+++ /dev/null
-\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
-
-@c % ** Start of header.
-@setfilename gnushogi.info
-@settitle GNU Shogi manual
-@c % ** End of header.
-
-@dircategory Games
-@direntry
-* gnushogi: (gnushogi). Japanese chess
-@end direntry
-
-@setchapternewpage odd
-
-@c ==================================
-@c TeX-specific macros
-@c ==================================
-
-@c None yet!
-
-@c ==================================
-@c info-specific macros
-@c ==================================
-
-@c None yet!
-
-@c ==================================
-@c Summary description and copyright.
-@c ==================================
-
-@ifinfo
-
-This file describes how to use GNU shogi,
-a program which plays Shogi (Japanese chess).
-
-Copyright (C) 2013 Yann Dirson and the Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-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.
-
-@ignore
-Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
-results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
-notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
-(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
-@end ignore
-
-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.
-
-@end ifinfo
-
-@c =========================================
-@c End of summary description and copyright.
-@c =========================================
-
-
-@c ====================
-@c Title and copyright.
-@c ====================
-
-@titlepage
-@sp 10
-@comment The title is printed in a large font.
-@center @titlefont{GNU Shogi (Japanese chess)}
-@author Mike Vanier
-
-@c The following two commands start the copyright page.
-@page
-@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 2013 Yann Dirson and the Free Software Foundation
-Copyright @copyright{} 1999 Michael C. Vanier and the Free Software Foundation
-
-@end titlepage
-
-@c ===========================
-@c End of title and copyright.
-@c ===========================
-
-
-@c =========================
-@c Top node and master menu.
-@c =========================
-
-@node Top, (dir), (dir), (dir)
-@top GNU Shogi (Japanese chess)
-
-@ifnottex
-@menu
-* Introduction:: What is GNU shogi?
-* About shogi:: General information, rules, etc.
-* gnushogi:: How to play GNU shogi (gnushogi).
-* xshogi:: The X interface to GNU shogi.
-* References and links:: Where to go for more information.
-* Acknowledgements::
-* Bugs:: Where and how to report bugs.
-* Index::
-@end menu
-@end ifnottex
-
-@iftex
-This document describes GNU shogi, a program which plays Japanese chess
-(shogi) against a human opponent.
-@end iftex
-
-@c ================================
-@c End of top node and master menu.
-@c ================================
-
-
-@c =====
-@c Body.
-@c =====
-
-@node Introduction, About shogi, Top, Top
-@chapter Introduction
-@cindex Introduction
-
-GNU shogi is a program that plays shogi, the Japanese version of chess,
-against a human (or computer) opponent. This file describes how to use
-GNU shogi and also gives background information about the game of shogi.
-
-This file describes GNU Shogi version 1.3.2. It was written by Mike
-Vanier @email{mvanier@@cs.caltech.edu}, maintainer of GNU shogi at
-that time.
-
-GNU Shogi is currently maintained by Yann Dirson
-@email{ydirson@@free.fr}.
-
-
-GNU Shogi is actually one program, 'gnushogi', the text-based program
-which also contains the game-playing engine.
-
-The GNU Shogi distribution also contains the 'xshogi' program, an
-X-Window graphical interface to gnushogi. XShogi was forked off GNU
-XBoard years ago, is far from today's UI standards, and has barely
-been maintained recently, while XBoard has grown much and is able to
-play Shogi. In future versions, GNU Shogi will be able to use XBoard
-as a GUI and XShogi will be retired.
-
-Since xshogi invokes gnushogi, most players will just type ``xshogi''
-and start playing.
-
-Disclaimer: I use the personal pronouns ``him'', ``his'' etc. to refer
-to a shogi player regardless of gender. That's easier than writing
-``his or her'' all over the place. I don't mean to infer that women
-don't play shogi; in fact shogi is very popular in Japan among women as
-well as men.
-
-
-@node About shogi, gnushogi, Introduction, Top
-@chapter About the game of shogi
-
-
-@quotation
-``Japanese chess cedes nothing in depth or beauty to the European
-game... it is at least as interesting.''
-
---- Alexander Alekhine @*
-(quoted in David Pritchard, @cite{The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants})
-
-``... shogi [is] by far the most complex form of chess that has ever
-achieved widespread popularity.''
