the outer board. The 7-point is referred to as the bar point, and the 13-point as the mid point.[1][2]


[edit] Movement

A Short Treatise on the Game of Backgammon, by Edmond HoyleTo start the game, each player rolls one die, and the player with the higher number moves first using both the numbers shown. Both dice must land completely flat on the right hand side of the gameboard. The players then alternate turns, rolling two dice at the beginning of each turn.[1][2]

After rolling the dice a player must, if possible, move his checkers according to the number of pips shown on each die. For example, if the player rolls a 6 and a 3 (notated as "6-3"), that player must move one checker six points forward, and another or the same checker three points forward. The same checker may be moved twice as long as the two moves are distinct: six and then three, or three and then six. If a player rolls two of the same number, called doubles, that player must play each die twice. For example, upon rolling a 5-5 that player may move up to four separate checkers forward five spaces each. For any roll, if a player can move both dice, that player is compelled to do so. If a player cannot move either die in a roll, given the position of his checkers then that turn is over and the turn passes to the opponent.

If it is possible to move either die, but not both, the higher number must be played. For example if a player rolls 6-3 and can only move a 6 or a 3, the 6 being the bigger number must be moved; if it is possible to move the 3 but not the 6 then the 3 is played.[1][2] Further, if one die is unable to be moved, but such a move is made possible by the moving of the other die, that move is compulsory.

For example, in the case of a 6-3 roll, no moves of 3 are possible by any checker. However there are 2 moves of a 6, with checker A or checker B. If checker A is moved 6, the 3 still cannot be played. If checker B is moved 6, a 3 now may be played. The rules state that the player is forced into moving checker B 6 points, and then 3. In short, the rules compel a player to exhaust every option available to complete both die moves where possible.

In the course of a move, a checker may land on any point that is unoccupied or is occupied only by a player's own checkers. It may also land on a point occupied by exactly one opposing checker, or "blot". In this case, the blot has been hit, and is placed in the middle of the board on the bar that divides the two sides of the playing surface. A checker may never land on a point occupied by two or more opposing checkers; thus, no point is ever occupied by checkers from both players simultaneously.[1][2]

Checkers placed on the bar re-enter the game through the opponent's home board. A roll of 2 allows the checker to enter on the 23-point, a roll of 3 on the 22-point, and so forth. A player may not move any other checkers until all checkers on the bar belonging to that player have re-entered the game.[1][2]

When all of a player's checkers are in that player's home board, that player may start removing them; this is called bearing off. A roll of 1 may be used to bear off a checker from the 1-point, a 2 from the 2-point, and so on. A die may not be used to bear off checkers from a lower-numbered point unless there are no checkers on any higher points.[1][2] For example if a player rolls a 6 and a 5, but has no checkers on the 6-point, though 2 checkers remain on the 5-point, then the 6 and the 5 must be used to bear off the 2 checkers from the 5-point. When bearing off, a player may also move a lower die roll before the higher even if that means 'the full value of the higher die' is not fully utilized. For example, if a player has exactly 1 checker remaining on the 6-point, and rolls a 6 and a 1, the player may move the 6-point checker 1 place to the 5-point with the lower die roll of 1, and then bear that checker off the 5-point using the die roll of 6; this is sometimes useful tactically.

If one player has not borne off any checkers by the time that player's opponent has borne off all fifteen, then the player has lost a gammon, which counts for double a normal loss. If the losing player has not borne off any checkers and still has checkers on the bar or in the opponent's home board, then the player has lost a backgammon, which counts for triple a normal loss.[1][2]


[edit] Doubling cube

Doubling cubeTo speed up match play and to provide an added dimension for strategy, a doubling cube may be put into play. A standard doubling cube is a six-sided die marked with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. At the start of each game, the doubling cube is placed on the board with the number 64 showing; the cube is then said to be "centered on 1". When the cube is centered, and before rolling the dice on his turn, either player may propose that the game be played for twice the current stakes. His opponent must either accept ("take") the doubled stakes or resign ("drop") the game immediately. If the opponent takes, the cube, showing the doubled stake, is moved to his side of the board. Thereafter, the right to re-double belongs exclusively to the player who last accepted a double. Whenever a player accepts doubled stakes, the cube is placed with the corresponding power of two facing upward.[1][2]

The game is rarely redoubled beyond four times the original stake, but there is no limit on the number of doubles. Although 64 is the highest number depicted on the doubling cube, the stakes may rise to 128, 256, and so on. In money games, a player is often permitted to "beaver" when offered the cube, doubling the value of the game again, while retaining possession of the cube.[3]

A variant of the doubling cube "beaver" is the "raccoon." The player who doubled his opponent, seeing him beaver the cube, may in turn then double the stakes once again ("raccoon") as part of that cube phase before any dice are rolled. His opponent retains the doubling cube. E.g. White doubles Black to 2 points, Black accepts then beavers the cube to 4 points; White, confident of a win, raccoons the cube to 8 points, whilst Black retains the cube. Such a move adds greatly to the risk of having to face the doubling cube coming back at 8 times its original value when first doubling the opponent (offered at 2 points, counter offered at 16 points) should the luck of the dice change.

Some players may opt to invoke The Murphy rule or the "automatic double rule." If both opponents roll the same opening number, the doubling cube is incremented on each occasion yet remains in the middle of the board, available to either player. The Murphy rule may be invoked with a maximum number of automatic doubles allowed and that limit is agreed to prior to a game or match commencing. When a player decides to double his opponent, the value is then a double of whatever face value is shown (e.g. if two automatic doubles have occurred putting the cube up to 4, the first in-game double will be for 8 points). The Murphy rule is not an official rule in backgammon and is rarely, if ever, seen in use at officially sanctioned tournaments.

The Jacoby rule allows gammons and backgammons to count for their respective double and triple values only if the cube has already been offered and accepted. This encourages a player with a large lead to double, possibly ending the game, rather than to play it to conclusion hoping for a gammon or backgammon. The Jacoby rule is widely used in money play but is not used in match play.[4]

The Crawford rule is designed to make match play more equitable for the player in the lead. If a player is one point away from winning a match, that player's opponent will always want to double as early as possible in order to catch up. Whether the game is worth one point or two, the trailing player must win to continue the match. To balance the situation, the Crawford rule requires that when a player first reaches a score one point short of winning, neither player may use the doubling cube for the following game, called the Crawford game. After the Crawford game, normal use of the doubling cube resumes. The Crawford rule is routinely used in tournament match play.[4] It is possible for a Crawford game never to occur in a match.

