From: "Dr.Eduard Werner" GMX DE> Date: 14 feb 2001 Subject: COMMENTS WANTED: Shogi ladder Hi all, during my first few days I have received quite a few mails with lots of good wishes and lots of suggestions what should/could be changed on the ladder. Thanks a lot! As you all might be interested, here's an overview of the suggestions with my comments (and that way I don't need to reply individually). PLEASE COMMENT ON IT. However, when considering any changes, one thing I would like to make sure is that PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT ANYTHING CHANGED CAN GO ON PLAYING JUST LIKE THEY DID BEFORE. 1.Tournaments There has been a suggestion that there be small tournaments of 5-9 people with a round-robin system. I think there will be two problems: Finding enough people (the main problem) and evaluating the tournament. On the other hand, many people play shogi *only* on the list and they might be very happy to have such tournaments. So principally, I encourage this. If, say, players 31-38 decide on such a tournament, that would be ok. They would be marked on the ladderrank and the next players could then simply be allowed to challenge the players further up the list. If we could establish a rating (see #3), this might make even more sense. These tournaments would be optional: People who want to play more could take part, the others would simply go on as before. 2.Handicap play *YES*. A lot of people have/had their first games against a human opponent on the list. They know virtually nothing about shape, castling etc. There's also the occasional dan player amongst lower-kyu etc. and nobody wants to challenge him ("I don't stand a chance anyway!"). Handicap play would be a nice and traditional way for teaching and learning. Please remember that it's not very important to get to higher places. What really matters is improving your shogi and getting into contact with interesting people. Feel free to disagree, but DO GIVE AND TAKE HANDICAPS (this is already being done on the chu shogi ladder, though I've never told anybody to do so). To all beginners: Handicap play in shogi is not the same as in chess. It has it's traditions and its theory and even masters of shogi take handicaps. 3.Rating Perhaps it would be nice to have a rating on the list. We could establish an email shogi rating and evaluate the games played on the list. This would make it easier to establish handicaps etc. Maybe it would also simply be a nice thing to have. However, I have no experience here. 4. Game collection I'd like to continue the games collection started by Marco Durante. So please send me your kifu of ladder games. 5.Administrative issues a) There has been the practice that you can challenge players higher up than 5 places above you if those above you don't accept or are engaged in games. This is sensible, but it should be stated in the rules. b) People with invalid email addresses: If an email address becomes invalid I'd like to send a reminder on the list and after a decent spell of time either remove them from the list or drop them to the lowest ranks. c) I'm considering sth similar for people who are on the list, but never play or challenge anyone. d) There has been the suggestion that two games should be played instead of one. However, I'm not sure about that: It would change a fundamental rule (which I would not like to do), and I don't think the first move is so important in shogi.