Comments/Ratings for a Single Item
However, this comes at the cost of having more moves to remember (14 in total).
This is precisely the reason that I love the Mnemonic images so much. I'd love to have them for Short Sliders, if I ever get around to making an ID for it.
Shogi is perhaps one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. It's drop rule lets players come back much more easily, while the forward bias negates the advantage to defense such a rule would normall imbue. However, it is not without it's problems. The biggest one is easily the fact that the vast of the pieces promote to a Gold equivalent. Although this is a very rare situation, when a lot of Gold/Gold equivalents appear on thee board, it can easily turn Shogi into a very drawish Checkers game, and if an impasse occurs, this amplifies the problem even more.
Seireigi fixes the aforementioned problem to an extent by making all promotions unique. This also helps mitigate impasse situations, as more pieces are capable of stopping a King from reaching the opponent's camp. However, this comes at the cost of having more moves to remember (14 in total).
It should be noted that stalemate is a win for the stalemating player. It's extremely rare due to the drops, but it is possible.
This page should be updated. There's better, modern options for playing shogi, with a computer and other people. lishogi.org/ syougi.qinoa.com/ja/game/ I'd also strongly recommend the piyo app, which has many different difficulty levels.
Please do, it is a wonderfull game!
I still have some doubts with regard to the application of this rule. In particular, when a (checking) position occurs from which it is possible to deliver perpetual checking, but instead of continuing the checking you play something else. And then later, that position occurs a second time. Now you do continue the checking, and the opponent has no way to escape it, so you get a 3rd and 4th repetition of the position.
Does this now count as perpetual checking? Not all moves since the first occurrence of the position were checks. But all moves since the 2nd and 3rd occurrence are. In my engines I would only consider the moves since the previous occurrence. (Especially because it already terminates the line at the 2nd occurrence; if it cannot break from the loop the first time it goes through it, nothing will change by trying it the second time, except that you have less search depth left, which will degrade the accuracy of the evaluation.)
I would think that only considering the moves since the previous occurrence would be more in line with the spirit of the rule; you try to force a repetition by perpetual checking, and this should not be allowed. It is just that you started the checking a bit late, but now that you are at it, and can keep it up perpetually, why should that matter? When I asked it to a Japanese in connection with mini-Shogi, however, he told me this would not be considered perpetual checking, and thus produce a sente loss. (Which is a special mini-Shogi rule; in regular Shogi that would be a draw.)
Indeed, there is a rule against perpetual checking, as an extension of the repetition rule. The repetition rule states that if a position is reached for a 4th time, with same pieces in hand and same player to move, the game is no contest, whereafter colors are reversed and a new game is started. Players get to keep whatever remaining time they had, with a minimum time normally granted.
However, if such 4-fold repetition is a result of consecutive checks, with no single non-checking move, then that attacking player is at fault and loses. A player could potentially give dozens of consecutive checks, before the repetition becomes illegal.
Repetition is already rare enough, especially at the amateur level. Very few instances of perpetual check repetition occur. Most people who see it as a possibility deviate the 2nd or 3rd time around, or avoid it altogether. I found only a couple actually pertinent videos on Youtube under the search 連続王手の千日手
I have one question about the rules regarding check. A few sources (i.e. the English Wikipedia page on Shogi) mention a rule against perpetual check, namely making perpetual check four times, or something similar. Yet most of the sources I found do not mention such a rule. So is this supposed rule against perpetual check really a thing?
While looking at the Japanese Chinese* Wikipedia article on Shogi, I came across this line:
4. 步兵打入時不能立刻將死對方,這一種犯規稱為打步詰;反之若不會立刻將死則不犯規,此稱為打步將。
Google translates this as:
4. Infantry can not be killed immediately when the player enters , this type of foul is called a stumbling ; if not, if he does not immediately die without fouling, this is called a stride .
