From: Reijer Grimbergen <grimbergen <at> NICI <dot> KUN <dot> NL>
Date: 22 may 1995
Subject: Re: Shogi software for IBM PC

>
>I played about 30 games against Kiwame 2 on its default level (I'm
>having troubles with the menu's for setting up higher level games 3 as
>Rijer is pointing out). In the beginning I was loosing 3 out of 4. Now
>I'm winning 3 out of 4. On a 90 MHz Pentium most moves of Kiwame are
>played within one second, occasionaly longer. Even on this lowest level I
>would rate it 4 to 2 kyu. It's easy to get some advantage in the mid-game
>but the program is an awesome attacker. It never misses a tsume I guess.
>It seems to have special heuristics for attacking on the head of the king
>with a knight and a lance.
>
>I'm willing to put a bet on Kiwame 2 on a 120 Mhz Pentium for winning
>a European quick-game shogi championship (15 min/game).
>

How much, 5000$, 10000$? I am very low on cash on the moment (unemployment
is hell), so I could use some :-). Seriously, if Kiwame plays in a
tournament with European Champion Takahara, Eric Cheymol, Arend van Oosten
and me it will have no chance to win. It might beat one of us and maybe
two, but definitely not more. The game against Arend in Gent has convinced
me that the program has some serious strategic flaws and it can be beaten
quickly if you are aiming at its weak spots and don't give the program a
chance to get close to your king.

Still, it is definitely strong and these comments could all be viewed in
the light of the results of the Gent tournament. After all, Kiwame scored
more points than I did...

Reijer