Web site designed by Wayne S. Rossi

Updated 1/22/03: added Sydney plot summary, and commentaries for Sydney and Chicago.

This website is designed essentially as a storehouse for complete, accurate information about the musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and various other contributors. Its author is most especially indebted to Sylvia Stoddard, who created the old Squareone.org website that has been subsequently taken offline. In my search for more and better Chess information, I welcome any input that can be made.

In addition to the synopses and musical information about Chess, these pages will include extensive, opinionated commentaries - by me - about the various versions and intricacies of Chess. These are, by and large, a part of the amateur dramaturgy project that Chess has become for me. I have attempted to identify and address many of the weak points of the musical, and will not flinch at identifying any single aspect where a version falls short. They are in the section titled "Commie Newspapers."

Instead of allowing free-for-all input into the site by others, I'm going to try to keep everything linked from the "The Story of Chess" and "Commie Newspapers" pages my own. The "Talking Chess" page has a web board right now that will hopefully get some traffic; it will also link to several other web boards, mailing lists, and other Chess-related websites. To be linked on this page, just send me an email and add a link with a title like "Wayne S. Rossi's Chess Page" to your website; I'll add yours in return.

These pages are written by - and hence copyright - me. I have not used album liner-note synopses, nor have I taken any fan synopses verbatim. I ask that you, the reader, do me the same courtesy. This website is an information and thought bank for those who are interested in Chess and is not intended as an infringement on any copyrights. Any original work or ideas here, even in a dramaturgical sense, is copyright 2003 Wayne S. Rossi, and should not be used without prior permission and discussion with me. Thank you.