From: Michael Vanier <mvanier <at> BBB <dot> CALTECH <dot> EDU>
Date: 23 jun 1999
Subject: GNU shogi version 1.3 released

Hi,

I'm pleased to announce the release of GNU shogi, version 1.3, for
Unix-based systems (including Linux).  This is the first new release of GNU
shogi in several years.  The release can be downloaded from:

    http://www.bbb.caltech.edu/USERS/mvanier/gnushogi/gnushogi.html

which is also the GNU shogi home page.  The release is in source code form,
with complete documentation and compilation instructions.  Notable features
of this release include:

  * There is now only one gnushogi executable instead of three (which were
    specialized for three different interfaces: raw, curses, and X). In the
    new system, the user selects the interface via a command-line option
    e.g. "gnushogi -R" (for raw input/output), "gnushogi -X" (for
    xshogi-based input/output) or "gnushogi -C" (for curses input/output).

  * Much easier configuration and build process using a configure script.

  * Cleaned up source code.

  * Xshogi (the X-Windows interface to GNU shogi) has been integrated into
    the source tree and the build process.

  * Documentation in GNU info format, HTML, PostScript as well as man
    pages.

Features planned for the long term include:

  * Improvements in the solution engine.

  * Rewriting GNU shogi in C++. The code will be modularized to make
    extensions easier to implement.

  * Replacing Xshogi with an interface using wxWindows, a cross-platform GUI
    class library.

  * Much better bitmaps for the pieces!

  * Support for shogi variants including (at least) Tori Shogi and Chu
    (Middle) Shogi.

  * Scripting language interfaces to Guile and Python.

Currently, GNU shogi is not too strong, so don't get your hopes up if
you're a strong player looking for a worthy computer opponent.  Matt
Casters and I will be working on improving the solution engine.  I welcome
all suggestions, bug reports, etc.  Also, if there are any hardcore hackers
out there who want to work with us, we'd be happy to have you aboard.

I'd like to especially thank Matthias Mutz for letting me continue the fine
work he's done on GNU shogi.  Thanks, Matthias!

Mike