Shogi spreads among chess cultures of Europe

A festival of shogi, the most popular Japanese board game, and other board games with Japanese themes by the Kavenu Club and Goada Association. Shogi is a strategy game similar to chess but more interesting and more aggressive. The main aim of the game is to put captured stones back on the
board, creating situations rich in strategy and placing shogi among the best board games in the world. The game of shogi is more than 1,300 years old. It was formerly used as a “logic exercise” mostly for generals and emperors – it is not an accident that the words “shogi” and “shogun” start with the same character. The name “shogi” can be translated as “the game of generals”.
Thanks to a new version with indicating arrows removing the primary barrier in understanding Japanese symbols, the game of shogi is becoming popular in the Czech Republic. An open workshop for all age groups led by the experienced tutors Filip Marek and Pavlina Smržova will teach participants the rules of the game in five minutes. They have been running shogi in the Czech Republic for four years and also founded the Czech Association of Shogi. Festival participants will learn about other board games inspired by Japan in the collection and archive of the Kavenu Club and the Goada Association. Kavenu is the most significant club of board games in Pilsen, with a shop and rental service offering more than 1,000 board games for playing or renting. Club members are happy to help with choosing a suitable game. Goada is a civic association which organises educational events with board games and one of the biggest festivals of board games in West Bohemia – Goliath and David. It co-organises competitions in board games and many supporting activities for children and families.

Besides shogi, people from all age groups can play almost twenty other games with Japanese themes. Many will also be for sale.

Date:

5-7 Jun. 2015

Venue:

Mestanska Beseda – Social Hall

Lecturer of Workshop:

Filip Marek, Pavlina Smrzova (Czech Shogi Association)

Cooperation:

Madoka Kitao, Manabu Terao (International Shogi Popularization Society), Czech Shogi Association