HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mattock@rand.org (Michael Mattock)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess,rec.games.board
Subject: Shogi for Super Nintendo and IBM-PC
Date: 27 Aug 92 15:38:02 GMT
Organization: RAND
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
X-XXMessage-ID: <A6C2449917010B19@mac-9-15.rand.org>
X-XXDate: Thu, 27 Aug 92 16:36:41 GMT


In article <25235@castle.ed.ac.uk> R.J.Hare, ercn72@festival.ed.ac.uk writes:
>I just joined this group and noticed a request for Shogi programs. I couldn't
>find an answers which mentioned Shogi programs. Does anyone know of any such
>programs please?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Roger Hare

There is a new shogi program available for the Super Famicom.  It is called "Super Shogi" and is
from I'MAX. It will play on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, if you use an adaptor.  I
got it for $92.00 at my local Yaohan Pony Toy Go Round; if you shop around you should be able to
get it for about $70.00 to $80.00.  The adaptor costs about $30.00.

"Super Shogi"  can easily beat me even on the lowest setting (however I am only a beginner).  It
has three modes of play:  a straight "you versus the computer" mode, a "tournament" mode where
you play against various personalities that are played by the computer, and a "Shogi News" mode
where you play against various personalities and a commentator comments on the game after you are
finished.  There are also about 40 canned "mate in X moves" problems, and you can also use the
program to play against another human being.  It also has a library of standard openings that you
can call up and use.  I find it to be a very complete program, comparable to the best programs
for playing international chess.

The user interface is all in Kana and Kanji, so it helps if you read a little Japanese.  I don't,
and I still found the program very usable just by experimenting to see what the various menu
options do.  

I highly recommend getting this program if you have the Super Famicom or a Super Nintendo.  You
should be able to get it from your local Yoahan Pony Toy, or you can special order it through the
following video game distributors:

Die Hard
18612 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356
USA

(818) 774-2000

Electronic Games, Etc. (EGE)
Los Angeles, CA
USA

(310) 820-2800



Also, Ishi Press publishes a shogi program for IBM-PCs. The program is called "Shogi Master" and
is catalog number GS21.  Ishi Press also publishes the books "Shogi for Beginners" (catalog
number S1) and "Better Moves for Better Shogi" (catalog number SH3), as well as "Shogi World
Magazine", a quarterly newsletter. 

Here are the addresses and phone numbers:

Ishi Press International
76 Bonaventura Avenue
San Jose, CA   95134
U.S.A
(408) 944-9900
FAX: (408) 944-9110

Ishi Press International
20 Bruges Place
Baynes Street
London NW1 0TE
U.K.
(0)71-284-4898
FAX:(0)71-284-4899

P.S. Have you managed to beat the Chinese Chess program yet?
From: fry@tara.harvard.edu (David Fry)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: F-S II, game 2 update (3:41 EDT)
Date: 3 Sep 92 21:06:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1992Sep3.170653.15341
Distribution: world
Organization: Harvard Math Department


From AP:
   Spassky Fischer  
   (White) (Black)  
   1. d4 Nf6  
   2. c4 g6  
   3. Nc3 Bg7  
   4. e4 d6  
   5. f3 c5  
   6. dxc5 dxc5  
   7. Qxd8 Kxd8  
   8. Be3 Nfd7  
   9. Ne2 b6  
   10. 0-0-0 Na6  
   11. g3 Nc7  
   12. f4 e6  
   13. Bh3 Ke7  
   14. Rhf1 h6  
   15. e5 Bb7   
   16. g4 Rad8  
   17. Ng3 f6  
   18. Nce4 fxe5  
   19. f5 Bxe4  
   20. Nxe4 gxf5  
   21. gxf5 Nf6  
   22. Rg1 Rxd1+  
   23. Kxd1 Bf8  
   24. Nxf6 Kxf6  
   25. Rf1 exf5  
   26. Rxf5+ Kg7  
   27. Rxe5 Bd6  
   28. Re4 Bxh2  
   29. Ke2 h5  
   30. Re7+ Kf6  
   31. Rd7 Be5  
   32. b3 h4  
   33. Kf3 Rg8 

This is the slight-advantage-for-Fischer-but-probably-drawn
position mentioned in my last update.

The AP also had an interview with his girlfriend.  They only met in
April, but they had corresponded prior to that about chess.  She
denies that they are engaged, but she has met his mother. (This is
pretty amazing and says that's he in touch with his mother.)
She speaks English fluently, and wouldn't comment on his eccentricities or
diatribes against Jews, etc., only to say that she loved the fact that
he spoke what was on his mind.

