I tend to agree, at least as to the notorious nature of Mr. Trice. In my view, it is difficult to demonstrate that he didn't simply steal the idea of Grand Chess (created in 1984 by a Dutch inventor) and apply it to a smaller board with new names for the special pieces. He might swear he never heard of Grand Chess, but it still looks suspicious.

His patents are not impressive. Patent examiners routinely overlook material in the public domain, especially if it is not in their files, or otherwise within easy reach without too much research. And with enough attempts, a slick lawyer can almost always find a way to secure a grant.

He says he is fronting the prize money for the tournament, and since I am not an entrant, I don't really care if he makes good on it or not. I suspect his angle is to gain financially by trying to peddle a lot more of his manufactured sets to the participants.