From: Larry Kaufman comcast net> Date: 12 mar 2007 Subject: Re: New Handicap style for bigger difference in strengths I don't think there is any need for radical measures here. First of al= l=20 I have never had any particular problem with giving 8 piece handicap to new= =20 players; in fact some of them take many games to graduate from this=20 handicap. When they finally do graduate, 7 piece handicap is a perfectly= =20 valid intermediate step between 8 and 6. However, some professionals told me that they sometimes play novices= =20 keeping rook and bishop, but nothing else (besides king and pawns). This is= =20 also an intermediate handicap between six piece and eight piece handicap, i= f=20 you want to try something other than 7 piece. If you really want to try something non-traditional, then perhaps two= =20 piece handicap but with the weaker player getting the rook and bishop=20 removed as pieces in hand might be an option. I would guess this would also= =20 fall in between six piece and eight. Larry Kaufman, Amateur 5 Dan ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Bernhard M=E4rz" arcor de> To: topica com> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:01 AM Subject: New Handicap style for bigger difference in strengths Hello, earlier I was playing Shogi with newbies and I hope (!!!) I will find people interested in Shogi again in the near future. At that time I found a lack in the existing handicap system: 6 piece handicap gives interesting games, but still I (at that time 7kyu!!!) was able to win them all. It's not easy and really gives nice games, but still this can be frustrating for the newbie player. At the other side, more than 6 piece handicap will give an absolutely save game for the weaker player, without need of any risk. Shogi is an old and wonderful game and have a nice handicap system. I don't like to change the rules and also are not happy changing the nice handicap system. So BEFORE I will start thinking about solutions, I like to ask you the following things: 1) How is your opinion about a new form of handicap? Do you think it can make it more interesting, or do you prefer to stay with the historical handicap? 2) HOW can the solution looks like? IS there a solution, or is it nevertheless impossible??? So (to number 2) I'm thinking, two gold and two silver is too much and other starting position wouldn't change anything. But what instead??? Instead of one silver maybe two knights or two lances? Or maybe also at starting position one piece at hand? But maybe there still didn't exists any good solution. For my own experience (when I receive handicap) it is the following, that the person receiving handicap tries to play very save and tries to keep all risk away. But (when the hight of handicap is correct) sometimes will be happen some danger and mostly you have to hurry. But when the strength difference is too high, than this moment when the weaker player have to hurry will be a lost game for him. So I expect, that starting with a piece in hand would be to high. Or maybe a lance at hand instead of both silvers? Oh, I have an other idea: maybe give the weaker player MORE pieces from that one the stronger player omits!!! What's about this idea??? But first, please answer about 1) and then (maybe) let us think about realization of 2). Thanks. --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: = shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.= aB5TiY.= 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------