If the Crawford rule is in effect, then another option is the Holland rule, which stipulates that after the Crawford game, a player cannot double until after at least two rolls have been played by each side. It was common in tournament play in the 1980s but is now rarely used.[5]


[edit] Variants

Todas tablas from the Libro de los juegosMain article: Tables (board game)
There are many variants of standard backgammon rules. Some are played primarily throughout one geographic region, and others add new tactical elements to the game. Variants commonly alter the starting position, restrict certain moves, or assign special value to certain dice rolls, but in some geographic regions even the rules and directions of the checkers movement change, rendering the game fundamentally different.

Acey-deucey is a variant of backgammon in which players start with no checkers on the board, and must bear them on at the beginning of the game. The roll of 1-2 is given special consideration, allowing the player, after moving the 1 and the 2, to select any doubles move of his choice. A player also receives an extra turn after a roll of 1-2 or of doubles.

Hypergammon is a variant of backgammon in which players have only three checkers on the board, starting with one each on the 24-, 23- and 22-points. The game has been strongly solved, meaning that exact equities are available for all 32 million possible positions.[6][7]

Nackgammon is a variant of backgammon invented by Nack Ballard in which players start with one fewer checker on the six point and midpoint and two checkers on the 23 point.[7][8]

Russian backgammon is a variant in which players start with no checkers on the board, and both players move in the same direction to bear off in a common home board. In this variant, doubles are more powerful: four moves are played as in standard backgammon, followed by four moves according to the difference of the dice value from 7, and then the player has another turn (with a few exceptions).[9]

Another simple variant of Backgammon is to only allow a maximum of five checkers on any point. This variation is not part of the official rules, but has proved popular with casual players in some regions.[10]


[edit] Strategy and tactics

Backgammon set, 19th centuryBackgammon has an established opening theory, although it is less detailed than that of games like chess. The tree of positions expands rapidly because of the number of possible dice rolls and the moves available on each turn. Recent computer analysis has offered more insight on opening plays, but the midgame is reached quickly. After the opening, backgammon players frequently rely on some established general strategies, combining and switching among them to adapt to the changing conditions of a game.

The most direct strategy is simply to avoid being hit, trapped, or held in a stand-off. A "running game" describes a strategy of moving as quickly as possible around the board, and is most successful when a player is already ahead in the race.[11] When this fails, one may opt for a "holding game", maintaining control of a point on one's opponent's side of the board, called an anchor. As the game progresses, this player may gain an advantage by hitting an opponent's blot from the anchor, or by rolling large doubles that allow the checkers to escape into a running game.[11]

The "priming game" involves building a wall of checkers, called a prime, covering a number of consecutive points. This obstructs opposing checkers that are behind the prime. A checker trapped behind a six-point prime cannot escape until the prime is broken.[11] A particularly successful priming effort may lead to a "blitz", which is a strategy of covering the entire home board as quickly as possible while keeping one's opponent on the bar. Because the opponent has difficulty re-entering from the bar or escaping, a player can quickly gain a running advantage and win the game, often with a gammon.[1]

A "backgame" is a strategy of placing two or more anchors in an opponent's home board, while building a prime in one's own board. The anchors obstruct the opponent's checkers and create opportunities to hit them as they move home. The backgame is generally used only to salvage a game wherein a player is already significantly behind; using a backgame as an initial strategy is usually unsuccessful.[1][11]

"Duplication" refers to the placement of checkers such that one's opponent needs the same dice rolls to achieve different goals. For example, a player may position all of his blots in such a way that his opponent must roll a 2 in order to hit any of them, reducing the probability of being hit more than once.[1][11] "Diversification" refers to a complementary tactic of placing one's own checkers in such a way that more numbers are useful.[11]

Many positions require a measurement of a player's standing in the race, for example, in making a doubling cube decision, or in determining whether to run home and begin bearing off. The minimum total of dice rolls needed to move a player's checkers around and off the board is called the "pip count". The difference between the two players' pip counts is frequently used as a measure of the leader's racing advantage. Players often use mental calculation techniques to determine pip counts in live play.[11]


[edit] Social and competitive play

Medieval players, from the 13th century Carmina Burana
[edit] Club and tournament play
Enthusiasts have formed clubs for social play of backgammon. Local clubs may hold informal gatherings, with members meeting at cafés and bars in the evening to play and converse.[12][13] A few clubs offer additional services, maintaining their own facilities or offering computer analysis of troublesome plays.[14] Some club leaders have noticed a recent growth of interest in backgammon, and attribute it to the game's popularity on the internet.[15]

A backgammon chouette permits three or more players to participate in a single game, often for money. One player competes against a team of all the other participants, and positions rotate after each game. Chouette play often permits the use of multiple doubling cubes.[1]

Backgammon clubs may also organize tournaments. Large club tournaments sometimes draw competitors from other regions, with final matches viewed by hundreds of spectators.[16] The top players at regional tournaments often compete in major national and international championships. Winners at major tournaments may receive prizes of tens of thousands of dollars.[17]


[edit] International competition
Prior to 1979, there was no single world championship competition in backgammon, although a number of major tournaments were held in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Bahamas. Since 1979, the World Backgammon Championship in Monte Carlo has been widely acknowledged as the top international tournament.[18] The Monte Carlo tournament draws thousands of players and spectators, and is played over the course of a week.[17]

By the 21st century, the largest international tournaments had established the basis of a tour for top professional players. Major tournaments are held yearly in St. Tropez, Rio de Janeiro, Dallas, and Venice.[4] PartyGaming sponsored a tournament in the Bahamas in January 2007 with a prize pool of one million dollars, the largest for any tournament to date.[19]


[edit] Gambling
When backgammon is played for money, the most common arrangement is to assign a monetary value to each point, and to play to a certain score, or until either player chooses to stop. The stakes are raised by gammons, backgammons, and use of the doubling cube. Backgammon is sometimes available in casinos. As with most gambling games, successful play requires a combination of luck and skill, as a single dice roll can sometimes significantly change the outcome of the game.[11]


[edit] Cheating
Numerous cheating methods have been used in backgammon. These include moving the checker the wrong number of spaces; using magnetic, shaved, or weight-loaded dice; using special throws to produce the dice number desired; assistance from software or a third party.


