The children's game of Five in a Row (Gomokunarabe) has been played in the Orient for centuries using the Go pieces, perhaps as a fun way to introduce children to the game of Go. Pro. Renju is a relatively recent transformation. This book is aimed at the absolute beginner, but takes the reader well beyond that point. As well as the basic rules, some basic openings are included, and two pro. games are analysed in detail by way of example. There are also some problems to test your knowledge.

Shogi is the Japanese version of chess. The main difference is that captured pieces can be used against their original owner under certain conditions. As each piece is represented simply by a Japanese character, it is easy to build your own shogi set using cardboard and a felt pen. Alternatively we offer a cheap set advertised above.

Sudoku is the Japanese number puzzle that is now sweeping the Western world.