darth_ender

B-11c

I've heard of it, but never tried it.  If I'm not mistaken, you play by offering a move which your opponent may accept or reject.  If he rejects, you then make a different move which he must accept.  Is that the one?  It honestly sounded like too much trouble, but you have offered a positive view which interests me.  Tell me why you enjoy it so much.

Well, that is certainly a fair question.  Mine mostly just uses letters and the moves shown on the pieces.  You might like that file better.

VM-11d

Bingowings said:

Threads of potential interest here, here, here, and here, 

 Well, I guess I could have used one of those.  On the other hand, mine can be a bit more all-encompassing.  Thanks for the links, as they would be valuable if we are to continue using this thread for discussion.

P-11e

If I were to show you where to get the appropriate software, would you be willing to try a variant?

P-7e

I remember when I first saw Spider-man, I thought so much of it was cheesy, and yet I loved it anyway.  It felt very much like a comic book, with corny humor and a silly bad guy.  But I really enjoyed it anyway and was anxious for the second one to come out.  When I saw part 2 in theaters, I was tremendously impressed and loved it far more than the first.  So much about it resonated with me.  And so with even greater anticipation I looked forward to part 3.  Like everyone else, I was disappointed.  So much of it bothered me, and though I tried to like it, so many things got in the way of true enjoyment.  I recently finally took the opportunity to watch the whole trilogy, but with some changes.  I watched Spider-man 2.1 second, which added several additional items.  This version is very enjoyable and I prefer it to the original cut.  Then I watched the Badscooter fan edit, Spider-man 3: Redemption.  This really was a good edit, and it's amazing how cutting certain things drastically improved the movie for me.  It's still not perfect, but it raises my enjoyment more than I can describe.  And it is with this thought that I feel really disappointed about the reboot of the franchise.  Whether someone prefers an edit or the original film, I really wish Sony and Raimi had wrapped up this series on a better note.  As a crummy film, the original is a sad way to end the series.  Even with a high quality edit, it is such a sad ending to the film, with the loss of Harry and the damaged relationship between MJ and Pete.  It would have been nice to see things get patched up and finish the series on a high note in Spidey 4.

I will confess that I enjoy The Amazing Spider-man.  But I loved the Raimi movies and would give anything to have them end better.

I would permit that if it were legal.  But I believe my knight is on c6.  You certainly would have my permission, even if you played a devastating move I'd overlooked, but I don't believe that will work unless I've made some error somewhere.  You are welcome if you want to try something else.

Or if you prefer, we can try another handicapped game, this time setting me at a bigger disadvantage.

Or we can try a chess variant, as I've suggested in that thread I started.  I've always been interested in trying more variants but have had few opportunities.  Your odds might be better at those games, considering I'm much less experienced at them (meaning, my experience is limited entirely to my classic chess theory that may or may not be applicable to the variant).

It's up to you :)

DH-9e

GB-9f

Warbler, it's a trade of Bishop for Rook.  Though certainly putting you at a disadvantage, it's not the end of the game yet.  And I would rather let you take your castling move back than end the game yet.  I really enjoy playing you and don't want you to give up yet. :(

Ln-6e

S-9c

S-9b

I should probably list some more shogi variants, though my descriptions will be briefer on most of them, particularly those that interest me less.

Yari shogi is a slightly smaller than normal variant, at a size of 7x9.  It is very similar in setup to regular shogi as well.  However, as regular shogi is very forward oriented with its pieces' moves, this game took that concept much further, (quite frankly, to a less enjoyable point, in my opinion).

Whale shogi is simply another small shogi variant (6x6), this time with all the pieces named after whales or dolphins.  It's a fun variant, but nothing to write home about.

The inventor of the above game later enlarged on his concept and created Great Whale shogi, utilizing a similar theme, but on a, 11x11 board.  It seems interesting and there are some powerful pieces, but again, I'm not sure I'm that excited to try it.

Now here are some games I can sink my teeth into.  Hex shogi (follow the two links here and here) seems like an interesting translation to a hexagonal board).  What's more, the inventor thought that the principles inherent to three player chess games (see the petty diplomacy problem descrption) would not be so pronounced in a shogi game.  Therefore, he invented Three Player Hex Shogi.  I've never played it to see how right he was.  However, I can't help but wonder if a shogi-style game naturally mitigates the problems normally found in such games.

However, there is another shogi game that has gone to even greater lengths to rectify the natural problems with three player strategy games: Kokusai Sannin Shogi.  Like Hex shogi and Three Player Hex shogi, Kokusai Sannin shogi is played on a hexagonal grid.  It has special rules about making alliances, a promotable king with immense powers and some new victory conditions.  I've always wanted to try this out if I could actually find a third player to play with me.  I'm sure Ric would play, but I don't know if anyone else would want to join.  I've heard it is the best chess-type game to try and solve the above mentioned petty diplomacy problem.

