John Lawson wrote on Mon, Aug 19, 2002 02:21 AM UTC:
These are the salient points, as I see them:
- There are so many good variants it's hard to even agree on a list to
select from.
- Large variants should be carefully considered because of playing time
considerations.
- Subsequent PBEM tournaments could have different themes.
My proposal:
- Select the variants from the top three finishers of the 38, 39, 40, and
41 square contests. This gives 12 selections to choose from, and most are
not famous or recognized variants. Their playablility is proven, they are
relatively small, and should generally be done quickly.
I like the idea of holding a different PBEM contest each year, if there is
interest. Possibilities include a Large Variant theme (selected from the
Large Variant, 100 square, and 84 square contests); a Betza theme (all
Betza variants); an Aronson theme. The games selected for these contests
should not overlap. Other possibilities include a history theme
(Shatranj, Xiangqi, Shogi, Makruk, etc.); a Shogi variant theme (Tori,
Chu, Wa, etc.); etc.
Count me in.
