From: Sam Sloan <sloan <at> ISHIPRESS <dot> COM>
Date: 8 jan 1999
Subject: Re: Chess vs. Shogi, etc.

I played a two game informal match of Xiangqi (Chinese chess) with Larry
Kaufman over the telephone in 1985. He won both games although I was a
piece up in one of the games and blundered in a winning position.

As far as I am aware, Larry and I are the only two Westerners in America at
any significant level of stength in Xiangqi. As far as I know, Larry has
not played since, except for one exhibition game against Lue Qin, who later
became World Champion. This was in the Summer of 1986. I was scheduled to
play Lue Qin but I had a conflict because I had a computer program called
Rexchess which was competing in the World Computer Chess Championship in
Kohn Germany. Therefore, I got them to invite Larry Kaufman to play Lue Qin
in his place.

That game has been published in China so obviously Larry preformed credibly
against the World Champion. (Larry lost, of course).

Therefore, I would agree that he was considered at one time to be the best
Western player of Chinese chess.

He has not played Chinese chess since, as far as I am aware, unfortunately.

Sam Sloan


At 02:36 AM 2/8/99 -0800, Doug Dysart wrote:
......

>        Larry also said, "I was once thought to be the strongest non-oriental
>player in the U.S. of Shang-chi (Chinese chess)."  Sam Sloan, if I remember
>correctly, once said he was the strongest non-Chinese American at xianqi.
>Time for a match, eh Larry?  Speaking of Sam, I wonder what he has to say
>about this whole chess/shogi comparison.  The reason I like Sam, other than
>his ability to report on chess proficiently, is because he plays well at
>xianqi, shogi, chess, and makruk.
>