She's getting lavish attention from Fischer's hosts, and she's having
her trip to the World Junior Championship in Argentina paid for
by the same banker who's funding the match.  She won the Hungarian
Junior Championship on Sunday (apparently the Polgars didn't play).

She says she's learning a lot about chess from Bobby.


David Fry                                  fry@math.harvard.edu
Division of Applied Sciences               fry@huma1.bitnet
Harvard University                      ...!harvard!huma1!fry
Cambridge, MA  02138            
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: ako@jyu.fi (Antti Koponen)
Subject: Re: Alekhine's Defense (was Chinook-Tinsley)
Organization: University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 08:45:09 GMT

>
>     Anyway, enough of my bitching.  Does anyone out there have some
>practical experience with the 7.a4 lines of the modern treatment of the
>Alekhine?  (1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6(!?) 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7
>            7.a4)
>I've seen a number of white crushes with this line, and only 1 game
>where Black really had active couterplay (Rachels v Men, Dayton 1991),
>but he had to give up a couple of pawns in an unclear position.  I've
>only played 7...,a5 in reply, but I'm not too confident with it.
>Any comment would be welcome.

Well. To me it seems to e so that black is about to be busted in this
line. With or without a4. If white is going to play the Ng5 system, then
a4 is important eg. 7.-a5 8.Ng5 e6!? unclear, if somewhat better for white,
anyway I would like to play the position with the black pieces. BUT black
could try 7.-de 8.a5 N6d7 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Ng5+ Kg8 11.Ne6 Qe8 12.Nxc7 Qd8
13.Nxa8, which seems to be worth trying, though perhaps not quite correct.
After 7.-a5 best is 8.Qe2!. 
White can pass 7.-de with 7.Qe2! after which black is in biiig troubles.
Timman has lost here (Qe2-line) to Short very effectively, 
and in INF 54 there was another alehin loss for him. White played this
time 7.a4 a5 8.ed!? +=. 
After 8.De2 Nc6 9.h3 O-O 10.0-0 de 11.de Nd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Re1 black
could try the curious 13.-Be6!?? threatening 14.-Bxb3 (If white has 
avoided the a4 move black could play it himself before playing  de, so
that white is almost forced to play 14.Bxe6). After 14.Bxe6 fe balck could
have some compensation?

Please some comments?

Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: iscjcw@uccvma.ucop.edu (Jerry Wilcox)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Time forfeits in SD games
Followup-To: rec.games.chess
Date: 1 Sep 1992 17:41:06 GMT
Organization: University of California, Office of the President
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: ajax.ucop.edu

In article <9209010530.AA05531@hplwk.hpl.hp.com>, albert@HPLWK.HPL.HP.COM
(Joseph Albert) wrote:
> 
> So, what was the controversy? Apparently, if there is a dispute over which
> chess set/clock to use, the player of the black pieces can choose as
> long as the equipment meets USCF standards.  One of the players paired
> as black wanted to use his set, and was adamant about it.  The set was
> one of the standard, solid plastic `Club Specials' sold by the USCF
> among other retailers, except the pieces of this set were red and green.
> The player paired as white refused, and a controversy ensued.  The
> player with the red/green set was shouting about how he had gone to alot
> of trouble to get this set, and wasn't going to be denied using it.
> 
I wonder if the TD in question is aware that a significant portion of the
male population is red-green colorblind and in all probablilty, such a
person could not distinguish between the two sets at all, certainly not
"easily" as required by the rulebook.

I would be suspicious of the motives of the "gentleman" who had "gone to
alot of trouble to get this set." If I were the TD, I'd have thrown the set
out from step one.

-----------
Jerry Wilcox - iscjcw@uccvma.ucop.edu
All opinions expressed are MINE -- I'd have a different job if the
University wanted me to speak for it.
From: ed@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (edward.m.hummel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Fischer - Spassky
Date: 3 Sep 92 10:26:51 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Sep3.035427.15204@latcs1.lat.oz.au> jd@slc3.lat.oz.au (John Dimogotsis) writes:
>
>	Fischer is playing again, BIG F***ING DEAL...
>
>	Borg was great once too, but now there are more interesting tennis 
>	players. Likewise there are more intresting chessplayers around too.

Actually it is a pretty big deal.  CNN doesn't cover very many chess matches
or tournaments these days but found the time to slip in some reports on
this one.

