From: Colin Paul Adams <colin <at> COLINA <dot> DEMON <dot> CO <dot> UK>
Date: 10 jan 1998
Subject: TENJIKU: Schmittberger's "trap" re-evaluated

All Tenjiku Shogi players must be familiar with the appreciation of
the game by Wayne Schmittberger given on the back of the TSA leaflet.
In it, he shows an example opening line, and a variation (which I have
heard described as a trap) for Black. In the variation, Black ends up
with two Fire Demons to none on White's side, but White captures nine
ranging pieces and a Blind Tiger.

Wayne's assesment of the result is that it is doubted that two Fire
Demons can create as much devastation as Black has suffered.

In the first addition of my book, I saw no reason to question this
assesment, as it is manifestly not possible for the two Fire Demons to
retaliate in kind, at that stage of the game. But now I think a
reassesment is needed.

In my efforts to search for a variation for White where he doesn't
tamely have to submit to losing a Free King for nothing, I came across
a variation in which Black gains more than TWELVE ranging pieces in
exchange for only ONE Fire Demon.
Despite such a lead, White went on to win in the example game I
created. Now very probably he should not have done so, but even so, I
am forced to the conclusion that Black is probably winning the game in
Schmittberger's "trap". The Fire Demon is just too lethal when it
comes to the endgame. (Therefore White should play FiD - 6g, not 5h,
in order to avoid this variation).

Comments please.
--
Colin Paul Adams
Preston Lancashire