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Comments by avunjahei

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Chess on a Really Big Board. Game that introduced rose and knight-camel-zebra...[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Fri, Apr 17, 2015 04:23 AM UTC:
Jeremy, if you find time, you could look at this game, too. It's no fun to play with 2 bishops of the same colour. (or maybe it is, I'm too conservative...)

Chu Shogi. Historic Japanese favorite, featuring a multi-capturing Lion. (12x12, Cells: 144) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Fri, Apr 24, 2015 04:42 PM UTC:
Chu Shogi has never been "the dominant form of chess in Japan", let alone "for centuries". This is perhaps a mistake caused by confusion with Sho Shogi (Small Shogi), the 16th century name for the predecessor  of Modern Standard Shogi (still without drops), to distinguish it from Dai Shogi (Great Shogi) and Chu Shogi (Middle Shogi). These larger games were popular, but Sho Shogi was the dominant game, even before the introduction of drop rules. Also Chu Shogi is the youngest of the three (15th century), it didn't even have the time to be dominant for centuries, for at the beginning of the Edo period (around 1600)Standard Shogi, promoted by the shogunate, began to oust the larger forms, even though many large variants were invented (and certainly played) at this time

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Apr 25, 2015 11:24 AM UTC:
If that's the Manual written by Hodges, I do know it. And you are RIGHT when you say it is first mentioned 100 years EARLIER than I claimed. I apologize. That makes it still younger than Sho and Dai Shogi EXCEPT when you argue that the Heian Dai Shogi was really a kind of Chu Shogi and The later Dai Shogi was the novelty. Dunno, you tell me!

But that the Yamashina family had a faible for Chu Shogi is meagre evidence for Chu Shogi ever being more popular than the smaller variant. On the other hand  the carpenter Minase Kanenari tell us  that between 1590 and 1602 he produced 618 sets for Sho Shog but only 106 sets for Chu Shogi (that's from the web). That also doesn't prove very much. Or does it? But I admit, I just thought that it was commonly accepted among scholars that at least in the 16th century and later Sho Shogi was dominant, and for earlier times we lack proper information. I never claimed Chu Shogi was not a popular game. Just that Sho shogi was more so.

I think when Hodges states, that Chu Shogi was the more popular game in the Kamakura period he overstretches the (few)sources we have about the game in this time. Historians do that very often. You should always reckon with that and being published by a University unfortunally does not prevent them from doing so. 

That the first tsumes and game scores come from Chu- rather than Sho Shogi I really doubt. But i cannot argue against, for I'm on holydays and the web is a very bad source for chess history. If it is right I would be very surprised.

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Apr 25, 2015 11:50 AM UTC:
Do you mean the game scores of Yamagata? But they are composed games, aren't they? The first scores of really played games i know are from the early 20th century, but i don't remember where i have that from.

Do you know the earliest game scores of Standard Shogi? I don't!

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Apr 25, 2015 01:35 PM UTC:
That's the book of Yamagata. They were really played games, no compositions? Great!

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Apr 25, 2015 03:29 PM UTC:
I believe you that they are actually played games. But you probably know that most of the extant game scores of European chess prior to the 19th century are composed games, especially in handbooks written to teach the game (for example ALL games of Greco are compositions). Also the oldest extant game scores of Chinese Chess are from such handbooks and are assumed to be compositions. So my assumption was not THAT farfetched. I do not know though if this "strange hobby" as you call it was common in Japan also.

And again, I never denied that Chu Shogi was a popular game. But I'm still not convinced that it ever was more popular than the smaller one.

So from which time are the first extant Sho Shogi game scores? Do you know that?

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Apr 25, 2015 05:05 PM UTC:
No I do not know any game scores of standard Shogi prior to the 19th century. And that's quite strange.

You must understand, true, I am not really sure about the situation in the Heian and Kamakura period. But in the Edo era, from the end of the 16th century on, if somebody said "Shogi" he meant the game on 9x9 squares. If he meant another variant, he had to specify. It was the most prestigious game in Japan after Go, which was - of course - the game of games. Shogi - the 9x9 game  - was promoted by the Shogunate, the government. Like in Go, the official title of Meijin for the best Shogi player was established and the annual castle tournaments were held, in the presence of the shogun or even the emperor, I'm not sure. At this time the names of the first great players are known. They all played the 9x9 game, not the bigger variants.

My sources? Are you kidding? That's so basic knowledge, you cannot dive into the history of Shogi for one afternoon without knowing that! 

And now to your statement about Standard Shogi and Shatranj being "dull" games and that just having a "look at the game" of Chu Shogi  suggests Sho Shogi would not stand a chance to rival Chu in popularity." and so on...

Now I have NO opinion at all which one is the "better" game. But you have disqualified yourself so much stating such a nonsense, that I really think that you do not know ANYTHING about what you are talking and just arbitrarily pick it from the web, and actually I do not feel like replying to you any more. Sorry, bro.

