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Text File | 1998-04-19 | 17KB | 356 lines

" INTRODUCTION ============== Tenjiku Shogi (Exotic Shogi) is believed to have been invented in the sixteenth century by Buddhist monks, and certainly lives up to its name. While based on Chu Shogi (Middle Shogi), Tenjiku boasts a menagarie of wonderfully powerful pieces which make it a far more dynamic and fast- paced game than the other large variants. The exotic pieces include range jumpers which can jump over any number of pieces in order make a capture, and the 'Fire Demon' which can 'burn' all enemy pieces on the squares adjacent to where it lands! Unlike in most other Shogi variants, tactics in Tenjiku are critical right from the first move of the game. Despite the large board, the power of the pieces can mean that careless play is rewarded with a lost game in only a few moves. THE GAME ========= Tenjiku Shogi is played on a board of 16 x 16 squares and each player has 78 pieces (including 16 pawns). As in all Shogi games, the pieces are flat and wedge-shaped and are not distinguished by colour. Although the pieces are of uniform colour the first player is still conventionally referred to as 'Black' and the second player as 'White'. Ownership of the pieces is indicated by the direction in which they face, with a player's pieces always pointing towards the opponent. The players make alternate moves, with the object being to capture the opposing 'King'. If the opposing player has obtained a 'Crown Prince' by promotion, that piece must also be captured in order to win the game. On each turn a player can move one piece according to its power of movement to a vacant square on the board, or to a square occupied by an enemy piece (in which case the enemy piece is captured and removed from the game). In addition the 'Fire Demon' can also capture any enemy pieces adjacent to the destination square. In the case of the 'Lion' and pieces with 'Lion' power a second move can sometimes be made in the same turn. THE PIECES =========== The Piece Help screen provides the names, notation symbols, promotion details, and powers of movement for all of the pieces in the game. [The Piece Help screen can be reached by clicking on the 'Pieces' button] JUMPING PIECES =============== There are a number of pieces in Tenjiku Shogi that have the power to jump over occupied squares. The 'Kylin','Phoenix' and 'Free Eagle' may all jump to the second square in the directions indicated by red circles on the Piece Help screens (ie: the 'Kylin' and 'Free Eagle' can jump to the second square in any orthogonal direction, and the 'Phoenix' may jump to the second square when moving diagonally). The 'Free Eagle' may also move any number of unobstructed squares in any orthogonal or diagonal direction. The 'Knight' has the same move as its Western Chess counterpart (1 square ahead, followed by 1 square diagonally ahead) but is limited to making this move in the forwards direction (toward the opponent). The 'Lion' and the 'Horned Falcon' and 'Soaring Eagle' may use their 'Lion' powers to jump over adjacent pieces. The 'Heavenly Tetrarchs' is another piece that may jump occupied squares. The peculiar move of this piece is described separately. In addition, Tenjiku has several 'Range Jumping' pieces that may jump over multiple squares when making a capture. THE LION ========= The 'Lion' is one of the unusual pieces in Tenjiku Shogi, having a move which is unlike any piece in Western Chess. If the 8 squares immediately adjacent to the 'Lion' are called the 'A' squares (shown as Dark Blue Circles on the Piece Help screen), and the 16 squares two away from the piece are called the 'B' squares (represented as Light Blue Circles), then the 'Lion' may do any one of the following things in a single turn: - Move directly to any 'A' or 'B' square, jumping an intervening square if necessary; - Capture a piece on an 'A' square and continue moving one more square in any direction from the point of capture, making another capture if the 2nd square is also occupied by an enemy piece. - Capture a piece on any 'A' square without moving (this is known as 'igui' and counts as a turn). - Move to an adjacent square and return to the starting square (effectively passing the turn). This move can be made by double- clicking the left mouse button on the Lion. In Tenjiku Shogi there are no restrictions on the capture of Lions (as there are in Chu Shogi). One of the two versions of the 'Lion Hawk' included in this program also has the powers of the 'Lion' combined with those of the Bishop (for details see 'The