From: DANERUD MARTIN TELIA COM> Date: 14 mar 2001 Subject: Handicap shogi Dear shogi friends, Over and over we keep reading these fundamental confusions regarding handicap shogi. I agree that handicap shogi is interesting as such and that it is an educational tool in shogi between low and middle strength players and between middle and high strength players. We use it frequently in our weekly junior shogi classes in Goteborg. In the case of tournaments, team matches, ratings, e-mail ladders etc, there is another case. That is competition or sport if you like that word better. If you use handicap in those cases then you are tampering with the preconditions. It is like having an Olympic 100 meter final and you would have to decide just how many centimeters extra the black runners would have to run compared to for instance the Swedes. How interesting is that? How many centimeters higher should the baskets be for the Dream Team? Let them play and let them win, if they are the better team. Sooner or later, Lithuania or some other challenger will beat them and become the new Dream Team. That is competion. That is sport. That is no tampering with the preconditions. Best regards, Martin