From: grimbergen <at> MACPOST <dot> PSYCH <dot> KUN <dot> NL
Date: 1 feb 1993
Subject: Re: Shogi terms

In his latest post, Adam Atkinson writes:
 
>
>Sente=black, gote=white? Really? Even when white has sente?
>
 
Before this gets more confusing than it already is, let me explain Adam's
wisecrack. Sente is Shogi is used in two different ways. The first is to
designate the player who starts the game. Sente is the combination of the Kanji
for "previous, before" and the kanji of "hand", so the use of Sente for the
player who moves first should be obvious. In contrast Gote is a combination of
the kanji for "after" and (again) "hand".
However, Sente is also used for "initiative". Since initiative is (or should be)
 
playing moves to which your opponent has to respond defensively, instead of
carrying out his own devious plans, the choice of "Sente" to indicate initiative
 
is easy to explain.
So, in conclusion, gote can have sente, as Adam says. No offence, Adam, but I
thought I should clear that up, since Japanese is already confusing enough.
 
>"Better Moves for Better Shogi" has a reasonably gobsmacking list of
>terms with pronunciation, kanji and translation.
 
Maybe everybody already knows this, but "Better Moves for Better Shogi" is a
must for every player ranging from absolute beginner to dan-player. I read it
about four times myself, and I like to read it again some time.
 
Reijer Grimbergen