The beginnings of Chû Shôgi and what became of it

Again, we know next to nothing about the beginnings of Chû Shôgi. The game simply begins to pop up in diary entries, without any description. Thus we know that something was there, but we lack information on what it was like. However, we can rest assured that a game by the name of Chû Shôgi was already being played in the early 15th century.

For several reasons it seems more probable today than in John Fairbairn's days (see [Shogi history … and the variants]) that the [Shôgi rokushu no zushiki] might really date from the mid-15th century. The text does not describe Chû Shôgi, apparently taking knowledge about it for granted. There are on-and-off mentions of Chû Shôgi in the diaries of the second half of the 15th century. Real freaks played quite frequently. We know, for example that

• Yamashina Tokitsugu jotted down that he played 82 games of Chû Shôgi, as compared to 27 of Shô Shôgi, and 108 games of Shôgi (unspecified, so these games might have been Chû Shôgi games as well);

• Yamashina Tokitsune played 55 games of Chû Shôgi, but only 32 of Shôgi (unspecified; same as above) and 19 games of Shô Shôgi.

We know that Chû Shôgi was rather widely played, as the [Shôgi koma nikki] of Minase Kanenari tell us from 1590 on until 1602, he and his sons produced 618 sets for Shô Shôgi, 106 sets for Chû Shôgi, two each for Dai and Dai-dai, three for Maka-Dai-dai, and four for Tai Shôgi. (So who would still claim that these large Shôgi games could not have been played?)

From the early 17th century, literature on Chû Shôgi was written and published. Amongst it there are the following works:

1. Chû Shôgi horoku shû by Yamagata Yahachirôemon, 1778 (contains the six historical games);

2. Chû Shôgi kineburui by Tsurumine Shigenobu, dated 1818;

3. Chû Shôgi shinanshô, dated 1703 (apparently contains 30 problems) [Chû Shôgi shinanshô];

4. Chû Shôgi shoshin shô, not dated;

5. Chû Shôgi tsukurimono, by Itô Sôkan, not dated (contains problems);

6. Chû Shôgi tsukurimono hyakuban, not dated (contains hundred problems, according to the title);

7. Chû Shôgi tsukurimono tsume sho zukesanjûban, not dated (contains 30 problems);

8. Chû Shôgi tsumemono, not dated (contains problems);

9. Chû Shôgi zushiki by Itô Sôkan, dated 1663.

[1]

Of course additional information can be found in the various other works of the time that deal with the diverse Shôgis.[2]

Judging from the diaries it seems that Chû Shôgi was more popular with noblemen and high-ranking monks. It seems reasonable to assume that Shô Shôgi began to steeply rise in popularity after the “Office of Shôgi affairs” had been established in 1612, and nationwide rules for this game were fixed. The first head of the “Shôgi dokoro”, the former merchant Ôhashi Sôkei seemingly preferred to play Shô Shôgi with drops (which undoubtedly makes a good game). Thus this variant of Shô Shôgi became the standard and a fierce competitor for Chû Shôgi.

As the opening of Chû Shôgi is slower than that of Shô, and the middle game of Chû Shôgi is far more intricate than that of Shô, it seems that problems became the center of attention of authors. This might have contributed to the descent in Chû Shôgi's popularity.[3] Howsoever, Chû Shôgi faded out of the public mind. Rumour has it that the game continued to be played after the first half of the 19th century in the remote rural villages of Western Japan; this is unconfirmed.

Knowledge about the game was thus limited mainly to the few remaining players; information was well hidden in the books and unavailable to non-Japanese until the 1970s. At that time, George F. Hodges began unearthing the Shôgi variants, starting with Chû Shôgi (admittedly the TSA rule leaflets for Wa and Dai are from 1980, as well, but they don't really count, do they?). The [Chû Shôgi rule leaflet] was the first informed Western publication on Chû Shôgi ever (don't hesitate to correct me ‐ I wouldn't count Murray's knowledge on Chû Shôgi, as demonstrated in [A History of Chess], as informed).

Beginning with the rule leaflet, and continuing with [MSM], Chû Shôgi began to to rise in popularity, this time in the West. What will further become of it, we shall all see.