From: "'Gary Whelan'" ENTERMAIL NET> Date: 23 apr 2003 Subject: Re: Play Makruk (Thai chess) online! Is it a new site? I noticed there were only about 50 players. Hopefully it will catch on. Is it possible to change the time control? I'm new to the game and 5 minutes is hopeless for me. I have been playing there for a few weeks already but some of them are very competitive. I even invited some of them to play Shogi. This kind of information is mutually beneficial, I think. Chiaki ----- Original Message ----- From: "'Gary Whelan'" ENTERMAIL NET> To: TECHUNIX TECHNION AC IL> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 8:48 PM Subject: Play Makruk (Thai chess) online! > I know this has nothing to do with Shogi, and I > only have a mild interest in Makruk myself, but I > know some people on this list will find this > interesting. After a confusing but fun adventure > through obscure Thai language web sites (without > the aid of translation software!) I've finally > found a site for playing Makruk (Thai chess) > against live opponents that is user-friendly for > for English-speaking players: > > http://www.thaibg.com/TSOnline/index.php > > All the important stuff is in English. The > registration process is the most seamless I've > ever seen. Just click on "Register" on the menu > bar, enter your info, assign yourself a password, > and you can log in immediately (no waiting for an > e-mail). And it's free. > > The interface is fascinating, with beautiful > graphics. When you first get in (after > slecting "Thai chess" from the games listed), > you're given a "birds eye view" of several > boards. Some are games in progress, some are > players waiting for an opponent. You can watch > several games at once this way. If you choose a > board to play at ("sit") or watch more closely, > you are taken to a larger view of the board. > Blitz seems to be the only time control! At > least I can't figure out how to set it to > anything else. > > For those who may not be familiar with the game, > Makruk is the eastern "variant" of chess which > most closely resembles the Western game: 8x8 > board, king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two > knights, eight pawns. You can easily play it > with a Western chess set. The pawns, knights, > king, and rooks move and capture exactly like > their Western counterparts. The queen is the > primordial sort, moving one square diagonally. > It is very popular in its home countries of > Thailand and Cambodia, much more so than chess is > in the west (or at least the US), but perhaps not > quite as popular as shogi is in Japan. > > There are three intriguing resemblances to > shogi: (1) The bishops move like shogi silvers! > (2) The pawns start on the third rank (3) Pawns > promote on reaching the sixth rank (to queens). > > It seems to be at least as drawish as chess, > maybe more, but I'm determined to play until I > win a game! > > Enjoy! >