I'm not sure what you mean by Chess-serious. There's uncertainty in the game, so it cannot be played perfectly as regular Chess can be. I'm the highest rated player on this site, but I know the game can be played better than I play it. Sooner or later one of them players will come along. I'm playing the player that's won the most tournaments on IYT and we're going to split our pair of games. I think it would be a great game to play live. Especially at a tournament. Or just at home. You'd need a computer programmed for it and two or more monitors. Extra monitors for the kibitzers. This same set up would work for Battleboats, Stratego, and lots of card games. Though those games don't need that since the games work without the computer. Dark Chess requires a lot of supervision. I suppose it could be done without the computer, but you'd need a referee and two assistants to make it work. Plus a way to mark the board for each player as the game developes. There's an old version of Chess called Kliegspiel that's very simluar to Dark Chess. The main difference is that you're not allowed to move into check or make illegal moves using regular Chess rules. I believe this version is from the 1800's. I imagine the wealthy Chess enthusiast of the day could set it up to play. I had never heard of Dark Chess until a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon IYT looking for a site that had a Chess variant called "Ultima". There's no book on Dark Chess, least ways I haven't heard of one. Seems like Gothic Chess is developing a following. It only requires a differ board and extra pieces to play. Extinction Chess works with a regular Chess set and is easy to understand if you already know how to play Chess.

I notice that you have no completed or running Dark Chess games, Lythande. When or where did you ever play? Have you played it live somewhere? I'd certainly like to play it that way. Battleboats is a good comparision. Imagine a Battleboats game where you could move the ships from time to time. Stratego is simular too. The thinking in Dark Chess requires you to bluff at times. Also you need to imagine what your opponent is up to. Deduction is important to play well, too. In regular Chess, none of them things are important. It can even be argued that whoever your opponent is in regular Chess, it shouldn't affect your play. Since we're humans and not machines, that's not the best way to play regular Chess. Knowing your opponent's habits in Dark Chess can sometimes be important. How to learn them is something that takes a few games. And it's always dark. Seems like the better opponents that I've played actually set me up, knowing that I know that they know I know what they're up to. Kind of like a different level than if they were playing a new player at the game. In which case, never leave your troops unguarded, or they'll be draped in a hurry. :)
Well, that's about how serious I play it. I'm sure if some the champions of Chess or Poker put their minds to Dark Chess, you'd have a better answer.

YES WE ALL READ A BETTER BOOK ON CHESS THAN YOU DID YOURS MSTERMIND.

Could you rephrase your post MASTERMIND? Least ways, I couldn't make head nor tail of it after re-reading it a few times. As your Subject line is from either a post of mine or Lythande's, I'm assuming it refers to them.