--- /dev/null
+This is gnushogi.info, produced by Makeinfo version 3.12h from
+gnushogi.texinfo.
+
+ This file describes how to use GNU shogi, a program which plays
+Shogi (Japanese chess).
+
+ Copyright (C) 1999 Michael C. Vanier and the Free Software
+Foundation, Inc.
+
+ Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
+manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
+preserved on all copies.
+
+ Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
+this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that
+the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
+permission notice identical to this one.
+
+ Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
+manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
+versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a
+translation approved by the Free Software Foundation.
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Mating problems, Next: Shogi variants, Prev: Sample game, Up: About shogi
+
+Mating problems
+===============
+
+ One good way to improve at shogi is to solve mating problems. There
+are several types of these problems, but the most common is called a
+"tsume-shogi" problem, or "tsume" problem for short. In a tsume
+problem, all pieces that are not on the board are assumed to be in the
+opponent's hand (except for your King, which is usually not shown).
+Every move you make must be check until the final checkmate. Your
+opponent may play any piece on the board or drop any of his pieces in
+hand in order to prevent the mate. In a properly constructed tsume
+problem, all of your pieces on the board and in hand must be essential
+to the solution. One consequence of this is that all of your pieces in
+hand must be played during the solution. There should only be one
+correct solution for the given number of moves. Tsume problems use
+Japanese-style move numbering; thus, a problem where you move (and give
+check), your opponent moves, and you move to give checkmate is called a
+three-mover. Here is a really trivial three-mover:
+
+
+ 3 2 1
+---------------+
+| | | | a
+---------------+
+| | | wK | b
+---------------+
+| | | | c
+---------------+
+| bN | | | d
+---------------+
+| | | | e
+---------------+
+| | bN | | f
+---------------+
+
+Black in hand: S, G
+
+
+ Here, Black plays G*2b, White plays K1c, and Black plays S*1d mate.
+More typical tsume problems range from 5 moves to arbitrarily high
+numbers of moves, and they can be quite brain-busting. Tsume problems
+may seem artificial, but in the closing stages of the game where both
+players have a lot of pieces in hand, it is often necessary to give
+check at every move, or else your opponent will start a counterattack
+and will mate you before you mate him. A tsume problem is a worst-case
+scenario for the attacker: you have to mate your opponent even though he
+has every piece not on the board in hand, which means you have to
+develop sharp attacking skills. Many more tsume problems can be found
+on the internet; I particularly recommend Patrick Davin's "Shogi Nexus"
+(*note References and links::.).
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Shogi variants, Next: Differences between shogi and chess, Prev: Mating problems, Up: About shogi
+
+Shogi variants
+==============
+
+ Several historical variants of shogi exist. Most of these were
+invented before modern shogi (in some cases hundreds of years before),
+are much larger than modern shogi and are not played with drops. Thus,
+in many ways they are really more like giant chess games than like
+modern shogi. The only one of these games to have survived in Japan is
+Chu (middle) shogi, which is still played a little bit. Thanks to the
+efforts of George Hodges and John Fairbairn of the Shogi Association
+(two British shogi enthusiasts), these games were resurrected and rules
+and sets for them can still be purchased from George Hodges (*note
+References and links::.). I hope to eventually extend GNU shogi so
+that it can play at least some of these games. There are also several
+non-historical variants of shogi; I don't know much about them but you
+can find information about them on the internet (*note References and
+links::.).
+
+ The historical variants include:
+
+
+ 1. Tori (bird) shogi, played on a 7x7 board with 32 pieces in all;
+ this is the only variant that is known to have been played with
+ drops.
+
+ 2. Wa shogi, played on an 11x11 board with 54 pieces. This game can
+ be played with or without drops but the historical evidence favors
+ the view that it was played without drops. However, most people
+ who have tried it claim it is a much better game with drops, being
+ even more intricate than standard shogi.
+
+ 3. Chu (middle) shogi, played on a 12x12 board with 92 pieces. This
+ was (and is) by far the most popular of the variants, and has 21
+ different kinds of pieces in the starting line-up alone (along
+ with several others that appear upon promotion). Unlike modern
+ shogi, there are a tremendous number of ranging pieces and the
+ game is definitely not played with drops. There is also an
+ amazing piece called the Lion which has a double king move and can
+ capture two pieces at once! Chu shogi has a small but fanatical
+ following, some of whom consider it better than modern shogi.
+
+ 4. Dai (great) shogi, played on a 15x15 board with 130 pieces. Other
+ than the larger board, this game is very similar to Chu shogi.
+
+ 5. Tenjiku (exotic) shogi, played on a 16x16 board with 176 pieces.
+ This game is possibly the most complex tactical game in existence.
+ There are many astoundingly powerful pieces, including one (the
+ Fire Demon) that can capture up to eight opposing pieces in a
+ single move! Despite the size of the game, checkmates can occur
+ very suddenly (and often very early on) if one player makes a
+ wrong move. Tenjiku also has a small but fanatical following, one
+ of whom (Colin Adams) has written a book on the game which is
+ available for download at
+ `http://www.colina.demon.co.uk/tenjiku.html'.
+
+ 6. Dai-dai (great-great) shogi, played on a 17x17 board with 192
+ pieces. The opening setup alone has 64 different kinds of pieces!
