Shogi (Japanese Chess) - A Comparison of Sets - with 'Let's Catch the Lion' and Beginners' Sets

[@marcususa]

You had the board upside down, LOL. That doesn't mean I could have given a better performance. This is awesome. Thank you for uploading this.

[@AncientChess]

Thanks for the good commnet! Upside-down? I tried to get it right this time ... :)

[@teamjsapotboiler6793]

what a NICE opening!

[@AncientChess]

Here are dimensions of the sets I sell, in millimeters: Burned wood sets (table or folding board): K=24x23, P=20x17 1-kanji study set: K=31x26, P=25.5x20 2-kanji standard set: K=31x26, P=25.5x20 International symbols set: K=31.5x26.5, P=25.5x20 Master Sakamoto hand made sets: K=31.5x27, P=26.5x22 Brother-in-law brought me from Japan (not for sale): K=32x30, P=26x21 I think that any of these sets, except the 'burned wood' ones would be considered standard size. What do you think?

[@hanzimaster]

6:34 on the right hand side the gold and silver are on the wrong sides.

[@drake292]

Thank you so much! I really like the Animal Shogi set in the greenwood.

[@AncientChess]

A pleasure to get your comment. I agree, the full shogi game, done with animals (that have little markings to tell their moves) really takes the conceptual challenge out of learning the game. And they're so cute!

[@drake292]

AncientChess maybe I'm just getting older and soft in the head, but I really like the colorful and bright design. Nintendo style I guess hah. I showed my girlfriend a picture of a shogi set and she thought it looked 'difficult and boring'. When I showed her the animal shogi set she thought it was 'super cute, I want to play'. No joke she wants to learn to play simply because of the set. And I can't argue with her. The traditional shogi board is a bit dry looking. Anyhow thanks again ^-^

[@rickknowlton9990]

Thanks, that's a great comment. What a difference the presentation can make! I hope you have many good games. :)

[@garyfleming7028]

"AAAAAHHHHH [coughing]" Excellent way to start a video.

[@AncientChess]

Yeah! Gotta grab the viewer's attention in the first 3 seconds! ...even at the cost of my own momentary air supply -- it was all worth it ... I think ...

[@garyfleming7028]

I know. It was funny when you held that big stick and acted like a samurai.

[@AncientChess]

@@garyfleming7028 Big stick is bo ken, Wooden sword! Given to my wife by her ken do master when she studied in Japan :)

[@garyfleming7028]

Cool. I wish I could go to Japan someday. But I'm 13 and this pandemic is ruining everything, so maybe in the future. And then - yay - I'll play shogi (that is, if I can find someone there who speaks English) and eat lots of the delicious food.

[@AncientChess]

@@garyfleming7028 Yeah, me too! Hey, I was 13 when I first got interested in chess and chess variants. It was a different world. I have a longstanding plan to go to Japan with my family .. some day ..

[@mcatuara1]

Where can I get the simplified Shogi set with only one character?

[@AncientChess]

Thanks for asking. I have to put up new listings -- please check in the next few days and I'll try to get them up. The link is www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=rickofricks&LH_PrefLoc=&_from=R40&_trksid=p2499338.m570.l1313.TR8.TRC2.A0.H0.Xshogi.TRS0&_nkw=shogi&_sacat=0

[@AncientChess]

Thanks, not annoying at all! It's good to get informed feedback on such matters. I have not read about it, but only know the sets I have seen and been able to measure. I'm on the road at the moment, so can't take measurements of my sets. I'll try to get that info to you when I get back -- please nudge me if you haven't heard from me in the next few days.

[@AncientChess]

Here's one thing: there's an iPad application with tsume problems. I don't think I can send a link in this comment thread, but I'm sure you can find it with this information: Shogi Lv.100 for iPad (Japanese Chess), by UNBALANCE Corporation

[@AncientChess]

A typical tournament set has the king about 3 cm long (point to back), about 2.5 cm wide. They do vary a bit from there, but not too much. (sorry, I don't have a set with me at this moment to check the pawn size -- I'm on the road tonight -- but the king size should give a good idea of the set size in general).

