alms: I play the chess game but I am just a beginner, in fact, I am a much better beginner than most of the beginner, the reason is I have chinese chess back ground that make me easier to pick it up. the other reason may be, the chinese chess is a 9x10 board compared with the chess 8x8 board. and I also found out that the development of chess is much slower than that in chinese chess, I would like to say that the chess is more like a positional game and the chinese chess is an open attacking game..... .the chess board ia packed with 8 pwans( more than the chinese chess w/ 5 pawns) lineed up in front, the rook in chess is not in action until the very late endgame...

may be, just may be my opinion that is reason why the chinese produced grandmaters and 4 woman world champions.in chess, and the european have none in chinese chess..

nice to talk to you