+ This game and the larger ones that follow sound pretty
+ outlandish, but they have actually been played; a game of Dai-dai
+ can supposedly be played in about 12 hours.
+
+ 7. Maka-dai-dai (great-great-great) shogi, played on a 19x19 board
+ with 192 pieces. For those for whom Dai-dai shogi is just too
+ small :-)
+
+ 8. Tai (grand) shogi, played on a 25x25 board with 377 pieces! Until
+ recently, this was thought to be the biggest chess game ever
+ devised, but now there is...
+
+ 9. Kyoku tai (extremely grand?) shogi, played on a 36x36 board with
+ 402 pieces. The rules for this have just been unearthed in an old
+ Japanese book. Hopefully someone will soon organize a postal
+ Kyoku tai shogi championship; maybe their distant ancestors could
+ finish it :-)
+
+ It is thought that the really huge games (Dai-dai and up) were
+ never really played to any significant extent (gee, wonder why?)
+ and were devised merely so that the creators could have the fun of
+ inventing enormous games, amazing their friends and confounding
+ their enemies. However, the games up to Tenjiku shogi at least
+ appear to be quite playable, assuming one has the time.
+
+
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Differences between shogi and chess, Prev: Shogi variants, Up: About shogi
+
+Differences between shogi and chess
+===================================
+
+ Some differences between shogi and international chess have been
+mentioned elsewhere in this document; I summarize them here for people
+who are interested in game comparisons. I won't try to deal with the
+thorny question of which game is "better" although my bias may have
+already come through :-) In fact, the drop rule makes the two games so
+different in character that arguing over which game is better is like
+comparing apples to oranges (you'd be better off comparing chess to Chu
+shogi (*note Shogi variants::.). However, I believe that if you are a
+chess fan you'll really like shogi as well, and shogi is also popular
+with many people who don't particularly like chess.
+
+ Here are the significant differences between chess and shogi:
+
+
+ 1. In shogi, captured pieces become the property of the capturer and
+ can re-enter play by being dropped onto almost any vacant square.
+ In chess, captured pieces are out of the game. Thus, in shogi,
+ piece exchanges complicate the play significantly while in chess
+ they simplify it.
+
+ 2. The shogi board is 9x9; the chess board is 8x8.
+
+ 3. Shogi has five pieces with no counterpart in chess: the gold and
+ silver generals, the lance, the promoted rook and the promoted
+ bishop. Chess has one piece with no counterpart in shogi: the
+ queen. The knight's move in shogi is much more restrictive than
+ in chess. Pieces in shogi generally have a much smaller range of
+ movement than in chess (unless they are in hand).
+
+ 4. In shogi, all pieces except the gold general and the king can
+ promote, but only to one kind of piece. Promotion is easier in
+ shogi because the promotion zone is closer to the starting
+ position of the pieces (especially pawns). In chess, only the
+ pawn can promote, but it can promote to any other piece except the
+ king.
+
+ 5. In shogi, pawns capture the same way they move. There is no
+ initial two-space pawn move and hence no _en-passant_ captures.
+ In chess, pawns capture diagonally which means that opposing pawns
+ can block each other.
+
+ 6. In shogi, you only have one rook and one bishop. Note that the
+ bishop is not restricted to only one "color" square (squares in
+ shogi aren't colored, but never mind) because promoted bishops can
+ also move one square orthogonally.
+
+ 7. There is no special castling move in shogi. The term "castle" is
+ used in shogi to denote a defensive formation consisting of
+ (usually) three generals which protect the king. There are many
+ such castles (about 40 or so have names). *Note Sample game::.
+
+ 8. Draws are much rarer in shogi than in chess. Perpetual check is
+ not allowed. Stalemate is a virtual impossibility, and is a loss
+ for the stalematee.
+
+ 9. Since pieces are never out of play in shogi, chess-type endgames
+ involving only a few pieces do not occur.
+
+ 10. Shogi games are generally longer than chess games (about 60-70
+ moves is typical).
+
+ 11. Shogi has a well-developed handicap system which is in general use;
+ chess does not.
+
+
+
+ The effects of all these differences on play include (in my opinion):
+
+
+ 1. Piece/pawn structures in chess are more rigid than in shogi. Pawns
+ block each other and pawns, once advanced, cannot ever retreat. In
+ shogi, you can repair the hole caused by a pawn advance by
+ exchanging the pawn and dropping it back where you want it. Thus
+ shogi is more fluid than chess and less "structural".
+
+ 2. Counterattack is MUCH more common in shogi than in chess. Games
+ typically end in mutual mating attacks, where each player is
+ trying to checkmate the other player before being checkmated
+ himself. This makes tempo incredibly important and also makes
+ sacrificial play quite common.
+
+ 3. Attacks involving only ranging pieces are more a feature of chess
+ than of shogi. A shogi attack typically uses a ranging piece or
+ pieces to support an attack by short-range pieces (especially
+ generals). It is very rare to mate a king with a non-adjacent
+ ranging piece in shogi since the player whose king is threatened
+ can almost always interpose by dropping a piece.
+
+
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: gnushogi, Next: xshogi, Prev: About shogi, Up: Top
+
+gnushogi
+********
+
+ This section describes how to run the "gnushogi" program.
