From: Larry Kaufman WIZARD NET> Date: 21 oct 1999 Subject: New Handicap Theory One of the two supplements that came with the October '99 issue of "Shogi Sekai" dealt with a remarkably powerful new plan for the receiver of Rook and Lance handicap. In my opinion, it is clearly superior to all previously recommended josekis, and is perhaps the most important discovery in shogi handicap theory in recent times. Actually it is a plan that I myself thought of a few months ago, but I did not analyze it sufficiently to convince myself of its superiority to other lines. I highly recommend this new line to all players who might receive this handicap; I feel that any player strong enough to defeat professionals at rook and bishop handicap will have excellent chances with this system at rook and lance. Most professionals feel that there is a very wide gap between these two handicaps, but with the new system the gap may be bridged. To learn the new system you will need to get the Shogi Sekai supplement, but just to explain the idea, here is one variation, which I would call the main line. 1...P-3d 2 P-7f P-4d 3 P-1f S-4b 4 P-1e S-4c 5 S-4h (instead of the usual 5 R-1h) P-5d 6 P-3f! G-3b 7 N-3g! (The early development of the knight is the new plan.) K-6b (The most difficult defense to crack is 7...P-2d, which fills most of the supplement. It is met by 8 P-2f followed by P-4f and then P-2e and/or P-4e.) 8 P-1d! (I played and analyzed this attack in the mid 1980s, but with P-4f in place of P-3f and N-3g. With the knight out, it is much more convincing.) Px1d 9 Lx1d P*1c 10 Lx1c+ Bx1c 11 R-1h B-2b (else 12 P*1b) 12 N-2e P-2d 13 P*1c Px2e 14 P-1b+ B-3c 15 +Px2a N*1e 16 K-6h K-7b 17 K-7h S-6b 18 R-1f (Before making a second tokin by P*1c and P-1b+, black makes sure that his rook will not be embarrassed by Nx2g+ and L*1e) P-7d 19 P-3e! (to give the rook room to move sideways if attacked) Px3e 20 P*1c, followed by P-1b+, then to 2b etc. Larry Kaufman