Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2017 November 10

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

November 10

Chinese bulldog?

Would it be accurate to refer to the Shar Pei as a "Chinese bulldog"? The visual similarity between the two is obvious, but are the breeds related? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 03:11, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

It depends how you define "related". Origin of the domestic dog would indicate they are all related, but it shows separate branches for European and Asian dogs. Although the Shar Pei article gives some good information on lineage, there is not very much in the Bulldog article. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:01, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

The bulldog seems to have it's origins in medieval England and is something of a national emblem, see What is the significance of the British Bulldog? and the traditional but violent game of British Bulldog. Alansplodge (talk) 13:08, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Bulldogs were bred for bull baiting and Shar Peis were bred for fighting other dogs therefore referring to them as bulldogs is inaccurate. This [[1]] however suggests that they are quite closely related (bottom right).--Ykraps (talk) 13:15, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Then the French bulldog should not be referred to as such, because it wasn't bred for catching bulls either? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 10:32, 11 November 2017 (UTC)

Based on visual similarity, it would be accurate to call them (and several others) brachycephalic dogs (literally 'short-headed', sometimes also referred to as flat-faced). ---Sluzzelin talk 22:15, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Chess zugzwang

In chess, if one's only legal move in a zugzwang is to move the figure blocking from check or from checkmate, does it count as a stalemate or a checkmate (in case of blocking from checkmate)? Thanks. 212.180.235.46 (talk) 09:10, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Your question assumes that the player's king is in check. The only legal move is to move it out of check. If he can't do that (because wherever he moves the king will be captured) it is checkmate and the game is lost. If the king is not in check but whichever square it moves to it will be captured and there is no other available piece to move it is stalemate and the game is drawn. 82.14.24.95 (talk) 12:24, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

I see 2 ways to interpret this question. If a player's only moves place himself in check (for example by moving a blocking piece out of the way), then the player has no legal moves and it is a stalemate. If a player's only moves do not place himself in check, but open himself up for a checkmate, then the player must make one of the moves (or resign) and his opponent can then checkmate him. Doe either of these answer your question?--Wikimedes (talk) 22:31, 12 November 2017 (UTC)

Expanding my answer a little, "discovered check" is where your opponent "moves the figure blocking from check" to another square out of the firing line. You must then either move your king to a place of safety or interpose a piece between the king and the enemy piece which can capture it. If you can't it's checkmate. Of course, if you're playing against a stronger player, every move you make opens you up to a checkmate (eventually) - in the situation Wikimedes describes, every move you make will result in checkmate (provided your opponent makes the correct responses). 82.13.208.70 (talk) 13:23, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

Barcolongo

What's a barcolongo? From it's use on page 354 here [[2]], I assume it's some sort of ocean-going vessel but can anyone be more specific?--Ykraps (talk) 13:46, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

This, this, and a literal translation attempt seem to point towards a longboat. --Wrongfilter (talk) 14:06, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Putting "barcolongo" into the search function of the source referred to by the OP gives a further reference to a barcolongo having 4 guns, 10 swivels and a crew of 33 men. That sounds like rather more than a longboat, which might at best mount one or two swivels. Wymspen (talk) 15:48, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Plenty of references to barcolongos here [3], armed with between 4 and 10 guns plus swivels and manned with crews of up to 60 men. Searching Barco Longo (two words)[4]] brings up references to Spanish fishing vessels of 2 to 3 masts, similar to a lugger.--Ykraps (talk) 19:56, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Oh, and apparently we have an article on it at Barca-longa.--Ykraps (talk) 22:08, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

Not to be confused with the Barcalounger? μηδείς (talk) 03:36, 11 November 2017 (UTC)