Time Loss Reported

 Scientists estimate over a ton of extra terrestrial biological material falls to earth everyday.

It has been suggested the Himalayas where the stratosphere is thinnest is the easiest spot for these bacteria, viruses or what-ever to survive the heat due to friction on entering our atmosphere.

Also the great Arab historian Abul Hasan Ali Al-Masudi (10th century) made a macabre observation about the royal game, "When the Indians play at chess they wager stuffs and precious stones... But it sometimes happens that a player will wager one of his limbs. For this, they set beside the players a small copper vessel over a wood fire, in which is placed a reddish ointment peculiar to the country, which has the property of healing wounds and stanching the flow of blood... If the man who wagered one of his fingers loses, then cuts off the finger with a dagger and plunges his hand in the ointment to cauterize the wound."

 With this background let Jack Gyori tell his story.

 Thank you for hearing my story ;no one else would. I was born in Budapest but I travel all around Europe to watch my favorite sport, chess. I am a jeweler and make a good living at it.

 I also trade in antiquities; so when a German dealer of rare artifacts who only identified himself as Magnus wrote me he was willing to sell a 12th century Viking chess piece I was delighted.

We decided to meet incognito on May 27 at the XXXIII International Grandmaster Tournament in Sarajevo Bosnia. ( The Hotel Saraj).

Why there? I think he had another buyer who played in the tournament. When we met I had recognized him from his description of his corpulent eggplant shape. I was shown the peice. It was in excellent condition. We then agreed on the price.

 The sale was to be completed in an hour as I waited for a bank draft to be delivered. Magnus decided to clean up in his hotel room. I preferred to watch the games.

 So here I was watching these two great players Bareev and Radjabov going at it in the 9th Round, when a bony ashen skinned well dressed middle aged gentleman sat next to me with a book. He then opened the book and inside a cavity (cut into the book) I saw a finger.

 I then look around and no one is in the tournament room. The tournament had been over for three hours. I called Magnus who said the chess piece is missing and would not make any deals with me anymore.

Just before leaving on my flight home a fair green eyed gypsy woman asked if I wanted my palm read. I gave her five dollars as a lark.

She then said, "something bad was going to happen to me" but "she could say a prayer for me and light a candle. The prayer was free but the candle cost 30 dollars." I told her I was wise to that snooker. If she wanted 30 bucks she had to tell me something more interesting then that.

She said you play chess don't you. Then she told me a story she claimed was related to her by a great grand mother, who got it from an ancestor who felt scorned.

This story was too much of a coincidence so I gave her the money. She said, "One of the greatest chess players in India, a Warlock named Kunwar Ashrudra, born of the high cast Twice Born in India attained great wealth and power, through his familiar ( a pet, spirt, imp) named Sushim .

Sushim was first found by Kunwar when out of curiosity Kunwar touched a tiny trident shaped iridescent puddle in the snow while on a sacred pilgrimage to the Kedarnath temple in the Himalayas.

The puddle disappeared on touch as his finger swelled to twice its size. Sushim who was adsorbed into the finger eventually learned how to communicate with Kunwar. At first Kunwar was scared when his finger had swelled and his eyes turned green.

 Sushim soon explained that he was a parasite not of this world and needed to be fed by small amounts of blood by sucking the finger he had attached to. Sushim out of a sense of honor wanted to barter for further feedings.

 Kunwar had many sons and one shy beautiful daughter Fulmala who liked to play in the gardens of his great estate in the Kangra valley.

 One day a handsome spry man Taru Panchama a member of the lowest cast an (untouchable) got a glimpse of her as he attended to the gardening at a nearby cemetery.

 Ingenuity, on rare occasions allows even the most fobidden of loves to overcome the great walls society puts up. For months just as the sun was about to set, Taru would entertain Fulmala by using his hands from his work place in the cemetery on the hill, to make shadow pupets dance amongst the flowers in her garden.

 Fulmala always giggled with delight at the entertainment. For most untouchables this would be enough but Taru hoped he could get Fulmala's father to overlook his lowly status as a suitor for his daughter by becoming a great chess player.

Taru studied chess all the time. One day he secretly followed Kunwar into town hoping to engage him in a chess game. He risked a great deal by this as an untouchable wasn't even allowed to touch a member of higher caste's shadow.

When Taru approached a nearby Inn Kunwar hastily scurried out the backdoor hitching a large bag to his horse. Taru inside the inn was startled to see all the patrons as if frozen in time. While looking around he tripped over a persons leg that felt more like a steel bar. Then he fell and knocked over a shelf containing books. One book opened on the floor and spewed out a fortune in jewels. It was a box disguised as an ornate book.

 He took the loot, quickly left, went to another town bought clothes and land. It was two years before he saw the china dolls face and almond shaped green eyes of Fulmala again. Her father had brought her to the Taru's town hoping she would help him pick out the most innocent of slave girls for purchase.

 Taru struck up a conversation with Kunwar during a slave auction and then invited him back to a tavern to play chess. Taru had become a great player and won all of the games. They drank together got drunk and Taru finally got the courage to blurt out, "If I were of the lowest birth but loved your daughter with all my heart, what would it take to get your daughter in matrimony?"

Kunwar said, " a wager over a chess game would do it." Taru asked "how much." Kunwar said "I get all the money I can ever use just by a wave of my finger. The wager would be for a finger."

 Kunwar went on " you could substitute the win of a finger for my daughter in marriage." Taru agreed Kunwar called his daughter in to watch and every time Taru at first was winning but Fulmala beauty distracted him. Taru then in endgame made a blunder and lost the game.

 Taru could have welched on the bet. He could have run but he knew, he would then never be able to play for Fulmala again. Taru resolute chopped his finger off with an axe. Fulmala then let slip an ill-timed giggle.

 Taru then demanded a second game. Kunwar agreed and played this time Taru played better and won. Kunwar said you won you may have my daughter. Taru stood up and said I prefer your finger with those words he chopped off the giant finger of Kunwar.

Kunwar died of shock. Taru took the finger and left. Fulmala felt very insulted. It is said the familiar parasite still suckles that finger doing the bidding of who ever owns the finger and is willing to feed it with his blood."

After hearing this story I knew you guys would be interested.

The JCN would like to make one comment. This is not the first report of time loss during games. Others have reported that while watching games the colors even players have swithched instantly. We have no explanation.