[edit] Software

[edit] Play and analysis

A screen shot of GNU Backgammon, showing an evaluation and rollout of possible movesBackgammon has been studied considerably by computer scientists. Neural networks and other approaches have offered significant advances to software for gameplay and analysis.

The first strong computer opponent was BKG 9.8. It was written by Hans Berliner in the late 1970s on a DEC PDP-10 as an experiment in evaluating board game positions. Early versions of BKG played badly even against poor players, but Berliner noticed that its critical mistakes were always at transitional phases in the game. He applied principles of fuzzy logic to improve its play between phases, and by July 1979, BKG 9.8 was strong enough to play against the ruling world champion Luigi Villa. It won the match, 7–1, becoming the first computer program to defeat a world champion in any board game. Berliner stated that the victory was largely a matter of luck, as the computer received more favorable dice rolls.[20]

In the late 1980s, backgammon programmers found more success with an approach based on artificial neural networks. TD-Gammon, developed by Gerald Tesauro of IBM, was the first of these programs to play near the expert level. Its neural network was trained using temporal difference learning applied to data generated from self-play.[21] According to assessments by Bill Robertie and Kit Woolsey, TD-Gammon's play was at or above the level of the top human players in the world.[21] Woolsey said of the program that "There is no question in my mind that its positional judgment is far better than mine."[21]

Neural network research has resulted in two modern commercial programs, Jellyfish[22] and Snowie[23] as well as the shareware BGBlitz[24] and the free software GNU Backgammon.[25] These programs not only play the game, but offer tools for analyzing games and offering detailed comparisons of individual moves. The strength of these programs lies in their neural networks' weights tables, which are the result of months of training. Without them, these programs play no better than a human novice. For the bearoff phase, backgammon software usually relies on a database containing precomputed equities for all possible bearoff positions.


[edit] Internet play
Backgammon software has been developed not only to play and analyze games, but also to facilitate play between humans over the internet. Dice rolls are provided by random or pseudorandom number generators. Real-time online play began with the First Internet Backgammon Server in 1992.[26] It is the longest running non-commercial backgammon server and retains an international community of backgammon players. Yahoo Games offers a Java-based online backgammon room, and MSN Games offers a game based on ActiveX. Online gambling providers began to expand their offerings to include backgammon in 2006.[27]


[edit] History

Brädspel ("board game") set recovered from the warship Vasa, which sank in 1628.
Herr Goeli, from the 14th century Codex ManesseThe ancient Egyptian game senet resembled backgammon,[28] with moves controlled by the roll of dice. However, the Royal Game of Ur, played in ancient Mesopotamia, is a more likely ancestor of modern day table games. Excavations at Shahr-e Sokhteh (Persian ??? ????? , literally "The Burnt City") in Iran have shown that a similar game existed there around 3000 BC. The artifacts include two dice and 60 checkers, and the set is believed to be 100 to 200 years older than the sets found in Ur.[29]

The ancient Romans played a number of games remarkably similar to backgammon. Ludus duodecim scriptorum ("Game of twelve lines") used a board with three rows of 12 points each, and the checkers were moved across all three rows according to the roll of dice. Little specific text about the gameplay has survived.[30] Tabula, meaning "table" or "board", was a game mentioned in an epigram of Byzantine Emperor Zeno (AD 476–481). It was similar to modern backgammon in that the object of the game was to be the first to bear off all of one's checkers. Players threw three dice and moved their checkers in opposing directions on a board of 24 points.[31][32]

Touraj Daryaee (2006)— on the subject of the first written mention of early precursors of backgammon—writes: 'The game of backgammon is first mentioned in Bhartrhari’s Vairagyasataka (p. 39), composed around the late sixth or early seventh century AD. The use of dice for the game is another indication of its Indic origin, since dice and gambling were a favorite pastime in ancient India. The rules of the game, however, first appeared in the Middle Persian text W?zarisn? Catrang ud Nihisn? New Ardaxs?r (Explanation of Chess and Invention of Backgammon), composed in the sixth century during the rule of the Sasanian king Khousro I (530–571). The text assigns its invention to the Persian sage Wuzurgmihr (Arabic/Persian) Buzarjumihr/Buzorgmihr, who was the minister of King Khousro I, as a challenge for the Indian sages.'[33]

In the 11th century Shahnameh, the Persian poet Ferdowsi credits Burzoe with the invention of the tables game nard in the 6th century. He describes an encounter between Burzoe and a Raja visiting from India. The Raja introduces the game of chess, and Burzoe demonstrates nard, played with dice made from ivory and teak.[34][35] (Today, Nard is the name for the Persian version of backgammon, which has different initial positions and objectives.) H.J.R. Murray ref 6.1.2][broken citation] details many versions of Backgammon; modern Nard is noted there as being the same as backgammon and maybe dating back to 300 - 500AD in the Babylonian Talmud.

The jeux de tables (Game of Tables), predecessors of modern backgammon, first appeared in France during the 11th century and became a favorite pastime of gamblers. In 1254, Louis IX issued a decree prohibiting his court officials and subjects from playing.[35][36] Tables games were played in Germany in the 12th century, and had reached Iceland by the 13th century. The Alfonso X manuscript Libro de los juegos, completed in 1283, describes rules for a number of dice and tables games in addition to its extensive discussion of chess.[37] By the 17th century, tables games had spread to Sweden. A wooden board and checkers were recovered from the wreck of the Vasa among the belongings of the ship's officers. Backgammon appears widely in paintings of this period, mainly those of Dutch and German painters (Van Ostade, Jan Steen, Bosch and others). One surviving artwork is "Cardsharps" by Caravaggio (the backgammon board is in the lower left). Others are the Hell of Bosch and interior of an Inn by Jan Steen.

In the 16th century, Elizabethan laws and church regulations prohibited playing tables, but by the 18th century backgammon was popular among the English clergy.[35] Edmund Hoyle published A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon in 1743; this described rules and strategy for the game and was bound together with a similar text on whist.[38]

In English, the word "backgammon" is most likely derived from "back" and Middle English "gamen", meaning "game" or "play". The earliest use documented by the Oxford English Dictionary was in 1650.[39]

The most recent major development in backgammon was the addition of the doubling cube. It was first introduced in the 1920s in New York City among members of gaming clubs in the Lower East Side.[40] The cube required players not only to select the best move in a given position, but also to estimate the probability of winning from that position, transforming backgammon into the expected value-driven game played in the 20th and 21st centuries.[40]

[jkb87]

the ol man is holding a good number of ducks and i hear its low enough right now to run a 8hp on....

