From: Pieter Stouten <Pieter.Stouten <at> EMBL <dot> BITNET>
Date: 9 nov 1991
Subject: Re: Crimes against humanity

On Sat, 9 Nov 1991 09:42:34 +0100 Adam Atkinson <atkinson <at> VAXROM <dot> CERN <dot> CH>
writes about the Shogi program "Shogi Master":
 
>I will try to play level 2 some more to see if it is any better
> [...]
>What are the intermediate levels like?
>
I have no first-hand information. I don't have nor have I seen the program.
I do know that Shogi Master on level 3 is a very welcome player at the DC
Shogi Club (USA) and at the tournaments they organize. It is about 6-kyu
with an ELO rating of 994.
 
>Guberti tells me Chess programs were about the level of Shogi Master in say
>1975.
>
That may be true. It just goes to show that Shogi is more complicated than
Chess :-)
 
>Once I forked a major piece in the enemy camp AND a minor promoted piece in
>my camp. The computer moved the promoted piece and allowed me to capture
>its undefended bishop
>
In itself this is not strange. Shogi is about capturing the King. If the
computer judged that its minor promoted piece was crucial for a mating
attack then it might as well sacrifice an (inactive ?) bishop for it. There
is a famous Shogi proverb: "A weak player loves his Rook more than his
King," which might sort of apply here. Of course, we can't discount the
possibility that Shogi Master is not a genius on level 1.
 
Pieter Stouten