The better player usually wins, unlike regular Chess where the better player almost always wins.
It has luck. Even the lowest rated player can win against the top player.
It has bluff. Nothing like throwing a Rook out there when the other player can attack it with his Queen, but doesn't know if its guarded or not.
Since the boards are dark, the players can't analyze their opponent's position for days on end, or get a computer to help, or have kibitzers and friends help them any more than they can help themselves.
If you haven't played the game, it's kind of like Stratego and Battleship combined, with the movement of Chess.

I hadn't even heard of Dark Chess until a couple of years ago. I'd sure like a home version. It'd take two screens and a game console or computer to run it. I imagine such a set up could be used for other games too. Even more screens hooked up for other games. Just use two for Dark Chess. Does anyone know if such a machine is made or can be configured with current store bought stuff?

Does adding a prize help one's tournament have more people in it? The Dark Chess tournament that I'm going to start this weekend doesn't have a prize except for bragging rights. You guys have me wondering if it matters about the prizes or not. I like to play the games, prizes or no prizes. I suppose it wouldn't be too much of an expense to add money to my tournament, but I'm reluctant to do it for some reason. Perhaps I'll do it in the second tournament, if I run a second tournament that is.

As general statement about offering prizes I will say that I think on a game site like this one that games with some chance in them will probably cut down on the players that will use computers to help them play their games. Choosing a game that's not as well known, or hasn't been analyzed a lot is probably a better choice. I would avoid games like regular chess, five in line, Pente, checkers, and games simular to them that have perfect information in the play of them. Even my old Chess Master 5500 could play in a tournament given a few days for each move and hold its own against some of the best players in the world while on this old 486 66 MHz machine I use here. If you're going to choose those kind of games, I wouldn't offer a prize.
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