Person Information

I - Introduction

Overview

I am a Chess variant enthusiast who has a particular interest in Shogi variants. Chess and Shogi are excellent games (the latter is especially fun!). However, they are not everything. In fact, they are an infinitesimally small portion of what is possible with Chess-like games. So why not explore like the Japanese did? Sure, some of the historical Shogi variants get a little crazy, to say the least (looking at you, Taikyoku Shogi), but for me, these magnificent beasts serve to reinforce the notion that we should continue exploring the possibilities.

On Contacting Me

The best way to contact me is through a Comment on the site. To ensure that I see your comment, you may use the Comments section of this page to send messages to me directly, or add my name (A. M. DeWitt) to your Comment.

For direct messages to me, you may also email me at the email address provided.

I have quite a bit of experience with Game Courier. If you need help programming a preset in Game Courier, I am a good person to ask. However, there are also guides available for most of the basics, such as the Game Courier Developer's Guide. More are available on the Game Courier Homepage in the Related Menu under the Reference drop-down menu.

II - Editor's Statement

Since I am a new Editor, this section will likely be refined over time.

Overview of Editorial Focus

As of January 23, 2024, I am a member of the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff. As an Editor, I do various tasks concerning reviewing (and sometimes editing) submissions, basic site maintenance, and troubleshooting/programming for certain platforms for playing Chess Variants (especially those hosted on the site, such as Game Courier or H. G. Muller's Interactive Diagrams).

On My Submission Review Process

I make no pretentions to be perfect. However, as an Editor who focuses on editing and approving new content, I require any new submission I review to, at minimum, do the following:

• I. Do the job the page was made to do in an effective manner.
• Write clearly and briefly, so that you are quickly understood.
• If writing a Game page:
• Avoid any ambiguity in your rules.
• Describe the full rules of your game without relying on external links.
• Make sure your description of the rules covers anything that could happen in the game.
• For other page types the specific requirements will vary, depending on the context.
• Use appropriate, locally hosted graphics where needed.
• II. Look decent (Doesn't necessarily need to be high-quality)

The guide page How to Design and Post Your Own Game (and to a lesser extent the Help tab in the top menu) will give a more in-depth explanation on what I mean.

If I think something needs changed, I will post a Comment explaining what I think needs changed and why. However, it is up to the author of the page to make the changes I suggest.

Although I am not the only Editor that edits and approves new content, it should be noted that the paragraph above can in general be applied to the other Editors as well.

III - Miscellaneous

Backstory

I first stumbled across this site back in 2016 when I found an image of Fergus Duniho's Gross Chess. This image ignited my interest in chess variants. Later on that year, I also developed an interest in Shogi variants as well. In fact, shortly after I found the image of Gross Chess I went on a "chess variant inventing spree," though I would end up scrapping many of those games (probably for the best). However, I have preserved a few of these original games, the best of which is Hectohess.

A similar "inventing spree" took place with my first set of large Shogi variants too. It had similar results, with most of those games being scrapped. However, this eventually set me on the path to making the Seireigi family, which I consider my best set of works. I still carry my passion for Chess variants, and especially Shogi variants, to this day.