+
+
+ SYNOPSIS
+
+
+ gnushogi [ [[-]a] [-b bookfile] [-B binbookfile] [-C] [-h langfile]
+[-L langfile] [-r length] [-R] [-s pathname] [-l pathname] [-S
+binbooksize] [-t] [-c size] [-T size] [-v] [-x] [-X] arg1 arg2 ]
+
+
+ DESCRIPTION
+
+
+ GNU shogi (gnushogi) plays a game of japanese chess (shogi) against
+the user or it plays against itself.
+
+ At startup gnushogi reads the binbook file if it is present. It then
+looks for a book file. If it is present it adds its contents to the
+binbook data. If the binbook file is writable a new combined binbook
+file is written.
+
+ Gnushogi is a modified version of the gnuchess program. It has a
+simple alphanumeric board display, or it can be used with the xshogi
+program under X windows. The program gets its opening moves from the
+file gnushogi.bbk which is located in a directory specified in the
+Makefile. To invoke the program type:
+
+
+`gnushogi -C'
+ simple curses based version
+
+`gnushogi -X (or just gnushogi)'
+ xshogi compatible version
+
+`gnushogi -R'
+ raw test display version
+
+
+ TIME CONTROLS
+
+
+ If one argument is given, it is the search time per move in
+[minutes:]seconds. So gnushogi 30 will generate one move every 30
+seconds, while gnushogi 5:00 will generate one move every 5 minutes.
+
+ If two or more arguments are given, they will be used to set
+tournament time controls with the first argument of each pair being the
+number of moves and the second being the total clock time in
+minutes[:seconds]. Thus, entering gnushogi 60 5 will set the clocks
+for 5 minutes (300 seconds) for the first 60 moves, and gnushogi 30
+3:30 will allow 3 minutes and 30 seconds for 30 moves.
+
+ gnushogi 30 5 1 :30 will allow 5 minutes for the first 30 moves and
+30 seconds for each move after that. Up to 4 pairs of controls may be
+specified.
+
+ If no argument is given the program will prompt the user for level of
+play.
+
+ For use with xshogi see the documentation on that program. *Note
+xshogi::.
+
+
+ BOOK
+
+
+ The book gnushogi.tbk consists of a sequence of openings. An opening
+begins with a line starting with a # (the rest of the line is a
+comment). Following this is a series of moves in algebraic notation
+alternating black and white separated by white space. A move may have a
+? after it indicating this move should never be made in this position.
+Moves are stored as position:move so transpositions between openings can
+take place.
+
+
+ HASHFILE
+
+
+ The hashfile if created should be on the order of 4 megabytes; you
+can create such a hashfile by typing "gnushogi -c 22" (see below). This
+file contains positions and moves learned from previous games. If a
+hashfile is used the computer makes use of the experience it gained in
+past games. Tests run so far show that it plays no worse with the
+hashfile than without, but it is not clear yet whether it provides a
+real advantage.
+
+
+ LEGAL MOVES
+
+
+ Note: Piece letters are determined by the language file. What is
+specified here is the default (English).
+
+ Once gnushogi is invoked, the program will display the board and
+prompt the user for a move. To enter a move, use the notation 7g7f
+where the first letter-number pair indicates the origin square and the
+second letter-number pair indicates the destination square. An
+alternative is to use the notation P7f where the first letter indicates
+the piece type (P,L,N,S,G,B,R,K). To promote append a + the type of
+the new piece to the move, as in 2d2c+ or P2c+. Note that you must use
+capital letters for the pieces by default.
+
+
+ COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
+
+
+`-a'
+ Do not search on opponent's time.
+
+`a'
+ Do search on opponent's time.
+
+`-b BOOKFILE'
+ Use bookfile for opening book.
+
+`-B BINBOOKFILE'
+ Use binbookfile for binary opening book.
+
+`-c SIZE'
+ Create a new HASHFILE. File size is 2^size entries of
+ approximately 65+? bytes.
+
+`-C'
+ Use curses-based display mode.
+
+`-h'
+ Do not use hashfile.
+
+`h'
+ Do use hashfile.
+
+`-l PATHNAME'
+ Pathname of the loadfile used with get or xget.
+
+`-L LANG'
+ Use language lang from the file gnushogi.lang. If -L is not
+ specified it uses the first language in the file.
+
+`-P PLYLEVELS'
+ Number of plys to include in the binbookfile. For generating a
+ binbookfile.
+
+`-r LENGTH'
+ Rehash _length_ times in searching entries for position in
+ transposition table.
+
+`-R'
+ Use raw text display mode. This can be used for dumb terminals or
+ for systems that don't have curses.
+
+`-s PATHNAME'
+ Pathname of the save file to use with the save command.
+
+`-S SIZE'
+ Size of binbookfile for memory based books. For creating a
+ binbookfile.
+
+`-t'
+ Show statistics for HASHFILE.
+
+`-T SIZE'
+ Set the transposition table size to 2^size entries.
+
+`-v'
+ Show version and patchlevel.
+
+`-x VALUE'
+ Use value as the evaluation window xwndw.
+
+`-X'
+ Use xshogi display mode (the default).
+
+
+ COMMANDS
+
+
+ In addition to legal moves, the following commands can be entered at
+the gnushogi prompt. Note: command names are determined by the language
+file and may vary with the implementation. The default language is
+English.