This appears in the section called "Eat and Enter," which is about restrictions on drops. Despite the bad translations, the first three appear to be 1. You cannot promote a piece while dropping it. 2. You may not drop a piece where it would have no possible legal move. 3. A Pawn may not be dropped on the same file as another Pawn of the same side.
By process of elimination, the 4th might be the rule against checkmating the King with a Pawn drop, but the translation seems to be saying that a Pawn may not be captured immediately after being dropped.
Also, the translation of the 3rd seems to describe a different rule. It says, "Infantry can not be entered in the way of existing (not upgraded) infantry. This kind of foul is called two steps ." Since it would be in the way only if placed in front, this seems to allow the option of dropping a Pawn behind another Pawn in the same file. Maybe it is just a bad translation. The original says, "步兵不能打入於已有己方(未升級的)步兵的一路,這一種犯規稱為同筋二步。"
* I just noticed the zh in the URL. That means Chinese.
I just started watching a new anime about Shogi called The Ryuo's Work is Never Done! If this anime is to be believed, Shogi is much more popular among cute girls than I ever realized
Okay, that's fixed. But there does seem to be a display problem with your game. Since the problem seems isolated to the CSS rendering method, you can fix it by changing the rendering method to GIF, PNG, or JPG. I'll look into the problem with the CSS method.
I'm facing a problem: I want to open a game in which it is my move. Immediately I get an error saying I can't drop a pawn on a file where I already have a pawn.
Yes, I do already know that I can't drop a pawn on a file where I already have a pawn. Especially when I haven't even made any move.
Once each side has a little development completed, Shogi games are action-packed as a rule.
A simplified valuation scheme, as given by Grimbergen (see Shogi wiki entry) is: P=1; L&N=3; S&G=5; B=8; R=9; PB=12; PR=13.
Shogi is an excellent game. Like Chinese Chess and western Chess, it probably evolved from the Indian Chaturanga. Despite being very different from Chinese Chess and from western Chess, it has too many similarities to them to be coincidence. The main evidence for the direction of evolution is that (1) it is a huge improvement over Chaturanga, and (2) its main differences from Chaturanga are not seen in other regional Chess variants. One of its main differences from other regional variants is its drop rule, which allows players to drop captured pieces back on the board as their own. Despite still having some slow-moving pieces like Chaturanga has, this rule greatly speeds up the game. because a captured piece can (with some restrictions) be placed on any empty space on the board. It also makes the game more dynamic. Instead the game being decided by a single-Pawn difference early in the game, there is a greater chance of material shifting between players, and the outcome depends more on the quality of play throughout the game. Shogi remains superior to Chess variants, such as Chessgi or Crazyhouse, that have added a similar drop rule to Chess. The reason for this is that its piece set is better-designed to work with the drop rule. In general, the drop rule works better with weaker pieces than are found in Chess. For example, the Chess Knight can be a formidable piece to drop, possibly forking several pieces, but the Shogi Knight can move in only two directions. Although it does include one Rook in the game, it has replaced the two corner Rooks with Lances, which move forward only. Also, unlike Chessgi and Crazyhouse, the Rook is the most powerful piece that may be dropped. In those games, you can drop a captured Queen. Shogi is also superior to Shatranji, my own attempt to apply the drop rule to the weaker piece set found in Shatranj. Besides the regular Chess Knight, Shatranji has a Ferz and some Elephants, which are both short-range diagonal moving pieces, instead of the Gold and Silver Generals. The two Generals, while being weaker than the King, both have the ability to change color. Also, like the Lance and Shogi Knight, they are more powerful going forward than backward. Having greater power for forward movement improves the offensive ability of pieces while weakening their defensive capabilities. Giving greater power to several pieces that reach the back three ranks also favors offense over defense. This favoring of offense over defense helps make Shogi more decisive and less drawish. Overall, Shogi is a fun, dynamic, and decisive game that can hold interest throughout the game, it is a huge improvement over Chaturanga, and among regional variants, it is my favorite.
