How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4 — Page 96

P-7e

+P-7g

S-7f

+Sx7f

Gx7f

Bye-bye gold general...

If I hadn't made my move in such a ridiculous hurry, I would have used my promoted pawn, but oh well.

+Px7f

R-5e

No doubt you'll make a deadly drop while my rook is out of town, but I don't think sitting around doing nothing is much better.

Not sure how deadly I can be yet, but I can at least keep your rook on holiday for a while.

N*5f

Hmm...I forgot about that silly bishop of yours. I guess I need a plan B.

R-6e

+B-6g

S*5e

+B-5g+

K-3h

G*4h+

Sx4h

Nx4h+ (check)

Oops, I just realized I'm probably confusing you.  In chess, the + sign is check.  Here it's a promotion, yet the past couple moves I used it like a check.  Sorry.  I don't even remember the symbol for check in shogi.

Anyway, I can play you from here.

K-2h

S*3i check

K-1h

G*2h mate

And a good game to you my friend.  What do you want to do now?  Analyze the game, play another, choose a different game, take a break?

^^If memory serves, the hashtag/number sign is check in Shogi. I was going to mention it in my last post, but forgot.

I made a key mistake in turn 37. You had just moved a pawn to 7f and I captured it with my gold general when my original plan had been to move my other gold to 8h. I see now that you probably would have dropped your silver general on 7i instead, but I would have at least been able to move my rook and lose only my gold general rather than the series of pieces I did end up losing, which included my bishop. You were able to maintain your pieces' positions on my side for the rest of the game, and there wasn't much I could do about it that would have allowed me to regain equal footing with you.

I think I'd like to try another game. Maybe we can move on to another variant afterward.

Sounds good.  You may start us off again, if you like.

Alright.

P-7f

Actually, and I should have remembered this earlier, but perhaps we could play with a handicap.  A game is funner when there is greater competition and equality between parties.  If I remember correctly, we tried it once before, but I think I still won.  Let's try a handicap that will really be a challenge for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi#Player_rank_and_handicaps

Let's perhaps take away my rook and see how it goes?  What say you?  And if you want, you can make a different first move along with that.

Sure, we can do that if it makes the game more balanced. I'm just afraid of still badly losing even with you having such a big handicap. ;)

There. Your rook went bye-bye.

I think I'll keep the same first move.

You know, you are a great player, and I think maybe you're a bit rusty, but you've come pretty close.  Let me just recommend you play aggressively.  You have a big advantage now, so don't be as defensive as you usually are.  Take the initiative, put me on the defensive, and you'll probably win.

Oh, I also forgot that the player who is a piece down usually goes first, but let's forgo that this time and get going.

G-4b

I tend to be very defensive in any game or sport, so I'll try to keep that in mind.

As my first aggressive move, I play Bx3c.

...

Just kidding, my move is P-2f.

S-3b

Yeah, I taught my bro-in-law how to play a couple of years ago.  First game I whooped him.  I think we played a second game too, where I still got him good, though he had obviously gained experience.  But third game I handicapped myself a rook, and I thought I was going to lose.  He had me on the ropes, and only through a miraculous defense, I managed to capture his rook and slowly, very slowly, turned things around.

You are a much stronger player than he was, so I'm truthfully a bit scared.