I'm interested in finding out as much about Ninuki Renju as I can.
Since the game supposedly had an organization and tournaments for almost 20 years, are there records of games from that era available? The only complete game I've ever seen was the 1927 game between Kubomatsu and Murashima from R. C. Bell's "Discovering Old Board Games."
I'm also not sure I've ever seen a complete set of rules. I think this describes it:
1) The board is 19x19 (a go board and stones).
2) The first move must be made to the center by black.
3) No restriction on the second or third moves.
4) Captures are as in Pente. Five captures win the game except as described in 7) when the game is drawn.
5) The other way to win is by making a "perfect five," which is exactly five-in-a-row and the opponent cannot break it with a capture on the very next move.
6) An overline is allowable but is not a win. The game continues.
7) A capture turning an opponent's overline into a perfect five gives the opponent a victory, unless it is the player's fifth capture. In that case the game is a draw.
8) It is illegal to form a double-three except to block a next-move perfect five. (I'm uncertain about this rule. Are there other situations in which a double-three is allowed? What about one that immediately draws the game under the previous rule?)
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Re: Ninuki Renju
Posted:
May 10, 2004, 5:34 AM
Hi As I know the Ninuki-Renju game had their own Magazine in Japan. Many Renju players had played both games Renju and Ninuki-Renju.
It was some words about Ninuki in Nobel prize owner in literature Yoshinaru Kawabata novell "Master of Go" . Very interesting novel I recomend to all to read it.
Seems, Japanese find sure win for first player and stop playing Ninuki as seriouse game. 3-3 foul is traditional foul in Japan , it is uses in Go-moku, in Renju and was used in Ninuki-Renju, too. Those days it was not used foul 4-4 in Japan. So, I think that 3-3 was prohibited move during all the game and making it it is sure loss. May be there were some exeptions with rule of "perfect five", I don't know. To know more about this game you need to ask some old Japanese Renju players. Regards Alexander Nosovsky http://nosovsky.narod.ru