[@YuVW]

I'm trying to get a grasp of the size "professional" sets (i.e. @7:20). A pawn in my cheap and terrible plastic set is ~2.5cm high. What will be the heigh of a pawn in this set?

[@AncientChess]

The various sets I measured out for you (listed below) do have different looks to them. Not only are they slightly different sizes, but some are broader proportionally. Perhaps a wise and broadly experienced shogi player will comment on this thread regarding the experience of actually playing. In the meantime, let me know if you get any revealing information. There is much to see as well in the many shogi KZbin videos.

[@YuVW]

@AncientChess I don't really know since I only know what I read. I don't know gow much 1-1.5mm really affecte the look of the pieces but they do seem a bit smaller than standard tournament sets.

[@YuVW]

I'm sorry for being annoying, but: From what I read the king on proffesional sets is usualy 3.2cm and a pawn is 2.7cm, which might not sound like much but it does make a difference in look and feel, especially when a lot of pieces are near each other. So can I get the exect measures of the sets you sell, especially the one at 7:20 (king is enough)? Thanks! and again sorry for being annoying.

[@AncientChess]

I asked my friend, Peter Blommers, who is a Dutch fellow who gets all over Europe promoting the shogi. He says that there are no tsume books in English but there are perhaps thousands in Japanese. Are you interested in Japanese editions?

[@funnyguy2019]

Who's that little fella at 5:18?

[@owelov343]

I like the single Kanji pieces

[@AncientChess]

Yeah, I first learned on a small single kanji set. They're very clear and correspond with the diagrams. I have some of those in stock now. AnientChess.com

[@owelov343]

Exist also plastic pieces with one Kanji?

[@rickknowlton9990]

I haven't seen 1-kanji plastic pieces, but I would expect they must be available somewhere (in Japan at least)...

[@shinji3870]

what is the set that hidetchi uses called 6:15 (that one)

[@quykim8339]

ichiji-koma

[@YuVW]

Well it does help me as it means my plastic set is tournament size (or at least the king), which is rather dissapointing considering I can easily put it inside the middle 6X6 squares (5.5X5.5 actually) of a standart olympic chess board.

[@Sphemus]

0:00 What a good way to start this episode! XDXD

[@rickknowlton9990]

Thanks! You know, a wise man once said, If you don't have a sense of humor, it just isn't funny anymore.* May all your games be fun -- sometimes even funny! *Wavy Gravy

[@socailboardtvthai4812]

Sorry Rick I don't see your dobutsu shogi booklet

[@YuVW]

I guess it's been a few days?!

[@YuVW]

I have a feeling I've been forgotten...

[@joshmeyers1808]

Feel like a few things in here would be seen as slightly offensive but as I'm not Japanese I guess I can't judge also when you were showing the single kanji pieces you had silver and gold pieces mixed up on one side but lol yeah good video overall

[@AncientChess]

Thanks Josh, yeah, at 5:00 a little silver/gold mixup. I hope nobody is offended, all in good fun ... and the love of chess

[@AncientChess]

@stickman1925 It's just that samurai vocalizing that get's to me! Good thing I had a cup of tea on hand to sooth my throat.

[@AncientChess]

My friend in the shogi world sends this web address. I don't think I can put an actual link in this thread, so the periods are replaced by the word 'dot'. It's Japanese, but I'm guessing you have access to a translating facility in your browser (?).... rakuten dot co dot jp/shogi/

[@角笛将棋実況四間飛車]

おお！将棋やんけ！ しかもどうぶつ将棋もあるやん！

[@theultimatetactician1712]

When I get married and get a kid he is so learning shogi(I ain't gonna force him, but yk)

[@AncientChess]

That's a good plan! I have two kids, now teens ... and they weren't too crazy about following in my footsteps. It turns out video games are much more captivating. But one daughter is in chess club at school ... and they are planning to play variants ... so there is still hope!

[@MossyCreature]

you should wait till you're better to film videos, you coughing is kinda distracting. Otherwise nice vid!