Lion Hawk'). The 'Horned Falcon' and 'Soaring Eagle' also have 'Lion' power, but only in the directions indicated by Blue Circles on the Piece Help screen. RANGE JUMPING PIECES ====================== The 'Bishop General','Rook General', 'Vice General' and 'Great General' are special pieces with a very powerful and penetrating move. In addition to moving any number of unoccupied squares in the directions indicated by red arrows on the Piece Help screens, these pieces may also jump over any number of pieces (of either side) in those directions to effect a capture. This 'range jumping' power is, however, subject to certain restrictions. The range jumping pieces (together with the 'King') are ranked in the following order of precedence: 1. 'King' 2. 'Great General' 3. 'Vice General' 4. 'Rook General' & 'Bishop General' 5. All other pieces. When capturing by jumping, a piece may only jump over or capture lower ranked pieces. Note that the 'Bishop General' and 'Rook General' are considered to be of equal rank and neither may therefore jump the other, or capture the other by jumping. The range jumping pieces only have the power to jump other pieces on a move in which they are making a capture. AREA MOVE PIECES ================== The 'Fire Demon' and 'Vice General' can in one turn reach any square that could be reached by the equivalent of three consecutive single step 'King- type' moves. This means that when using their 'area move' power on an otherwise empty board these pieces can reach any square in an area within three squares of the starting point. The first version of the 'Lion Hawk' included in the program may make the equivalent of two 'King-type' moves, if used as an 'area mover', and therefore if unobstructed can reach any square in an area within two squares of its initial position (for further details see 'The Lion Hawk'). A piece moving as an 'area mover' can not continue its move after making a capture. The three square moves of the 'Fire Demon' and 'Vice General' are shown as a blue square around the piece in the Piece Help diagrams. The two square move of the 'Lion Hawk' (Version 1) is represented by a red square around the piece. THE LION HAWK ================ Two interpretations of the 'Lion Hawk' have been included in this program. The first has the move attributed to it in the 'Shogi Association' rules leaflet. In this form the piece moves either as a two square 'area mover' or as a 'Bishop'. This is the default setting, and it should be stressed that this is regarded by George Hodges as THE historically accurate move for this piece). Colin Adams, in his internet book on Tenjuki Shogi has advocated an alternative move for the 'Lion Hawk'. In this second form it may move as either the 'Lion' or the 'Bishop'. This version can be selected from the 'Set-up' menu, and has been included for those who may wish to try Colin's suggested alternative. THE FIRE DEMON ================ The 'Fire Demon' dominates the other fabulous beasts in Tenjiku Shogi in much the same way as the 'Lion' reigns supreme in Chu Shogi. The 'Fire Demon' has a powerful move as either an area mover or ranging piece, but its devastating feature is the power to 'burn' any adjacent enemy pieces. After the 'Fire Demon' completes its move, ALL enemy pieces unfortunate enough to be on one of the eight adjacent squares are captured and removed from play. This power is retained even during the opponents turn, in that a piece that ends its move next to an enemy 'Fire Demon' is still 'burnt' and removed from the game. Such a capture does not constitute a move for the 'Fire Demon'. If a 'Fire Demon' lands next to an opposing 'Fire Demon' it is the moving piece that is 'burnt'. THE HEAVENLY TETRARCHS ======================== The 'Heavenly Tetrarchs' is the promoted form of the 'Chariot Soldier', and has a move unlike any other piece in the game. The Tetrarchs can not move to any of the eight adjacent squares, but can capture a piece on one of those squares without moving (ie: capture by igui). This move is shown as a green circle on the Piece Help screen. In addition, the Tetrarchs can jump over an adjacent square (even if occupied) to move from the second square onwards on the diagonals as a ranging piece, or to move to the second or third squares in a sideways direction. THE CROWN PRINCE ================== The 'Drunk Elephant' is potentially a very important piece, as it promotes to a 'Crown Prince'. A player who gains a 'Crown Prince' effectively acquires a second 'King' as the 'Crown Prince' must also be captured before the opponent can win the game. PROMOTION ========== Each