It's appeared in Naruto, too. I don't know too much about it's involvement beyond Shikamaru Nara being really good at it.
The game of Shogi frequently appears in the Japanese anime Ranma ½. Here are a couple images from the first episode featuring Shogi. First, a closeup of the board.
This scene shows the two characters who normally play Shogi together. They are the fathers of the two main characters, Ranma and Akane. The panda is Ranma's father, and Ranma can be seen in the foreground running from Akane's sisters, who want to make him wear girls clothing while there is no hot water to turn him back into a boy.
The following images come from an episode that focused on Shogi:
Finally, here is a shot of the two main characters, Ranma and Akane.
I've already posted this Tsumi, but this time I'm posting it as a form with the solution included as one of the fields. I'll now work on adding an option to view the solution.
Sometimes discussions can deviate in another direction. Suggestion: when replying to a person within a category, one could, by notching an alternative, place the comment in an off-topic, or general, category. However, visually, it is placed immediately after the previous comment. /Mats
We, the editors, need a way to move off-topic comments to a different page. The comments here should be about Shogi, not how Winboard plays Xiangqi and and other non-Shogi games. If you want to discuss H. G. Muller's version of Winboard, the Fairy-Max page is a more appropriate place for it.
WinBoard-4.5.beta.zip: In Seirawan Chess I can introduce an external piece to an empty square, which is against the rules. Another bug: I cannot introduce an external piece to the corner square at castling. I played a 3 game match between Fairy-Max and Zillions in Seirawan Chess (approx. 10 sec. per move). Zillions is vastly better and won by 2½-½. In game 2 and 3 Fairy-Max blundered away a piece. This must be a bug in the algorithm. Below is game 3. Notice Zillions's remarkable rook sacrifice at the end. [Event 'Computer Chess Game'] [Site 'DELL-7B4236477D'] [Date '2010.11.21'] [Round '-'] [White 'Fairy-Max 4.8P'] [Black 'Zillions'] [Result '0-1'] [TimeControl '30/600'] [Variant 'seirawan'] [Annotator '1. +0.24'] 1. c3 {+0.24/9 53} c5 2. Nf3/H {+0.28/9 17} d6 3. d4 {+0.23/9 16} cxd4 4. Nxd4 {-0.10/8 17} f5 5. f4 {+0.01/8 14} Nf6 6. Hf3 {+0.13/7 34} e5 7. fxe5 {+0.83/10 15} dxe5 8. Hxe5 {+0.82/9 15} Ng4 9. Bg5 {+0.87/9 44} Qxg5/H 10. Hf3 {-2.60/10 14} Qf4 11. g3 {-2.33/8 14} Qh6 12. Na3/E {-2.38/8 19} Ne3 13. Qc1 {-2.42/8 27} Nc6 14. Nac2 {-2.37/9 17} Nxc2+ 15. Nxc2 {-2.43/10 15} Qd6 16. Hh5+ {-2.24/7 14} g6 17. Hf4 {-2.18/9 14} Ne5 18. Bg2 {-2.14/8 24} Bg7 19. O-O {-2.03/8 28} O-O/E 20. Rd1 {-2.17/7 15} Hb6+ 21. Ne3 {-2.14/7 16} Nf3+ 22. Bxf3 {-2.27/10 21} Qxf4 23. gxf4 {-2.30/10 15} Hxe3+ 24. Qxe3 {-2.27/10 16} Exe3 25. Kf2 {-2.15/9 14} Re8 26. h4 {-2.22/8 15} Bf6 27. h5 {-2.23/8 14} gxh5 28. a3 {-2.96/8 28} h4 29. Rd6 {-2.82/9 14} Bg7 30. a4 {-2.88/9 13} Kh8 31. Ed2 {-3.03/10 14} Bf8 32. Rd5 {-3.04/10 15} Bh6 33. Rd4 {-2.94/10 13} h3 34. Rh1 {-2.42/10 14} Bg7 35. Rd8 {-2.38/10 14} Bf6 36. Rxe8+ {-2.25/12 14} Exe8 37. Rxh3 {-2.25/10 15} Eg7 38. e3 {-2.22/8 14} Be6 39. c4 {-2.16/8 17} Rd8 40. Ec2 {-2.30/9 15} Ec7 41. b3 {-2.31/8 15} Ec5 42. Eb4 {-2.33/8 14} a5 43. Ec2 {-3.55/10 15} Exb3 44. Bd5 {-3.56/9 15} Ed3+ 45. Kf3 {-3.55/10 15} Bxd5+ 46. cxd5 {-3.60/10 16} Exd5 47. Eg2 {-3.74/10 14} Rg8 48. Eh2 {-3.77/10 14} Rg7 49. Ef2 {-3.82/10 15} Ec3 50. Rh5 {-3.77/10 14} Bd4 51. Ee2 {-3.76/11 14} Rg3+ 52. Exg3 {-13.29/13 16} Exe3+ 53. Kf2 {-13.36/13 26} Ee4+ 54. Kg2 {-13.38/13 17} Exf4+ 55. Kh2 {-13.99/13 15} Ef2+ 56. Kg1 {-14.00/12 14} Ee2+ 57. Kf1 {-14.59/13 15} Exg3+ 58. Ke1 {-18.00/12 17} Exh5 59. Kd2 {-79.95/13 14} Ef4 60. Kc2 {-79.95/13 13} Ef2+ 61. Kb1 {-79.96/19 9} Ed2+ 62. Kc1 {-79.97/28 6} Ea2+ 63. Kd1 {-79.98/28 4} Be3 64. Ke1 {-79.99/28 5} Ec1# {Xboard adjudication: Checkmate} 0-1 /Mats
