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> I'm pleased to announce a friendly International Exhibition correspondence
> game in Stanley Random Chess between yours truly, GM Topov, and a
> longstanding friend and little-known but brilliant international grandmaster
> from South Korea, GM Kungpow. The game can be viewed live with analysis and
> commentary from both players:
> http://schemingmind.com/game.aspx?game_id=43838
>
> GM Kungpow spends much of his time conducting historical research in
> reclusion in a strictly orthodox monastery. The monastery is in a secret
> location somewhere in South-East Asia, and is referred to by government
> officials sponsoring the research as the Bush Pilot Project. Kungpow
> specializes in Reformational and Counter-Reformational play, and his life's
> work is the publication of a collection of 95 separate studies, which
> contain his own theses for refuting the standard SR Chess openings and lines
> popular with the leading clergymen and ecclesiastical figures under the
> medieval papacy. His knowledge of sixteenth century Genevan Modal play is
> particularly outstanding. Consequently he has the distinguished honor of
> being the only international grandmaster with a perfect record in games that
> enter VH Conditions after the 30th move.
>
> Also noteworthy is the fact that on his mother's side, Kungpow is a seventh
> generation descendant of the English Stanley family. His lineage has been
> traced to the immigrant Wendel Jefferson Stanley, who travelled to the Far
> East on the Spice Routes, but never returned to England after marrying a 16
> year old girl by the name of Me Chi Lee, the daughter of a wealthy Korean
> soap collector. This branch of the Stanley family now specializes in
> manufacturing bicycle helmets in Taiwan, but at the time were leading
> figures in the production of hand carved Stanley Random Chess pieces.
> Kungpow's family ancestry also has connections to the Knights Templar, who
> were actively engaged under the auspices of a Secret Society for the
> Preservation of SR Chess during some of the darkest years of the Great SR
> Chess Purge.
>
> Widely recognized for his diverse interests, GM Kungpow is also a leading
> contributer to an international team of researchers called Magnetic the
> Gathering, under the leadership of Dan Brown. The team is engaged in a
> project which uses principles of magnetism to decode all of Da Vinci's
> paintings, proving that in fact they are blueprints for Ancient Roman
> plumbing practices. In his spare time, Kungpow is known to enjoy his
> fascinating hobbies of bee-keeping, French knitting, and the translation of
> ancient Italian runes into Braille. He also has a longstanding interest in
> Russian ballet, and on more than one occasion made a guest performance as
> part of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
>
> In his early years, GM Kungpow studied under the traditional Eastern
> masters, which gives him a unique perspective on traditional play.
> Consequently he typically tends to flavor his analysis with profound Eastern
> philosophy and Zen-like sayings. His style is unlike that of any other
> international grandmaster, and while at times it may prove difficult to
> understand, it is always rewarding to study. It promises to be an exciting
> Exhibition Game.
>
> Check the game here, and feel free to contribute with your analysis and
> questions:
> http://schemingmind.com/game.aspx?game_id=43838
>
> More on SR Chess: http://www.chessvariants.org/link2.dir/srchess.html
> --
> SRC GM Gregory Topov
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> "I don't necessarily agree with everything I say." - Marshall McLuhan