From: "ishius <at> holonet <dot> net" <ishius <at> ISHIUS <dot> COM>
Date: 10 oct 1994
Subject: Re: Chess and Shogi

I play several hundred different games, including chess, go and shogi,
and have been selling games for a living for eight years now.  Because
of that, I have had to articulate clearly the relative merits of various
games and why one might prefer one game over another.

I have described the advantages of Shogi over Wester Chess as follows:

1) It handicaps very well, unlike chess, so that players of differing
   strengths can play together with the stronger always winning, as in chess.
2) Like GO, the handicaps are designed to teach specific lessons about
   the game, so that mastering handicap games one can apply that knowledge
   to even games.
3) Most professional chess games end in draws.  Almost no shogi games end
   in draws.  If most football games ended in draws, no one would watch
   football.
4) Because the material is always in circulation, the endgames of shogi
   are much more interesting than endgames in chess.  In fact, shogi
   endgames resemble backgammon games in they are more of a race than
   anything else.  Because both players usually have enough material
   to attempt their fiendish plans, both players are working to checkmate
   the other's king at the same time.  This means that in shogi, if you
   can defend against the enemy mate attempt, you can immediately turn
   around and try to push your own.  Even if you lose, you can often say
   that just a single tempo at the end might have brought you victory.
   In chess, by contrast, a successful defense against mate usually
   turns into one side or the other playing for a draw.  BORING.
5) Western Chess is dominated by analysis of the openings: I'd estimate
   that 90% off all material published on chess RV z  "!%M r QUI 9j$  $HP: the
 club and competitive level, players book up on the opening
   system of their choice.  There is much more scope for creativity
   in Shogi, and much less scope for memorization of opening systems.
6) Shogi is much more exciting than Western Chess.  As noted before,
   there are fewer draws, and both players tend to be playing offensively
   at once, or at least advancing an offensive plan while defending.
   Further, there are more captures, sacrifices, and exchanges in Shogi
   than in Chess; and many more elaborate combinations.  Shogi has a
   sharper and more exciting tactical feel than western chess.
7) Western Chess is doomed as a game that people play for enjoyment.
   In fifty years, chess will be about as popular as checkers is today.
   Already, chess programs and chess machines available in any game
   store for no more than a few hundred dollars play at Master Level,
   and can beat over 99% of all players.  It is only a matter of a decade
   at most until a computer program can reliably beat the World Chess
   Champion.  The tendancy towards draws and the reliance on memorizing
   opening analysis has sucked the life out of this once beautiful game.
8) In all my years as a salesman, I could never honestly recommend that
   any customer attend their local chess club or competition.  Chess
   clubs tend to attract arrogant and anti-social persons who do their
   best to humiliate their opponents and do nothing to welcome new
   players to their ranks.  Having attended and organized several U.C.S.F.
   tournaments in California, I can honestly say that I would not spend
   time with these people by choice.  While I haven't met very many other
   shogi players, they have been universally warm and encouraging.

DISCLAIMER:
        These opinions are entirely mine, based on my experience, and
        do not reflect the opinions, views, or concerns of my employer,
        Ishi Press International.

Anton Dovydaitis