WinBoard for Xiangqi doesn't allow analysis mode, and I cannot retract moves and make another move, so this software is largely useless as it stands now. /Mats
Here's the second Tsumi from Fat Bold Cyclop's collection: FBC Tsumi #2
Xiangqi is so different from any other variant (because of the board zoning and King-facing rule) that I made a dedicated derivative of Fairy-Max for it, called MaxQi. The additions required to implement it were not generally useful. (Similarly, there is a dedicated version for Shatranj applying the baring rule, ShaMax, although that is so similar to the original Fairy-Max that it is generated from the same source code, using a compiler switch.) So in the 4.5.beta package you should not select Fairy-Max but MaxQi from the startup dialog engine combobox if you want to play Xiangqi. (And HaQiKi D or Elephant Eye if you want a tougher opponent, or do analysis. MaxQi is derived from an older version of Fairy-Max that did not print a full PV yet.) The 4.4 install does use MaxQi. Qianhong is an extremely weak (non-searching) AI. There are Qianhong plugins that are tougher. VSCCP is the next weakest, and might stil lose to Zillions too. But Elephant Eye is also available as a Qianhong Plugin.(Or rather, there exists a UCCI2QH adapter, from which I actually derived the UCCI2WB adapter.) For an overview of Xiangqi engines that you could run under WinBoard, see http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/XQ.html and links therein. I asked on the Seirawan website if it was patented, or if it was allowed to support it in WinBoard. Bruce Harper answered me 'Go ahead, the more exposure we get, the better'.
I noted that Seirawan Chess is implemented in the latest version. If it's patented then it could mean trouble. /Mats
Ok, I downloaded version 4.4 instead, then it works. /Mats
I get 'Variant Xiangqi not supported by Fairy-Max 4.8P' /Mats
How nice. I am surprised at the scarcity of good Xiangqi programs, in view of the fact that it's the most popular game in the world. I downloaded Stoneman, but it could not take back moves, due to some bug. I tested a cheaper version, but it played the same theoretical moves all the time. It seems the only good alternative is XieXie, but it has no analysis window. I tested my own Zillions implementation against freeware QianHong, but Zillions won. I also tested the freeware HiddenLynx, but Zillions won easily. I'll have a look at WinBoard. /Mats
> Can you do the same with your Xiangqi program? <\p>
Of course. WinBoard also supports Xiangqi. You can use the menus to switch from one varant to the other, be it orthoChess, Xiangqi, Shogi, Makruk, Capablanca, Knightmate. They all draw on a built-in set of bitmaps for 2x22 different piece types, but the user can define his own graphicrepresentation of the pieces, if he want. (E.g. to implement a high-quality oriental-style display.) All features are available from all variants.
