Just a few comments

To start with, Shikamaru plays Shogi, not western chess. 
The same message can be carried by using the pieces in Shogi like the Fu (Fuhyo) which is a pawn, or the Kyo (Kyosha) lance, or the Kei (keima) knight, etc. 

Shogi and chess have many similarities, but this might be a good opportunity to introduce the audience to what shogi is. 

good sites to learn the absolute basics are
http://www.ricoh.co.jp/SHOGI/rules/erules.html
http://shawnbrown.com/basement/shogi/shogi_rules_1.html

The pieces might even make better analogies. Neji for example is more of a Lance than anything, He is very direct, moving straight forward all the time. Hinata, I'm sure, would feel that she's a Fu, the difference being that in chess a pawn can be promoted, while in Shogi, a fu can only become a To (tokin) which, while it gains a great deal more power over it's movement, it is not as commanding a piece as a queen is in western chess. 

Of course, it's just a suggestion.


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Eric Holdt" <dragonboy1098@hotmail.com>

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