Georg Spengler wrote on Sun, Apr 26, 2015 07:18 AM UTC:
(since drops were introduced already in the 16th century, I really do not know what he is arguing about. Why talking about 18th century manuscripts then? Hodges' theory is, that Chu Shogi was the more widespread game prior to the invention of drops, but it is backed up by thin evidence only, as everybody can see who read his book. He may be right or not. That's all that can be said about it.) EDIT: In my posts I called the 9x9 game Sho Shogi even after the introduction of drops. This is not common and could lead to misinterpretations. I apologize again.

Ultima. Game where each type of piece has a different capturing ability. Also called Baroque. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Sun, Apr 26, 2015 02:39 PM UTC:
But where is the Coordinator? Is it not a fundamental piece?

About Game Courier. Web-based system for playing many different variants by email or in real-time.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Tue, May 5, 2015 03:43 PM UTC:
I have a problem with a player here. He allways accepts my open invitations but does not move! So I delete the game, create an open invitation again, and what happens? He accepts again, but, of course, doesn't move at all. It's just annoying. Is it possible to ban players from my invitations?

Georg Spengler wrote on Thu, May 7, 2015 12:59 PM UTC:
Yes, I made the same experience with him. Unfortunately there are currently some cranks around here.

But you also deleted our last game, didn't you?

Georg Spengler wrote on Thu, May 7, 2015 01:08 PM UTC:
Quote:

"If the problem is that the other player is not moving, add time controls to your invitations and win on time when your opponent doesn't play. This may get him to move more promptly"

I don't care that much if I win, I prefer to play. This I cannot, because he accepts every open game I create, obviously for no reason other than to prevent me from playing. I have no idea, why. Indeed, it's that childish!

I will not tell his name now. I hope he reads this and just lets me alone.

Racing Kings. From a special setup, be the first to have your king reach the last row. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Fri, May 15, 2015 06:24 PM UTC:
I played only one game so far, but I think it is one of the best ideas for a game using FIDE chess pieces. it is the simple yet ingenious idea of prohibiting checks, that makes this game playable. 

For example, white can threaten the black Rook with Bishop to d4. The Rook is pinned,because of the Queen on a1. Normally this would mean a bad starting set up, but Black can just move the King on a3 and the Rook is protected. These tactical options are new and beautiful and fit completely to the changed aim of the game.

That Black has a drawing option, but not white, is absolutely necessary. Otherwise the advantage of the first-moving player would be huge, but with this rule the game is even.

Hanga Roa. A chess variant inspired by the people of Easter Island. (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, May 16, 2015 07:28 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
I did not expect it from reading the rules, but after trying it I think it is one of the best games in the data base.

Ultima. Game where each type of piece has a different capturing ability. Also called Baroque. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Wed, Aug 19, 2015 10:49 AM UTC:
I said in a former comment:

"That may be the only ugly thing of this game: that the immobilizer is too important. As far as my experience goes, he is the central piece in every successful attack. Immobilize the king and capture it with the chameleon. I rarely succeeded in winning in any other way."

Since then I got crashed by Francis Fahys in a variety of ways, so I retract that this is a feature of the game. It is just my own lack of fantasy

About Game Courier. Web-based system for playing many different variants by email or in real-time.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2015 03:13 PM UTC:
suddenly I have no access to my game logs (or any game log). They just do not show up when I enter the game courier. What's that?

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2015 03:48 PM UTC:
How?

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2015 03:50 PM UTC:
ah...ok!

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2015 03:54 PM UTC:
well, but I still cannot move.

Georg Spengler wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2015 03:55 PM UTC:
ok, got it.

Game Courier Logs. View the logs of games played on Game Courier.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Mon, Oct 26, 2015 01:57 PM UTC:
go to PERSONAL INFORMATION, then to EDIT PERSON

Brigadier Chess. Introducing the powerful Brigadier piece on a 68-square Gustavian board.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Mon, Oct 26, 2015 07:06 PM UTC:BelowAverage ★★
Also it is the strongest piece,  yet there are two of them but only one Queen. Ugly.

Big Chess. Chess variant on a 14 by 8 square board with extra Pawns, Knights and Bishops. (14x8, Cells: 112) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Tue, Oct 27, 2015 06:16 PM UTC:
unprotected pawns in the starting array. Ugly game. After 1 g2-g4 the black pawn on b7 is attacked, so black has to respond with n c6 or n d6. I don't like it.

Macrochess. Missing description (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Georg Spengler wrote on Thu, Oct 29, 2015 12:45 AM UTC:
the Valient Knight is too strong for being 2 of them. One should be replaced  by some other piece.

Georg Spengler wrote on Thu, Oct 29, 2015 12:45 AM UTC:
my posts always double. Donno why.

[Ed. note: I've been deleting them as they occur. As far as I know none of the scripts have changed, so I don't know why this would be happening. This post didn't duplicate either.]


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