For all variants there are engines available. E.g. the WinBoard binary download currently at http://hgm.nubati.net/WinBoard-4.5.beta.zip contains a Shogi engine, 3 Xiangqi engines, a strong orthoChess engine, and Fairy-Max, wich plays some 10 other variants.
Can you do the same with your Xiangqi program? /Mats
I always use the WinBoard GUI for that purpose. It supports a completely westernized (Chess like) representation of the Shogi board. I can simply set up the position in Edit-Position mode, by clicking the squares and selecting a piece to go on it from the context menu that then appears. If the tsume problems would have been given in FEN format, you could of course have directly copy-pasted them into WinBoard. But alas, Shogi people seem to hate standardization, and hardly ever use FEN.
It would be very useful if the web pages you are building would contain the problem in FEN (or EPD) format, so that all standard Shogi software could process it.
And WinBoard supports both its own native WB protocol, as well as USI protocol, so there are many engines (from the weak GNU Shogi to the extremely strong Bonanza) that you could use to analyze positions.
I'm interested in doing Tsumi problems, but the graphics typically used for them are a stumbling block for me. Not only do they use Japanese characters, but don't include the Shogi piece outlines whose orientation would indicate which side each piece belongs to. Also, the Japanese characters are sometimes small and hard to discern. So that I can more easily do them without straining my eyes, and so that I can actually move the pieces instead of trying to do them in my head, I will begin here to transcribe Shogi Tsumi into Game Courier format and post links here, eventually planning to compile them into their own page. I will begin with the problems in Fat Bold Cyclop's collection of 300 Tsumi problems.
[Edit:] I have fixed the Tsumi to give White all remaining pieces in hand. This was not visible in the diagram, but it is understood as part of a Tsumi that White has all remaining pieces in hand.
In response to Charles Gilman's comment. What do you think about this game: in additional to normal game (FIDE chess or any other game) there is set with pieces of aproximately same value (the simpliest is set of different compounds of ferz, wazir, alfil, dababa: guard, alibaba, modern alfil, modern dababa, phoenix and kyryn, and, optonally, FIDE chess knight). Each player secretly choses 2 of these pieces (possible to chose 2 pieces of same kind) and can drop them during any turn, opponent don't know, wich pieces player choses until they are dropped.
It's not surprising that the idea of Shogi with a deployment stage has appeared before. Interestring to note how Unachess has several options for a FIDE set and board but only one for a Shogi set and board. What Unashogi lacks is my proposal that Kings must be placed first, a rule that leads into a theoretically possible Shogi position (although in reality players would be unlikely to hold all there captives in Reserve for so long) so that thereafter Shogi rules can apply as standard. As I write a further thought has occurred to me. The Unachess principle could be used for deploying a set on a board for which it was not designed - a FIDE set on a Shogi board, a Carrera/Bird/Capablanca set on a Xiang Qi board, a Chaturanga set on a Diana/Haynie's Primary/Los Alamos board, et cetera. Of course deploying a Shogi set on a board with more or fewer than 9 ranks would require a definition of the promotion zone, likewise the River and Fortress for a Xiang Qi set.
Shogi is very clever, difficult and philosophical game. Looks like, it have much oriental wisdom in it! Xiang-qi is more lively, simple, and, maybe, childish. Wstern players are better to start with Xiang-qi: it have simpllier rules and, plus, may be played with western chess equipment with some additions.