+
+`alg'
+ allow algebraic input (not implemented).
+
+`Awindow'
+ change Alpha window (default score + 90).
+
+`Bwindow'
+ change Beta window (default score - 90).
+
+`beep'
+ toggles beeping after each move (default: on).
+
+`bd'
+ updates the current board position on the display.
+
+`book'
+ turns off use of the opening library.
+
+`both'
+ causes the computer to play both sides of a shogi game.
+
+`black'
+ causes the computer to take the white pieces, if the computer is
+ to move first.
+
+`bsave'
+ saves a game to disk as a book textfile. The program will prompt
+ the user for a file name.
+
+`gamein'
+ toggles game mode time control. Assumes the time specified for
+ time control is the time for a complete game. Input with the
+ level command should be the game time and the expected number of
+ moves in a game. go command must be given.
+
+`coords'
+ show coordinates on the display (visual only).
+
+`contempt'
+ allows the value of _contempt_ to be modified.
+
+`debug'
+ asks for a piece as color piece, as wb or bn, and shows its
+ calculated value on each square.
+
+`debuglevel'
+ sets level of debugging output if compiled with debug options.
+
+`depth'
+ allows the user to change the search depth of the program. The
+ maximum depth is 29 ply. Normally the depth is set to 29 and the
+ computer terminates its search based on elapsed time rather than
+ depth. If depth is set to (say) 4 ply, the program will search
+ until all moves have been examined to a depth of 4 ply (with
+ extensions up to 11 additional ply for sequences of checks and
+ captures). If you set a maximum time per move and also use the
+ depth command, the search will stop at the specified time or the
+ specified depth, whichever comes first.
+
+`easy'
+ toggles easy mode (thinking on opponents time) on and off. The
+ default is easy mode ON. If easy mode is disabled, the keyboard
+ is polled for input every so often and when input is seen the
+ search is terminated. It may also be terminated with a sigint.
+
+`edit'
+ allows the user to set up a board position.
+ - # clear the board.
+
+ - c toggle piece color.
+
+ - . command will exit setup mode.
+
+ - p3b place a pawn on 3b
+
+ - p3b+ place a promoted pawn on 3b
+
+ - p* place a pawn in hand (among the captured pieces)
+
+
+ Pieces are entered by typing a letter (p,l,n,s,g,b,r,k) for the
+ piece followed by the coordinate. Here, letter case is ignored.
+
+ The usual warning about the language file applies.
+
+`exit'
+ exits gnushogi.
+
+`first'
+ tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a
+ move. (same as "go").
+
+`force'
+ allows the user to enter moves for both sides. To get the program
+ to play after a sequence of moves has been entered use the "black"
+ or "white" commands.
+
+`get'
+ retrieves a game from disk. The program will prompt the user for
+ a file name.
+
+`go'
+ tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a
+ move. (same as "first").
+
+`hash'
+ use/don't use hashfile.
+
+`hashdepth'
+ allows the user to change the minimum depth for using the hashfile
+ and the number of moves from the beginning of the game to use it.
+
+`help'
+ displays a short description of the commands and the current
+ status of options.
+
+`hint'
+ causes the program to supply the user with its predicted move.
+
+`level'
+ allows the user to set time controls such as 60 moves in 5 minutes
+ etc. In tournament mode, the program will vary the time it takes
+ for each move depending on the situation. If easy mode is
+ disabled (using the "easy" command), the program will often
+ respond with its move immediately, saving time on its clock for
+ use later on.
+
+`list'
+ writes the game moves and some statistics on search depth, nodes,
+ and time to the file "shogi.lst".
+
+`material'
+ toggle material flag - draws on no pawns and both sides < rook.
+
+`new'
+ starts a new game.
+
+`p'
+ evaluates the board and shows the point score for each piece. The
+ total score for a position is the sum of these individual piece
+ scores.
+
+`post'
+ causes the program to display the principal variation and the score
+ during the search. A score of 100 is equivalent to a 1 pawn
+ advantage for the computer.
+
+`quit'
+ exits the game.
+
+`random'
+ causes the program to randomize its move selection slightly.
+
+`rcptr'
+ set recapture mode.
+
+`remove'
+ backout the last level for both sides. Equal to 2 undo's.
+
+`reverse'
+ causes the board display to be reversed. That is, the black
+ pieces will now appear at the top of the board.
+
+`rv'
+ reverse board display.
+
+`save'
+ saves a game to disk. The program will prompt the user for a file
+ name.
+
+`switch'
+ causes the program to switch places with the opponent and begin
+ searching.
+
+`test'
+ performs some speed tests for MoveList and CaptureList generation,
+ and ScorePosition position scoring for the current board.
+
+`time'
+ set computer's time remaining, intended for synchronizing clocks
+ among multiple players.
+
+`tsume'
+ toggle tsume mode. In tsume mode, not all possible moves will be
+ generated. If a king is in check, only moves that get the king out
+ of check are generated. If the king is not in check, only moves
+ that give check to the opponent's king are generated.
+
+`undo'
+ undoes the last move whether it was the computer's or the human's.
+ You may also type "remove". This is equivalent to two "undo"'s
+ (e.g. retract one move for each side).
