From: Albrecht Heeffer NETPOINT BE> Date: 8 feb 1999 Subject: Re: Chess vs. Shogi, etc. I play chess, shogi (2D) and occasionally Xianchi and Thai chess (Makruk). I learned to play Makruk in Thailand, from watching games and from a Thai book where I can only read the diagrams. The game is often played on the streets and many outside tables have chess boards carved. I played several games on the streets, mostly against tchuk-tchuk drivers. I always carry a makruk set with red and white plastic pieces you can buy in any toy shop for about $3. I occasionally win a game and loose a game, but most games I played end as a draw. My opponents always start exchanging pieces very early. >From my (limited) experience Makruk scores as follows: - frequency of draws: higher than chess - memorized opening theory: less than chess - equality of changes: ??? - variety of play: less than chess - history and tradition: very limited (hardly any literature) - game length: shorter than chess - early interaction: comparable to chess Overall to me, Makruk scores lower than chess and does not deserve 5 1/2, and I certainly agree with Shogi as being the king of the board games. One characteristic I would like to add to this 'competition' is the 'range of proficiency' of players. I have the feeling that the difference between a good player, better player and the best player is spread out more in shogi than chess. Put otherwise, I have the feeling Larry Kaufman will win more games in a 100-game match against Kasparov than against Habu. A high range of proficiency is desirable because it allows for more room for improvement for anyone studying the game. Albrecht Heeffer > -----Original Message----- > From: Larry Kaufman [mailto:lkaufman WIZARD NET] > Speaking of makruk, Larry, you neglected to mention > Thai chess. If > you > would like my opinion on Thai chess, or Chiaki Ito's opinion for that > matter (he's probably a better source - more strength), let > me know. I'd > give it a whopping 5 1/2! > > I didn't comment on games I know nothing about. If you > feel that Thai > chess is superior to all other traditional chess games except > shogi, it > would be interesting to hear your (or Mr. Ito's) reasons.