-
---- R. Wayne Schmittberger, @cite{New Rules for Classic Games}
-@end quotation
-
-Shogi is the version of chess played in Japan. It is strikingly
-different from standard chess (which I shall refer to henceforth as
-``international chess'') and also to all other regional variants,
-because captured pieces can re-enter play on the side of the capturer.
-This has several interesting effects on the play of the game:
-
-@enumerate
-@item
-Shogi is much more complex than international chess, at least in
-terms of the average number of possible moves per turn (estimated at
-about 35 for chess and at about 80 for shogi).
-
-@item
-There are almost no draws (about 1-2% of all games in professional play).
-
-@item
-Exchanges complicate the play rather than simplifying it.
-
-@item
-There are no ``endgames'' in the standard chess sense; all pieces remain
-in play throughout the game. Games typically end in a race to
-checkmate the other player before being checkmated oneself.
-
-@item
-Ownership of a piece is not indicated by the color of the piece;
-instead, pieces are wedge-shaped and point towards the opponent. The
-name of the piece is inscribed in Kanji characters on the front of the
-piece.
-
-@item
-Most importantly: it's more fun than other forms of chess :-)
-
-@end enumerate
-
-Shogi is extremely popular in Japan; it has been estimated that 20
-million Japanese can play shogi, of which perhaps 1 million are active
-players. It is even more popular there than the game of go, Japan's
-other favorite board game. There are a number of professional players
-who make a considerable amount of money playing in shogi tournaments,
-and the game receives extensive newpaper and television coverage.
-Despite this, the game has yet to become popular outside of Japan. Part
-of this is because the Kanji characters on the pieces scare away some
-people, but mostly it's due, I think, to lack of exposure to the game
-and to the difficulty of finding opponents. I hope that GNU shogi will
-help introduce shogi to a wider audience.
-
-@ifnottex
-@menu
-* The rules of shogi::
-* Sample game::
-* Mating problems::
-* Shogi variants::
-* Differences between shogi and chess::
-@end menu
-@end ifnottex
-
-
-@c -------------------------------------------------------
-@c
-@c The rules of shogi.
-@c
-@c -------------------------------------------------------
-
-@node The rules of shogi, Sample game, About shogi, About shogi
-@section The rules of shogi
-@cindex Rules
-
-Shogi is a two-person abstract strategy board game with full information
-(i.e. all pieces and moves are visible to both players at all times).
-It is in the chess family, being descended from the same ancestral game
-as international chess: the Indian game of Chaturanga. The two players
-are referred to as ``Black'' and ``White'', with Black moving first
-(unlike in international chess, where White moves first), and with
-movement alternating between the two players. Note that ``Black'' and
-``White'' are just names; the pieces are not colored. Instead, they are
-flat, wedge-shaped pieces which point towards the opponent. The
-identity of a given piece is indicated by two Japanese Kanji characters
-on each piece. In fact, only the top character is needed to identify
-the piece and thus only the top character is used in shogi diagrams. I
-will use alphabetical equivalents in the diagrams here; to see what the
-Kanji characters look like, start up xshogi (@pxref{xshogi}) and compare
-the starting setup there with the starting setup in this file
-(@pxref{The opening setup}).
-
-The object of the game is to capture the opponent's King. The board is
-a grid of 9x9 uncolored squares, and pieces are placed on the squares.
-Each player begins with 20 pieces, described in the next section.
-Capture is by displacement, as in international chess.
-
-@ifnottex
-@menu
-* The moves of the pieces::
-* The opening setup::
-* Promotion of pieces::
-* Drops::
-* Winning the game::
-* Draws::
-* Handicaps::
-* Notes for chess players::
-@end menu
-@end ifnottex
-
-@c The moves of the pieces.
-
-@node The moves of the pieces, The opening setup, The rules of shogi, The rules of shogi
-@subsection The moves of the pieces
-@cindex Piece moves
-
-Each player at the beginning of a shogi game has a total of 20 pieces of
-eight different types. The moves of the shogi pieces can be divided
-into three classes: ``stepping'' pieces, that only move one square at a
-time; ``ranging'' pieces that move any number of unobstructed squares in
-a line, and ``jumping'' pieces that can jump over obstructing pieces to
-reach their destination squares. Most pieces can also promote to
-different (usually stronger) pieces under certain circumstances (see the
-next section). All pieces capture the same way that they move (even
-pawns). The piece moves and promotions are as follows; each piece name
-is followed by the standard piece abbreviation:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-The king (K). The king can move one square in any horizontal, vertical,
-or diagonal direction, just like the king in international chess. The
-king does not promote.