[BBB]

STAY HOME!!!

[RockBottom]

You know Backgammon looks to be a fun game!!

[donia]

google mdwfp... and backgammon is truly the thinkin man's "bored" game

[Ordek Avci]

I, honestly, love backgammon.

[flare_king]

You know, I have always wanted to play backgammon but never knew how. Now maybe I can fill that huge void in my life. Thanks duckbuster33!!

[Doc & Nash]

I think Chess would fit him better:

e rules of chess (also known as the laws of chess) are rules governing the play of the game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, the modern rules first took form in Italy during the 16th century. The rules continued to be slightly modified until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form. The rules also varied somewhat from place to place. Today Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), also known as the World Chess Organization, sets the standard rules, with slight modifications made by some national organizations for their own purposes. There are variations of the rules for fast chess, correspondence chess, online chess, and chess variants.

Chess is a game played by two persons on a chessboard, with 32 pieces (16 for each player) of six types. Each type of piece moves in a distinct way. The goal of the game is to checkmate, i.e. to threaten the opponent's king with inevitable capture. Games do not necessarily end with checkmate—players often resign if they believe they will lose. In addition, there are several ways that a game can end in a draw (a tie).

Besides the basic movement of the pieces, rules also govern the equipment used, the time control, the conduct and ethics of players, accommodations for handicapped players, the recording of moves using chess notation, as well as procedures for irregularities that occur during a game.

Contents [hide]
1 Initial setup
1.1 Identifying squares
2 Play of the game
2.1 Movement
2.1.1 Basic moves
2.1.2 Castling
2.1.3 En passant
2.1.4 Pawn promotion
2.2 Check
3 End of the game
3.1 Checkmate
3.2 Resigning
3.3 Draws
3.4 Time control
4 Competition rules
4.1 Act of moving the pieces
4.2 Touch-move rule
4.3 Timing
4.4 Recording moves
5 Irregularities
5.1 Illegal move
5.2 Illegal position
6 Conduct
7 Equipment
8 History
8.1 Codification
9 Articles about rules
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links



[edit] Initial setup











Starting positionChess is played on a chessboard, a square board divided into 64 squares (eight-by-eight) of alternating color, which is similar to that used in draughts (checkers) (FIDE 2008). No matter what the actual colors of the board, the lighter-colored squares are called "light" or "white", and the darker-colored squares are called "dark" or "black". Sixteen "white" and sixteen "black" pieces are placed on the board at the beginning of the game. The board is placed so that a white square is in each player's near-right corner, and a black one in the near-left. Each player controls sixteen pieces:

Piece King Queen Rook Bishop Knight Pawn
Number 1 1 2 2 2 8
Symbols







At the beginning of the game, the pieces are arranged as shown in the diagram to the right. The second row from the player contains the eight pawns; the row nearest the player contains the remaining pieces. Popular phrases used to remember the setup, often heard in beginners' clubs, are "queen on own color" and "white on right". The latter refers to setting up the board so that the square closest to each player's right is white (Schiller 2003:16–17).


[edit] Identifying squares

Naming the squares in algebraic notationEach square of the chessboard is identified with a unique pair of a letter and a number. The vertical files are labeled a through h, from White's left (i.e. the queenside) to his or her right. Similarly, the horizontal ranks are numbered from 1 to 8, starting from the one nearest White's side of the board. Each square of the board, then, is uniquely identified by its file letter and rank number. The white king, for example, starts the game on square e1. The black knight on b8 can move to a6 and c6.


[edit] Play of the game
Each player has control of one of the two sets of colored pieces and is typically referred to by the nominal color of his or her respective pieces, i.e., White or Black. White moves first and, as in most board games, the players alternate moves. Making a move is compulsory; it is not legal to "pass", even when having to move is detrimental. Play continues until a king is checkmated, a player resigns, or a draw is declared, as explained below. In addition, if the game is being played under a time control players who exceed their time limit lose the game.

The official chess rules do not include a procedure for determining who plays White. Instead, this decision is left open to tournament-specific rules (e.g. a Swiss system tournament or Round-robin tournament) or, in the case of non-competitive play, mutual agreement, in which case some kind of random choice is often employed.


[edit] Movement

[edit] Basic moves
Basic moves of a king










Moves of a rook











Moves of a bishop










Moves of a queen











Moves of a knight










Moves of a pawn











The white pawns can move to the squares marked with "X" in front of them. The pawn on the c6 square can also take either black rook.
Each chess piece has its own style of moving. Moves are made to vacant squares except when capturing an opponent's piece.

With the exception of the knight, pieces cannot jump over each other. When a piece is captured (or taken), the attacking piece replaces the enemy piece on its square (en passant being the only exception). The captured piece is thus removed from the game and may not be returned to play for the remainder of the game.[1] The king can be put in check but cannot be captured (see below).

The king can move exactly one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. At most once in every game, each king is allowed to make a special move, known as castling (see below).
The rook moves any number of vacant squares vertically or horizontally. It also is moved while castling.
The bishop moves any number of vacant squares in any diagonal direction.
The queen can move any number of vacant squares diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.
The knight moves to the nearest square not on the same rank, file, or diagonal. In other words, the knight moves two squares like the rook and then one square perpendicular to that. Its move is not blocked by other pieces, i.e. it leaps to the new square. The knight moves in an "L" or "7" shape (or either shape inverted) with two steps one direction, a 90° turn, and one step in the new direction.
Pawns have the most complex rules of movement:
A pawn can move forward one square, if that square is unoccupied. If it has not yet moved, the pawn has the option of moving two squares forward provided both squares in front of the pawn are unoccupied. A pawn cannot move backward.
Pawns are the only pieces that capture differently from how they move. They can capture an enemy piece on either of the two spaces adjacent to the space in front of them (i.e., the two squares diagonally in front of them) but cannot move to these spaces if they are vacant.
The pawn is also involved in the two special moves en passant and promotion (Schiller 2003:17–19).

