From: Hans_Geuns EURONET NL> Date: 17 oct 1995 Subject: Re: Tsume Shogi Randal J. Andrews wrote: >Here is my first attempt at composing a tsume shogi problem. I would >appreciate any comments. > > 6 5 4 3 2 1 >a -- -- -- -- -- wL >b -- -- wK -- -- wS >c bB wP wP wP -- wP > >Black in hand: B G N > >It is mate in 9 moves. I appreciate your effort at trying to compose a tsume problem. (I tried to make one several times, but was never satisfied with the results...) I would like to point out some deficiencies however. First of all, it is not a tsume problem ! Black can indeed force mate in 9 moves, but he has more than 1 way to do this. (E.g. 1. N'3d is correct, but so is 1.B'5a.) One of the rules of tsume shogi is that Black (the attacker) should have one and only one way to force mate. In other words, an endgame problem (like yours) is only (considered as) a tsume shogi problem if 1. Black can indeed force mate (no matter how clever white defends/responds to Black's checks); and 2. In any position (in any variation) where it is Black's turn, only one Black move is correct. If Black does not play this correct move, White will be/should be able to defend succesfully and force a position in which Black no longer can force mate (a position in which Black no longer has any checks or a position in which Black is forced to play a repetition of moves). When we are trying to solve a tsume, we are usually not aware of this 2nd rule. But, I think, it is precisely this restriction that makes _composing_ a tsume problem interesting (and difficult...). Your problem also has a second deficiency: the mating sequence starting with 1.B'5a is too straight-forward. (1. B'5a K3b 2.B4a+ (just B4a also works) K2b 3.N'3d Px3d 4.G'3c etc.) This is of course a subjective criticism, because these moves might not be (so) straight-forward to beginners. By the way, did you know the following tsume problem: 6 5 4 3 2 1 .. .. .. wK wN wL .. bG .. .. .. .. .. .. wP wP wP .. .. .. .. .. .. wP Black has B, G, G, N in hand. (9 moves) I found it in a _very_ good introduction to tsume shogi: Tsume Shogi o tanoshimu hon, ("Enjoying Tsume Shogi") by Murayama Takaharu (published by Kin-ensha, Tokyo 1988) (ISBN 4-321-55221-4) Enjoy (Tsume) Shogi ! Hans Geuns geuns euronet nl