From: Dick Iwakura HK NTTDATA NET> Date: 21 may 1996 Subject: LECTURE NO.1 - HINERI HISHA (SWITCHING HISHA) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------6D8E51611544 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-2022-jp Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit MAY 21, 1996 Dear friendly Shogi Players ! Please make it peace and please don't discuss anymore about notatoin. Since the officer of SHOGI-L accepted any free opinion on SHOGI-L with BIG MIND, I really did appreciate his brave decision. I told all of you many times that I still can not write Westners Notation and now am trying to practice for it. However, it takes a not short time because I already got accustomed with 76 Fu, 34 Fu, 68 Gin, 85 Fu and I can do Blind-Hold game. Therefore, to change my sensitive mind for Shogi is quite difficult but Please give me a little time. When I ask to give me an e-mail for the listners, the officer became very angry and he asked me to return back to SHOGI-L and ask somebody to translate my notation to International one. So I must apology to many many listners who gave me numerous e-mail. Sorry but thanks. However, I will follow the officer's suggestion to upload my lecture to everybody. I hope Mr.Grinbergen or kind gentemen can translate of my notation till I studied it completely. On the other hands, I extemely agree the way of Mr.Tanigawa (6 Dan) to write the notation like, 76P, 34P, 75P, 84P, 78R, 88Bn (n = nari, promoted), do-S,..... If all of us use this way, both side, Eastern and Western side, can communicate very easily. Communication easy is the most important. Anyway, let's start the lecture but if you are more than Shodan, you are not necessary to read this lecture because you have already known all. Any questions by direct e-mail are welcome. And also any of your score (Kifu) wrtten by any notation is welcome to me to suggest the better move for winning next game for you. Best regards Dick Iwakura --------------6D8E51611544 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-2022-jp Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Lecture-1.txt" SHOGI LECTURE FOR THE BEGINNERS (If you are more than Shodan, you don't need to read this lecture) LECTURE NO.1 Initial Set Up of Playing Shogi -------------------------------------- Please don't forget the following manners when you start playing Shogi with your respectful opponent: 1. As long as the traditional culture concerns, we respect the person who has good modesty to the people. Conversation during play is absolutely prohibited. 2. When you will pick up the piece (KOMA), you have to pick up the Gyoku(King) first. It has very strict rule that lower class person should have Gyoku and upper class person takes Ou. we call them both Koma as King.. But there are big difference. If the opponent is the same class as you, you can choose one of both. 3. After you pick up the Gyoku, you will pick up Kin(Gold) and put this Kin to your left-hand side of Gyoku. Next you pick up other Kin and put it right-hand side of Gyoku. 4. Then you take Gin(Silver), Keima(Knight),Kyousha(Lance) in order. 5. After bottom rank is finished, you will take Fu(Pawn) and put this Fu to 5C/5G position. Then you will follow the same way of others. 6. After you finish Fu, you take Kaku(Bishop) and finally you take Hisha(Rook). (We call this way as "OH-HASHI" style. 7. If the handicap is even, you will take 5 Fu and swing them inside of your hands and drop them. If Fu appears more than three pcs., the person who was swinging (you) will take Sente(Black). If there are Tokin more than three pcs., your opponent takes Sente. For handicapped game, the upper class persons always take Sente. But scoring should be written as if the lower class were Sente. E.g. 62 Gin, 76 Fu, 53 Fu, 46 Fu......... The lower class persons must tell the upper class "ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA' after the game review (actually this is teaching) has been finished. 8. After Sente/Gote is decided, both side must mention clearly "ONEGAI SHIMASU!". Then start the game. 9. When you will resign the game, you have to mention very clearly "MAKEMASHITA' or "ARIMASEN'. 10.Please note Shogi is extremely traditional game and I hope my possible students in this lecture keeps the above rules very strictly when you will play Shogi game anytime. Because this is traditional beauty. 11. This is the common sense when people will learn Karate or Judo also. JAPANESE SHOGI WORDS ------------------------------------- I hope you try to remember at least following few words: 1. The words of Piece Original Name After Promoted King Gyoku None Rook Hisha or Hi Ryu Bishop Kaku Uma Gold Kin None Silver Gin Nari-Gin Knight Kei or Keima Nari-Kei Lance Kyo or Kyosha Nari-Kyo Pawn Fu Tokin or To 2. The words of Movement I will describe it all in English because ordinal Japanese can understand simple English. Right - The right-hand side piece moves. Left - The left-hand side piece moves. Side - The piece moves to side Up --- The piece moves to straight up Down - The piece moves to down. Back ----- The piece moves to back. Exception: When you can capture the opponent's Koma, we can say Do-Fu, Do-Kyo, Do-Kaku etc. Example ; Sente Gote ------ ------ 1, 26 Fu 2. 84 Fu 3. 25 Fu 4. 85 Fu 5. 24 Fu 6. Do-Fu 7. Do-Hi 8. 86 Hi 9. Do-Fu 10. 87 Fu (I don't mention 87 Fu drop ) 10. 23 Fu 12. 88 Fu naru 11. Do-Gin 14. 35 Kaku 12. 22 Fu naru 16. Do-Gin 13. 