From: George Fernandez mindspring com> Date: 04 dec 2004 Subject: Re: Encyclopedia of Shogi Openings Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Amazing Diet Patch The fastest - Easiest way to lose weight! Try it now FREE! http://click.topica.com/= caacVmia2i6YsbnuqMaa/MyDietPatches ------------------------------------------------------------------- At 06:47 PM 12/2/04, you wrote: Dear Alexander, Richard and others, >On 2004.12.3, at 07:36 AM, Alexander Kohaut wrote: >> >>Assuming that the theory is indeed twenty years out of date, would it be >>advisable to wait for the successor to Shogi Senpo Dai Jiten rather than = buy >>it in its present form? Or, to put it another way, is anyone planning to >>publish a successor - and when? > >I think it's safe to assume that another edition of this particular book= =20 >will not be published. Buying it will not be so easy either. It must be= =20 >out of print now, so the only way to get hold of a copy would be from a= =20 >second-hand bookstore. I have never seen Shogi Senpo Daijiten, but I'm=20 >sure it isn't anything like Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. There doesn't= =20 >seem to be any concept in the shogi world of a detailed and exhaustive=20 >book on the latest opening theory for amateurs or shogi fans. There is=20 >still a big gap between the professional and amateur shogi worlds, and the= =20 >professional world (which produces most of the shogi books) does not seem= =20 >to think that amateurs require such a great level of detail. Nearly all= =20 >the shogi opening books I have seen are quite superficial compared to=20 >their chess equivalents. While it's true that we're not likely to see another massive comprehensive= =20 shogi openings book anytime soon, there are numerous good books being=20 published that deal with specific openings deeply enough for most strong= =20 amateur players. Additionally, the "Shogi Books" series of shogi openings= =20 books [at least ten have been published thus far] feature some=20 western-friendly chess-based notation marks, which myself and others have= =20 been strongly recommending to Japanese pros for over 18 years now. These= =20 include !!, !, ?, ??, !?, ?! and 8 additional characters that denote a flat= =20 assessment of the resulting positions after each and every line given, as= =20 well as accompanying each diagram shown. The notations range from "Black= =20 has a decisive advantage" [+ -] to "balanced position" [=3D] , "unclear=20 position" [infinity sign] to "White has a decisive advantage" [- +].=20 Notations for slightly and clearly better positions for each side are also= =20 given. In my opinion, this is a huge step in the right direction and a=20 clear indication that some pros, Japanese publishers and Japanese readers,= =20 in general, have become more sensitive and responsive to the needs of shogi= =20 players outside of Japan. Personally, what I'd like to see, in as far as another western-friendly=20 shogi publication, is for Shogi Nenkan [Shogi Yearbook] to use the above= =20 listed notations, other standard chess notations [as used in Chess=20 Informant], as well as a yet-to-be-established expanded set of notations,= =20 more suitable for shogi, included in at least a portion of their published= =20 games or in a separate abridged annual publication. In addition to what's= =20 already out there, a publication of this sort, containing a diverse=20 selection of 40 to 50 pro games per year, should more than satisfy amateur= =20 players worldwide, regardless of their native language. > Anyway, you have aroused my curiosity, so I will go to my local=20 > second-hand shogi bookstore and see what I can find. > >Richard Sams George=20=20 Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- **Attention Vioxx Users: Merck Knew About harmful effects** You=20 may be entitled to a cash settlement from Merck. No Obligation- just answer this 60 second survey to find out. http://click.topica.com/= caacVlOa2i6YsbnuqMaf/Penn Media ------------------------------------------------------------------- --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: = shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.= bnuqMa.= c2hvZ2kt Or send an email to: shogi-unsubscribe topica com For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=3DTEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------