-
-@item
-The rook (R). The rook can move any number of squares in a horizontal
-or vertical direction. The rook is the same as the rook in
-international chess (except that it can promote). A rook promotes to a
-``dragon king'' or ``dragon'' for short (often just referred to as a
-``promoted rook''), which can move as a rook or can move one square in
-any diagonal direction.
-
-@item
-The bishop (B). The bishop can move any number of squares in a diagonal
-direction. The bishop is the same as the bishop in international chess
-(except that it can promote). A bishop promotes to a ``dragon horse''
-or ``horse'' for short (often just referred to as a ``promoted
-bishop''), which can move as a bishop or can move one square in any
-horizontal or vertical direction. Note: the horse should not be
-confused with a knight (see below), as they are two completely different
-pieces.
-
-@item
-The gold general (G). A gold general can move one square in any
-horizontal or vertical direction, or one square in a forward diagonal
-direction. Gold generals do not promote.
-
-@item
-The silver general (S). A silver general can move one square in any
-diagonal direction, or one square straight forward. A silver general
-promotes to a gold general.
-
-@item
-The knight (N). A knight can move one square straight forward followed
-by one square to either forward diagonal, jumping over intervening
-pieces if any. In other words, a knight moves like its international
-chess counterpart, but forward only. A knight promotes to a gold
-general. The knight is the only jumping piece, as in chess.
-
-@item
-The lance (L). A lance can move any number of squares straight forward.
-A lance promotes to a gold general.
-
-@item
-The pawn (P). A pawn can move one square straight forward. The pawn
-captures the same way that it moves, in contrast to international chess.
-There is also no initial two-space move for pawns and no
-@emph{en-passant} capture. A pawn promotes to a gold general; a
-promoted pawn is usually known as a ``Tokin''.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-
-@c The opening setup.
-
-@node The opening setup, Promotion of pieces, The moves of the pieces, The rules of shogi
-@subsection The opening setup
-@cindex Opening setup
-
-The opening setup for shogi is as follows:
-
-@ifnottex
-@verbatim
- 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| wL | wN | wS | wG | wK | wG | wS | wN | wL | a
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | wR | | | | | | wB | | b
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | c
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | d
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | e
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | f
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | g
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | bB | | | | | | bR | | h
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| bL | bN | bS | bG | bK | bG | bS | bN | bL | i
-+--------------------------------------------+
-@end verbatim
-@end ifnottex
-
-@c The following TeX macros are taken with permission from
-@c "TeX for the Beginner" by Wynter Snow.
-
-@tex
-\def\startline{\par\nobreak\noindent}
-
-{\obeylines\obeyspaces%
-\gdef\beginVerbatim{\bigbreak%
-\begingroup%
-\parskip=0pt%
-\obeylines\obeyspaces%
-\let^^M=\startline%
-\tt}}
-\gdef\endVerbatim{\endgroup\bigbreak}
-\beginVerbatim
-
-
- 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| wL | wN | wS | wG | wK | wG | wS | wN | wL | a
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | wR | | | | | | wB | | b
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | c
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | d
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | e
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | | | | | | | | | f
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | g
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| | bB | | | | | | bR | | h
-+--------------------------------------------+
-| bL | bN | bS | bG | bK | bG | bS | bN | bL | i
-+--------------------------------------------+
-
-\endVerbatim
-@end tex
-
-Here, ``b'' stands for ``black'' and ``w'' stands for ``white'', so
-that, for instance, ``bL'' means ``black lance''. The numbers above the
-files and the letters to the right of the ranks represent the most
-common notation system used for shogi by westerners (the Japanese also
-use Arabic numerals for the files but use Japanese numerals for the
-ranks).
-
-
-@c Promotion of pieces.
-
-@node Promotion of pieces, Drops, The opening setup, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Promotion of pieces
-@cindex Piece promotion
-
-In sharp contrast to international chess, where only pawns can promote
-to higher-ranked pieces, most of the pieces in shogi can promote. The
-promoted ranks are discussed in the section on piece moves (@pxref{The
-moves of the pieces}) but are repeated here for reference:
-
-@table @asis
-
-@item Pawn
-promotes to gold general (called a `tokin' in this case only).
-
-@item Lance
-promotes to gold general.
-
-@item Knight
-promotes to gold general.
