From: Pieter Stouten CARBON DMPC COM> Date: 28 aug 1996 Subject: Re: Kiwami Shogi (2nd attempt) At 4:44 +0800 96/08/28, Dick Iwakura wrote: >Pieter Stouten wrote: >> >> * Kiwame-2 >> 9000 Yen (about $100). Strength 2-dan, > >Peiter told that Kiwame-II has got 2-Dan strength. But I wonder how >I could beat them by two pcs. handicap game always at Hyper Level highest >even though I believe myself that I am less than 3-Dan. The quote from my mail is taken out of context. Permit me to quote a little bit more of my posting you were referring to: > > 9000 Yen (about $100). Strength 2-dan, the strongest PC-based program > by far. At the 1995 Verkouille Memorial Tournament in Belgium it beat > 4-kyu, 2-kyu, 1-kyu, 2-dan and 3-dan players and lost only to a 4-dan. > The strength is obviously not something that I make up. Hiroki Kawada (kawada merl hitachi co jp) had provided me with the information, which I believe he had from Kiwame II publicity material. Kiwame II's results at the Verkouille Memorial are consistent with dan-level, however. As to why you can beat Kiwame II with two-piece handicap, there can be several reasons. Computers and people play Shogi differently. Maybe you have a natural talent for playing against computers (e.g. chess player John van der Wiel is not among the world's strongest, but has a very good success rate in games against computers). Maybe, you are very good in giving two piece handicaps (Shogi professionals specialising in two-piece may beat players that other professionals might not even beat with just a rook handicap). Of course, it may well be that Kiwame II is not really playing on 2-dan level, but has exploited inaccuracies of superior players at the Verkouille Memorial. Once warned (as they are now), these same players might never lose again. > I had no any objection with his opinion but just felt it very strange. > I thank you for sharing that with all of us, but I am not sure that I quite grasp what point you wanted to make. Pieter. -- Pieter Stouten || Saying Windows 95 is equal Computer Aided Drug Design Group || to Macintosh is like The DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company || finding a potato that P.O. Box 80500, Wilmington, DE 19880-0500 || looks like Jesus and Phone: +1 (302) 695 3515 || believing you've witnessed Fax: +1 (302) 695 9090 || the second coming. Internet: stoutepf carbon dmpc com || -- Web: http://www.halcyon.com/stouten/ || Guy Kawasaki