+
+`white'
+ causes the computer to take the black pieces, if the computer is
+ to move first the go command must be given.
+
+`xget'
+ read an xshogi position file.
+
+`xsave'
+ save as an xshogi position file.
+
+`xwndw'
+ change X window. The window around alpha/beta used to determine
+ whether the position should be scored or just estimated. Note:
+ this has _nothing_ to do with xshogi or X windows; the terms are
+ completely separate.
+
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: xshogi, Next: References and links, Prev: gnushogi, Up: Top
+
+xshogi
+******
+
+ This section describes how to run the "xshogi" program.
+
+
+ SYNOPSIS
+
+
+ xshogi [ options ]
+
+
+ DESCRIPTION
+
+
+ xshogi provides an X11/Xt/Athena Widgets user interface for gnushogi.
+With xshogi you can play gnushogi, set up arbitrary positions, force
+variations, or watch xshogi manage a game between two shogi programs.
+Furthermore, it can be used as an interface between two players on
+different displays.
+
+ xshogi can also be used as a shogi board to play out games. It will
+read through a game file or allow a player to play through a variation
+manually (force mode). This is useful for keeping track of email postal
+games or browsing games off the net.
+
+ After starting xshogi, you can make moves by pressing mouse button 1
+while the cursor is over a square with your piece on it and dragging the
+mouse to another square. If the move is illegal, gnushogi will not
+allow it. xshogi will then retract the move.
+
+
+ COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
+
+
+ The following command line options also correspond to X resources
+that you can set in your .Xdefaults file.
+
+
+`[standard Xt options]'
+ xshogi accepts standard Xt options like -display, -geometry, and
+ -iconic.
+
+`-tc or -timeControl minutes[:seconds]'
+ Amount of time for a set of moves determined by movesPerSession.
+ If this number of moves is played within the time control period,
+ xshogi resets the time clocks. Default: 5 minutes.
+
+`-mps or -movesPerSession moves'
+ Number of moves in a time control period. Default: 40 moves.
+
+`-st or -searchTime minutes[:seconds]'
+ Tell gnushogi to spend at most the given amount of time searching
+ for each of its moves. Without this option, gnushogi chooses its
+ search time based on the number of moves and amount of time
+ remaining until the next time control. Setting this option also
+ sets -clockMode to False.
+
+`-sd or -searchDepth number'
+ Tell gnushogi to look ahead at most the given number of moves when
+ searching for a move to make. Without this option, gnushogi
+ chooses its search depth based on the number of moves and amount
+ of time remaining until the next time control. Setting this
+ option also sets -clockMode to False.
+
+`-clock or -clockMode (True | False)'
+ Determines whether or not to use the clock. If clockMode is
+ False, the clock does not run, but the side that is to play next
+ is still highlighted.
+
+`-td or -timeDelay seconds'
+ Time delay between moves during "Load Game". This doesn't have to
+ be a round number. Try -td 0.4. Default: 1 second.
+
+`-nsp or -noShogiProgram (True | False)'
+ If this option is True, xshogi acts as a passive shogi board; it
+ does not try to start a shogi program, not even to check whether
+ moves made in Force mode are legal. It also sets -clockMode to
+ False. Default: False.
+
+`-fsp or -firstShogiProgram program'
+ Name of first shogi program. In matches between two machines, this
+ program plays white. Default: "gnushogi".
+
+`-ssp or -secondShogiProgram program'
+ Name of second shogi program, if needed. In matches between two
+ machines, this program plays black; otherwise it is not started.
+ Default: "gnushogi".
+
+`-fh or -firstHost host'
+ Name of host the first shogi program plays on. Default:
+ "localhost".
+
+`-sh or -secondHost host'
+ Name of host the second shogi program plays on. Default:
+ "localhost".
+
+`-rsh or -remoteShell shell_name'
+ Some systems do not use rsh as the remote shell. This option
+ allows a user to name the remote shell command. This should be
+ done in the resource file.
+
+`-mm or -matchMode (False | Init | Position | Opening)'
+ Automatically run a game between firstShogiProgram and
+ secondShogiProgram. If matchMode is set to Init, xshogi will
+ start the game with the initial shogi position. If matchMode is
+ set to Position, xshogi will start the game with the position
+ specified by the loadPositionFile resource. If matchMode is set
+ to Opening, xshogi will play out the opening moves specified by
+ the -loadGameFile resource. If the -saveGameFile resource is set,
+ a move record for the match will be saved in the specified file.
+ Default: "False".
+
+`-lgf or -loadGameFile file'
+ Name of file to read a game record from. Game files are found in
+ the directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
+ variable is not set, the current directory is used unless the file
+ name starts with a /.
+
+`-lpf or -loadPositionFile file'
+ Name of file to read a game position from. Position files are
+ found in the directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable.
+ If this variable is not set, the current directory is used unless
+ the file name starts with a /.
+
+`-sgf or -saveGameFile file'
+ Name of file to save a game record to. Game files are saved in the
+ directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
+ variable is not set, the current directory is used unless the file
+ name starts with a /.
+
+`-spf or -savePositionFile file'
+ Name of file to save a game position to. Position files are saved
+ in the directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If
+ this variable is not set, the current directory is used unless the
+ file name starts with a /.
