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Some more comments for today:
1. George, I did get your email, but did you get any reply back?  I am not
sure what is up.  Please let me know.
2. In regards to having some organization, with large funds, that will
somehow back a brand new campaign to covert large numbers over, anyone
know where this organization is supposed to get money from?  I understand
the interest there in this, but where is it realistically?  I would say
the organizations on the planet now that MIGHT be able to approach what
you have are: International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), the British
Chess Variants Society, the CV Website, and IAGO.  If you look at these,
you see:
A. IMSA is backed by FIDE.  NO WAY you will get revolt organization
supporting it.
B. The British Chess Variants Society apparently has NO interest in the
Next Chess project at all.  Such discussions was seen as disruptive and
horrible.  
C. The CV Website.  Hello everyone here!  Can anyone here see any form of
consensus being formed over ANYTHING on here?  If the CV website happens
to act here, then it needs to actually get behind some project and come up
with some standards that can be agreed to and used.  If that doesn't
manifest, then this site will just be a bunch of individuals who want to
be creative 'Arteests' (Pinky up) who see creating games as a form of
artistic expression.
D. IAGO. And in his, you are talking as a driving force behind it and
others.  You have read my opinions on this, and seen my proposals.  I also
am aware of what it will take financially, and that will need to involve
FIDE chess folks to even have a chance of making it.  And the Next Chess
is going to have to play nice with the FIDE version, the way Chess960 and
others do.  IAGO will look to be working with FIDE, the USCF and the
entire FIDE Chess audience, so I don't see where disruption will come out
of this.
3. Also note that FIDE Chess does represent where the community as a whole
has settled.  They do have things now that address different issues with
the game, so FIDE chess will live on.  How long?  Well, not sure.  But,
the mechanics are in place for it to remain so for a LONG time.  Support
has built around this game.  And slight tweaks have given new life, to
address issues.  These issues being (and their solution):
A. Chess takes too long to play, and has to many draws.  Speed chess
addresses this.
B. The opening book is stale.  Chess960 addresses this.
C. What about team play?  There is bughouse. And you can throw in a mix of
large numbers of variants here if you want more.

I will say you could get a Next Chess project working and have it make
progress and be sustainable.  However, it isn't going to happen via
disruptive evolution.  Only way that MIGHT happen is that we get enslaved
and some dictator on top forces people to play something else.  Anyone
want to go for this?  I will need to pass here.

A simple project would be to come up with a classification and taxonomy
system for chess variants, that would work.  This may be a place to start.