I have now recorded and uploaded my fourth video in my Shogi for Chess Players series. This one completes my explanation of the rules of Shogi, covering the capturing and dropping of pieces.
I have now recorded and posted the third video in my 'Shogi for Chess Players' series on Youtube. This one uses Zillions of Games to explain and demonstrate how pieces move and promote. For this video, I used a microphone to narrate a screencast I made using the BB Flashback Express 2 Recorder.
I have posted a couple videos on Shogi onto YouTube. The first one has a link to the second one at the end of the video. I have a couple more planned to complete the series. Here is the first one:
paper Shogi set: http://www.hollandnumerics.demon.co.uk/pdf/SHOGI_SET.PDF
Shogi is on the XBox 360! I just saw this on XBox Live Arcade. Shotest Shogi has been released for the XBox 360, and able to be obtained through XBox Live. It contains both traditional and symbolic notation. You can learn more on it here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/shotestshogixboxlivearcade/ http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1917/Shotest-Shogi/p1/ I rate it good, because finally a console gets Shogi.
My computer cannot read '¤K¤è®Û'. What is the transliteration and translation? This is of interest to me as an authentic Japanese name for the Knight is something that I should add to my Bishogi page. On the unequal-armies Shogi itself, my first instinct is that 2 Knights are no match for 6 pieces includig a Bishop and a Rook. Or is a Knight promoted to something really powerful?
Does anyone know '¤K¤è®Û'(Eight directions of honorable hose)? One player must remove his or her four pieces: rook, bishop, and both lances from the setup, and then his or her honorable horses called '¤K¤è®Û' can move as free as knight in Chess. If this player's own honorable horse is captured by the other player, the latter could't move it as knight. If the fomer captures the latter's horrable horse, it could move as knight. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/tetsu/toybox/kapitan/kp016.htm
The board layout is as follows: +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | l | n | s | g | k | g | s | n | l | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | r | | | | | | b | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | p | p | p | p | p | p | p | p | p | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | B | | | | | | R | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | L | N | S | G | K | G | S | N | L | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
Shogi Champ plays in chess tournament.
Remarkable is the 38th place of FM Yoshiharu Habu (6/9). Why? Because Habu is not really a chess player, but the world's leading Shogi champion, who has taken a casual interest in chess.
Read the rest ...here
Thanks for the replies David and Elijah. If you want a game of taikyoku shogi, you can find it in here. http://taikyokushogi.hp.infoseek.co.jp/taikyoku.swf and thats the larger version. http://taikyokushogi.hp.infoseek.co.jp/taikyoku.html
Shogi, is of course, an excellent game. But here is what is interesting: In relation to another CV comment, seemingly unrelated (i.e., Fergus's comment to research a certain player to see he (Fergus) had no double-identity).. Well, I did research that player and found out he was in Tokyo and had a Shogi link which was quite interesting. He also mentioned a site where you could play Shogi in real-time. So, I went to http://www.kurnik.org and in minutes won my first 10 minute on-line speed Shogi game... quite fun. I was then crushing my opponent in a second game when a most terrible thing happened. I went to move the Rook, but then realized I could drop a pawn instead and win a Lance for the pawn. When I clicked to drop the pawn, my Rook moved to that square instead... so, instead of winning a Lance, I lost a Rook... oh what sorrow due to a mechanical issue. Anyway, it is fun to play real-time Shogi... and thanks to the rating system double-idntity issue, a real-time Shogi site was found.
has some pictures of a (25x25) board and pieces for Tai Shogi. Dane, I think that is about the largest game anyone here will ever play.
