several fics:  Genma and Souun are playing Go and one of them
tries to cheat by turning the board around.

Please take notice:  *That* *Doesn't* *work*!  OK?

        I know, I've always considered it either an inside joke to those
who know this or simple absurdity on the part of the author.  In either
case, quite funny so I really don't mind.

Go is played by alternately placing black and white pieces on the
intersections of a grid, painted onto the board.  These stones are
simple, round pieces of whatever material they happen to be made
of, usually with an elliptic cross-section.  Once set, these
playing pieces remain at their position for the rest of the game,
unless they are "captured".  In that case, they are removed and
kept out of play;  They count as points for the capturer and are
deducted from the opponents score at the end of the game.

        It's been awhile since I've really played Go (I lost the piece
containers for my set) but I don't remember anything about capturing pieces
or keeping score.  It's a simple game, as the saying goes: a moment to
learn, a lifetime to master.

The turning trick would - if at all - help in Shogi, where (I am
told) the ownership of the playing pieces is not indicated by
color, but wedges cut into the base of the pieces.  You'd still
probably need to have a rather stupid opponent, for this to work,
but that's no problem for Genma and Souun.  :)

        Judging by the size and pattern of their playing board I've always
been of the opinion they played Shogi, something my former chess club used
to play on occasion.

Sebastian (Doesn't play Go, but knows enough about it)
--
      <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
                        Comics reviewed
--
       PISCES (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)
You have a vivid imagination and often think you are being
followed by the CIA or FBI.  You have minor influence over your
associates and people resent your flaunting of your power.  You
lack confidence and you are generally a coward.  Pisces people do
terrible things to small animals.

        Hmm... should I ask where you dragged this sig from or should I
skip straight to being offended?  March 12, 1976, 9:05am.  Numeric 11, a
pisces, born in the year of the fire dragon, the month of the dragon, and
the hour of the snake.  If born six minutes earlier.. well I feel the need
to drop this line of thought before it becomes spam.

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