From: "Dr.Eduard Werner" <edi.werner <at> GMX <dot> DE>
Date: 14 mar 2001
Subject: Re: Evaluation of handicap games (please comment)

>      Our current values for the above seven handicaps are: 100, 200, 250,
> 350, 450, 550, 900 (we also use five-piece right handicap, value 750).
> Your values are roughly double, which seems too high even with allowance
> for the fact that yours are e-mail games.  The traditional values in
> pre-war pro play were lance two ranks, bishop five, rook seven, rook &
> lance nine, and two piece twelve ranks. I would suggest multiplying these
> values by fifty, giving 100, 250, 350, 450, and 600, which total about 30%
> more than the Pan-Atlantic values, which seems about right to me.  If so,
> then I would suggest 750 for four piece, 1000 for five piece right, and
> 1250 for six piece.
>      I think it is okay to rate five and six piece games, because although
> theory shows how to achieve forced breakthrus and promotion of the major
> pieces, it still takes some (minimal) skill to actually win the resultant
> positions.  But, as my numbers suggest, the gap between four and six piece
> handicap is quite large (despite your personal results with pros), which is
> why we also use five piece.
>
>      Larry Kaufman

Thank you very much, Larry. I suggest we simply adopt the suggested values
for the Shogi ladder and see what will happen. Those of you who don't like
the idea of handicap games in the ladder, please don't forget that you can
always choose to play w.o. a handicap.

Edi