-
-@item Silver general
-promotes to gold general.
-
-@item Gold general
-does not promote.
-
-@item Bishop
-promotes to ``dragon horse'' or just ``horse'' for short. The horse can
-move as a bishop or can move one square in any orthogonal direction.
-
-@item Rook
-promotes to ``dragon king'' or just ``dragon'' for short. The dragon
-can move as a rook or can move one square in any diagonal direction.
-
-@item King
-does not promote.
-
-@end table
-
-The three ranks furthest away from each player constitute his/her
-``promotion zone''. A player may, but is not required to, promote a
-piece after making a move in which the piece begins and/or ends in the
-promotion zone. Thus you can promote a piece when moving the piece into
-the promotion zone, out of the promotion zone, or entirely within the
-promotion zone. Promotion is mandatory in these cases:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item You must promote a pawn or a lance after moving it to the last rank.
-
-@item You must promote a knight after moving it to either of the last
-two ranks.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-These forced promotions ensure that a piece cannot be moved to a square
-from which it would have no further move.
-
-Pieces ``dropped'' onto the board (@pxref{Drops}) always drop in the
-unpromoted state, even if they drop into the promotion zone.
-
-
-
-@c Drops.
-
-@node Drops, Winning the game, Promotion of pieces, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Drops
-@cindex Drops
-
-When a player captures a piece, that piece is not removed from play.
-Instead, it becomes the property of the capturer and can re-enter play
-by being placed on (almost) any vacant square during the player's move.
-This is known as a ``drop'' and counts as a full move (in other words,
-you can either move a piece on the board or drop a piece onto the board
-during your move, but not both). All pieces drop in the unpromoted
-state. Pieces may be legally dropped in their promotion zone, but they
-do not promote on that turn.
-
-There are several restrictions on drops:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item A pawn may not be dropped onto a file if there is already an
-unpromoted pawn belonging to the same player on that file. It is legal
-to drop a pawn on a file which contains a @emph{promoted} pawn belonging
-to the same player, however.
-
-@item A pawn may not be dropped to give immediate checkmate on the
-move. A pawn is, however, permitted to be moved on the board to give
-immediate checkmate. This is a curious rule, and if anyone knows the
-reason for it I would appreciate it if they would contact me and explain
-it to me :-)
-
-@item A pawn or piece may not be dropped onto a square from which they
-would have no legal move. This means that pawns and lances may not be
-dropped onto the last rank, and the knight may not be dropped onto the
-last or second-to-last rank.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-It is entirely permissible (and often advisable) to drop a piece or pawn
-between one's King and an attacking ranging piece. For this reason,
-the final checkmating move is nearly always an attack on the King from
-an adjacent square (except for an attack by a Knight).
-
-Captured pieces are said to be pieces ``in hand''.
-
-The drop is the primary distinguishing feature of Japanese chess, shared
-with no other popular chess-type game. It gives shogi a very aggressive
-quality, and dramatically increases the number of possible moves once a
-few pieces have been captured. Another interesting feature of shogi is
-that exchanges complicate play rather than simplifying it (as in
-international chess), because of the drop rule.
-
-
-@c Winning.
-
-@node Winning the game, Draws, Drops, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Winning the game
-@cindex Winning the game
-
-A game of shogi is won by capturing the opponent's king. In general,
-this is done by checkmating the king: attacking the king in such a way
-that the king cannot be defended no matter what the defending player
-moves. Note, though, that there is no rule that requires a player to
-defend a king which is being attacked. However, if he does not defend
-his king, the opponent is entirely free to capture it on the next move,
-thus winning the game. As in international chess, in practice most
-games end by resignation when one player realizes that he cannot escape
-checkmate.
-
-
-@c Draws.
-
-@node Draws, Handicaps, Winning the game, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Draws
-@cindex Draws
-
-There are very few draws in shogi; only about 1-2% of professional games
-end in a draw. One reason for this is that material can never be
-depleted as in chess, because captured pieces are constantly re-entering
-play as a consequence of the drop rule. In fact, most of the ways a
-game can be drawn in chess are not allowed in shogi:
-
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@item Draws cannot be offered.
-
-@item There is no fifty-move rule.
-
-@item A stalemate counts as a win for the stalemater. Stated otherwise:
-if you can't move, you lose.
-
-@item Perpetual check is illegal (see below).
