From: "'Ben Bednarz'" <BenFB <at> AOL <dot> COM>
Date: 14 jun 1999
Subject: Re: Scandal at the US Shogi Championship

In a message dated 6/12/99 9:29:36 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
g.fernandez <at> MINDSPRING <dot> COM writes:

<< The questionaire idea is good starting from next year. I don't see any
 benefit in conducting one now. The event was a one-of-a-kind in that it was
 run by too many individuals some of which had little directing experience
 in the US. >>
That's your choice, but from a completely apoliticial perspective, I think a
poll would be most useful now, while the experience will be fresh in the
players' minds.

I'm not going to comment any further on the argument with Sam-- as you said,
it's a dead horse.  However, I would like to turn this conversation in
another direction.  You mentioned shogi activities in NY, such as a potential
major tournament in April.  My fear is that seeing success in NY, you will
ignore the fact that NY is not the center of the US (much less the world).  I
would like to see shogi experience wide-spread popularity in the US.  In my
mind (and you may argue differently), this means we shouldn't overly
concentrate in a few areas.  If I could choose, I would pursue three things
(in order of increasing difficulty): promoting shogi across many communities
from coast to coast; luring more chess players to shogi; finding a talented
American who could seriouly challenge the Japanese on some level, thus
galvanizing American interest.  Then again, given the difficulty that chess
has in promoting itself in this country, perhaps we should concede defeat and
take up football.

Ben