From: Rikard Nordgren <e7rikard <at> ETEK <dot> CHALMERS <dot> SE>
Date: 18 nov 1999
Subject: Rules of tenjiku

I have been examining the rules of tenjiku shogi stated in "The struggle
for survival" (TSFS for short) and in George Hodges' rules leaflet (TSAL
for short). There are quite a few differences and one of them is rather
nasty.

Rule 2b (according to "The Struggle for survival":
TSFS states that a piece may not promote on the next move if it is not
promoted at its first opportunity (except if capturing). This rule does
not exist in TSAL. I guess Colin Paul Adams took this rule from Chu, but
should it really be in Tenjiku?

Rule 4:
This one is really important! I'll quote TSFS "If a fire demon moves
adjacent to an opposing fire demon, then all opposing pieces except the
opposing fire demon(s) are burned. The moving fire demon is then itself
burned (a suicide move)."
This is not what TSAL states. I quote: "(Note: If you should move your
FiD next to the enemy FiD, ONLY your FiD is burnt)" The capitalization
of the word ONLY is the author's not mine. It is quite clear that these
rules are not the same.

Rule 6:
This is the bare king rule. This rule does not exist in TSAL and there
is also no analogue with the bare king rule in Chu, since this rule only
applies to gold and king.

Rule 7:
Repetition is not allowed. This rule is not given in TSAL.


I would like to know which rules are correct. It seems pretty important
to know if rule 4 only applies to the moving fire demon or all opposing
non fire demon pieces also.


Finally I would like to say something about the move Lion Hawk. In TSFS
Colin Paul Adams suggests an alternate move for the LHk. George Hodges
does not agree. Since I haven't got all the sources of the rules of
Tenjiku shogi I don't know what move was really intended, but as I read
the excerpt from Sho Shogi Suzhiki in TSFS the move of the LHk is stated
to be the move of a bishop and lion combined (it also says "lion move
see earlier". This seem rather exact to me and with this only source in
mind it is (at least for me) rather obvious that the move should be just
the move of a lion with the ability to range in the diagonals and not an
area mover.


Rikard Nordgren