+
+`-coords or -showCoords (True | False)'
+ If this option is True, xshogi displays algebraic coordinates
+ along the board's left and bottom edges. The default is False.
+ The coordFont resource specifies what font to use.
+
+`-mono or -monoMode (True | False)'
+ Determines whether xshogi displays its pieces and squares with two
+ colors or four. You shouldn't have to specify monochrome. xshogi
+ will determine if this is necessary.
+
+`-wpc or -blackPieceColor color'
+ Color specification for black pieces suitable for
+ XParseColor(3X11). Default: #FFFFCC. These colors look good on a
+ DEC workstation. If you need different colors, try using the
+ xcolors application. Source for xcolors can be found in the X11
+ contrib directory.
+
+`-bpc or -whitePieceColor color'
+ Same for white pieces. Default: #202020.
+
+`-lsc or -lightSquareColor color'
+ Same for light squares. Default: #C8C365.
+
+`-dsc or -darkSquareColor color'
+ Same for dark squares. Default: #77A26D.
+
+`-wps or -westernPieceSet (True | False)'
+ Choose the Western style piece set.
+
+`-npb or -normalPawnBitmap file'
+
+`-nnb or -normalKnightBitmap file'
+
+`-nbb or -normalBishopBitmap file'
+
+`-nrb or -normalRookBitmap file'
+
+`-nkb or -normalKingBitmap file'
+ Names of the bitmap files for the bitmap piece icons.
+
+`-rpb or -reversePawnBitmap file'
+
+`-rnb or -reverseKnightBitmap file'
+
+`-rbb or -reverseBishopBitmap file'
+
+`-rrb or -reverseRookBitmap file'
+
+`-rkb or -reverseKingBitmap file'
+ Names of the bitmap files for the outline piece icons.
+
+`-debug or -debugMode (True | False)'
+ Turns on debugging printout.
+
+
+ OTHER X RESOURCES
+
+
+`initString'
+ The actual string that is sent to initialize the shogi program can
+ be set from .Xdefaults. It can't be set from the command line
+ because of syntax problems. The default value is
+ "new\nbeep\nrandom\neasy\n". The "new" and "beep" commands are
+ required. You can remove the "random" command if you like;
+ including it causes gnushogi to randomize its move selection
+ slightly so that it doesn't play the same moves in every game.
+ Even without "random", gnushogi randomizes its choice of moves
+ from its opening book. You can also remove "easy" if you like;
+ including it toggles easy mode off, causing gnushogi to think on
+ your time. That is, if "easy" is included in the initString, GNU
+ Shogi thinks on your time; if not, it does not. (Yes, this does
+ seem backwards, doesn't it.) You can also try adding other
+ commands to the initString; see the gnushogi documentation (*note
+ gnushogi::.) for details.
+
+`blackString and whiteString'
+ These resources control what is sent when the Machine Black and
+ Machine White buttons are selected. This is mostly for
+ compatibility with obsolete versions of gnushogi.
+
+ Alternate bitmaps for piece icons can be specified either by
+ choosing one of the built-in sets or with the file name resources
+ described above. There are three built-in sets of piece bitmaps
+ available, large (the default), medium, or small. It is easiest
+ to select the set you prefer in the .Xdefaults file:
+
+ XShogi*boardSize: Medium
+
+ The font used for button labels and comments can be changed in the
+ .Xdefaults file. You may want to choose a smaller font if you are
+ using the small pieces:
+
+ XShogi*font: helvetica_oblique12
+
+ The font used for coordinates (when the showCoords option is True)
+ can be set similarly:
+
+ XShogi*coordFont: helvetica_10
+
+ If you are using a grayscale monitor, try setting the colors to:
+
+ XShogi*blackPieceColor: gray100
+ XShogi*whitePieceColor: gray0
+ XShogi*lightSquareColor: gray60
+ XShogi*darkSquareColor: gray40
+
+
+ COMMAND BUTTONS AND KEYS
+
+
+`Quit'
+ Quits xshogi. Q or q is a keyboard equivalent.
+
+`Reset'
+ Resets xshogi to the beginning of a shogi game. It also deselects
+ any game or position files.
+
+`Flip View'
+ inverts the view of the shogi board.
+
+`Hint'
+ displays a move hint from gnushogi.
+
+`Load Game'
+ plays a game from a record file. If no file is specified a popup
+ dialog asks for a filename. Game files are found in the directory
+ named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable is
+ not declared then the current directory is used unless the file
+ name starts with a /. G or g is a keyboard equivalent. The game
+ file parser will accept almost any file that contains moves in
+ algebraic notation. If the first line begins with `#', it is
+ assumed to be a title and is displayed. Text enclosed in
+ parentheses or square brackets is assumed to be commentary and is
+ displayed in a pop-up window. Any other text in the file is
+ ignored.
+
+`Load Position'
+ sets up a position from a position file. If no file is specified a
+ popup dialog asks for a filename. Position files are found in the
+ directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
+ variable is not declared then the current directory is used unless
+ the file name starts with a /. Position files must be in the
+ format that the Save Position command writes.
