From: Colin Paul Adams COLINA DEMON CO UK> Date: 6 jan 1998 Subject: Re: Shogi variants joke Eric and Jackie GTE NET> writes: > This brings up a very critical question-which rules are correct? Is the > G.F. Hodges phamphlet correct, or is there a newer site that has > [updated] rules? This would be quite disappointing to me if those > particular rules were no longer valid, since I've actually played thru a > couple of games, and I'd hate to have to re-learn it! But, if progress > has been made.... I think we were both using rules from a GFH pamphlet (mine were taken from Steve Evans's computer game, which were in turn taken from GFH - I believe), but the pamphlet itself will have been updated (someone please correct me if I am wrong about this). But as to what is correct .... At the same Go tournament, whilst I was leaning over the MDDS (Mad, Daft, Dangerous Silly game?) board, setting up the pieces, I was tapped on the shoulder by a chap who said something like: "That's Maka-Dai-Dai Shogi, so you must be Colin Adams". Since I'd never actually played the game, I corrected his logic, but admitted the identity. He then introduced himself as John Fairbairn. We then had a little chat about variants. John explained that one reason why he never played any variants other than Tori, was a great uncertainty about the rules (even for Chu, which he reckoned effectively died out in the 1920's). He told me that even now, he keeps coming across new discoveries in the Shogi magazines - mostly about Sho Shogi and the transition fron Heian Sho Shogi and the introduction of drops, and there is no doubt more material published in specialist journals. So he will never commit himself as to what is actually "correct" for any of these games. -- Colin Paul Adams Preston Lancashire