Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

Gary, I just reworded the description for the preset. But my suggestion was the other way around - a war-mace and alfil-Horse-apults. Though I see no reason for it to be the other way around either.. 

And thanks for your comment, I hope that players realize they have a lot of flexibility in choosing the game they wish to play.

George, one might wonder... I answered your Manners comment before reading your comment here. I trust my reply in Manners and Michael Howe's reply concerning Nova Chess were satisfactory? 

Some of your other comments might better be addressed in Manners. If you wish, we might take them up there.

Your mention that the ninja pawn and some other pieces Charles has included might be interesting. I would argue that's a good reason to post games that may not be entirely original and wildly exciting to everyone. 

Your final point here, lack of ascription by the newcomers, I believe I began to address in my recent Manners post. That discussion would certainly more appropriately be held there, as it is a general topic, no?

Michael, I certainly would look forward to hearing from you again, and believe others would also. We probably aren't going to conquer the world any time soon with our current active numbers though; gotta agree with you there. So? CVs are still an awesome art medium, amazingly plastic and responsive, as well as surprising. And so deliciously mathematical in so many ways. Enjoy!

As anyone who reads the description of Pick the Big Piece can ascertain, both sides agree on what pieces they choose to play with and what should be dropped. It is suggested that both sides use the 'same armies'. The pieces in the main presets have all been a mix of my pieces and 'open source' pieces. 
The new preset with 1 Falcon to be dropped for each side was made with understanding that this experimental preset was allowed by the patent owner for the benefit of others  as per comment regarding the use of bison (a piece clearly made long before the patent!). 



It should be quite clear to anyone that this game does NOT depend on this preset. I have absolutely no interest in the Falcon piece nor its patent - only in 'open source' chess pieces. 
I only hope that the verbiage in patent does not include pieces like Zebra and camel compounds. 

A simple request to remove the preset would suffice, which is what I shall do.

QUOTING GEORGE DUKE CONCERNING Falcon Chess: Background and Patent Text Excerpts

USP5690334 is paired Bison on 8x10. Problemists' Bison, used once or twice in 1970's, is incorporated into CV for the first time in history, by law with the sentences, at third from last paragraph written in 1995, ''Another possible embodiment is that in which the falcon has the ability to jump or leap over an intervening piece, as the knight can.'' Bison. Leaping Bison. Leaper to (2,4) and (3,4). Never before done or realized as fitting like a jigsaw puzzle into Rook, Knight, and Bishop. Now to improve Bison further, we ever so slightly weaken her in the embodiment by far preferred. We make her a Darter with three pathways. Bison is the clue, as are the 15 or so compounds of (Knight + Camel) in 'ECV' (1994) and 6 or 8 compounds of (Knight + Zebra) in 'ECV' (1994) and two or three of (N+C+Z), as in 1920's Cavalry Chess by Frank Maus. Please call the patented reacher to the 16 squares beyond the Knight, any of Bison, Falcon, Snake, Phoenix, Spider, Octopus as you will. The patent is methods', for the method, as you would a chemical process, by comparison. Once some particular method of sequencing DNA is described, for one example within ''methods,'' it may not be so hard to duplicate the process, in a good laboratory. After the fact of discovery is much easier. But except for personal and friendly use, individual trial and error, it is the right exclusively of the proprietorship to do it publicly.

QUOTING GARY GIFFORD CONCERNING Falcon and Bison

When you want to use Mr. Duke's wonderful Falcon piece, but are concerned about the patent, you can either:

(a) kindly ask for Mr. Duke's permission

(b) simply use the earlier Bison.

The excellent Bison piece can move twice like a Ferz and then once like a Wazir (or visa versa) in an outward direction from its starting point. And it can jump! (the Falcon can't jump, but can zig-zag around in different ways, to give the appearance of jumping)

Anyway, the Bison is easier to use and would be my preferred piece, of the two.

QUOTING CHARLES DANIEL FROM [2008-04-23] IN THIS THREAD: 'Thanks for the info George, I had no idea that the patent would cover the use of the Bison.'

[1] George Duke has never claimed to be the first person to invent or describe the Bison, a fairy chess piece which, for example, has been used by Sergey Sirotkin on a 7x7 board.

[2] George Duke has never claimed to be the first person to use a (preexistent) fairy chess piece in a new chess variant. In particular, in one played on a board with more than 64 squares.

[3] It is very bad form for George Duke to discourage the use of the Bison in chess variants on this site, by making statements like his [2008-04-22] one here: 'The particular embodiment where both sides use Bison here, one of hundreds, is therefore under coverage of USP5690334.'

I have no formal connection with this chess variant site, except for my participation in the occasional tournament and Chess Variants contest. In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention that I once received a free Omega Chess Set as the prize for third place in that contest. My opinions are my own. - David Paulowich