FOR A CHANGE...

The Audition
Few weeks ago I went to one of a local TV station to take part in audition process for one family game show. Reached there at about 10am and after finish filled the form and signed the Term and Condition...I was given number 20.

While waiting for my number to be call (they called my number at about 5pm, after waiting for 7 hours), I look around and cannot help to notice there are many similarities between participants attending the Local Game Audition and chess players entering chess tournament.

The Regular
Believe it or not there is a clique of people who make taking part in any TV shows/games as their hobby (career?!). They know each other and always talk about previous TV game show like we talk about Selangor Open or National Closed…and they know what’s going on in local TV shows , who’s who etc. Hearing them talked, you feel how ‘green’ and how ‘out prepared’ you are compared with these professionals. Must be what newbies feels when we, the chess regulars, start discussing Dragon and Marshall Attack! or whether Malaysia Olympiad 1986 is the best team...
Not sure whether they have website sharing their knowledge about this…or self promoting themselves via it!

The Opinionist.
I happened to sit next to an uncle who is very generous with ideas. They should limit the number of contestantlah…they should doing thislah…they should doing thatlah…I asked him what is his number…smiled, he told me he did not take part in the audition (just accompany his daughter).

The Secretive vs The Professor
After finished audition, contestant will be mobbed by other fella contestant who yet to be audition, asking what they asked to do inside the studio. Some refused to answer (afraid of giving his opponent an unfair advantage) while some are very generous with answers (in chess it is equivalent to reveal all one opening preparation for the sake of impressing fellow contestant)

The Rights to ‘ban’ clause.
After I have signed the Terms and Conditions and have all the time in this world waiting for my number to be call, only then I read the T&C (My boss will surely scream at me should she knew I signed first, read later…). Hmm, Ok, they have this ‘ban clause’…”…reserved the rights at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual …”:)

The Differences
Maybe the only different is on the prize money, unlike chess the first prize of winning this show is , I was told, around tens of thousands (and this game show is considered 'very small', according to The Regular) while in chess with first prize in tens of thousands, it will surely be a mega event…

Last but not least, sorry guys, cannot be specific on this posting since I have signed Confidential Agreement with them. Fully believed if this TV station say they will sue me under whatever ground, it will not going to be NATO….