Four player games are not so problematic as three, as they are naturally filled with more balance, and often players can work as allies.  Yonin shogi is a good four-player game.  It's cooperative and can be played on a regular shogi board with two sets of pieces (though Yonin shogi boards are square, while regular shogi boards are slightly rectangular due to their elongated cells).  I'm really interested in trying it out, but again, I'd need some more willing participants here.

And I will end this post with a final game: Chu Shogi, which as of this posting, RicOlie_2 and I are in the very early stages of playing.  Chu is considered by many to be the best large variant.  At 11x11, it's pretty big.  On the other hand, Chu Shogi means Middle Shogi because back during its time of invention in or around the 14th Century, it was actually derived from Dai Shogi (meaning Large Shogi), while the 9x9 game that preceded shogi in its current form was called Sho Shogi, or Small Shogi.  In other words, this was a medium sized game!  There are several games that are even larger!  But to our standards today, this is certainly a large variant, and again, this is supposed to be one of the best.  It has several interesting pieces, but the star of the show is the Lion, a piece more powerful than the Free King (a piece that moves exactly like the Queen in our chess).  Here is the setup:

The lion is the piece on 7j and 5c.  It moves like a king in chess, one square in any direction, but has the right to move a second time from that square.  Thus it may capture two pieces, capture a piece and return to the starting square, or if there is a vacant adjacent square, simply pass a turn.  In addition, its first move need not be impeded by any intervening pieces; the lion may jump and then land on the second square!  Though it lacks the range of the free king, it is a devastating piece that is very difficult to stop.  But because of some somewhat complex rules regarding the trading of lions, the only real effective defense against a lion seems to be one's own lion.  I'm excited to finally play this game against a human!  Hopefully it lives up to all the hype :)

DH-8d

"I Got Punched in the Nose for Sticking My Face in Other People's Business," a country song by Robbie Hart.

P-10e

Well, for what it's worth, the trick is to bring your lion close to the opposing lion.  As I mentioned, trades are difficult due to some strange rules, but they protect both lions and keep them in play.  Just continue to play interference with your lion, or even start your own assault in the enemy camp.

In any case, I lose against the computer at Kyoto Shogi, even on lower difficulty.  I'm not a great player, especially in games with which I am less familiar.  I don't think you'll need to worry about my lion going crazy because I will probably be pretty timid and won't know how to play him any more effectively than you.

P-8e

I understand your reasoning, but I honestly think it would be best to keep the lion in play.  Everything I've read about the game makes it clear that the lion is perhaps the best part of the game.  He's the star of the show.  It would be like playing chess without the queen.  People who advocate for Chu Shogi do so because the lion makes it worthwhile.  And the reason the lion is so hard to kill (rather, it is more difficult to trade for an opposing lion) is so that it will remain in play throughout the game.  I think the game would be much slower and less interesting without it.  Understand that I have never played this game with another human, and only a few times (and many years ago) with software.  You are not at a serious disadvantage due to a lack of familiarity with the pieces, because I too am unfamiliar with the game and the pieces.  You'll be using the software which will help with piece movement.  I really don't think you need to worry too much about it.  To make it easier, one of the Chu Shogi Zillions files has the pieces labeled with their moves to make it easier to remember what they do.  You might want to check that one out.  If you need, I can send it to you.  I just know I'd be disappointed to not use the lion, especially since it's already a long game and would only be much longer without it.

Gotcha.  Use this Wikipedia article, as it shows how to abbreviate it best.  Some require a capital and lowercase letter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_shogi

My wife is heading out of town for a couple of days tomorrow.  I'll have time to play then.  But I'd like to spend the rest of the evening with her, so feel free to make the first move, but I probably won't respond till tomorrow.

Or we could also try a different game.  there are even smaller variants to try, such as Dobutsu Shogi, Nana Shogi, and Gufuu shogi.  Or if you prefer, I've always been interested in trying out the large, 12x12 Chu Shogi.

Since you may have replied to my previous post before this one gets submitted, since it could take you some time to create your cheap but versatile (i.e. easily expandable) set, and since I technically need to do the same, it might be best to try another while we get Ito Shogi sets ready.

We could try it.  Again, it would be experimental and you would probably have to create your own set to see how it goes, modifying the board each time to see which way works best.  The version on the Zillions website is, I'm convinced, too small.  We could try first adding two cells and seeing how it turns out.  You can still use the Zillions software to better get an idea of how pieces move.

G*2ii

Next move is unavoidable mate, my friend.  K-1iv, followed by T*2iv mate.