Another interpretation of the King with the `gyoku` kanji might be `handsome general`. The one with the `oo` kanji could be `ruling general`. Of course, one way to avoid the problem of interpretation is to called the pieces by their Japanese names. So the King would be either `gyokushoo` or `ooshoo`(these names depend upon the side of the field). But we can still end up arguing about the proper phonetic spelling. I prefer that the terms Black and White should be `sente` and `gote`. But the introduction of Shogi to western culture began a long while back, and those individuals responsible for its early interpretation selected terms which they believed would make its assimilation easier. Right? Wrong? Maybe just expedient.
http://www.unicode.org/cgi-bin/GetUnihanData.pl?codepoint=7389
But what should shock you is that knight is not honorable horse but a 'cinnamon tree-horse' and lance is 'perfume-chariot'. names probably chosen by phonetic reasons rather than those of meaning
That the Japanese chess-king is a jade general rather than a jeweled general is supported by the wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi and this other website: http://www.crockford.com/chess/shogi.html . Murray seems to say that he depended for his information on nineteenth-century German translations of a few Japanese documents. This is rather a shock; it has been 'jeweled general' to us for so long!
Recently on the Shogi-L (http://www.shogi.net/shogi-l/Archive/2005/Naug05-00.txt) there has been discussion of a freeware Shogi program called Bonanza. It is quite strong on even play. An extension has been created that allows playing handicap games. Its handicap play is perhaps not as strong as its even game play (I suspect this is because it does not have book moves for the handicaps, but that is a guess), but it will prove challenging for most. It certainly is for me. The link for Bonanza is: http://www.geocities.jp/bonanza_shogi/bonanza1.1_csawin.zip and for the extension: http://homepage3.nifty.com/floatinghome/csa_xt122.zip The listing from Shogi-L describes how to use the extension. Non-Japanese shogi players should truly appreciate this gift from Messers Masumoto and RaumNaum; I sure do!
Dear Fergus Duniho, About my game with Joao Bigodes. His King is captured, though the game continue! Isn't a bug somewhere??? Best regards, Paul Grosemans aka Centaure.
'I am not sure if this will clarify or confuse the issue, but here is a summary from an old post of George Fernandez:'
*** *** *** *** *** ***
The last version of 'The rules of shogi' I have was written in 1993 by Mr. K. Horiguchi 6 Dan[supplement to the January 1993 issue of Shogi Sekai]. The 96 page booklet, written in japanese, is the official rule book accepted by the Japanese Shogi Association.
The following definitions were given which apply here:
Checkmate:
A checkmate is a position in which a King is in check and there are no legal moves to leave the check.
Illegal moves:
(1)A move is illegal to make a double pawn.
(2)A move is illegal to make a deadlocked piece.
(3)A move is illegal for a player if his King's square is attacked by an opponent piece after the move.[to remain in check, to move into check or to expose the king to check]
(4)A move is illegal to make a repetition check move [Mr. Horiguchi wrote in an addendum the following clarification: '... In the event of perpetual check, if one player player does it FOUR TIMES(three times is permitted), he will lose his game'.
(5)A move is illegal to make a dropping check move by a pawn which leads to a position in checkmate at once(dropped-pawn mate).
Legal moves:
A legal move for a player is a move to leave the check by moving pieces on the board or by dropping if his king is in check. Otherwise, a legal move by a piece on the board which can go[move] or a drop move, which is not illegal.
Remark (condition of ending game):
1. The game is finished if the position is in a checkmate; The player to move loses the game.
2. The game is finished if one player makes an illegal move; This player loses the game.
3. The game is finished if one player has no legal moves; This player loses the game[contrary to chess rules, where a stalemate is considered a draw].
4. The game is finished if one player resigns; This player loses the game.
In an effort to put this issue behind us, and move on, I'm sharing with you a bizzare diagram from the 1993 rules book[page 93, digram #92].
***ENDQUOTE*** I [David Paulowich] am unable to format the diagram for this text message. It shows a stalemate loss for the lone White King. But Black to move also has no legal moves, even though he has a huge army and a Pawn in hand (dropping that Pawn would be mate).
