From: ATKINSON%VAXROM.decnet.CERN CERNVAX BITNET Date: 27 jul 1990 Subject: The Hodges price list, and more Here is the latest edition (so far as I know - earlier this year) of the George Hodges SHogiu Equipment and Publications Price List. I will put comments on the utility or otherwise of the items if I have seen them. Boxed Shogi Sets BS3 Basic shogi set with simple folding wooden board and with Shogi Association yellowish wood-effect plastic pieces showing the intial ranks in black and the promoted ranks in red. 12.50 in UK, 16.00 overseas BS3(H) As above, both sides of the pieces in black. Same price. (Comment: Japanese players seem to use both sides black. I would advise people to get a set with both sides black. I have seen Japanese sets (in Japanese shops in London) with red on promoted side, but Mazura 3-dan told me he would never buy such pieces.) The BS3 pieces have the symbols printed on the surface. The plastic is really quite dark, and the pieces are not all that nice. Many years ago, there were more expensive boards with more expensive pieces. The boards have sold out, but the pieces haven't. I advise people to ask for a BS3 board with nicer pieces... RS3 As BS3 but with Japanese cream-coloured plastic pieces with initial ranks in black and promoted ranks in red. (Never seen this one) NS3 As BS3 but with higher-quality off-white Japanese pieces with both sides in black. 17.50 UK, 21.00 overseas. The pieces here are MUCH nicer than the BS3 ones. The symbols are depressed slightly rather than just being on the surface. (Er. RS3 was the same price as the earlier ones) WS3 Westernised Shogi set as BS3 but with Shogi Association specially designed pieces which are marked with a system of arrows, lines and letters to indicate movement and name. This special set will enable the beginner quickly to grasp the essentials of shogi and graduation to a Japanese set can be made later. This set has proved its worth in schools and in teaching demonstrations everywhere. 17.50 UK, 21.00 overseas. (Comment: Well, maybe, but I don't believe it. I think this set is incomparably naff and dreadful. I have taught shogi to 20+ people using a Japanse set, and no-one has needed more than 1 or 2 games to learn the pieces and moves, apart from occasional reminders about double pawns etc. Anyone who claims the "Japanse pieces all look the same" is a mental cripple who presumably can't tell the difference between "normal" Chess pieces either since "they are all vaguely cylindrical and look the same to me". I suppose for demos at schools a set like this could be useful, but don't waste money on getting one to actually play with. It costs too much for that - you'll have to learn the Japanese pieces eventually, so why not start out that way? These pieces are UGLY. AS1 A specially designed set for children of 4-12 years of age. The LARGE pieces each have an animal motif in addition to the Japanese characters. The pieces also include a system of lines to indicate the moves. Comes complete with a light beige-coloured vinyl board. Overall size is about double that of a normal SHogi set. Highly recommended for children and those who like the unusual. 20.00 UK, 22.50 overseas. (Well, I have seen this. It's a bit cutesy. I wouldn't buy one.) MS3 Full-size magnetic shogi set with folding metal-faced plastic board. Pieces each contain a small magnet. Ideal for use in restricted space such as train, plane, cafe, etc. 20.00 UK, 22.50 overseas. LS1 LARGE shogi set using a Middle Shogi folding wooden board marked with a 9x9 grid and with LARGE white wooden pieces, about twice normal size. Now becoming popular in Japan and a set that will appeal to those who have a liking for large chess sets. Pieces come in a superb wooden box. 69.50 UK, 75.00 overseas. (Damned expensive. The pieces are nice, but I think this is going too far. Also, it's not very portable.) There are pieces called NS5, which are the nicest of all. My advice is to ask for a BS3 board with NS5 pieces. NS5 pieces on their own cost me 10.00 in England. I don't know the overseas price. The NS5 pieces really are very nice. Plastic, but brilliant while and smooth and creamy with deeply incised characters. Lovely. Shogi sets in tubes. BS1 Pieces as BS3 above but on pliable vinyl board marked with file number and rank letters to assist in the recording of game scores. 9.00 UK, 11.00 overseas. (Functional. Probably the sort of thing a 'Shogi Club' or tournament organiser ought to have in reasonable numbers.) RS1 As BS1 but with RS3 pieces. 12.00 UK, 14.00 overseas. WS2 As BS1 but with WS3 pieces. 12.00 UK, 14.00 overseas. VS5 As BS1 but with highest quality Japanese ivory-effect pieces (ref NS5) 13.00 UK, 15.00 overseas. NS5 pieces come in a box that can double as rather cheap koma dai (piece stands). Other pieces just come in a cardboard box. Pocket shogi sets. MS1 Magnetic shogi set 95x195mm. 7.50 UK, 9.00 overseas. MS2 As MS1, but non-folding board and extra space for captured pieces. 180x230mm. 9.00 UK, 11.00 overseas. MST Tiny set 70x120mm. Pieces housed individually in the squares of the board, marked with embossed names in black with promoted names in red. Board enclosed in snap-shut perspex box. 5.00 UK, 7.00 overseas. (I utterly recommend this. The symbols used are the ones used in diagrams and books, so are useful practice for Tsume-Shogi etc (as +B and +R book symbols are nothing like the normal pieces you actually play with)) GS1 International graphic Shogi set. The pieces are in a white plastic material and are marked with a design to indicate the moves. A truly international set as letters are not used to show the names nor is there any Japanese calligraphy. Paper board. 