player has a Promotion Zone consisting of the five ranks (rows of squares) furthest away from him. Most of the pieces in Tenjiku Shogi have a promoted rank and can promote on entering, moving within, or leaving the Promotion Zone. Promotion is not compulsory, but a piece must promote if it would be unable to make another legal move as an unpromoted piece (ie: the 'Pawn', 'Lance' and 'Iron General' must promote on reaching the last rank; the 'Knight' must promote on reaching the second-last rank). As in all the games in the Shogi family, in Tenjiku Shogi sets the promoted rank is shown on the reverse side of the piece, and the piece is turned over on promotion to reveal the new rank. CAPTURES ========= As in all the larger Shogi variants, captured pieces in Tenjiku can not be 'dropped' back into play. A captured piece is removed from play and takes no further part in the game. HANDICAP PLAY =============== Handicaps are often given when players of unequal strength play Shogi in Japan. The reason that handicap play is common is that the handicap system in Shogi works far better than that used in Western Chess. In a handicap game a player offers a handicap of one or more pieces to an opponent of less strength. While Tenjiku does not lend itself to handicaps as well as Shogi (as there are no 'drops' in Tenjiku), provision for handicap play has nevertheless been included in this program. The same rules for handicaps as in Shogi have been adopted. Under these rules, the player offering the handicap plays 'White'and his opponent (as 'Black') removes the handicap pieces as the first move of the game. In handicap play 'White' therefore makes the first move on the board. NOTATION ========== The following notation system is used for recording Tenjiku Shogi games in this program. The files are designated by numbers (1 to 16), and the ranks by letters (a to p). The files are numbered from right to left (in the Japanese fashion), and the ranks from top to bottom (from Black's point of view). The top right square is therefore 1a. A move is described by giving: a) the designation of the piece (eg: Ln for Lion); this designation is preceded by a '+' if it is at its promoted rank, b) followed by the method of moving; '-' for a simple move on the board, 'x' for a capture, c) then the destination square is recorded, d) finally if the piece promoted on that turn, this is recorded by adding '+' after the move, or if promotion was possible but was refused, the symbol '=' is added. If more than one piece of the same type can reach the destination square then the starting square is also given after the piece designation to avoid confusion. When a 'Lion', 'Lion Hawk' (Version 2),'Horned Falcon', 'Soaring Eagle' or 'Heavenly Tetrarchs' captures by 'igui' (ie: without moving) the square of the piece being captured is used instead of the destination square, and this is preceded by the symbol '!'(eg: a Lion on 8c capturing a piece on 9d would be shown as Lnx!9d). The same notation is used for pieces 'burnt' on the move of a 'Fire Demon'. Where several pieces are 'burnt' they are separated by commas (eg: a 'Fire Demon' on 1k moving to 15k, capturing a piece on 15k and 'burning' pieces on 14j,15j and 16k, would be represented as FiDx15kx!14j,15j,16k). A 'suicide' move resulting from moving next to a 'Fire Demon' is shown by adding '*' after the move (eg: Ln-6g*, indicates that a Lion moved to 6g and was automatically burnt by an adjacent 'Fire Demon'). When a piece makes a double capture with 'Lion' powers both captures are shown in the order that they were made. (eg: a Lion on 3g capturing a piece on 3h and then capturing another on 2i, would be represented by Lnx3hx2i). NOTE: This system is the official notation system of 'The Shogi Association'. DISPLAYING LEGAL MOVES ========================= If the 'Show Move' option is selected from the Moves Menu, clicking the left mouse button on a piece during play will show all the legal moves of that piece: - Legal moves to vacant squares are represented as White Circles, - Legal captures are shown as Red Circles. - Legal moves by a piece with 'Lion' powers to an 'A' square (including captures) are shown as a Dark Blue Circle. - Legal moves by a piece with 'Lion' powers to a 'B' square (including captures) are indicated by a Light Blue Circle. - Pieces that may be 'burnt' after a legal move by a 'Fire Demon' are represented by Yellow Circles. - A move that will result in the moving piece being 'burnt' by a 'Fire Demon' is shown by a Black Circle. - A legal 'igui' capture by a Heavenly Tetrarchs is indicated by a Green Circle."