From: Hugh Denoncourt <hd <at> HOPPER <dot> UNH <dot> EDU>
Date: 31 jan 1996
Subject: Re: More Tai &otherShogivar.

> to call it a draw. So anyone who wants to play Tai and is capable of finishing a game by mating
> the enemyking  will have performed a tremendous feat somewhat like reading the famous book
> of J. Joyce, unfortunately I forgot the title.
Probably _Ulysses_ although there are many others.
I had never thoroughly read the Tai rules so I misstakenly said something
about pieces in hand which Tai obviously wouldnt have(probably shouldnt
have because the game would be too complex)...
All I've played is Shogi and Tori Shogi... I have to admit, Tori Shogi
(played on a mere 7x7) is very exciting... I thought that because of the
size of the board and all that stuff that the game would not be as fun as
regular Shogi but I think the game lends itself to exciting games due to
the high piece-to-board spaces ratio.  It is higher than any chess game
I've played yet(I think there are 32 pieces on a 49 space board to begin
with.  Thats about 65% of the board with pieces and 35% empty space.  WEstern
chess and Shogi are at about 50% of each...)
Add drops to that and the board is always dense(covered with pieces)...
Of course, 9x9 Shogi is easily as exciting - just in a different way.
Hugh