From: Pieter Stouten <STOUTEN <at> EMBL <dot> BITNET>
Date: 18 may 1990
Subject: Re: Very comprehensive Shogi rules and some added thoughts

On 18-MAY-1990 02:15:17.26 Maurizio Paolini writes:
 
>I have got some questions about Shogi.
>
>1) can anybody of you supply a drawing of how a Shogi checkerboard
>   is set up at the beginning of a game ? none of the previous postings
>   reported that, and this makes things quite difficult to me
>   (I'm a chess player, and I didn't even know about the existence of Shogi
>   up to last month !!)
>
>2) a question concerning drops: when you capture a piece, are you forced
>   to drop it on the next turn ? or can you hold it in your hand and decide
>   when to drop it (possibly never) ?
>
>3) (to Calvin James) about the Shogi Manual mentioned above: could you
>   please supply a complete reference of that (editor, price and so) ?
 
1) On May 8 a posting appeared on this list containing general Shogi
   information and at the end the representation of the initial setup
   as it is used now in e-mail Shogi. I already forwarded it to Maurizio.
   We are in the process of revising this general info.
2) When you capture a piece you can drop it anytime when it is your turn.
   You are not obliged.
3) Since Calvin Jones is not on this list, I take the liberty to answer
   your question: the best beginner's book is not the manual mentioned
   by Calvin James. The best book is:
      "Shogi for Beginners" by John Fairbairn.
      Published by The Ishi Press, Inc., CPO Box 2126, Japan.
   In Europe this book is available from The Shogi Association (TSA),
   PO Box 77, Bromley, Kent, England (tel. (44)-1-468-7050, 44 = England).
   Unfortunately I don't have their current price list with me. TSA
   also sells back issues of the magazine "Shogi" (in English) which they
   published for (I think) 11 years. You can learn a lot from them.
   Americans might try to order "Shogi for Beginners" from: Ishi Press
   International, 1400 Shoreline Blvd., Building A7, Mountain View,
   Ca 94043, U.S.A.. I wrote them a letter to find out whether they still
   sell this book, but I have not received a reply yet. Also Ishi Press
   publishes (or published) the magazine "Shogi World" which should be
   produced in the same superb style as "Go World".
 
I hope this is any use,
Pieter Stouten,
bitnet: stouten@embl