If you want to see a more European look of Shogi, see: http://f51.parsimony.net/forum203932/messages/21.htm
Thanks for the information! Manabu Terao, thank you also for the link. I have never heard of the Invisible Ink Composition, the moves of which for the shape of a letter or ideogram. Wonderful idea. That is one reason why investigation of chess variants is good for the mind. New ideas, different cultures, change of perspective. Thank you.
About the program Todai Shogi Hello, I have Todai Shogi program but all the menus are in Japanese. Anybody would have the intructions note (comment help) translated into English? Either can you advise me a means to understand the menus of this software? Pierre Jason
Jared, please refer to 1.4) Pieces of Hans Geuns' Basic Shogi Vocabulary. http://www.shogi.net/shogivocab/ I would like to suggest this page should have a link to the above.
Roberto: I actually got it from my mother, who ordered a board and a set of wooden pieces from www.yutopian.com. It's not too bad of a set, although it's obviously not professional quality. To stay on topic: Do we have a resource that lists the original Japanese names (and English translations) of the pieces? This page doesn't.
Many people who don't know Japanese have been using Game Courier to play Shogi online against other people. Besides some Japanese sets, Game Courier allows that option of a symbolic set that doesn't require any ability to recognize Japanese characters. Here is the link for Game Courier's Shogi preset: /play/pbm/presets/shogi.html But be sure to visit the main Game Courier page before you get started: /play/pbm/ For programs that will play Shogi, go here: http://www.shogi.net/shogi-soft-eqp.html
Shogi is an entertaining game, indeed, but I lack a link to play this on the computer. It's hard finding people to play against on the other side of the planet, especially ones who speak or read japanese. And I'm too lazy to do that. Mendoukusai na, if you know what I mean. Do you have a link to an online version of shogi?
Does anyone know, are there Zillions of Games saved-games files (*.zsg) of interesting, classic, instructive Shogi games available here or elsewhere on the net? Would this be a worthwhile project? It's hard (for me, at least) to see a list of Shogi game moves and follow it--especially since I have to work so hard to recognize the Japanese characters. This is my own problem, of course, but I wonder if others feel the same way, and if Zillions saved games provides a solution? Thanks.
Russian Shogi pages: 'Shogi In Russia' - http://www.shogi.sp.ru/; 'Byelorussian Shogi Assotiation' - http://shogi.at.tut.by/default.html download Cut-out shogi set(pieces, board) + english version; 'Assotiation Russian Shogi Players' - http://shogi-arsi.narod.ru/; 'Ukrainian Shogi Federation' - http://shogi.in.net.ua/ download cut-out shogi pieces; 'Vadim Filippov's Shogi Page' - http://www.go.hobby.ru/shogi/
I make go boards chungi sets and shogi sets and have found your site invaluable in helping me get clear on the finer points of the rules. I have been making the chungi for a while and have only just started making shogi sets and have not started to sell them yet. I only decided to make a shogi set after viewing your site. Like fergus Duniho I have tried to westerize the pieces for easier play, I had done a similar thing with my chungi. The almost 2 completed shogi sets have taken for ever to and i will probably have to put a fairly high price on them. I make them from maranti wood with a pacific maple board and am going to try and sell the three (go, chungi, shogi) on e bay. I sell a small number through game shops in melbourne australia but with their 100% mark up I dont sell them regularily and dont make much money. I would like to send you a picture of the shogi set i have almost finished if that is ok but it will take a bit longer. I also thought i had played the most exciting chess when i played chungi, but shogi is probably even better and just gets so dynamic towards the end as pieces are dropping in etc, i love it. I dont have a computer so please dont be offended if i do not reply for a while. Once again excellent site. Tori watson. [email protected]
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In H. G. Muller's system, a range 2 slider just has an empty bulge. for sliders with range 3 or more, this is typically denoted by a plus sign or a shortened radial line, with the plus getting closer to the center the longer the range gets if that option is used. If you wanted a better system, you could have line perpendicular to the bulge for every square after the second square in that direction.