I like the idea of a Gothic tournament on line, but I don't know if I can make any commitment for a live setting. I do not have two daytime hours during the week or on the weekend. For me it would have to be something like this 5-day BBW tourney in progress. Most moves get made once each day anyway. Even in this format, I lost one game to time out because I got too busy. (BTW: beware of Dredger's Archbishop!) Real life has to take precedence to chess, for me. If I had to figure on getting up in the middle of the night once each week to be sure of not timing out, it would make me less effective in the play on that game by its drain on my enthusiasm. I only get excited about games when I don't play them too much, and if I'm not excited, I make bad moves. Oh, yeah: I still can't find a source for a heavy-weighted Gothic Chess set, and trying to study moves is very frustrating with little salt shakers for Archbishops and pepper shakers for Chancellors. Who sells a good Gothic Chess set? I want a vinyl board, too. I prefer one that lies flat on a table, not one that has little humps and divots. /Fx/

Felix--The Gothic Chess Association sells tournament-sized pieces with a board most often described as being made of mousepad material. Solid plastic pieces, standard weight for plastic tournament sets, very durable floppy board...very high quality, price around $30. www.geocities.com/bow_of_odysseus has pictures of the set and order info--mh