On Apr 18, 8:35 pm, Rich Hutnik wrote:
As far as Reversi goes, Becker Associates (they own
the game) makes sure there is a viable and functioning association
over it. Considering Othello has sold over 30 million copies, that
says something.

Somebody owns Othello, yes. Reversi, however, was allowed to lapse
into the public domain... and guess who made Reversi sets in England?

Jacques. The same guys who gave us the Staunton chess pieces.

John Savard

On 18 Apr 2008 10:48:04 +0100 (BST), David Richerby
wrote, in part:

The falling membership of national associations doesn't particularly
concern me. The associations just don't seem to be relevant to even
the regular tournament player, let alone the average guy who likes to
play the occasional game of chess against his friends or online.

It's certainly true that the "average guy" you refer to is not affected
by the fate of national associations.

But when it gets to the ordinary tournament player, I don't think that
the health of the national associations is irrelevant any longer. Yes,
they aren't the ones to partake of the gravy that revitalizing the
organizational level of chess would start flowing. Rather, they would
benefit in other ways.

If the country were to become chess-minded, then smaller towns and
cities would have their own chess tournaments. Local chess clubs would
have more members.

John Savard
http://www.quadibloc.com/index.html