Some readers may have noticed that the last issue was printed on slightly lighter stock than we previously used. This was a printing error and was not intentional. We soon realized, however, that if the magazine were printed on this stock, we could have an extra four pages without increasing mailing costs. This is what we have done. The current size of 32 pages including the covers feels just right -- we had been ready to settle on 28 pages, but it still felt quite cramped. There is certainly no shortage of material to fill those extra four pages. In fact, this time we have held back the concluding articles for Hostage Chess and Bao, as well as the next article in the Hex series, and a great deal of new material. We will be doing some catching up in AG7.
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the articles in this issue. Onyx has returned in an article from its creator that illustrates some of the game's fascinating tactics. Also included in this issue is the Gonnect article by Cameron Browne and the game's inventor, João Neto. Gonnect is another intriguing new connection game, and I felt that Gonnect and Onyx in the same issue nicely complemented each other -- it is convenient for readers to be able to compare these two games side by side.
Even without the concluding article in the Hostage Chess series, there are three chess-type games included in this issue. Firstly, we have begun a major investigation of Jetan. Two things have held back this game in the past: ambiguities in the rules, and the perception that it is very drawish. I hope we have dealt adequately with both of these concerns. Chu Shogi has returned, and we are proud to have Chu Shogi expert and leading light in the game world Wayne Schmittberger take over the column for us. I feel that Tony Gardner's Grand Chess column is already an essential and well-loved component of the magazine. Grand Chess really is a great chess game: the larger board, those powerful extra pieces, and the freedom for the rooks in the opening can make for a wild and dangerous game with plenty of interesting combinations. Give it a try!
This issue also includes the first article of a new series on Zèrtz by Stephen Taverner. For some time I had been considering giving significant coverage in this magazine to a game that was currently still in print. Zèrtz seemed to be the right choice because of the intrinsic merits of the game itself and also because of the variety it adds to the mix of games we have been covering. Alongside it, you can read Kris Burm's story of the development of Project Gipf, which may give you some insight both into the mind of a professional game designer as well as into the business of game publication in general.
Because of the huge response to the 8x8 game design competition, the judging is taking longer than initially anticipated and final results will not be available until AG7. Even so, I could not resist including three of the competition games in this issue. Of course we will be presenting the actual winners as well as a number of the other games in AG7 and AG8.
The tournaments are underway in Kyoto Shogi and Onyx. The inventors of the games are taking part in both of these events, and there are some strong players involved. They prove to be exciting clashes.
As of writing, Abstract Games is distributed to 24 countries around the world. But we are still looking for new readers, so if you love abstract games, please spread the word!
In the meantime, happy gaming!
Kerry Handscomb
