logo Sign In

darth_ender

User Group
Members
Join date
26-Apr-2011
Last activity
28-Dec-2025
Posts
8,815

Post History

Post
#685218
Topic
How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4
Time

Hmmm...sounds like you had a plan and I didn't give you enough credit.  I'm at work and don't have a board in front of me, so if you don't mind, could you make a simple diagram like I did before with capital and lower case letters and dashes, plus what pieces remain in hand.  I can then let you know if I like your plan, and we can maybe make a couple of moves.  I'm pretty busy today, but I should have a few moments.

Post
#685123
Topic
How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4
Time

I do like that.  Sometimes your defensiveness was your big downfall, and had you played a little more aggressively, you might not have gotten stuck.  My attacks caused you worry, so you'd retreat when you should have countered.  I'm glad you feel like taking a little more initiative in this game.

Remember our last regular shogi game?  Remember how frustrated I was that I couldn't attack with my rook straight ahead because of how forward-oriented the pieces in that part of the board were  I had a powerful force, but your defense could always stand up to any scenario I played out, since they covered so many forward squares.  Well, this game is much like that, only it's the entire game.  I don't see a way of either of us breaking through until we trade golds and silvers.  So we'll see how we go about doing that :)

S-2b

Post
#685115
Topic
How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4
Time

S-5b

Hmmm...My first thought about this variant is that it's like a football game with too many blockers and a slow quarterback.  My next analogy is that it's like the Western Front during WWI, while trying to simply maintain and push the line.  These are not analogies meaning to put down the game, as I find it an interesting way to play, but it's a lot harder than I realized to simply break through or get an advantage.  I kind of like it, actually.

Post
#685112
Topic
OT.com Chess Federation©®™(OTCF©®™)(was: How about a game of chess?)
Time

You then make your only legal move, Rg2, after which I play Re1 mate, and I let out a big sigh of relief.

JEDIT: Now that I read that, I hope I didn't come off as condescending.  I was really nervous this whole game, and only by a miracle did I manage to reframe my position in a good light.  I then laid several traps that you weren't walking into, right up till the end.  You played well, and I hope you don't mind that I finished the game.  I am willing to play another at handicap, if you wish.  I love chess, and I'd love to keep playing and sharpening your skills.  If you wish, I can even walk you through my mental processes throughout the game so you can see why I did what I did, you can learn more about my style and strategies (and thus not fall for them), and also get some good general pointers in tactics.  Again, I'm nothing great, but if you're interested, I might be able to improve your game.

Post
#685039
Topic
Star Wars Prequels 35mm 4K Filmized Editions by Emanswfan (a WIP)
Time

I don't understand a whole lot about photography, but my wife takes pictures and I've picked up a bit.  Yes, the blur is actually quite desirable, as real filming uses a narrow aperture (like emanswfan already mentioned).  It makes objects in focus stand out against less focused back- and foreground.  How often do you look at a real photograph or video, even when using a wide aperture, and see everything in as perfect focus as shown in the PT?  Heck, that's even how our eyes work.  It's better if parts of the picture are blurred as shown here.  Emanswfan is spot on!

Post
#685036
Topic
Sick of Star Wars Prequel bashing....
Time

When I first registered for this site, I defended the PT to the posters here.  I acknowledged that they were inferior, but still believed them to be good movies.  Now here I am today, and my opinions have slightly changed due to the influence of those here.  But when I say slightly, I really mean only slightly.  I see better the flaws and inconsistencies, and I see more problems and get irritated at more parts.  But simultaneously, I still enjoy the PT far more than most of the other posters here.  They are sort of deuterocanonical for me, fun at times but not always part of my who Star Wars worldview.  Sometimes I consider them canon, sometimes I don't.  It just depends on what I'm trying to enjoy.  Your views are valid, even if your points aren't very strong.  You have every right to enjoy the PT, just as I do.  But just understand that you are arguing with people who will not be changed, and whose views have been shaped by a number of experiences.  You can still get along here, but the prequels will never be seen as equal to the originals among this crowd, including this particular fan of the PT.

Post
#685028
Topic
How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4
Time

I don't really know what to call any fatal errors in this game.  What I'm finding in shogi is that the bishop and rook, though powerful at long range, are not able to make the most of their abilities in such close proximity.  We didn't have knights in this game, but I really think the golds are pretty powerful.  I got my rooks promoted which gave them access to all the squares immediately surrounding them, but the golds have access to nearly all those squares already.  Let me point out that in chess you can easily mate the king with all your pieces far off.  In shogi this is seldom true, because even if you are able to trap a king from a distance, your opponent likely still has pieces he could drop right next to the king, blocking the check.  What you really need is a gold general or other promoted piece that can get right next to the opposing king while supported by a friendly piece, thus blocking access to all escape squares.  This lecture might seem pointless considering I just checkmated you with two rooks, but really I believe one shouldn't underestimate the golds and silvers on such a small board.

I think there were probably two errors you made in this game.  First was when you moved your rook to 5a on turn 10, trying to escape the bishop I had just dropped.  You were obviously looking to threaten the bishop I had just placed against you, but you had also trapped your own rook in the corner with very little opportunity for escape if I managed to attack the right squares.  Rooks are not good at escaping when cornered (unless promoted, and even then, only in a limited fashion).  It would have better to simply retreat with your rook.  But you still got my bishop out of it, so it wasn't a total loss.  But sadly you never had an opportunity to drop any bishops.

The second error, probably more serious, was when I took my rook to 4a and promoted it on turn 21, checking your king.  You moved him to a safe square.  Nevertheless, you had three pieces at your disposal: a silver and two bishops, just waiting to be dropped.  If you'd dropped them next to your king to block the check, it would have been harder for me to checkmate you, as you'd be both building your defenses and replenishing your depleted army simultaneously with pieces you could potentially counterattack with at a later turn.

Hope this helps.  You're learning fast, and soon I expect you'll beat me!  I'd love to play Goro Goro.  I've never tried it before, and I'm anxious to give it a go.  I say you go first this time.

Post
#685006
Topic
How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4
Time

Sorry you made the error, but I think it would make little difference to the outcome.  Yeah, last move is +R-2d mate.  It was another good game.  I wonder though if I'm beating you too much and you're getting discouraged.  It's hard not to play my best, but since I've won every game thus far, perhaps I should tone it down a bit.  I could probably make it challenging but still provide you with more opportunities, if you want.