28 Hi 18. 57 Kaku naru Toryo (resign) Gote won the game at step No.18. naru ---- promotes Nari-Gin - Promoted Silver The numbers on the left is the movement step. International Notation is a kind of Chess method. Shogi never uses such a STEP. Every professionals explain that "my step No.28's 78 Kyo-Naru was mistake" something like this way. Sente must be odd step number and Gote even numbers. For other special words, you can learn them step by step with me. The merit of the Words in Japanese --------------------------------------------- 1. You can communicate any Japanese Ama./Pro. Players by this way very easily. So professionals are easy to teach you. On the other hands, they can not teach you under so called "International" notation. Only few professional can do it. I strongly hope some professionals are trying to learn western notation. . 2. You can read any Japanese Shogi books after you study a few more Kanji characters. If you already play by actual Kanji Koma, you don't need to study more. This is all. 3. What I want all of you is to become SHODAN as soon as possible. You can learn all necessary formula from books. I believe you can surely do it after a few lectures of mine to get the black belt within 3-4 years. 4. I and other members on other famous Shogi page will use this kind of notation but we will try to learn European notation also in the nearest future. . 5. If you can write your score (Kifu) completely, I wish to give you Class 4 strength at least. Class 4 means that you can beat me under the handicap of two pcs (without Hisha and Kaku) for all the games. If you can play Blind-hold games, you are already becoming 3 dan or more. 6. In order to confirm your strength, we play together in new Shogi server. NTT Japan is now working to establish Graphical complete Shogi server with co-operation of RICOH within this year, where you can know your real strength by playing with many of us. Unfortunately, nobody can use the "International" notation there. So to review your scores, we need to study this kind of format. Otherwise, other strong amateurs or professionals can not give you any good suggestions even if they know how to write good English to you. Very few Japanese Player can write you with International notation. I hope they can learn it as soon as possible. If you really respect our culture and love SHOGI, Please study one hour to remember all the necessary words for above for your lifetime Shogi Hobby. If you don't have anytime to study them now, please just print this out and when you will be confused, you just refer it please. This is technical part but real good Shogi players respect the opponent with good manner and gentle modesty. Needless to say, you can not be so glad when you win the game in front of your opponent. Instead, you have to give and show your opponent very deep sympathy because he or she really would like to cry by loosing the game. If your time allows for the review of the game, you have to consider with your opponent very carefully and try to find out any method that opponent could win if he or she moved with other way. This is gentlemen Shogi-Ship. Frankly speaking, to be stronger or weaker is not so much important in Shogi. The attitude of the game create your own beauty and people will like you more. On the other hands, all strong Ama/Pro Players are strictly keeping good attitude for Shogi Play all the time without exception. This is the hint to be a skilful player. If you can not keep the way I mentioned all above, you are not qualified to be a skilful Shogi Player. It is very easy if you can think of the people's mind. You can also enter into "ZEN" world thru Shogi later. Anyway, please enjoy Shogi more. My next upload is starting Lecture of Habu's Brain No.8 "Hineri-Hisha (Switching Rook)" This strategy is very effective if opponent likes to take the way of Static Rook. I hope somebody can translate my notation of this lecture to westerners immediately. We have to study many of Strategy of Shogi like Yagura, Attack 4-Ken-Hisha, Yokofu-Tori. Etc. Let's study together. You are not requested to give me any comments thru Shogi Discussion List about my notation . I just hope you to be a good Shogi Player only and you can teach your friends well later on. So any personal question to my e-mail direct of the lecture is absolutely welcome. For next No.2 Lecture, Please move the piece first till this end : Sente Gote ------- ------- 26 Fu 84 Fu 25 Fu 85 Fu 78 Kin (why?) 32 Kin 24 Fu Do Fu Do Hisha 23 Fu 26 Hisha 34 Fu (This is no good but everybody want to do) 36 Hisha 33 Kin (OH! Kaku is no use now!) 76 Fu 86 Fu Do Fu Do Hisha 96 Fu 82 Hisha (really ? - you must be stronger!?) ................... Continued to next week. Until we come to this stage, there are so many variation involved already.!! This is why Shogi is so interesting. NOTE: If you can write your Kifu under the above way, please send me by e-mail, so I can give you good suggestion for next game. I need to receive your lost game Kifu. To review your lost game is the nearest way to be stronger. However, after you become Shodan, you need to have lectures from Professionals. We will be sure to provide you the chance thru Internet soon because my teacher Mr.Kenji Kobayashi and his wife is ready to co-operate to support world wide Shogi Players. Thanks friends and best regards Dick Iwakura Hong Kong Shogi Club (a Branch of Japan Shogi Federation) --------------6D8E51611544--