[edit] Castling











Position of pieces before castling










Positions of the king and rook after kingside (White) and queenside (Black) castling
Main article: Castling
Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook, then placing the rook on the other side of the king, adjacent to it.[2] Castling is only permissible if all of the following conditions hold:

The king and rook involved in castling must not have previously moved;
There must be no pieces between the king and the rook;
The king may not currently be in check, nor may the king pass through or end up in a square that is under attack by an enemy piece (though the rook is permitted to be under attack and to pass over an attacked square);
The king and the rook must be on the same rank (Schiller 2003:19).[3]

[edit] En passant
en passant











The pawn on the g5 square can also capture the black pawn en passant if Black's last move was the pawn from the f7 square to the f5 square. The white pawn moves to the f6 square.Main article: en passant
If player A's pawn moves forward two squares and player B has a pawn on his or her fifth rank and on an adjacent file, B's pawn can capture A's pawn as if A's pawn had only moved one square. This capture can only be made on the immediately subsequent move. In this example, an en passant capture would remove the black pawn and the white pawn would move to the f6 square, marked by an "x" (Schiller 2003:18).


[edit] Pawn promotion
Main article: promotion (chess)
If a pawn advances all the way to its eighth rank, it is then promoted (converted) to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color, the choice being at the discretion of its player (a queen is usually chosen). The choice is not limited to previously captured pieces. Hence it is theoretically possible for a player to have up to nine queens or up to ten rooks, bishops, or knights if all his or her pawns are promoted. If the desired piece is not available, the player should call the arbiter to provide the piece (Schiller 2003:17–19).[4]


[edit] Check
Main article: Check (chess)
diagram from (Harkness 1967)











The black king is in check. Black can get out of check by moving the king to an unattacked square, moving the bishop to the e5 square, or the black knight to the f4 square to block the check, or by capturing the white bishop with the knight.When a player makes a move that threatens the opposing king with capture (not necessarily by the piece that was moved), the king is said to be in check. The definition of check is that one or more opposing pieces could theoretically capture the king on the next move (although the king is never actually captured). If a player's king is in check then the player must make a move that eliminates the threat(s) of capture; a player may never leave his or her king in check at the end of his or her move. The possible ways to remove the threat of capture are:

Move the king to a square where it is not threatened.
Capture the threatening piece (possibly with the king, if doing so does not put the king in check).
Place a piece between the king and the opponent's threatening piece. This is impossible if the threatening piece is a knight or pawn, or if a checking queen, rook or bishop is adjacent to the checked king.
In the case of double check, when there are two pieces attacking the king, only a king move will get out of check; the king may capture an enemy piece.

In informal games, it is customary to announce check when making a move that puts the opponent's king in check. However, in formal competitions check is rarely announced (Just & Burg 2003:28).

A player may not make any move which places or leaves his or her king in check, even if the checking piece cannot move due to a pin, i.e. moving it would expose his or her own king to check. This also means that a player cannot place his king on any square adjacent to the enemy king, because doing so would leave his or her king able to be taken by the enemy king and therefore in check.


[edit] End of the game

[edit] Checkmate
diagram from (Harkness 1967)











The white king has been checkmated, Black wins.Main article: Checkmate
If a player's king is placed in check and there is no legal move that player can make to escape check, then the king is said to be checkmated, the game ends, and that player loses (Schiller 2003:20–21). Unlike other pieces, the king is never actually captured or removed from the board because checkmate ends the game (Burgess 2000:457).

The diagram to the right shows a typical checkmate position. The white king is threatened by the black queen; every square to which the king could move is also threatened; it cannot capture the queen, because it would then be threatened by the rook.


[edit] Resigning
Either player may resign at any time and his or her opponent wins the game. This normally happens when the player believes he or she is very likely to lose the game. A player may resign by saying it verbally or by indicating it on his or her scoresheet in any of three ways: (1) by writing "resigns", (2) by circling the result of the game, or (3) by writing "1–0" if Black resigns or "0–1" if White resigns (Schiller 2003:21). Tipping over the king also indicates resignation, but it is not frequently used. Stopping both clocks is not an indication of resigning, since clocks can be stopped to call the arbiter. An offer of a handshake is not necessarily a resignation either, since one player could think he or she is agreeing to a draw (Just & Burg 2003:29).


[edit] Draws
Main article: Draw (chess)
diagram from (Harkness 1967)











Black to move is in stalemate, since it has no legal moveThe game ends in a draw if any of these conditions occur:

The game is automatically a draw if the player to move is not in check but has no legal move. This situation is called a stalemate. An example of such a position is shown in the diagram to the right.
No possible sequence of legal moves leads to checkmate. Usually this is because there is insufficient material, for example if one player has a king and a bishop or knight and the other only a king.
Both players agree to a draw after one of the players makes such an offer.
The player having the move may claim a draw by declaring that one of the following conditions exists, or by declaring an intention to make a move which will bring about one of these conditions:

Fifty moves have been played by each player without any capture or a pawn being moved.
The same board position has occurred three times, with the same player to move and all pieces having the same rights to move, including the right to castle or capture en passant.
If the claim is proven true, the game is drawn (Schiller 2003:21,26–28).

At one time, if a player was able to check the opposing king continually (perpetual check) and he or she indicated his or her intention to do so, the game was drawn. This rule is no longer in effect; however, players will usually agree to a draw in such a situation, since either the threefold repetition rule or the fifty-move rule will eventually be applicable (Staunton 1847:21–22), (Reinfeld 1954:175).


[edit] Time control
Main article: Time control
A game played under time control will end as a loss for a player if he or she uses up all of his or her allotted time (see the Timing section below). There are different types of time control. Players may have a fixed amount of time for the entire game or they may have to make a certain number of moves within a specified time. Also, a small increment of time may be added for each move made.


[edit] Competition rules
These rules apply to games played "over the board". There are special rules for correspondence chess, blitz chess, computer chess, and for handicapped players.


[edit] Act of moving the pieces
The movement of pieces is to be done with one hand. Once the hand is taken off a piece, the move cannot be retracted (if it is a legal move). When castling (see below), the player should first move the king with one hand and then move the rook with the same hand (Schiller 2003:19–20).

In the case of a pawn promotion, if the player releases the pawn on the eighth rank, the player must promote the pawn. After the pawn has moved, the player may touch any piece not on the board and the promotion is not finalized until the new piece is released on the promotion square (Just & Burg 2003:18,22).


