7: kmullin (1100) 2016-08-22 14:44

@captbirdseye (Roger), 

Ok, I'll email you. I have some tsume shogi to offer to you in exchange/for fun. (although it won't be anywhere near 300 problems...)

Incidentally, I don't have a kindle either, but I think Amazon provides some kind of way to view a kindle book with a web browser. (I think I did this before, but I could be wrong.) That's not a recommendation to buy the book as I haven't even read it yet.

At least one of the kindle ebooks seemed to be automatically generated from Wikipedia, which is free. I guess the seller is hoping to find gullible buyers.

Thanks for your page link.

6: captbirdseye (700) 2016-08-18 19:05 (Edited at 2016-08-18 19:13)

> And, there's at least one cheap tsume ebook available on amazon: 'TsumeSyogi' by Eiji Miake.

I wasn't aware of that one, thank you for drawing it to my attention. However, as I no longer use a Kindle, it's not immediately relevant to me :-) It certainly looks to be of better quality than the other Kindle offerings I have seen...

If you (or anyone else, for that matter) email me privately (rjhare@outlook.com), I will send you a PDF file of 300 or so tsumeshogi problems which I first posted on the internet some time in the 1990s (posted in text form at the time - there weren't any graphics available then!!).

My original HTML Inroduction to Shogi from the 1990s is still available at:

http://www.shogi.net/rjhare/

I am also working on an update to this information in PDF format. This runs to something like 100 pages and is available in draft form - please ask....

Roger. 

5: kmullin (1100) 2016-08-17 07:02

I agree about the books. It's not very good at all. If absolutely necessary just try to get the book from the interlibrary loan system that many US libraries have.

The Hosking book is very good. There's a lot of stuff to study there.

The 'Better moves for better shogi' by Aono is also very good.

I think that one can find a good bit of tsume problems on the internet. One doesn't need to be able to read Japanese to read try the problems, I don't think. Just search for '詰将棋'. Also, try G Davis's website companion to his tsume book: japanesechess.org. And, there's at least one cheap tsume ebook available on amazon: 'TsumeSyogi' by Eiji Miake. 

4: captbirdseye (700) 2016-08-13 18:18 (Edited at 2016-08-13 18:36)

A follow-up if I may, prompted by something I just saw on Amazon (see below)...

John Fairbairns SFB appears to be available at a sensible price at the Aobo shop:

http://en.aobo-shop.com/26-shogi-japan

Do not be tempted to pay the over-the-odds prices you will see on Amazon - I saw one copy listed at $600+!!! What a laugh - these second-hand booksellers must be off their heads.

Aobo also have other Shogi books.

See also:

http://shop.nekomado.com/
http://www.shogifoundation.co.uk/

All the above three have a range of Shogi books in English plus a range of Shogi equipment.

I guess you know about Nekomado, if you've ordered Hidetchi's pieces?

If you can't get a copy of 'Shogi for Beginners', try 'The Art of Shogi' by Tony Hosking. It's a lot more detailed, but it's afirst-rate book. '4 Great Games', also by Tony Hosking is a very good comparison of Chess, Go, Chinese Chess and Shogi.

With these three books on your shelf, you are pretty well-equipped for the future.

Do not buy Trevor Legget's 'Shogi, Japan's Game of Strategy', despite the reviews on Amazon. The diagrams in this book are appalling (strangely, my own critical review of this book seems to have disappeared from the Amazon site). The book also contains errors in the description of the rules. The recent reprint (re-titled, I think) actually introduces some new errors...

Also, beware of any of the offerings for the Kindle e-book reader. I haven't acquired full copies of any of these, but the samples lead me to believe that these are extremely poor value for money.

Roger

3: captbirdseye (700) 2016-08-09 05:11 (Edited at 2016-08-09 05:11)

ccsg wrote:

> Do you know John Fairbairn's Shogi for Beginners? I think 
> it is a great book to have, if you don't mind another 
> suggestion.

I would unhesitatingly endorse this suggestion - this is a great book! If you look carefully, sensibly priced copies are still available on the internet.

RJH

2: ramalam (1027) 2016-08-07 21:33

Hi Eric,

I wish Dobutsu was around when my kids were young.

All the best to you and your son with your Shogi!

Gambatte !

1: ccsg (700) 2016-08-07 21:32

Hi, Eric!

I wish you and your son much joy with shogi. I don't know in what part of Virginia you live, but perhaps the DC shogi club is still active. For my then six-year old the chance to play a handicap game there with a visiting professional was a happy formative experience he is unlikely to forget.

The Dobutsu sets are quite charming! I noticed nekomado.com sells a book of tsumeshogi problems for younger players, too.

Do you know John Fairbairn's Shogi for Beginners? I think it is a great book to have, if you don't mind another suggestion.

Best wishes!

ES.