From: Jochen Drechsler <drjochum <at> NIKOCITY <dot> DE>
Date: 22 jan 2000
Subject: Re: Shotest available online

Hello,

here is my experience Shotest (Shogi professional 1):

I agree with Marc that Shotest is best in the middle game. In the opening it makes
funny moves some times. It is a pitty that it has so little opening theory. On the
highest level it is fun to play and I (1-Dan) have to take some time to beat it
(sometimes more than half an hour). But Shotest takes quite a lot of time compared
to other computer programmes. It normally takes the same amount of time that I use.
But still it looks nice and is surely worth a try for a Kyu-player.

Jochen Drechsler.



'Marc Theeuwen' schrieb:

> In response to Nick Hart and Reijer Grimbergen's messages on Shotest, I would
> like to share my experiences with Shotest. Having the privilege of testing
> several beta-releases of Shotest, I must say that I am quite impressed with
> Shotest. Already the first version gave me quite some trouble in especially the
> middle game and brought me almost to the point of resigning. However, the
> endgame of shotest was at that time not as strong as it is now, so I could
> manage to win it. Since then, I am no longer playing it so naively and have not
> lost from it yet, but fear the day is coming close. The latest beta version I
> was playing used a databases of several hundred of amateur games, and used to
> follow their opening lines, but ones shotest is out of its opening repertoire,
> it plays "strange" moves. However, I have not been able to take advantage from
> it. The middle game still is superior to mine (I am only 3-dan), so it is still
> valuable for me to train against. Often I have to beat Shotest in the endgame
> from a slightly inferior position. Therefore I believe amateurs up till 3-dan
> should be able to enjoy their play against this program. The only disadvantage I
> have is that games tend to take quite long. On average a game takes my computer
> (P120) about 2.5hours, 0.5 hours of which is my time.
>
> If desired (and allowed by the programmer), I could give you some sample games I
> played against Shotest in the fall last year.
>
> Marc Theeuwen