From: David Bush HOTMAIL COM> Date: 16 feb 1999 Subject: Re: shuffle chess(or shogi) >... There are nearly >one thousand starting positions, so it is unlikely that anyone will >ever >learn much theory about any one position. Perhaps you underestimate memory capacity. If enough people pay attention to shuffle chess for long enough, a monster opening database would evolve, and people would begin to memorize it. Shuffle chess would forestall the problem of 'playing out' chess, but ultimately it would make the problem worse (in my opinion, of course.) There are people who have been documented with astonishing memory capacity, able to remember absolutely anything and everything in their experience which they were ever asked about, including details they were not asked about. Such people seem to have difficulty with abstract concepts, however. I believe there would be people both able to understand how to play chess at a master level, and with a memory able to give them a big advantage in shuffle chess openings. After all, a game is only as deep as your opponent makes it. Of course, this problem might not be a problem for quite some time... David Bush ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com