You can always find my moves in the updated FENs in my profile.

And I read every post, so your moves will never get lost in the shuffle.

That's just ridiculous and you know it. In fact, you addressed me in exactly the same way as I addressed you right above my post. Stop playing games. This isn't a matter of perspective, it's a matter of common sense. Why should polite comments be seen as breaking a cease-fire while a blatant insults are perfectly acceptable so long as they're addressed to others? Your so-called "truce" was never very sincere, at least not in terms of doing anything to prevent future hostilities. My peace offer on page 154 and your responses speak for themselves. It was quite similar to the last time I formulated an offer for a lasting truce, with you declining and proceeding to insult me out of the blue over a month later. This time may turn out quite the same.

<I haven't any intention of insulting you, but I don't like to feel that there's any "rule" forbidding me from it.>

Did you have any intention of insulting me after our last three cease-fires, before you returned after weeks or months and insulted me without any provocation? If not, then it doesn't bode well for the future.

< I suggest you cease the grandstanding, lest you seem like the latter.>

I'm not misrepresenting your point of view. You are unwilling to agree to a truce that would have both of us refrain from insulting each other in the future. Admittedly, it's understandable that you wouldn't accept since you've always come back to insult me in the past, even long after the debates ended -- whereas each time I was able to move on without looking back.

I see.

<You are unwilling to agree to a truce that would have both of us refrain from insulting each other in the future.>

And you're unwilling to agree to a truce that would have us never arguing with each other again. Isn't it neat how describing the situation in just the right way makes the other person seem totally unreasonable?

<your implication that it's somehow worse than insulting someone indirectly makes very little sense.>

Solving the problem directly makes more sense. Protecting your own butt from any and all criticism must seem sensible to you, but it doesn't seem sensible to me.

<Did you have any intention of insulting me after our last three cease-fires>

Sorry, I didn't realize there had been a single prior cease-fire. There was Karpov, after which I got bored and stopped addressing you (I stayed at the Karpov forum, posting for a couple days, and as soon as I stopped directly addressing you, it ended- proof in the pudding).

With Carlsen, in my sheer immaturity, I judged the situation to be deadlocked and unamusing, so I ceased posting. How childish of me. But again, no treaty.

And on Smyslov, there most certainly was no cease-fire, although you seem to be under the delusion that I agreed to your proposal, which you now frequently flaunt as a demonstration of your magnanimity, ignoring my earlier proposal altogether. At any rate, I again left that, though with a far more satisfactory conclusion- as you had (in my humble opinion) been resoundingly pummelled. Again, though, there was most certainly no cease-fire.

In each case, I did not plan to speak of you or to you ever again, but when the desire arose, I had no compulsion to repress it, nor have I any desire to do so in the future. If I am to mention you, such mention will be in an unflattering light, since my sincere opinion of you is negative in the extreme. I would submit to you, instead, that you have been the first to address me in every encounter, and the endless spats are therefore your fault.

But it doesn't particularly much matter who started what- it's pretty obvious what's going on. For you, the person who "started" it is the one who utters a negative word about the other. For me, the person who "started" it is the one that starts a conversation with the other. I don't actually think it matters much either way; I'm rather enjoying the punching bag game right now, and I don't feel compelled to make peace with you on your terms. I've figure out all your little games, and it's easy enough for me to beat up on you, whilst you whine about it. I'm done for tonight at least, though. Enjoy the respite.

The idea was not to bask in the glory of any "victory," but rather to see if you might consider adopting a more mature attitude when you relate to me. Apparently not. You prefer to make fun of me at every opportunity.

Well, I don't appreciate it, and I'm pretty sure most others here don't either. That they're reluctant to get involved is understandable -- I wouldn't either if I were in their shoes, especially given the way you attack anybody who defends me or criticizes you in any way. But I think most would at least agree that it would be preferable if both of us would refrain from insulting and provoking each other in the future.

I have tried to maintain at least a modicum of respect towards you in this most recent dispute, even though it has been very difficult with you ridiculing me left and right. I have made very reasonable offers which, if accepted, would have put an end to this once and for all. The difference in tone throughout this discussion has been stark.

Totally insincere. Your "truce" would allow for exactly what happened here. You would go on insulting me in the same way as you did here (and on other forums). I would be forced to respond by speaking of you in the third person rather than to you directly. Then you would respond with your own further ridicule (also in the third person, replete with all your charming names for me). It wouldn't do anything to stop the feud, it would just change the nature of the arguments and not very much at that.

<Sorry, I didn't realize there had been a single prior cease-fire.>

By "cease-fire" I was referring to the temporary end of hostilities, not any formal agreement. I guess you didn't catch that. On each of those three occasions the debate ended, I moved on, and you were the one who came back after weeks or months to insult me even though you were not provoked to do so.

<I've figure out all your little games, and it's easy enough for me to beat up on you, whilst you whine about it.>