Thư của Joseph White 321 West 5th Street Odessa, Texas USA gửi tới tác giả hỏi mua cờ tư lệnh

Submitted by haiduong on Thu, 08/02/2012 - 15:24

Bức thư từ bang Texas Hoa Kỳ gửi tới tác giả nói về cờ tư lệnh và hỏi mua cờ.

Dear Mr. Nguyen Quy Hai,

Thank you for contacting me about "Cờ tư lệnh.". I do want to purchase your game and learn how to pay it.

Would an I offer of $30 United States Dollars (USD) for the Game and $20 USD for shipping be acceptable?
I could send you an International United States Postal money order for $50 USD if this is acceptable. I would of course need your mailing address in Vietnam.

Should you require more money for the game or shipping please contact me with a counter offer. If you can suggest another form of payment please do so.

I have played and enjoyed the international form of Western European Chess since my childhood. I discoved the Eastern forms of Chess (Shogi, Xiangqi, and Janggi) several years ago. I have enjoyed playing Xiangqi (Cờ tướng) against computers since there are no players that I know of in Western Texas. As I am sure you can guess - I am definitely NOT as good playing Xiangqi as I am the Western version that I was raised with but that has not detered me from trying to learn this game. I started to study other variations of chess including one version called the Game of War that was invented in the United States in the 1910's and the German game Wehrschach Tak-Tik which was developed in the 1930's. I also found an odd version of Xiangqi devoped for Westener's and manufactured in Hong Kong in the 1960's called "Shong Chee" that substituted airforces for the chariots/rooks, navies for the horse/knight, artilery pieces for the cannon, and called the soldiers/pawns the armies. Finally, I discoved your version of chess (Cờ tư lệnh) quite by accident as I searched the internet for chess variants. Your game interests me for several reasons. You employ an ocean with a navy and also incorporate a river similar to Xiangqi. The other similiarities to that odd Hong Kong version of Xiangqi (Shong Chee) really peaked my interest. I know from my studies that the oldest discovered Xiangqi copper pieces employed pictures rather than Chinese language characters. That is the greatest problem Westerner's have in even trying to learn Xiangqi. Since you employ pictures symbols rather than language characters I am certain that Westerner's will find your game easier to learn than Xiangqi. Your version of chess seems related somewhat more to the origins of Xiangqi and its variant Qiguo Xiangxi (Seven Kingdoms Chess) with it's greater diversity of pieces and movement but without 7 armies.

I know from my studies that the origins of Chess, though hotly debated in the West, many chess students favor an Eastern (Chinese and related cultures like your own) origin over an Indian or Persian origin inspite of many un-scientific Western prejudices and biases to the contrary.

I look forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,
Joseph White
321 West 5th Street
Odessa, Texas USA 79761
jeauxwhite@gmail.com
On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 9:13 AM, Nguyen Quy Hai wrote:

Dear Mr. Joseph White,