From: Pieter Stouten <STOUTEN <at> EMBL <dot> BITNET>
Date: 13 dec 1990
Subject: Re: computer Shogi

On Wed, 12 Dec 90 19:39:04 PST, Jonathan Brown
<jonathan <at> windchime <dot> nersc <dot> gov> asked me:
 
>Back in August you mentioned that there was some info on computer
>Shogi compiled in a book.  Did you ever recieve it?  I would
>appreciate any information you could provide on this subject.
>Thanks.
>
Yes, I received it, but it is in Japanese. Since I can't read
Japanese this is not a big help. I would guess it contains some
interesting chapters describing how to approach writing Shogi programs,
but I just don't know. I could decypher the appendix, however, and
found out that most available programs run on NEC PCs and MSX
machines.
 
There is another book in which writing Shogi programs is discussed:
"Computer Gamesmanship: Elements of Intelligent Game Design", by David Levy.
Simon & Schuster, Inc. (their Computer Division), New York.
ISBN 0-671-49532-1.
Chris Sterritt wrote about it:
>A very interesting book that gives ideas on how to write programs that play
>good games of Checkers, (western) Chess, Bridge, Poker, Othello, Dominoes,
>Backgammon, Go-Moku, Rummy and Shogi. It contains excellent information on
>how to program the main AI techniques of intelligent game design, such as
>Alpha-Beta search, evaluation functions, Killer Heuristics, etc.
>It's fun to read even if you never want to write a program.
>
I tried hard to find it, but it is out of print. If anybody can provide me
with a copy, I would be eternally grateful. When the author was asked where
to get it, he said that it was out of print. That was all. He seemed not
very keen on talking about it.
 
I am sorry, I can't be of more help. Maybe somebody else on the list can ?
 
Cheers, Pieter.
<stouten <at> embl <dot> bitnet>
<stouten <at> embl-heidelberg <dot> de>