From: atkinson <at> VAXROM <dot> CERN <dot> CH
Date: 3 oct 1991
Subject: I am only talking to myself

but I have some time to burn, so why not.
 
One of my notices about Shogi/Go/XiangQi/etc etc was seen a couple of days
ago! A fourth-year student from the Oriental Studies has contacted me. He
has just come back from 6 months at the University of Tokyo. He is a high=
powered chess player, and is thus well-known in Chess circles here. He is
probably thus better equipped to look for potential Shogi players in such
places. (Attack from within!) During his time in Tokyo, he was taught both
Shogi and Go (and indeed Renju/Go-Moku). He was sufficiently impressed with
both games that he has posted 10 boxes of books and equipment to himself.
This stuff is arriving in dribs and drabs. He is planning to sell the stuff
at a slight net profit (counting postage and customs duties, if he gets hit
with the latter).
 
I think he could prove to be VERY useful. He will send another "order"
to Japan quite soon, so I should be able to get NSR publications through
him. His current stocks do NOT include books in Japanese, not even
Tsume-Shogi or game transcripts. He said he didn't realise how easy it
was for people to read such things.
 
He says he will also start hunting around for Shogi players, and with the
stuff he has arriving he has also solved the problem of what to say to
people who want to know where to get the stuff. Excellent. I was especially
interested when he said he had already heard of me from about 3 independent
sources (I was variously described as "If you want addresses etc for Shogi
talk to AA." "Have you met that utter pillock who goes around with stupid
Chinese Checkers or whatever it is" and "Ah. Yes, I've seen this before.
That guy who teaches English at Physics had a set." ) At least word of some
sort is getting around.
 
Gradara this weekend! Write today for details! (electronically, to me)