I thought Fischer's play was interesting in the first game.  He had always
set a very high standard.  Let's see if he can keep people interested.
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: mpinnock@casper.cs.uct.ac.za (M B Pinnock)
Subject: Shogi "Japanese Chess."
Summary: Has anyone got more info for me?
Keywords: Chess Shogi
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:38:48 GMT


I recently discovered an apparently ancient Japanese board game
called Shogi (I think). I know very little about it except that it bears
some resemblance to chess. It is apparently still very popular in Japan.

If anyone knows the rules and a little about the game, I would
greatly appreciate the info.

You can mail to me directly at the address given below (if you like).


Brian Pinnock

Computer Science Dept.       | 
University of Cape Town      | 
South Africa                 | 
mpinnock@casper.cs.uct.ac.za |
From: xx011@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Chess SIG)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: FNCF comments on Fischer - Spassky Match
Date: 4 Sep 1992 01:00:25 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


          With respect to fellow players worldwide we feel the
    current Fischer-Spassky Match can be the opening up of better
    east-west relations, better American chess, and perhaps for
    the first time since 1972 a real chess battle.
          After game one who now can doubt Bobby"s genius? Whats
    all the fuss? Lets get smarter by being more greatful that
    he is back and playing. Its been a long time, chess needs
    this contest and America can use a champion player again.
       Its going to be interesting and from what we seen here so
    far we believe all of you deeply in your hearts are rooting
    for Bobby's comeback. Dont forget how we all felt when he left.
      Remember the pain, now enjoy the joy!

Edward Noe AA214@cleveland.freenet.edu
Director: Free-Net Chess Federation (FNCF)
-- 
 (FNCF) FREE-NET CHESS FEDERATION  xx011@cleveland.freenet.edu
  Director: Edward Noe AA214@cleveland.freenet.edu
  Chess Sigs established in Cleveland,Youngstown & Chicago.
  Contacts in Peoria,Medina,Cincinnati and the internets.
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: bill@myope.cvs.rochester.edu (Bill Vaughn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Spassky-Fischer game2
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:15:48 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester, Rochester NY

In article <1992Sep4.023552.17312@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> bwatkins@nyx.cs.du.edu (The God of all machines) writes:
>
>For those of you who are interested:
>At this point in 1972:
>Fischer Spassky '72:  The World Chess Championship
>After two games:
>
>Spassky 2 Fischer 0
>
>The match was to 12.5 games.

Also, Fischer had 7 wins, 3 losses (including a forfeit) and
11 draws in the '72 match.

He's off to a better start, but has farther to go this time.


--
Bill Vaughn               /  This space   \   Email: bill@cvs.rochester.edu
Center for Visual Science \   has been    /   Phone: 716-275-8674
Univ. of Rochester        / intentionally \   Fax:   716-271-3043
Rochester, NY 14627       \   occupied.   /   Voice: Hey, you
From: nates@ll.mit.edu ( Nate Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: bobby's fillings
Date: 4 Sep 92 20:02:30 GMT
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

In article <1992Sep4.011636.4766@midway.uchicago.edu> hau4@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>
>Paranoia is a mental illness.
>
>Sven

oh come on...anyone knows that paranoia is just a heightened sense of
awareness.

- nate
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: jhc@ivan.uucp (James H. Coombs)
Subject: MChess and Zarkov; top two
Reply-To: jhc@iris.brown.edu.uucp (James H. Coombs)
Organization: IRIS - Brown University
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 19:35:24 GMT

According to CCR, Zarkov 2.6 [2347] has closed the gap with MChess
[2401] (ratings on 486/33).

	The two best programs for PCs are MChess and Zarkov.  Zarkov
	has many more analysis features and utilities to help players
	study their games, modify the opening book, and determine their
	rating.  MChess's main features are playing strength and ease
	of use.

--Jim
From: morphy@cco.caltech.edu (Jones Maxime Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: More Fischer Spasski stuff...
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:19:38 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

Move 34:Spasski apparently countersacrificed brilliantly and has driven
Fischer's king into the open. Haven't seen the moves yet(still!) and will
post'em once I do. 
Jones(impatiently awaiting moves...)
-- 
Jones M Murphy Jr                                        (212) 602-4375
NatWest Investment Bancorp, National Westminster Bank PLC
100 Wall Street, New York, NY10005                   FAX (212) 269-0113
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: olesen@math.uiowa.edu (Martin Olesen)
Subject: Re: fischer match coverage
Originator: olesen@walnut.math.uiowa.edu
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:22:34 GMT
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA


In article <1992Aug31.142007.5963@osf.org>, ron@osf.org (Ron Birnbaum) writes:
|> ------------
|> 
|> PS - OF course, if they move to Belgrade or anywhere else outside of Yugoslavia,
                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^      
|>      then there's no problem!
|> 



            On the basis of this view of Yugoslav geography I claim
            that the match IS taking place outside of Yugoslavia....