+
+`Save Game'
+ saves a game to a record file. If no file is specified a popup
+ dialog asks for a filename. If the filename exists, the user is
+ asked whether the current game record is be appended to this file
+ or if the file should be replaced. Game files are saved in the
+ directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
+ variable is not declared then the current directory is used unless
+ the file name starts with a /. Game files are human-readable, and
+ can also be read back by the Load Game command. Furthermore, they
+ are accepted as gnushogi text bookfiles.
+
+`Save Position'
+ saves a position to a position file. If no file is specified a
+ popup dialog asks for a filename. Position files are saved in the
+ directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
+ variable is not declared then the current directory is used unless
+ the file name starts with a /. Position files are human-readable,
+ and can also be read back by the Load Position command.
+
+`Machine White'
+ forces gnushogi to play white.
+
+`Machine Black'
+ forces gnushogi to play black.
+
+`Force Moves'
+ forces a series of moves. That is, gnushogi stops playing and
+ xshogi allows you to make moves for both white and black.
+
+`Two Machines'
+ plays a game between two computer programs.
+
+`Forward'
+ moves forward through a series of remembered moves. F or f is a
+ keyboard equivalent.
+
+`Backward'
+ moves backward through a series of remembered moves. As a side
+ effect, puts xshogi into Force Moves mode. B or b is a keyboard
+ equivalent.
+
+`Pause'
+ pauses the clocks or (in Load Game mode) pauses the game being
+ loaded. Press Pause again to continue. P or p is a keyboard
+ equivalent.
+
+`Edit Position'
+ lets you set up an arbitrary board position. Use mouse button 1
+ to drag pieces to new squares, or to delete a piece by dragging it
+ off the board or dragging an empty square on top of it. To drop a
+ new piece on a square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over the square.
+ This brings up a menu of black pieces (button 2) or white pieces
+ (button 3). Additional menu choices let you empty the square or
+ clear the board. You can set the side to play next by clicking on
+ the Black or White indicator at the top of the screen.
+
+`Challenge'
+ allows to make a two display game between two human players.
+ Enter the display you want to connect to. If you are allowed to
+ connect, a new board is displayed at the remote display.
+ Challenge mode can only be stopped by pressing "quit".
+
+`Select Level'
+ allows to reset the clocks for both players. Enter the number of
+ moves and the number of minutes in which the moves should be done.
+
+`Move NOW'
+ force computer to stop thinking and to make the current best move.
+
+`Iconify I, i, C or c'
+ iconifies xshogi.
+
+
+ LIMITATIONS
+
+
+ If you press the Pause button during GNU Shogi's turn, xshogi
+will stop the clocks, but gnushogi will still make a move.
+
+ After a mate or draw when playing against gnushogi, if you back up
+with the Backward button, the clocks are reset (because gnushogi
+has exited and must be restarted).
+
+ The game parser recognizes only algebraic notation.
+
+
+ AUTHORS
+
+
+ Original authors of XBoard: Chris Sears and Dan Sears.
+
+ Enhancements for XBoard (Version 2.0): Tim Mann.
+
+ Conversion to XShogi (Version 1.1): Matthias Mutz.
+
+ Current maintainer: Mike Vanier.
+
+
+ COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
+
+
+ XShogi borrows its piece bitmaps from CRANES Shogi.
+
+ Copyright 1991 by Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard,
+Massachusetts. Enhancements Copyright 1992 Free Software Foundation,
+Inc. Enhancements Copyright 1993 Matthias Mutz. Further enhancements
+copyright 1999 by Michael Vanier and the Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+ The following terms apply to Digital Equipment Corporation's
+copyright interest in XBoard:
+
+ All Rights Reserved
+
+ Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
+documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
+provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
+both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
+supporting documentation, and that the name of Digital not be used in
+advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
+without specific, written prior permission.
+
+ DIGITAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE,
+INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO
+EVENT SHALL DIGITAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR
+CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF
+USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR
+OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
+PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
+
+ The following terms apply to the enhanced version of XShogi
+distributed by the Free Software Foundation:
+
+ This file is part of XSHOGI.
+
+ XSHOGI is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY. No author or distributor accepts responsibility to anyone
+for the consequences of using it or for whether it serves any particular
+purpose or works at all, unless he says so in writing. Refer to the
+XSHOGI General Public License for full details.
+
+ Everyone is granted permission to copy, modify and redistribute
+XSHOGI, but only under the conditions described in the XSHOGI General
+Public License. A copy of this license is supposed to have been given
+to you along with XSHOGI so you can know your rights and
+responsibilities. It should be in a file named COPYING. Among other
+things, the copyright notice and this notice must be preserved on all
+copies.
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: References and links, Next: Acknowledgements, Prev: xshogi, Up: Top
+
+References and links
+********************
+
+ There are very few English-language books for people learning shogi.
+The two I recommend are:
+
+
+ 1. `Shogi for Beginners, 2nd. Edition', by John Fairbairn. This is a
+ superb beginner's book in every way, covering all phases of the
+ game. It was out of print for a long time, but has now been
+ reprinted and is available either from Kiseido
+ (`http://www.labnet.or.jp/~kiseido') or from George Hodges (see
+ below).
+
+ 2. `The Art of Shogi', by Tony Hoskings. This is one step up from the
+ Fairbairn book. It covers a lot of ground, and is especially
+ noteworthy for its detailed treatment of opening lines. You can
+ order this book from Amazon.com's UK branch
+ (`http://www.amazon.co.uk').
