From: Pauli Misikangas <pmturune <at> CS <dot> HELSINKI <dot> FI>
Date: 9 jun 1998
Subject: Shocky 2.05

Hi!

I've just released a new version of Shocky (my shogi program).
To download it, visit the Shocky's homepage at

        http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~pmturune/Shocky_e.html

and follow a link to the Shocky II Demo Application page.
At the moment there is only a text-based user interface for
Shocky 2.05. If you prefer to use GUI's, try Pieter Moerman's
PM-Shocky, which is a Win95-GUI for older Shocky version (2.03).

Shocky 2.05 plays the following shogi variants:

        - Shogi (9x9)
        - Micro-Shogi (4x5)
        - Mini-Shogi (5x5)
        - Judkin's Shogi (6x6)
        - Tori Shogi (7x7)
        - Chess (8x8) (a shogi variant?)

I'm hoping that someone of you shogi experts could help me a bit
with those exotic shogi variants. My problem is that I don't know
how to play those games! I've never actually played Micro-Shogi,
Mini-Shogi, Judkin's Shogi, or Tori Shogi myself. I've implemented
the rules of those variants to Shocky, but I don't have any idea of
the deeper strategy of those variants.

For example, I don't know what are the (theoretical) values of
pieces in Tori Shogi. If we say that the value of Swallow is 1,
what are the values of other pieces? And what are the values of
pieces when they are in the hand? The other variants are using
similar pieces to Shogi - should the values also be the same as
in Shogi?

If you have any kind of feedback on Shocky, please send me email.

Have fun with Shocky 2.05!

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   Pauli       ?    +358 9 3743257 (home), +358 9 70844271 (work)
 Misikangas  \\|//         Pauli.Misikangas <at> cs <dot> Helsinki <dot> FI
             (o o)       http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~pmturune/
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