Comments by Yu Ren Dong

http://history.chess.free.fr/zip/grantacedrex.zip

This file proposes this reconstructed version as well as Murray's or other rules as variants.

Nice. I enjoy Wa Shogi. But I found 'Ganhi'(Flying Goose) can't be dropped. Maybe there is a bug.

By the way, I thought some pieces invented in Shogi variants are characterless and just like be crippled from original Shogi pieces.

For exemple, Climbing Monkey and Flying Goose are like weaken Gold General. Even if they are promoted ,they still can't do well.

If Climbing Monkey and Flying Goose could step one or two squares directly backward, they would have more power and differential features. I have no meaning to beef those pieces up like Superman. I just wish that they were a bit characteristic.

Likewise, Strutting Crow and Swooping Owl would be more characteristic ,while they could step one and two squares diagonally backward.

Back in Taiwan, I ever played Manchurian Chess(º¡¬w´Ñ) with my classmate. 

Manchurian Chess was invented by Manchu people during 17th century.  This powerful and isolated pieces which could move like Rook, Cannon, and Horse is called Banner(ºX). 

Manchu people likened Banner to their army who destroyed Ming Dynasty.

http://www.zillions-of-games.com/cgi-bin/zilligames/submissions.cgi/2914?do=show;id=11

I am so late to discover this good game. But I think Crocodile standing riverside is so easy to defence. It isn't good for attack.  I wish Elephants also do not drown.

I also use Alfaerie font to change Cango's graphics.

http://pika.cs.nctu.edu.tw/lit/congo.rar

http://pika.cs.nctu.edu.tw/lit/Judkins.rar 

I implemented Judkin's Shogi.

Philosophers Chess is small but owns intricate strategy as well as peculiar style. But I feel Philosophers Chess is very long to play in the end game.

Philosophers Chess will be better if added another way of winning for reducing the enemy force to exactly one King.

I feel Philosophers Chess is very long in the end game. For example,when there are only a Philosopher and two Kings on the borad.

Philosophers Chess will be better if added another way of winning for reducing the enemy force to exactly one King.

I think Border Wars Shogi is more playable than the other of Border Wars.

Now Quang Trung Chess is 10th edition.


http://www.zillions-of-games.com/cgi-bin/zilligames/submissions.cgi/38631?do=show;id=760

http://filer.case.edu/org/cwrums/games/shatrank-al-kabir.html

Shatrank al-Kabir is similar to Grande Acedrex. This coincidence is
surprising for me. I think their relation is set membership. But the move
of al-Kabir Rhinoceros seems a mistake.

The variant is a thinkable way to accept and highlight Marshall and Cardinal.

I agree Antoine Fourri�re's remark. Putting too similar pieces in a broad makes the game boring.

Pawns got finally its need in four players chess and have more efficiency to cooperative with friend army. 

Adding other win ways also hastened the end game.

As Scythe to Rotary, are Lance to Shogi. The merit that Scythe could rotate after the move without limit compensates for the actual loss of one direction.

My friends and I ever played one Chu Shogi variant called 'Heisei Chu Shogi'.

http://pika.cs.nctu.edu.tw/lit/HeiseiChuShogi.rar

The description is as fallowing:

Heisei Chu Shogi, a variant of Chu Shogi, lets 8 kinds of relatively
weaker pieces get more opportunities to cooperate with power pieces
like Lion and Free-King. The rule is a transitional blend between
Chu Shogi and Modern Shogi.

All Copper General, Kylin, Lance, Side Mover, Silver General,
Phoenix, Reverse Chariot, and Vertical Mover are removed from the
borad and put aside in advance. Other pieces are still on the
original board setup of Chu Shogi.

Once during the game, a player may put his one of the removed pieces on an unoccupied square adjacent to any friendly piece as long as dropped piece can move. If dropped into the promotion zone, the piece may dropped as its promoted piece or promote on any subsequent move in the promotion zone.

For exemple, a Lance cannnot be dropped into the last rank; however, its promoted piece, White Horse, can be.

When captured, unlike Modern Shogi, the piece can't be dropped again. Other rules are as in Chu Shogi.






Another modern Dai Shogi variant is called Heisei Dai Shogi. It is like Heisei Chu Shogi owning Hand pieces, and has some special rules about captured pieces.

http://pika.cs.nctu.edu.tw/lit/HeiseiDaiShogi.rar

The rules are as following:

16 pieces are set aside at setup and held in reserve, and once during the game a player may drop one of these on an empty square adjacent to a friendly piece. 

The set-aside pieces are the Lances, Knights, Coppers, Silvers, Side Movers, Vertical Movers, Reverse Chariots, Kyrin, and Phoenix. 

If dropped into the promotion zone, the piece may dropped as its promoted piece or promote on any subsequent move in the promotion zone. As with dropped pieces in standard shogi, the piece may not be dropped on a square from where it cannot move. 

For exemple, a Knight cannnot be dropped into the last two rank; however, its promoted piece, Gold General, can be. Captured pieces do not come back into play.

There are special rules about some pieces regarded as 'prize pieces.' 

Except for King, Prince, Horned Falcon, and Soaring Eagle, other pieces capturing one of 'prize pieces' may become into Lion immediately or waite another occassion of capturing prize pieces. 

The prize pieces are Angry Boars, Cat Swords, Evil Wolfs, Flying Dragons,  Violent Ox, Iron, and Stone.

The rest of the game is played as in regular Dai.

The move of Iron general may be wrong. In Heian Dai Shogi, 'èc«•ssŒãŽO•û' means Iron general also can step square sideways.

Lack of long range pieces on the so large board,  Heian-Dai Shogi is too  boring to play.

My friends and I ever played one Modern rules of Wa Shogi:with drops and changed Toen (Climbing Monkey): moves one square orthogonally forwards or diagonally forward, or one or two squares backwards. Promotes to Moroku (Violent Stag). 
Toen is slightly beefed up by moving one or two squares orthogonally forwards.