Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

Bughouse, the only variant to achieve any significant popularity, is a more recent invention (The Wikipedia entry suggests it was invented in the early 1960s), yet we don't know who invented it.

Did any of the inventors of the other popular variants seek fame? I doubt it, because, if they did, someone would have made a note of it. They, after all, were able to note the inventor of several Chess Variants that no one plays today and that only exist in dusty old books.

The same is true of other games: We don't know who invented Texas Hold-em poker, much less Poker. We don't know who invented Bridge. Strangely enough, we think we know who invented Gin Rummy (Elwood T. Baker), although Gin Rummy is very close to an 1899 game that we don't know the origins of. We also know who invented Monopoly (Elizabeth Magie, and then modified by Charles Darrow), mainly because there were some heavy lawsuits about this game's invention.

So, yes, we know the exact history for many Chess Variants that have not caught on. We don't know the history of the ones that did catch on. The most logical reason for this is because the inventors did not care about making a name for themselves, but only about having some fun.

- Sam

Joe, thanks, yes, if you have the time, please do submit it there, and if
not, I'll get to it sooner or later myself. lol.  I appreciate your
contributions and interest in developing this matter further.

The legend says that the inventor, way back when in India, wanted to become
rich, but instead became famous and several inches shorter... ;-)

Jeremy, in ref to your recent kibbitz in our game, your stuff would get
its own page; at the very least to start with. It certainly deserves
separate development. That sort of thing only is obvious in hindsight. For
example, I didn't realize just how the hero and shaman fit together until
I looked at David's diagram of their movement. And I hadn't bothered to
do the outer edge of the 7x7 diagram, where the zebra fits in, until I did
the one in the comment. Putting it all together like that, or as Sam has
done in his 31 shortrange pieces comment/page, is a valuable aid to
designers. Further, your diagrams are a valuable aid to players, showing
both piece moves and interrelationships. Sam has systematized the
'atoms' of the pieces, the physics of the system, and you are exploring
the associations and relationships among the pieces, the chemistry. [The
individual games, of course, are the biology, and we're trying to get an
idea of the ecology with this stuff.] I'll be happy to set the page up to
start... ;-) Enjoy

'...:The most successful chess variants were invented by people who did not care if they would become rich or famous with their variant;...'

Sam, much as I would like this CV-Catch-22 to be true, I'm afraid we have no proof that it is. The fact of our present ignorance is no guide to the motives of the inventors of the past. We cannot even be sure that they were not rich and well-known in their day since wealth and fame are at best fickle and fleeting friends.

Cheeers
Graeme

As an aside, the most successful are ones where we don't even known who invented the variant. FIDE chess was invented somewhere in Italy or Spain between 1400 and 1500; we can't place it more closely than that. We don't know who invented modern Shogi nor Chinese chess. And, Bughouse chess, which is the only chess variant I have actually seen other people play over the board [1], is also a variant where we do not know who invented it or where.

Interesting thought: The most successful chess variants were invented by people who did not care if they would become rich or famous with their variant; they just wanted to have some fun with the chess pieces. Something to think about.

- Sam

[1] I myself have occasionally played a variant with a FIDE board, such as Berolina pawn chess or 'Knights move as Squirrels' chess.

Yes, Graeme, thanks, that's very useful, and appreciated.

Graeme, thanks! Very much appreciated.

Jeremy, I've added a section called Child Pages to the side-bar. Hopefully this will help a little with the navigation.

Or where else is Sam's page indexed?

Also, the ASCII diagrams on Sam's page you posted are not translating very well, but I'll bet Sam will fix that.

Hey, Jeremy, here is the URL:
http://chessvariants.wikidot.com/31-basic-pieces

It's one of 2 subtopics of this page:
http://chessvariants.wikidot.com/the-shortrange-project

The other subtopic is for all the games that were/are/will be part of the
project:
http://chessvariants.wikidot.com/games

Your 'Complementarity' article would make a great 3rd subtopic. It
clearly has application in figuring pieces for a game. Joe

Can you please send the link (here) to where you copied Sam's page?

Sam, I copied your comment, 31 pieces, to the wiki. Gave it a page under
TSRP. You've been a member for 17 hours now, so jump in whenever. Joe

2007-04-13	David Howe Verified as David Howe	None	

Thanks Joe. I hadn't realized I had to approve new members. I've set up
the site so
that a password can be used so that new members can avoid waiting for me
to approve
them. The password is cvp2007