[edit] Touch-move rule
Main article: Touch-move rule
In serious play, if a player having the move touches one of his or her pieces as if having the intention of moving it, then he or she must move it if it can be legally moved. So long as the hand has not left the piece on a new square, the latter can be placed on any accessible square. If a player touches one of the opponent's pieces then he or she must capture that piece if it can be captured. If none of the touched pieces can be moved or captured there is no penalty, but the rule still applies to the players own pieces (Schiller 2003:19–20).

When castling, the king must be the first piece touched.[5] If the player touches his or her rook at the same time as touching the king, he or she must castle with that rook if it is legal to do so. If the player completes a two-square king move without touching a rook, he or she must move the correct rook accordingly if castling in that direction is legal. If a player starts to castle illegally, another legal king move must be made if possible, including castling with the other rook (Schiller 2003:20).

When a pawn is moved to its eighth rank, once the player takes his or her hand off the pawn, it can no longer be substituted for a different move of the pawn. However, the move is not complete until the promoted piece is released on that square.

If a player wishes to touch a piece with the intention of adjusting its position on a square, he or she must first alert his or her opponent of his or her intention by saying "J'adoube" or "I adjust". Once the game has started, only the player with the move may touch the pieces on the board (Schiller 2003:19–20).


[edit] Timing

Digital game clockTournament games are played under time constraints, called time controls, using a game clock. Each player must make his or her moves within the time control or be subject to forfeiting the game. There are different types of time controls. In some cases each player will have a certain amount of time to make a certain number of moves. In other cases each player will have a limited amount of time to make all of his or her moves. In addition to having this time limit, the player may gain a small amount of additional time for each move made, either by a small increment added for each move made or by the clock delaying a small amount of time each time it is started after the opponent's move (Schiller 2003:21–24).

If a player delivers a checkmate, the game is over and he or she wins, no matter what is subsequently noticed about the time on the clock.
If player A calls attention to the fact that player B is out of time while player A is not out of time and some sequence of legal moves leads to B being checkmated then player A wins automatically. If player A does not have the possibility of checkmating B then the game is a draw (Schiller 2003:28).[6]
If player A calls attention to the fact that player B is out of time, but it is then noted that player A is also out of time, then:
If a sudden death control is not being used, the game continues in the next time control.
if the game is played under a sudden death time control (each player has a fixed amount of time no matter how many moves are played), then if it can be established which player ran out of time first, the game is lost by that player; otherwise the game is drawn.
If a player believes his or her opponent is attempting to win the game on time and not by normal means (i.e. checkmate), if it is a sudden death time control and the player has less than two minutes remaining, he or she may stop the clocks and claim a draw with the arbiter. The arbiter may declare the game a draw or postpone the decision and allot the opponent two extra minutes (Schiller 2003:21–24,29).


[edit] Recording moves

A scoresheet from a game by Capablanca, in descriptive notationMain articles: Chess notation and Algebraic chess notation
In formal competition, each player is obliged to record each move as it is played in a chess notation in order to settle disputes about illegal positions, overstepping time control, and making claims of draws by the fifty-move rule or repetition of position. Algebraic chess notation is the accepted standard for recording games today. There are other systems such as ICCF numeric notation for international correspondence chess and the obsolete descriptive chess notation.

Offers of a draw are indicated by writing "=". Notations about the time on the clocks can be made. If a player has less than five minutes left to complete all of their moves, they are not required to record the moves (unless a delay of at least thirty seconds per move is being used). The scoresheet must be made available to the arbiter at all times. A player may respond to an opponent's move before writing it down (Schiller 2003:25–26).


[edit] Irregularities

[edit] Illegal move
A player who makes an illegal move must retract that move and make a legal move. That move must be made with the same piece if possible, because the touch-move rule applies. If the illegal move was an attempt to castle, the touch-move rule applies to the king but not to the rook. The arbiter should adjust the time on the clock according to the best evidence. If the mistake is only noticed later on, the game should be restarted from the position in which the error occurred (Schiller 2003:24–25).

If blitz chess is being played (in which both players have a small, limited time, e.g. five minutes) the rule varies. A player may correct an illegal move if he or she has not pressed his or her clock. If a player has pressed his or her clock, the opponent may claim a win if he or she hasn't moved. If the opponent moves, the illegal move is accepted and without penalty (Schiller 2003:77).[7]


[edit] Illegal position
If it is discovered during the game that the starting position was incorrect, the game is restarted. If it is discovered during the game that the board is oriented incorrectly, the game is continued with the pieces transferred to a correctly-oriented board. If the game starts with the colors of the pieces reversed, the game continues (unless the arbiter rules otherwise). If a player knocks over pieces, it is his or her responsibility to restore them to their correct position on his or her time. If it is discovered that an illegal move has been made, or that pieces have been displaced, the game is restored to the position before the irregularity. If that position cannot be determined, the game is restored to the last known correct position (Schiller 2003:24–25).


[edit] Conduct
Players may not use any notes, outside sources of information (including computers), or advice from other people. Analysis on another board is not permitted. Scoresheets are to record objective facts about the game only, such as time on the clock or draw offers (indicated by "="). Players may not leave the competition area without permission of the arbiter (Schiller 2003:30–31).

High standards of etiquette and ethics are expected. Players should shake hands before and after the game. Generally a player should not speak during the game, except to offer a draw, resign, or to call attention to an irregularity. An announcement of "check" is made in amateur games but should not be used in officially sanctioned games. A player may not distract or annoy another player by any means, including repeatedly offering a draw (Schiller 2003:30–31,49–52).


[edit] Equipment

Original Staunton chess pieces, introduced in 1849. Left to right: pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king
Pieces at the start of a game and an analog chess clock.Main articles: Chess piece, Chessboard, Staunton chess set, and Game clock
The size of the squares of the chessboard should be approximately 1.25–1.3 times the diameter of the base of the king, or 50–65 mm. Squares of approximately 57 mm (2+1?4 inches) normally are well-suited for pieces with the kings in the preferred size range. The darker squares are usually brown or green and the lighter squares are off-white or buff.

