Shogi Japaneses Game of Strat

by Trevor Leggett

Book Overview

This is the bible of shogi, a chess-like game of strategy. Step by-step instructions and diagrams introduce basic moves and strategies. Removable pieces and a shogi board are included.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804805261
• ISBN13: 9780804805261
• Release Date: January 1966
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 99 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Brief but helpful intro to Shogi

I have been playing shogi with some friends for a little while, but I really wanted to brush up on my skills and try to develop more advanced techniques. Having read this book, I feel like a more confident shogi player. Mr. Leggett walks through the basics of shogi pieces, with the focus on how to effect mate with those pieces. Then dropping pieces is introduced. From there, Mr. Leggett works the player through basic strategy before showing championship games and the strategies used there. As an introduction to shogi, I think this book is a good effort, but is somewhat rough around the edges. The does pretty well in walking through the very basics, but starts to jump into advanced strategy without covering mid-level strategy much. Mr. Leggett has many useful mottos and pointers to keep in mind (you need X number of pieces to drop to effect mate, Y number if you have pieces promoted), and some of these have been helpful with my own gameplay. In addition, the basic pointers on how to mate an opponent have actually helped me to win games since reading this book. My only complaint (hence the 4 stars) is the focus on specific games, and not enough examples of general strategy. Also the length of the book is somewhat brief. I feel that each section could use some more expansion, particularly the later sections. In any case, I think this is a fine book, and a good read for anyone whose new to shogi, or wants to brush up on their skills. I think this book is good for rounding out one's knowledge of shogi.

A Good Introduction to a Challenging Game

The Japanese play Chess as enthusiastically as we play golf, but Japanese Chess, or Shogi, is quite unlike Chess. At first glance, Shogi bears no resemblance whatsoever to Chess. The 9x9 board is uncheckered and is marked with dots similar to those on a Go board. The pieces look like little pentagonal arrowheads or wedges, and enemy pieces are distinguished, not by color, but by the direction in which they point. Probably the most intimidating aspect of Shogi is that the pieces' ranks are displayed in Japanese hieroglyphics. The pieces' ranks appear in black on one side, and their promoted value in red on the other side. The pieces are really quite easy to learn, and although Westernized sets abound, the game loses some of its charm when played with pieces marked with English initials and arrows indicating the movement of the pieces.For almost twenty years, until the publication of John Fairbairn's "Shogi for Beginners," this book served as the only English language introduction to the game. Fairbairn's book is more thorough and gives deeper insight into the game, but Fairbairn's diagrams are in Japanese hieroglyphics. Legget's book uses Westernized symbols which are easier to decipher. Leggett's book also has this advantage over Fairbairn's: It comes with a cardboard punchout Shogi set.Thus, Fairbairn's book gives better instruction, but Leggett's is more user-friendly.