[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Terrifying news today.

A chess-playing robot, apparently unsettled by the quick responses of a seven-year-old boy, unceremoniously grabbed and broke his finger during a match at the Moscow Open.

I was just wondering if a few of these machines might be available for purchase? In larger sizes.

[Dennis Lukes]

Reading the article, there's no indication that the kid stuck his hand somewhere he wasn't supposed to in the path of the machine. Sounds like he just took his turn too quickly for the robot's liking, so it got pissed off and fractured the kid's finger in a fit of rage. See, now we humans would call that unsportsmanlike conduct. But the atheists who program these battle droids, lacking any source of morality, don't care one whit about rules or ethics. Cheat, violently assault your opponent, win at any cost - that's what they're all about. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Tanya Harding was an atheist.

[MitzaLizalor]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony J. Toole

Terrifying news today.

The machine, which can play multiple matches at a time
and had reportedly already played three on the day . . .
[from the eleventh paragraph]

Anyone can play multiple matches at a time. You don't need to be any good. Perhaps in multiple games, half of them as white, half as black, if at each board you made whatever move your opponent had made on the previous board, you'd win lose and draw approx. equal numbers of games. I can't see why you'd need to break fingers.

I was just wondering if a few of these machines might be available for purchase? In larger sizes.

You would need to be careful though. It might start twisting heads off. Not the welcome your visitors probably expect. Apparently chess is a strategic game; the thing wouldn't be above hiding somewhere and doing a head or two during the soup course. Or the fish. Smoked trout goes quite well with Pinot Grigio.

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Your move, human.

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Originally Posted by MitzaLizalor

Anyone can play multiple matches at a time. You don't need to be any good.

However good or bad you are you might get tired though, and a bit tetchy, especially when playing against ghastly, self-satisfied, Godless children. Or - in the case of robots - they might simply become frustrated at having to lower their game to make a dumb kid with no social skills look good?

[MitzaLizalor]

I don't suppose chess robots value participation medals?

[youngmen]

Surprisingly, they could have sent the police to pick up the protesters. In other countries, the "club-gas" principle is simply followed, and that's it.

[James Hutchins]

The boy is lucky it did not grab his penis. I've heard that they accidentally do that often.