Thursday, March 09, 2006

Dr. Fung's Great Cosmic Chess

One early morning I received through post a little parcel, opening it I saw chess sets and books. Then starting correspondence, I met Dr. Fung Pui Ming PhD.Mil.BA. Hons. (London) a few years ago in Hong Kong, he is the inventor of Great Cosmic Chess, he also wrote the "Great Cosmic Chess Golden Book" (大宇宙棋金典) to promote the game.

In the "Preface", Dr. Fung Pui Ming said :

"World affairs and human lives are like chess: the superior surpass the inferior; the fittest survive.

Chess is the world's most popular and most widely played intriguing game, one of the most dignified intellectual recreations, one most admirable hobby, one cheapest amusement and one noblest invention of mankind. To live without having learnt chess is like to live without ever having heard music or without ever having seen painting and calligraphy. Chess is a kind of technical art too and is regarded as a trinity of art, athletics and science. It enlightens the mind and intellect, fosters virtues, rectifies bad habits and dissipates sorrows. It connotes the concept of evolutional struggle for existence and ways of governing countries and conducting armed forces.

Moreover, it can nourish the notion of the positive spirit of endeavouring to succeed and the conception of fair competition. Furthering these will lead to transmuting armed combat into chess-playing and replacing battlefield with chessboard. Transmuting conflict into recreation and misfortune into felicity, it greatly benefits mankind. Effecting education by recreation to benefit the general public, it is thus an excellent indirect educational tool. Many European and American countries prescribe it a curriculum in schools to advocate it with the utmost effort.

Great Cosmic Chess (or Great Civil Chess), abbreviated to G.C.Chess is invented by the author after many years' research, blending Chinese Chess, Western chess, Wei-chi Chess (Go Chess), Checkers, Modern War Chess ... warfare, strategy, tactics, dispatching generals, moving troops, planning arrays and games ... , adding newly-created ideas, making it become an extremely recreational, educational, challenging, intellectual, brain-disciplining, eye-training, thought-enlightening, eyesight-alerting, mind-body-benefitting tool of technical art, befitting young, old or middle-aged males or females to play.

Players have to use their brains to think over the whole situation and their eyes to look to all the 8 directions, exercising their brains, eyes, arms and fingers to forward positively in order to win the game. If constantly keep playing several games a week, players, by exercising their brains, eyes, arms and fingers, will vivify their minds and bodies and recreate and prolong their lives. Should the general public be fond of playing Great Cosmic Chess so as to make it prevail, if will work to erase misfortune before its formation and benefit mankind without signs.

Great Cosmic Chess is divided into 3 stages:

(1) Simple (Direct or Indirect) Playing Mode.
(2) Compound (Direct plus Indirect) Playing Mode and
(3) 9-Arrays Playing Mode

There are numerous extra varied games too. Players may choose any of these freely, going gradually from simple to profound ones to enjoy the amusement.

Sun Tzu's The Art of War emphasizes that a commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage and strictness. Playing G.C.Chess is likened to commanders conducting military operations and players learning to act as generals. Thus, Great Cosmic Chess demands players to be trained to have the 5 great virtues of WISDOM, SINCERITY, HUMANITY, COURAGE and STRICTNESS and to attain the 5 great blessings of HEALTHINESS, HAPPINESS, APTNESS, FELICITY and LONGEVITY.

Interested readers may buy a set of Great Cosmic Chess or draws chess piece patterns on small cylindrical objects (e.g. cork, plastic or rubber stoppers, buttons, coins ...), draw a chessboard and play with friends for recreation or research, and will be greatly benefited.

As the author's knowledge and intellect are limited, errors and omissions are inevitable, your instructions and corrections are greatly appreciated.

(If readers or players have any instructions or advice about Great Cosmic Chess, please telephone or fax to (852) 2507 2275.)

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