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Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

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Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#111

Post by nwienert »

Pxtl wrote: post #110
nwienert wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, not really. Compared to just about any game I’ve played it rarely gets stuck, and when you are up decisively it usually ends quickly. Also most everyone plays time controls that completely avoid this. Feels like people are reaching for reasons to dislike it here. It’s the most balanced and fun game I’ve found, and these issues ring totally hollow I think to anyone who plays it regularly. There are some other issu…

> ring totally hollow I think to anyone who plays it regularly Obviously for a hobbyist player the experience is very different from people learning the ropes. Think the "kid playing against his dad at the cottage" experience. The kind of people who don't know any named openings other than the scholar's mate. The kind of players that don't know their own ELO. This is the onboarding experience.

Idk I picked it up for the first time basically just 6 months ago and had a blast from the start. I'd say 99% of people play rapid or faster time controls and never get into slogs, it's one of the least sloggy games I've played. Catan for example is like 10x more prone to annoying endgames.

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#112

Post by 29athrowaway »

Jigsy wrote: post #108
RetroTechie wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They also like Go, which I hate. To each their own... :-) What I like about Go, is its combination of simple rules, contrasted with the rich set of ever-more advanced tactics. And (using handicaps) players of different skill can still enjoy a somewhat-balanced game. There are just a few basic rules (board sizes, placement of stones, groups, freedoms, atari, capture) that are easily explained. Beginners may think it…

My dislike of Go comes from the fact I've never been able to win it. So because of that, I refuse to play it. :P

That is the most important lesson the game has to offer you. Humility.

https://senseis.xmp.net/?LoseYourFirst50GamesAsQuicklyAsPoss...

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#113

Post by baby »

vintermann wrote: post #92
baby wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Watching One Piece on Netflix made me realize I really want to see an adaptation of Hikaru no Go on the screen. What a fantastic manga.

What I really liked about the anime, assume it's the case in the manga too, was the sheer number and diversity of regular, older people. Obviously they weren't trying to paper over that it was mainly an old person's game in Japan at the time (I would assume it still is, too). But that didn't make it seem less appealing. Also, the portrayal of foreigners in that series is worth a study in itself.

Is the anime worth it if I’ve read the manga?

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#114

Post by smegsicle »

edanm wrote: post #101
RadixDLT wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

riichi is tnot the oritinal name, the japs use doupble (ii) in words to make them sound more western or latin

Just in case you don't know this, I'm fairly sure that "japs" is considered an offensive term.

the more culturally aware term is 'nips'

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#115

Post by Oreb »

Mizza wrote: post #53
autocorr wrote: post #3

For those interested in playing and learning Shogi, take a look over at the great site https://lishogi.org -- a fork of LiChess for Shogi that includes real-time and correspondence play, AI opponents, analysis, puzzles and more. One of my favorite variants, Kyoto Shogi, is also available. The website https://pychess.org also has a ton of interesting and unique variants both traditional (Makruk) and modern (Chennis!).

This is awesome, thank you. If you want to play chess-meets-shogi, try the 'Crazyhouse' variant on lichess. I'm often fighting anonymous bullet games while waiting for CI pipelines to finish..

Crazyhouse is a fun game, but I find it inferior to both chess and shogi. Shogi without drop moves would be rather dull. The board is too big, and the pieces too slow-moving. Chess with drop moves (i.e. Crazyhouse) is too chaotic; drops make the already powerful pieces overpowered on such a small board. Chess and shogi are both nicely balanced games, Crazyhouse is not.

Another problem with Crazyhouse is that you can’t easily play it with a physical chess set. You can only play online, which some of us find hard to enjoy.

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#116

Post by Oreb »

jononomo wrote: post #89

I just watched a tutorial on Shogi and apparently the pieces are distinguished from each other by the Japanese-language symbols on them, which is a deal-breaker for me.

You don’t need to be able to read the character. You only need to be able to remember that the piece that looks like this moves like that. This is no different from western chess.

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#117

Post by jhbadger »

baby wrote: post #77
Jach wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not even convinced Go is all that popular in Japan compared to Shogi or Mahjong. Even Gomoku (five in a row, no capture rule) seems more popular. I can't really say anything about the popularity of go salons since I have yet to visit one but I can't help but notice that the game is never included as a minigame in Japanese titles like the Yakuza series (which has all sorts of other board minigames) or even Clubhou…

Watching One Piece on Netflix made me realize I really want to see an adaptation of Hikaru no Go on the screen. What a fantastic manga.

There is already a series of Hikaru no Go, albeit animated (from 2001 to 2003, running for 75 episodes)

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#118

Post by dunefox »

edanm wrote: post #101
RadixDLT wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

riichi is tnot the oritinal name, the japs use doupble (ii) in words to make them sound more western or latin

Just in case you don't know this, I'm fairly sure that "japs" is considered an offensive term.

> "japs" is considered an offensive term

By whom?

Re: Why isn't chess popular in Japan?

#119

Post by zht »

pmontra wrote: post #81
zht wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What? Go is not less popular than Chess in China or Korea

Anecdotally I saw many people playing Chinese chess on streets all around China but I never saw anybody playing Go/Weiqi. I saw people playing Mahjong and games of cards (long thin cards.) I don't know which game of chess is popular in Korea, western or Chinese ones? Or is there a Korean variant? About the popularity of Go/Baduk there I was told that it was because of the three years of mandatory military service and…

what I mean is that in China, Chinese chess > go > western chess in popularity

Korea has its own variant of Chinese chess, with some interesting rules like the Elephant being allowed to cross the water. Go (Baduk) is absolutely more popular than Chinese/Korean Chess in Korea and definitely more than western Chess

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