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After reading over additional Shanghai Palace comments I realized something interesting in reference to the introduction of the game. For those who do not know, there is a brief story about students arguing over what was better, Chess, Shogi, or Xianqi. A wise man combined all three, asked the students to play it and then asked them to answer as to which they thought was best. And perhaps that wise man's action was indeed wise. For if the students' responses were 'that to merge the 3 games is to lose the beauty of each' then indeed they have learned a lesson, perhaps the lesson that the wise man already knew. However, that is not a lesson that I conciously intended. In fact, if you play this game you will realize that Cannons are more powerful than they are in Chinese Chess. And that a Western Pawn can support a Chinese Pawn. That the Queen can sometimes exchange herself for a Shogi Pawn to very good effect. One very respectable player/inventor who I admire referred to Shanghai Palace Chess as a 'Frankenstein Monster.' I am hoping it is, perhaps, more of an ugly duckling (although I happen to see beauty in it). I do hope, however, that players will give this game a try. Then, if they hate it, they have at least experienced it... felt the gravity of it. Perhaps I should finish the short story about Shanghai Palace Chess... I am now very curious as to how it ends.