Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

What happen to this page. I use to remember going to this page to find out about the next game that was suppose to be recongized. Why have you stop doing this?

Chess Variants are cool

i notice this page is not updated past june 2002. also, if you link to the recognized variant list (which does not have it's own 'rate this page' link, ultima is not on that page even tho it is a recognized variant.

Fixed. It was listing as Baroque/Ultima instead of just Ultima. Thanks for pointing out the problem.

i was hoping for some info on the history of chess

I propose to add <a href=http://www.chessvariants.org/incinf.dir/darkness.html>'Dark Chess'</a> to the list of recongnized chess variants. This chess variant can be played on 3 game servers (BrainKing, SchemingMind and ItsYourTurn) and is a quite popular. I personally consider it the best chess variant with incomplete information, with elegant rules and more interesting to play then Kriegspiel.

I would like to make a nomination for Courier chess. This game is an interesting look at the historical development of the modern game of chess, as it includes both the archaic and modern forms of the bishop, and contains the Ferz rather than a modern Queen, thus suggesting that the modern Bishop's move was 'invented' first. In addition, according to these pages' entry for the game, the game was played widely throughout Germany during the Middle Ages, although it later died out (in favor of the modern game, I would assume). The game is very playable and would make a sensible addition to the Recognized list, in my opinion.

Does anyone know when Avalanche Chess was made a recognized variant? I am trying to fill out a chronological table of when each recognized variant became recognized, but I can't find this information on the site. By what I can gather from archived copies of the page at Archive.org, it was sometime between May and December of 2003, but it is not listed among any of the polls I've found for selecting a RCV during 2003. Since it was last modified in late November, I'll assume a December entry into the RCV until I'm told otherwise by someone who would know.

Does anyone know when Chaturanga became a recognized variant? As best I can determine, it is around or shortly before December 2003.

Does anyone know when Chaturanga for Four Players became recognized? In the archived copies at Archive.org, it isn't identified as recognized until December 2003. Were multiple games given RCV status at the same time?

Okay, by going back to the earliest version of this page at Archive.org, I've found that many games were already recognized by June 2000, which predates the earliest date on the chronological table that has been provided on this page. All of the games I was wondering about were already identified as recognized at that time. So I'm assuming their recognition predates the Recognized CV of the Month program.

Does anyone know when Chess with Different Armies became recognized? The earliest reference I can find to it on archived copies of this page is August 2002, but it hasn't been listed among the RCVs of the month.

Dragon Chess appears to have been recognized sometime between Nov 2001 and Jan 2002, but there are already RCVs of the month during that period.

Gothic Chess became a recognized variant sometime between October and December of 2000.

David has cleared up a confusion of mine between selecting a recognized CV and selecting a recognized CV of the month. The first poll I set up will be for selecting a recognized CV of the month from among our currently recognized CVs. I will conduct polls of this sort on a monthly basis. I will also conduct separate polls for adding to the RCV pool, but these will be on a less frequent basis.

I am convinced that it is distastefully presumptuous for any small group of us (such as CV Pages staff and members) to arbitrarily add to the list of recognized chess variants in the world. Although I have nothing in particular against the list of games selected September, 2001 - June, 2002, I firmly believe that erasing this list, with apology, is the only appropriate, dignified course of action for us. Hopefully, this trite, ridiculous escapade will soon be forgotten by anyone who took offense to it.

Derek's position takes the whole endeavour much too seriously. <p>The point of the Recognized Variants is simply to list games that the CVP community finds note-worthy. Why? Perhaps novices, collections of games, contests, etc. might benefit from such a list as a starting point. <p>The Recognized Variant of the Month draws attention to certain games from time to time, sometimes adding more material to the game article. This focus helps many that may not be very familiar with a particularly good game to learn more about it. <p>The Recognized Variants list is not comprehensive, definitive nor exclusive. Its only 'authority' is the mutual benefit of those who participate in its making and consider the list interesting. <p>Keep the Recognized Variants going! Good job, Fergus!

I agree completely with all of Tony's comments. I have found the Recognized Variants list to be a very useful starting point when trying to find the most popular and interesting games from the literally hundreds that are described on this site.

The original list comprising appr. 25 recognized chess variants seemed to be serious enough. It included games such as standard FIDE chess. I would not have held any objection to the list being revised or expanded somewhat, upon careful reconsideration, by the founding editors of the CV Pages. However, making arbitrarily additions a monthly activity (albeit erratically) without end and listing these games equally alongside established, well-known, popular chess variants is irresponsible. Fortunately, only 10 games have been added, thusfar. I just hope this activity is stopped permanently before the select list is cheapened.

<P>Derek Nalls writes:</P> <BLOCKQUOTE>making arbitrarily additions a monthly activity (albeit erratically) without end and listing these games equally alongside established, well-known, popular chess variants is irresponsible.</BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I agree that adding new games to the list on a monthly basis would be irresponsible, and it is not going to happen. What will happen on a monthly basis is selection of an RCV of the Month. This is not a new addition to the list. It is a selection from the list that gets extra attention drawn to it for a month. Once all games in the list have been RCVs of the Month, then games that have already had the honor may have it again.</P>

<P>Derek Nalls writes:</P> <BLOCKQUOTE> I am convinced that it is distastefully presumptuous for any small group of us (such as CV Pages staff and members) to arbitrarily add to the list of recognized chess variants in the world. Although I have nothing in particular against the list of games selected September, 2001 - June, 2002, I firmly believe that erasing this list, with apology, is the only appropriate, dignified course of action for us. Hopefully, this trite, ridiculous escapade will soon be forgotten by anyone who took offense to it. </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>This is our list of recognized variants, not the world's. A world list might include nothing more than Chess, Shogi, and Xiang Qi. This list is for people who are interested in Chess variants to benefit from the experience of those of us who have taken a special interest in Chess variants. Although I am uninterested in some games on the list and even think some should have never been added, I don't agree that erasing the list is appropriate. I will let the list remain intact. What I bring to the list is a more democratic means for adding to it. I will not be adding any game just because I or someone else likes it. I will accept nominations for adding to a list of candidates, and I will conduct occasional polls for adding new games to the list. These will be ranked ballot polls counted by the MAM method, which after studying various voting methods, I regard as the fairest and most democratic election method available. So, when a new game gets added to the list, it will really be because it has gained favor and recognition among those of us here who like to play a variety of Chess variants.</P> <P>As for the matter of whether it is appropriate to add to the list, I believe it is. Chess variants is not a dead field. New Chess variants are being created all the time, and many are quite good and worthy of recognition. To stop adding to this list would be as ridiculous as getting rid of the Hugos, Nebulas, Emmies, Grammies, or Oscars. These awards don't pick out the long standing classics, for they are given to contempory works or artists, yet they are useful for helping people pick from a large field. The RCV award does the same thing. It helps people who are new to Chess variants find a game they are likely to enjoy, and there is no community of people in the world better qualified to build such a list than the members of this website. So, I conclude, such a list should exist, and we here are the most qualified group of people to make this list.</P>