From: Larry Kaufman <lkaufman <at> WIZARD <dot> NET>
Date: 21 mar 2000
Subject: New Book

     I just received a brand new book, in Japanese, on shogi handicap
openings (Koma-Ochi Joseki), by Kazuharu Shoshi, Pro 6 Dan.  It is based on
a long series of articles that appeared a couple years ago in "Shogi
Sekai", but there is substantial new analysis.  It covers lance, bishop,
rook, rook & lance, two piece, four piece, six piece, and eight piece
handicap.  It runs 479 pages (!), and will undoubtedly be considered the
"bible" of handicap shogi for many years to come; it is the first such
comprehensive work on the subject in a long time.  Much (perhaps even most)
of the analysis appears to me to be original, not merely recopied from
older sources.  Multiple plans for black are covered for some of the
handicaps, though in some cases this meant leaving out some of white's
plausible counters; otherwise the book might have run a thousand pages!  It
is fairly easy to follow even if you can't read Japanese, as there are
ample diagrams, though you must know a few key symbols.
     I highly recommend this book, and plan to borrow some of the analysis
(with the author's permission) for my own handicap series on the Mind
Sports site at
http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/Orient/shogi_handicap1.html
     By the way, the second and final article on four piece handicap has
now been posted there.

     Larry Kaufman, Amateur 5 Dan