                                       Martin Olesen, Iowa - outside of the US.
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: mjohnsto@jenny.shearson.com (Mike Johnston)
Subject: Re: bobby's fillings
Organization: Lehman Brothers
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:52:31 GMT

In article <Bu095z.53B@acsu.buffalo.edu> v5875bza@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Michael M Gorman Jr) writes:
   Did Bobby  r e a l l y  have his fillings taken out to foil Soviet
   attempts to beam in radio waves?  

   More importantly, perhaps, did he really think they were trying to
   do this, regardless of what countermeasures he might have taken?

   I ask because this--far more than merely erratic or self-defeating
   behavior--would be a pretty good indication of pretty serious
   mental illness.

I'm not sure there's much question about his mental stability. Trying to make 
sense of the man is impossible. In fact, were to you try, you might wind up a 
bit like him. He certainly adds color to the game, but beyond chess I ignore 
his ravings. 

Were it not for chess, I feel certain the man would probably have been 
institutionalized.

MJ
--
Michael R. Johnston/System Administrator                mjohnsto@shearson.com  
  =-=-=  The official .signature of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. =-=-=

Xref: sparky rec.games.chess:6460 rec.games.go:1701 rec.games.board:8211 rec.games.programmer:3623
From: doshay@ursa.arc.nasa.gov (David Doshay)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess,rec.games.go,rec.games.board,rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Strategic games, computational cost & implications
Keywords: go
Date: 25 Aug 92 22:38:22 GMT
Organization: NASA-Ames Biocomputation Center

The computational complexity of a game is normally taken to be the number
of possible games.

Thus for Go the number is close to 361! (361 x 360 x 359 x .... x 3 x 2). You
could say it is smaller by 4! or maybe 8! because of symmetery in the board,
but dividing 361! by 8! hardly changes the result. Of course it could be a
bit larger because of ko and replay into large previously captured areas, but
that would not change the overall number by much. So, 361! is about 10^924.
Use Simpson's rule to approximate the factorial if this round number is not
good enough for you.

Counting down, there are about:
	10^60 elementary particles in the universe  ( about 48!, just less
                                                      than Go on a 7x7 board )
	10^45 games of chess                        ( about 38! )     
	10^22 games of checkers                     ( about 23! )
 wish I knew for bridge. Anybody know? 

So, Go is tougher than the others. Of course you can multiply the complexity of
any game by playing with the rules, but the size of the gap between Go and the
others means that MUCH modification of the traditional rules would be required to
even approach Go. Of course in Go all we have to do is play a slightly larger 
board, say 21x21, to increase the complexity to 441!, or something like
10^1167. Hey, that is only a whole unverse worth of elementary particles TIMES
the number of Go games on a regular board. How nice that it is so easy to
greatly increase the computational complexity of the game, just in line with
the very simple rules.


Note that these numbers are not the same as the mistakenly calculated 300^70
posted earlier. That number should perhaps be 300! / 70!, something like 10^640.

David		doshay@soma.arc.nasa.gov

The thought police insist I tell you:
my thoughts, not NASA's
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: hyatt@cis.uab.edu (Robert Hyatt)
Subject: Re: Mandatory human-computer tournament play (was Re: US Open)
Keywords: computers, pairings
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 18:05:43 GMT



A little more thought on my part resulted in the following rule that I
believe computers ought to be forced to "live" with.  

A computer should not be allowed to compete in any tournament where any
of the following is true:

1.  the computer can't win the title

2.  the computer can win cash prizes

3.  opponents have the "right of refusal" to avoid playing a computer,
even if the pairing system "demands" such a pairing.