Pieces of the Staunton chess set design are the standard and are usually made of wood or plastic. They are often black and white; other colors may be used (like a dark wood or even red for the dark pieces) but they would still be called the "white" and "black" pieces (see White and Black in chess). The height of the king should be 85–105 millimetres (3.35–4.13 inches).[8] A height of approximately 95–102 mm (3+3?4–4 inches) is preferred by most players. The diameter of the king should be 40–50% of its height. The size of the other pieces should be in proportion to the king. The pieces should be well balanced (Just & Burg 2003:225–27).[9]

In games subject to time control, a game clock is used, consisting of two adjacent clocks and buttons to stop one clock while starting the other, such that the two component clocks never run simultaneously. The clock can be analog or digital.


[edit] History
The rules of chess have evolved quite a bit over the centuries. The modern rules first took form in Italy during the 16th century (Ruch 2004). The basic moves of the king, rook, and knight are unchanged. Pawns originally did not have the option of moving two squares on their first move and did not promote to another piece if they reached their eighth rank. The queen was originally the fers or farzin, which could move one square diagonally in any direction or leap two squares diagonally, forwards, or to the left or right on its first move. In the Persian game the bishop was a fil or alfil, which could move one or two squares diagonally. In the Arab version, the bishop could leap two squares along any diagonal (Davidson 1981:13). In the Middle Ages the pawn acquired the right to be promoted to a queen (which at that time was the weakest piece) if it reached its eighth rank (Davidson 1981:59–61).


PhilidorBetween 1200 and 1600 several laws emerged that drastically altered the game. Checkmate became a requirement to win; a player could not win by capturing all of the opponent's pieces. Stalemate was added, although the outcome has changed several times (see Stalemate#History of the stalemate rule). Pawns gained the option of moving two squares on their first move, and the en passant rule was a natural consequence of that new option. The king and rook acquired the right to castle (see Castling#Variations throughout history for different versions of the rule). By 1600 the bishop also acquired its current move, which made it a much stronger piece (Davidson 1981:14–17). About 1475 the queen also got its current move, which transformed it from being the weakest piece to the strongest one (Hooper & Whyld 1992:328). When all of these changes were accepted the game was in essentially its modern form (Davidson 1981:14–17).

The rules for pawn promotion have changed several times. As stated above, originally the pawn could only be promoted to the queen, which at that time was the weakest other piece. When the queen acquired its current move and became the most powerful piece, the pawn could then be promoted to a queen or a rook, bishop, or knight. In the 18th century rules allowed only the promotion to a piece already captured, e.g. the rules published in 1749 by François-André Danican Philidor. In the 19th century this restriction was lifted, which allowed for a player to have more than one queen, e.g. the 1828 rules by Jacob Sarratt (Davidson 1981:59–61).

Two new rules concerning draws were introduced, each of which have changed through the years. The threefold repetition rule was added, although at some times up to six repetitions have been required, and the exact conditions have been specified more clearly (see Threefold repetition#History). The fifty-move rule was also added. At various times, the number of moves required was different, such as twenty-four, sixty, seventy, or seventy-five. For several years in the 20th century, the standard fifty moves was extended to one hundred moves for a few specific endgames (see fifty-move rule#History).

Another group of new laws included (1) the touch-move rule and the accompanying "j'adoube/adjust" rule; (2) that White moves first; (3) the orientation of the board; (4) the procedure if an illegal move was made; (5) the procedure if the king had been left in check for some moves; and (6) issues regarding the behavior of players and spectators. The Staunton chess set was introduced in 1849 and it became the standard style of pieces. The size of pieces and squares of the board was standardized (Hooper & Whyld 1992:220-21,laws, history of).

Until the middle of the 19th century, chess games were played without any time limit. In an 1834 match between Alexander McDonnell and Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, McDonnell took an inordinate amount of time to move, sometimes up to 1½ hours. In 1836 Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant suggested a time limit, but no action was taken. In the 1851 London tournament, Staunton resigned a game to Elijah Williams because Williams was taking so long to move. The next year a match between Daniel Harrwitz and Johann Löwenthal used a limit if 20 minutes per move. The first use of a modern-style time limit was in a 1861 match between Adolph Anderssen and Ignác Kolisch (Sunnucks 1970:459).


[edit] Codification

Official Chess Rulebook, by Harkness, 1970The first known publication of chess rules was in a book by Luis Ramirez de Lucena about 1497, shortly after the movement of the queen, bishop, and pawn were changed to their modern form (Just & Burg 2003:xxi). In the 16th and 17th centuries, there were differences of opinion concerning rules such as castling, pawn promotion, stalemate, and en passant. Some of these differences existed until the 19th century (Harkness 1967:3).

As chess clubs arose and tournaments became common, there was a need to formalize the rules. In 1749 Philidor (1726–1795) wrote a set of rules that were widely used, as well as rules by later writers such as the 1828 rules by Jacob Sarratt (1772–1819) and rules by George Walker (1803–1879). In the 19th century, many major clubs published their own rules, including The Hague in 1803, London in 1807, Paris in 1836, and St. Petersburg in 1854. In 1851 Howard Staunton (1810–1874) called for a "Constituent Assembly for Remodeling the Laws of Chess" and proposals by Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa (1818–1889) were published in 1854. Staunton had published rules in Chess Player's Handbook in 1847, and his new proposals were published in 1860 in Chess Praxis; they were generally accepted in English-speaking countries. German-speaking countries usually used the writings of chess authority Johann Berger (1845–1933) or Handbuch des Schachspiels by Paul Rudolf von Bilguer (1815–1840), first published in 1843.


FIDE logoIn 1924, FIDE was formed, and in 1929 it took up the task of standardizing the rules. At first FIDE tried to establish a universal set of rules, but translations to various languages differed slightly. Although FIDE rules were used for international competition under their control, some countries continued to use their own rules internally. FIDE issued new editions of the rules every few years (1929, 1952, 1955, 1966, 1974, 1992, etc.), with amendments in some other years. In 1984 FIDE abandoned the idea of a universal set of laws, although FIDE rules are the standard for high-level play (Hooper & Whyld 1992:220–221). The rules of national FIDE affiliates (such as the United States Chess Federation, or USCF) are based on the FIDE rules, with slight variations (Just & Burg 2003).[10] Kenneth Harkness published popular rulebooks in the United States starting in 1956, and the USCF continues to publish rulebooks for use in USCF tournaments.

[Ordek Avci]

I don't do chess, but if anyone wants, I'm willing to trade backgammon lessons for a quality duck hunt.

I have board, hookah pipe, and shotgun. Willing to travel.

