From: Michael Vanier <mvanier <at> BBB <dot> CALTECH <dot> EDU>
Date: 3 feb 1999
Subject: Wa shogi drops

> X-Sender: patrick <at> altair <dot> vega <dot> or <dot> jp
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> Date:         Wed, 3 Feb 1999 21:15:21 +0900
> Reply-To: The Shogi Discussion List <SHOGI-L <at> techunix <dot> technion <dot> ac <dot> il>
> Sender: The Shogi Discussion List <SHOGI-L <at> techunix <dot> technion <dot> ac <dot> il>
> From: Patrick Davin <patrick <at> LYRA <dot> VEGA <dot> OR <dot> JP>
>
> >Is there anything on Wa shogi in "Sekai no Shogi"?  Specifically, is there
> >any information that could resolve the controversy about whether Wa was
> >meant to be played with drops or not?
>
> "Sekai no Shogi" says Washogi is played without drops.
>

Darn! :-)  Looking at the piece moves and the limited number of ranging
pieces really makes it look like the game was meant to be played with
drops.  In fact, Wa is pretty close to what you'd get if you wanted to
create the ultimate (playable) shogi variant with drops -- the large number
of pieces with different moves guarantee a very large number of possible
tesujis.  Plus the ratio of ranging/stepping pieces is fairly close to what
we see in shogi, but vastly smaller than in Chu shogi.

Oh well, I've flogged a dead horse long enough...

Mike