Before you shout "mercenary" or whatever, I am interested in seening
human tournaments run as smoothly as possible.  In a 5 round swiss
with more than 32 players, first place is iffy it best.  If the computer
is the only participant to finish at 5-0, then any method of resolving
ties at the lower places to "award the title that the computer couldn't
take" is really arbitrary.  Resolving ties for first is bad enough, but
to "throw out the best score" and then try to choose #2 as the winner
really makes the swiss system look bad.  In the final analysis, this is
why I have been adamant that either computers play unrestricted or else
they don't play at all...  it simply eliminates a big headache.  If
computers "must go", so be it, I think that is a better solution than
the "right of refusal" route....

Bob


-- 
!Robert Hyatt                    Computer and Information Sciences   !
!hyatt@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham !
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: hgk@cray.com (Hans-Georg Kleinhenz)
Subject: Re: Marshall - ask Fischer
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 3 Sep 92 13:17:30 CDT

In article <14816@mindlink.bc.ca> Bruce_Harper@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Harper) writes:
>Judging from the first game, Fischer didn't seem to be too worried about
>meeting the Marshall, but I don't recall ever seeing Spassky play it (I might
>be wrong).  Anyone who says it's no big deal that Fischer's playing again
>should consider that he might have some answers to questions like this one...

In his younger days, when his style was more aggresive, Spassky often
played the Marshall defense. The best examples are perhaps the
three games against Tal in their 1965 Candidates match. Tal didnt
find a waepon against it and all three games ended in a draw.
But perhaps more interesting is the fact that Spasski also played the
Marshall against Fischer in the Piatigorsky Cup, Santa Monica 1966.
This game also was drawn after 35 moves. 
Perhaps we get a chance to see a revival of the Fischer - Spasski
Marshall gamit .....

Regards
Hans-Georg

Hans-Georg Kleinhenz
Cray Research GmbH, Munich
hgk@crmunich0.cray.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: direwolf@seismo.gps.caltech.edu (Kathy Watts)
Subject: Re: Time forfeits in SD games
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 16:18:18 GMT

I read with curiousity yesterday's description of the PA State Championship
brouhaha.  Then - a friend from Pittsburgh called me for a Zarkov upgrade, and
mentioned that he had played there, so I asked him about it.  He's an FM, and
was directly affected, and the A-player was rooming with him.

The thing that got me was this:  I had played in a tournament in the 1970s in
Philly run by the same TD, and this TD had opened a discussion about how to
divide up the class prizes shortly before the last round.  I couldn't believe
it!

This TD eventually went on to earn (receive?) the USCF's highest level
certification, and to take charge of the USCF TD Certification and testing
program.

And here he is again - totally unable to make a decision!  

Hal Bogner
International Arbiter

Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: palane@iastate.edu (Paul A. Lane)
Subject: Classes and Ratings
Summary: I'm a bit confused about my local rating.
Keywords: Chess Class Rating Norm
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 17:30:33 GMT

I have been playing chess competitively now for almost a year. After leaving
provisional status, I had a mid-1400 rating which I thought established me
as class C. Since then it's dropped and risen back up, but never leaving the
1400-1500 range. So far so good.

Now it get confusing. When I received my first state newsletter, it included
a listing for all classes in addition to a numerical rating. Every 200 point
class was broken up into a lower and higher range. (c being 1400-1499 and C
being 1500-1599.) In addition, norms are listed as required to advance from
one class to the next. So I was listed as class D with 2 norms towards class c.

Here's the questions. What is a norm? How do you earn one? How many does it
take to advance from one class to another? I assume it's something like beating
someone in the next higher range or drawing a much higher-rated player.

Thanks for any answers.

Paul A. Lane
Chess God in Training
From: philip@spr.usask.ca (Tim Philip)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: e: fischer match coverage
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:23:44 GMT
Organization: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

In article <1685413D39.HOLDENB1@ibm.gwdg.de>, HOLDENB1@ibm.gwdg.de writes:
|> Ron, and friends
|> The german newspaper "Welt am Sonntag" <World at Sunday> yesterday
|> reported, that the match Fischer-Spassky will take place on a ship
|> outside the 3-mile-zone in an international area.
|> I hope this is not rumor and hesitate whether this will or should
|> calm the department, cause the match nevertheless is a deal with
|> a serbian sponsor. Right??
|>                          Best, Hartmut
|> Hartmut-A. Oldenbuerger, Department for Teaching Economics
|> holdenb1#ibm.gwdg.de     University of Goettingen


	I'm not sure if this is at all correct, but I seem to remember
	something about the US only recognizing a 5-mile-zone, and not
	the UN 3-mile-zone.  If so, isn't bobby still in trouble with
	the United States Government??

	Tim.
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess