From: "george (g.) jost" BNR CA> Date: 1 feb 1996 Subject: Re: Shogi, Chess, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Sushi!!! The point about Shogi is that many westerners who would likely enjoy the game have never been exposed to it in an appropriate manner. They may not take it seriously because as it is not as easily recognized as chess or for that matter go, but the would enjoy it. Go is popular in at least in two major nations and is totally unlike chess. Chinese chess is popular in China and many nations which have been influenced by/part of it in the past: Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, ... Shogi is Japanese. When you get down to it people only have so much time in life to play games, thus they only play so many seriously. Too bad, but perhaps Shogi has a chance because it is indeed unique. Better games? How cares?!? Obviously most of us think Shogi is a great game otherwise we wouldn't be playing it and looking for others to do the same. I won't bad mouth chess except to say that I personally enjoy shogi more fun and less tedious because ...mabye I better not get into that. I find the balance between restricted movement of the pieces combined against the ability to drop (with the pawm rule in mind) intriguing. The variety of natures of the castles represents an unexplored wilderness; i.e, I love Shogi because its cool and mathematical rigour be framboseled. Love doesn't need real logic. (If it were a matter of life and death in a balloon I'd chuck the chess set first, but would Kasporov?) IS SHOGI REALLY ABSTRACT COMPARED TO CHESS? I THINK NOT. OBJECT, TRAP KING END OF STORY.Go is on the other hand more abstract. Perhaps Shogi strategy is abstract? This I might agree. For all I know chess strategy can either a) be abstract or b) handled in an abstract way which has not been considered yet? Perhaps Shogi can be handled in a more "blatant" way without Castles and so on. What do I know here -- not much. Although I have seen in Fairbarn some modern Shogi masters experimenting with "semi-protected" kings ??? Lightning Shogi? I guess many/most of you may have tried such. I haven't so I can't say much about it. FOOTBALL, SOCCER, which is better, bah, give me a break. Everyone knows that HOCKEY is much better. Just kidding. Each to their own. I prefer soccer because I'm not huge. Then again Arnold S. claimed to have also been a soccer player. He's huge, but perhaps he would have enjoyed football even more (Hah). Again who cares. P.S. Have you heard of Western Chess with drops? I have but I have never played. I guess it would not have the same balance that Shogi has. Nor of course, the tradition. What do you think? Sushi? anyone care to treat me? Too bad, I was looking forward to trying it in a traditional restaurant in Tokyo. I guess I'll have to settle for buying myself a round at the local one. -- George (613)-765-2895 :) e-mail: jost bnr ca In Shogi, your rook may come back to haunt you ... ---------------------------------------------------- This memo does not represent the views of BNR/Nortel.