+
+
+
+ Another book you may find is `Shogi: Japan's Game of Strategy' by
+Trevor Leggett. This book is very elementary and is somewhat outdated,
+having been published first in 1966. However, it does feature a paper
+shogi board and punch-out pieces, so if you want a really cheap shogi
+set you might pick this book up. It is still in print.
+
+ Two books that are no longer in print but are definitely worth
+getting if you find them are `Guide to Shogi Openings' and `Better
+Moves for Better Shogi', both by Aono Teriuchi. They are published in a
+bilingual edition (English/Japanese) and are the only books on shogi in
+English written by a Japanese professional shogi player. John Fairbairn
+did the translation from Japanese to English.
+
+ Shogi sets are available from:
+
+
+ George F. Hodges
+ P.O. Box 77
+ Bromley, Kent
+ United Kingdom BR1 2WT
+
+
+ George also sells equipment for all the historical shogi variants
+(*note Shogi variants::.) (except for Kyoku tai shogi) and also sells
+back issues of the magazine "Shogi" which he published for 70 issues in
+the late 70's to late 80's. This magazine is STRONGLY recommended; it
+contains more information about shogi in English than you will ever
+find anywhere else.
+
+ Here are some useful URLs:
+
+
+Pieter Stouten's shogi page: `http://www.halcyon.com/stouten/shogi.html'
+ This is the main shogi-related site on the internet, with links to
+ almost all the other sites.
+
+Roger Hare's shogi page: `http://www.ed.ac.uk/~rjhare/shogi'
+ This has lots of information, including full rules to most of the
+ shogi variants.
+
+Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus: `http://www.vega.or.jp/~patrick/shogi/'
+ There's lots of cool stuff on this site; my favorite is the
+ extensive collection of Tsume-shogi (mating) problems, both for
+ beginners and more advanced players.
+
+Steve Evans' shogi page: `http://www.netspace.net.au/~trout/index.html'
+ Steve has written a program that plays almost all of the shogi
+ variants, unfortunately it only runs on Windows :-(
+
+Hans Bodlaender's chess variant pages: `http://www.cs.ruu.nl/~hansb/d.chessvar'
+ This page has an almost unimaginable variety of rules for different
+ chess variants, including many shogi variants (historical and
+ non-historical).
+
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Acknowledgements, Next: Bugs, Prev: References and links, Up: Top
+
+Acknowledgements
+****************
+
+ I would like to thank the following people:
+
+
+ * Matthias Mutz, who originally developed GNU shogi as a spin-off of
+ GNU chess and who very kindly let me take over the maintenance of
+ this very interesting project.
+
+ * Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation, for creating an
+ organization where anyone can contribute software for the common
+ good of all, for making GNU/Linux possible, and especially for
+ writing emacs and gcc, without which my working life would be
+ intolerable.
+
+ * Georges Hodges, for starting the Shogi Association in England,
+ without which I would probably never have heard of shogi, for
+ supplying shogi equipment, for publishing the excellent magazine
+ "Shogi" (now sadly defunct), for personally answering all my silly
+ questions by mail, and for being the ambassador of shogi to the
+ West.
+
+ * Pieter Stouten, for having the most comprehensive shogi site on the
+ World Wide Web `http://www.halcyon.com/stouten/shogi.html', and for
+ maintaining the shogi-l mailing list. Go to Pieter's web site for
+ more information on subscribing to the list. Also thanks to
+ everyone who contributes and has contributed to that list.
+
+ * Matt Casters, for testing GNU shogi. Matt and I will be working
+ together on improving the solution engine in future versions of
+ this program.
+
+
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Bugs, Next: Index, Prev: Acknowledgements, Up: Top
+
+Bugs
+****
+
+ The motto of GNU shogi is "100% bug-free or you don't pay!" :-) In
+the extremely unlikely case (*ahem*) that you do find a bug, please
+send me (Mike Vanier) an email at <mvanier@bbb.caltech.edu>. Also, feel
+free to send me comments, complaints, out-and-out raves, suggestions,
+plane tickets to Hawaii, and/or large suitcases filled with unmarked,
+untraceable hundred-dollar bills.
+
+\1f
+File: gnushogi.info, Node: Index, Prev: Bugs, Up: Top
+
+Index
+*****
+
+* Menu:
+
+* Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements.
+* Books: References and links.
+* Chu Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Dai Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Dai-dai Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Draws: Draws.
+* Drops: Drops.
+* GPL: License.
+* Handicaps: Handicaps.
+* Introduction: Introduction.
+* Kyoku Tai Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* License: License.
+* Mailing lists: References and links.
+* Maka-dai-dai Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Opening setup: The opening setup.
+* Piece moves: The moves of the pieces.
+* Piece promotion: Promotion of pieces.
+* References: References and links.
+* Rules: The rules of shogi.
+* Sample game: Sample game.
+* Shogi variants: Shogi variants.
+* Shogi vs. Chess: Differences between shogi and chess.
+* Tai Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Tenjiku Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Tori Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Variants: Shogi variants.
+* Wa Shogi: Shogi variants.
+* Web sites: References and links.
+* Winning the game: Winning the game.
+* gnushogi: gnushogi.
+* xshogi: xshogi.
+
+
projects / gnushogi.git / blobdiff