Here is what they had to say (via email)

A release of THE CHESS PLAYERS is currently planned for late July 2005.
No other information is available at the moment.

Though I am worried it might be PAL sourced, I am "hoping" new material from some of Ray's restoration work seeps in, nothing wrong in being hopeful

Anyways this made my day

Just go for the R2 PAL DVDs as other Satyajit Ray collection DVDs. They are excellent in PAL release and terrible in NTSC as they just transferred them to NTSC from PAL.

Spot-on my friend, That’s what I plan to do. I have sent an email to Artificial Eye to see what they have in store for us. Will keep you all posted "if" I hear anything.

Though I love Kino, I am little wary of some of their release (except perhaps the DVD of ‘The Return’ - wonderful film, see it if you have not done so already http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=12772 ) . I rented their L'Age D'Or recently and it sucks, scared to go near their Un Chien Andalou release !

The BFI version of Un Chien Andalou is apparently better than the Kino version.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompar ... ndalou.htm

Yeah that’s the one to get (esp. for the commentary track)

Those kino-bastards have done it again !

http://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/dvd_review.asp?ID=909

http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showre ... p3?ID=8501

i am waiting for the eventual Artificial Eye release

http://www.artificial-eye.com/dvd/ART230dvd/dir.html

" Soon to be released on Artificial Eye: 'Three Daughters', 'Days & Nights in the Forest', 'Devi' and 'The Chess Players'."

I hope Teen Kanya is the full version with the Monihara story included.

Just in case you cant wait - the version available @ Culcutta Web is the full version not the US release , ofcourse the quality sucks !

http://209.15.68.195/cgi-bin/shop.php?s ... YA&s=USDVD