From: Manabu Terao - Nihon Sun RM Advisory Staff Date: 22 nov 1996 Subject: Re: Basic Rules of Shogi Sam Sloan BEST COM> wrote; > I do not believe that you will ever find a strong Japanese player saying to > himself, "Now, let's see. I have a rook and a bishop in hand, so therefore I > have 28 points. My opponent has a gold, a silver, a knight and four pawns in > hand, so therefore he has 27 points. Therefore, I am one point ahead." > > It would be ridiculous to say such a thing. > > On the other hand, every strong chess player, including Kasparov, makes a > comparable calculation regarding chess. Very interesting to read the way of a chess player's thinking of Shogi. I believe every Japanese shogi player has an experience of sticking to material advantage when he or she first learn Shogi in his or her childhood. At least I do. I think, being an stronger shogi player, he or she find it does not often happen that he or she can 'capture' an opponent's piece without any pain when he or she play with a similar strength player. Then he or she may understand that 'pieces in hand' come from 'exchanging pieces with the same or similar value' rather than 'just capturing'. Then he or she may think about what makes the difference between a winner and a loser if both players exchange pieces with same or similar value. Manabu Terao(4dan, Ama, one of the ISPS members)