5.00 UK, 7.00 overseas. (Cheaper than WS3, and less crass. If you really MUST buy a non- Japanese set, this won't seem like too much of a waste of money later, I suppose.) SHOGI VARIANTS (Most of which were never played by anyone anywhere - I advise to to ignore this section totally. I include it for completeness only.) CS1 Middle Shogi, wooden board. 12x12 48.00 UK, 55.00 overseas CS2 As above, vinyl board 35.00 UK, 37.00 overseas CS3 much the same 32.50 UK, 35.00 overseas TOS Tori Shogi 7x7 13.00 UK, 15.00 overseas WS Wa Shogi 11x11 29.50 UK, 32.00 overseas DS Dai Shogi 15x15 57.50 UK, 60.00 overseas TJS Tenjiku Shogi 16x16 67.50 UK, 70.00 overseas DDS Dai-Dai Shogi 17x17 72.50 UK, 75.00 overseas MDDS Maka-Dai-Dai Shogi 19x19 82.50 UK, 87.50 overseas TS Tai Shogi 25x25 (354 pieces of about 96 types. Er..) 135.00 UK, 140.00 overseas Also a list of conversions to provide just enough extra pieces to go from one variant to another etc. I won't include that. If some other maniac wants to type it in, they can. BS1 pieces 7.50, board 5.00 RS1 pieces 7.50 WS2 pieces 9.00 NS5 pieces 10.00 Also blank pieces in all 6 sizes available blank, stamped or stamped with non-standard designs for 20, 30 and 50p each respectively. Rules for variants Tori 2.00, Wa 2.00, Middle 3.50, Dai 3.50, Tenjiku 3.50, Dai-Dai 3.50, Maka-Dai-Dai 4.00, Tai 5.00 Codes for about TOSL, WSL, CSL, DSL, TJSL, DDSL, MDDSL, TSL Publications SFB Shogi for Beginners. As already said on this BB, this book is totally necessary. Buy it. 7.00 UK, 8.00 overseas GTSO Guide to Shogi Openings. 200 "What now?" problems which lead you through about 6 openings, often going off non-standard routes (ie down them) until it becomes clear why you shouldn't play them, then returning to main line. VERY good. Not really ideal for total beginners, but pretty well indispensable sooner or later. 8.50 UK, 10.00 overseas BMFBS Better Moves for Better Shogi. 300+ pages. The blurb claims that if you read and digest everything in this, you will become 5 dan. Well, there is a lot of stuff there. Not suitable for total beginners! But again, nice to have sooner or later, and probably necessary if you want to become strong. 18.50 UK, 20.00 overseas. Seems a lot, but it's worth it. Also contains glossary of Shogi terms. SHOGI The magazine of TSA. Nos 2 to 63 1.00 each, 64 to 70 1.50 each. Postage and packing: One issue .50 inland, .50 overseas Five issues 1.00 inland, 2.00 overseas Ten issues 2.00 inland 4.00 overseas Twenty issues 4.00 inland 8.00 overseas Thirty issues 5.00 inland 8.00 overseas Fifty issues 6.00 inland, 10.00 overseas These magazines are DAMNED good. Articles on openings, handicap openings, lots of gamescores. Tsume-Shogi (mostly rather hard). Far too much publicity for variants, but you can ignore that. Too many anti-Chess insults, but you can ignore that as well. Embarassing "Cho-jo" quotes about mathematical sources of true chessological (sic) difficulty etc etc in early issues. I don't know whether those were supposed to be taken seriously or not. Anyway, these magazines are really rather nice. Back issues of Japanese Shogi or Shogi Sekai available on request. (I think he may also have some Japanese books) Floor-standing shogi boards in Alaskan spruce wood with koma dai. Prices from 395.00. (Er. Well, if you have nothing better to do with the money... I can't see why anyone would NEED one of these. They are non-portable, for starters.) Address: G.F. Hodges P.O. Box 77, Bromley, Kent BR1 2WT England Tel London 468 7050 (don't know if it's 071 or 081. Anyone out there know?) Telex England 896426 (HODGES G) Fax London 295 1550 Remittance payable to G.F. Hodges Payment by cheque, postal order, cash or any other convenient method. Foreign cheques attract a clearance fee of at least 3.50, so if paying by this method please add this amount to your calculations. Airmail despatch is also possible. Please enquire as to the extra amounts necessary in this case. Please allow plenty of time for delivery. (My experience is that he seems to send the stuff the next day. In England, the stuff arrived 48 hours after I wrote asking for it, sometimes. He seems to have an amazing number of very old stamps in very strange denominations. You get a parcel of 40 magazines totally covered in 4 and a half pence stamps. Where does he get them from?) Unconnected with Hodges" Ludotheque di l'impense radical "Flammarion" produces a book "Traite du Jeu de Shogi - Echecs Japonais" by Pierre-Eric Spindler. ISBN 2 08 202203 X Comes with paper board, two sets of cut out pieces (one set with arrows, one set with Japanese symbols) It's a book for beginners, and contains the Leggett Mistake. Indeed, it seems to have quite a lot of Leggett in it. Hodges reviewed this book VERY savagely in SHOGI. There might be something useful in it though - some stuff on castles, some annotated games etc. EVERY double-page spread contains a chart to remind you of the moves. This is just insulting. This company used to do a book on Chinese CHess, but that seems to be out of print now. Permanently? I know not.