From: Ivan Tuckwell TSY TREASURY GOVT NZ> Date: 16 jan 1997 Subject: Re: TENJIKU: mating problem D. Ross Dickson wrote >Please excuse what may be an ignorant question from a novice. You >wrote: >>I have just come across this ancient Tenjiku Shogi >>tsume problem. The local antiquarian reliably dates >>the manuscript to 14th January 1997. Enjoy. >> >>16/14,FL,RC/14,BT,K/13,FID,2/16/12,p,p,p,P/ >>16/16/16/16/16/6,lhk,+ln,dh,7/5,b,b,9/16/ >>14,dk,1/16/ >>Colin Paul Adams >Is the deciphering of this code part of the puzzle or is it a "standard" >style for describing shogi positions? It is sort of standard. I believe it is Forsyth notation as applied to a Tenjiku board. The position is represented as 16 rows, each delimited by a '/' A number means that number of spaces, an upper case piece is white and a lower case piece is black. In the above position, the top row of the board is empty, the second row is empty apart from the two rightmost squares, which contain a white Ferocious Leopard and a white Reverse Chariot, etc. Ivan