[driveby]

I have board, hookah pipe, and shotgun. Willing to travel.

I think I saw someone smoking a hookah pipe while I was in Brandon this weekend.

[cwink]

Can someone please explain Chinese Checkers to me. I never got that game.

[Buckwabit]

Gotta love a good Turn around post. Starts off as one thing, goes the opposite Direction.

[teul2]

I think Chess would fit him better:

Nope, this one fits much better.

Genital wart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Genital
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 A63.0
ICD-9 078.11
DiseasesDB 29120
eMedicine derm/454 med/1037
MeSH C02.256.650.810.217
Genital warts around the anus
Genital warts on a female
Genital warts on a male

Genital warts (or Condyloma, Condylomata acuminata, or venereal warts, also anal wart or anogenital wart) is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection caused by some sub-types of human papillomavirus (HPV). It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. Genital warts are the most easily recognized sign of genital HPV infection. They can be caused by strains 6, 11, 30, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52 and 54 of genital HPV; types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of genital warts cases.[1] Most people who acquire those strains never develop warts or any other symptoms. HPV also causes many cases of cervical cancer; types 16 and 18 account for 70% of cases.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Symptoms
* 2 Vaccines
* 3 Treatment
* 4 Misdiagnosis cautions
* 5 References
* 6 External links
o 6.1 tags

[edit] Symptoms

Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or penis area. In women they occur on the outside and inside of the va-ja-ja, on the opening (cervix) to the womb (uterus), or around the anus. They are approximately as prevalent in men, but the symptoms may be less obvious. When present, they usually are seen on the tip of the penis. They also may be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.

The viral particles are able to penetrate the skin and mucosal surfaces through microscopic abrasions in the genital area, which occur during sexual activity. Once cells are invaded by HPV, a latency (quiet) period of months to years may occur. HPV can last for several years without a symptom.[2] Having sex with a partner whose HPV infection is latent and demonstrates no outward symptoms still leaves one vulnerable to becoming infected.

[edit] Vaccines

See also: HPV vaccine

Gardasil (sold by Merck & Co.) is a vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus types 16, 18, 6, and 11. Types 6 and 11 cause genital warts, while 16 and 18 cause cervical cancer. The vaccine is preventive, not therapeutic, and must be given before exposure to the virus type to be effective, ideally before the beginning of sexual activity. The vaccine is widely approved for use by young women, it is being tested for young men,[3][4] and has been approved for males in some areas, such as the UK.

[edit] Treatment

Genital warts may disappear without treatment, but sometimes eventually develop a fleshy, small raised growth. There is no way to predict whether they will grow or disappear.

Depending on the size and location of the wart, and other factors, a doctor will offer one of several ways to treat them.

* Imiquimod (Aldara) a topical immune response cream, applied to the affected area
* A 20% podophyllin anti-mitotic solution, applied to the affected area and later washed off
* A 0.5% podofilox solution, applied to the affected area but not to be washed off
* A 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream
* Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
* Pulsed dye laser
* Liquid nitrogen cryosurgery
* Electric or laser cauterization
* Condylox
* sinecatechins (Veregen) also Polyphenon E: ointment made of several green-tea-extracted catechines and other components. Mode of action is undetermined.[5] It is FDA-approved but very expensive.

Podophyllin and podofilox should not be used during pregnancy, as they are absorbed by the skin and could cause birth defects in the fetus. 5-fluorouracil cream should not be used while trying to become pregnant or if the person taking the medication could be pregnant.

Small warts can be removed by freezing (cryosurgery), burning (electrocautery), or laser treatment. Surgery is occasionally used to remove large warts that have not responded to other treatment.

Some doctors inject the antiviral drug interferon-alpha directly into the warts, to treat warts that have returned after removal by traditional means. The drug is expensive, and does not reduce the rate that the warts return.[citation needed]

Although treatments can remove the warts, they do not remove the HPV, so warts can recur after treatment. Traditional theories postulated that the virus remained in the body for a lifetime. However, new studies using sensitive DNA techniques have shown that through immunological response the virus can either be cleared or suppressed to levels below what PCR tests can measure. [2] According to the Center for Disease Control's report on HPV to Congress in 2004, studies have shown that 70% of new HPV infections clear within one year, and as many as 91% clear within two years. The median duration of new infections is typically eight months. The gradual development of an effective immune response is thought to be the likely mechanism for HPV DNA clearance. The state of the immune system determines the chances of removing the virus entirely and can be affected by factors such as HIV infection, certain medications, stress, or illness.[3] There is even some suggestion that effective treatment of the wart may aid the body's immune response.[citation needed]

[edit] Misdiagnosis cautions

Genital warts (condylomata) should not be confused with Molluscum contagiosum (MC), which is often transmitted sexually, but does not occur internally as do condylomata. MC looks like small warts that are much smaller than condylomata genital warts, and are usually umbilicated. It does not increase the risk of cervical cancer for women. Genital warts should not be confused with Fordyce's spots, which are considered benign.

Some men mistake hirsuties papillaris genitalis for genital warts. Hirsuties papillaris genitalis is not contagious and no treatment for it is necessary. Some may deem it unsightly and there are various methods of ridding the penis of the condition, such as carbon dioxide laser treatment.

[edit] References

1. ^ med/1037 at eMedicine
2. ^ "American Cancer Society: "Can Anal Cancer Be Prevented?"". Retrieved on 2008-09-10.
3. ^ Cortez, Michelle Fay and Pettypiece, Shannon. "Merck Cancer Shot Cuts Genital Warts, Lesions in Men". Bloomberg News. (Bloomberg.com) 13 Nov 2008.
4. ^ HPV Vaccine Gardasil May Help Boys, Men by WebMD Health News, Nov 13, 2008
5. ^ "Veragen package insert". Retrieved on 2008-08-18.

[edit] External links

* The SexInfo website run by students at the University of California at Santa Barbara has articles on both Anal Warts and Genital Warts
* Genital warts at the Open Directory Project
* HPV information from the US CDC
* CDC Report to Congress
* Noah Scheinfeld and Daniel S Lehman. An evidence-based review of medical and surgical treatments of genital warts. Dermatology Online Journal (2006) 12 (3): 5. http://dermatology.cdlib.org/123/review ... nfeld.html

[duckkiller]

While we off subject, why not introduce this ooser to smoking joe and maybe the elcamino crew