-
-@end itemize
-
-There are only two legal ways in which a draw can occur:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item A position (including the pieces in hand) occurs 4 times with the same
-player to move (called ``Sennichite''). However, if this is caused by
-consecutive checks (direct attacks on the King, threatening to capture
-it on the next move) by one side, the player giving these checks loses
-the game. In other words, perpetual check results in a loss for the
-attacker who recreates the same position the 4th time.
-
-@item Both players have moved their King into the the promotion zone (or they
-cannot be prevented from doing so) and the Kings cannot be checkmated.
-A King who has entered the promotion zone is known as an ``entering
-King''; due to the forward orientation of most shogi pieces, it is very
-hard to mate such a King. In that case the players may decide to count
-their pieces as follows: the King does not count, the Rook and Bishop
-count as 5 points, and all other pieces as one point. Promotion is
-disregarded. If both players have at least 24 points the game is a draw
-(called ``Jishogi''). If a player has less, he loses the game.
-
-Of course, a player can refuse to count pieces when he still has mating
-chances or chances to gain material which would affect the outcome of
-the counting. There is no strict rule about what to do if this is not
-the case, but nonetheless a player refuses to count up (e.g. because he
-does not have enough points for a draw). It has been generally accepted
-that in such a case the game ends and the pieces are counted after one
-player has managed to get all his pieces protected in the promotion
-zone.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-@c Handicaps.
-
-@node Handicaps, Notes for chess players, Draws, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Handicaps
-@cindex Handicaps
-
-Unlike international chess, shogi has a well-established handicap system
-which is used when players of different strengths play against each
-other. Handicaps range from small to huge, which makes it possible for
-weak players to play against even very strong players and have an even
-chance of winning.
-
-Shogi players are ranked as follows: the weakest rank is around 15
-``kyu'', which represents a beginner. 14 kyu is higher than 15 kyu, 13
-kyu is higher still, and so on until you get to 1 kyu. The next highest
-rank is 1 ``dan'', followed by 2 dan, 3 dan and so forth. The highest
-amateur rank is 6 dan; professionals go up to 9 dan. However,
-professional ranks are not the same as amateur ranks; a professional 1
-dan is @emph{much} stronger than an amateur 1 dan. This system is
-similar to that used by go players (and also other Japanese sports such
-as karate).
-
-A handicap consists of the stronger player playing White and removing
-one or more pieces from his side of the board at the start of the game.
-These pieces are permanently removed from play; they are not in hand.
-
-The following is a list of the accepted handicaps, from weakest to
-strongest. The degree of the handicap, represented by the position in
-the list, represents the difference in rank between the two players for
-which the handicap is appropriate. These rules are taken from the books
-``Shogi for Beginners'' by John Fairbairn and ``The Art of Shogi'' by
-Tony Hoskings (@pxref{References and links}) and, I believe, represent
-current Japanese practice.
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his left lance (on 1a).
-
-@item
-The players play a two-game match; in the first game the stronger player
-removes his left lance (on 1a), while in the second game he removes his
-bishop.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his bishop.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook and left lance.
-
-@item
-The players play a two-game match; in the first game the stronger player
-removes his rook and left lance (on 1a), while in the second game he
-removes his rook and bishop.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook and bishop. This is usually called
-a ``two-piece'' handicap.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, and both lances. This is
-called a ``four-piece'' handicap.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, both lances, and both
-knights. This is called a ``six-piece'' handicap.
-
-@item
-The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, both lances, both knights,
-and both silvers. This is called an ``eight-piece'' handicap.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-Another advantage of playing handicap games is that the handicaps alter
-the optimal strategy for both players. For instance, handicaps all have
-their own opening lines which may bear little or no resemblance to those
-used in non-handicap shogi. This means that when learning handicap
-shogi, you are essentially learning completely new games which use the
-same equipment!
-
-The reader may wonder how on earth a player giving an eight-piece
-handicap, say, could possibly hope to win. Don't forget, though, that
-in shogi the opponent's pieces can be captured and then become part of
-one's own army. Thus, if the opponent plays badly enough, the number of
-pieces will soon even out.
-
-
-@c Notes for chess players.
-
-@node Notes for chess players, , Handicaps, The rules of shogi
-@subsection Notes for chess players
-
-Here are a few miscellaneous things that may confuse chess players.
-Some of these have been mentioned elsewhere, but they bear repeating.
-
-@enumerate
-@item There is no queen.
-
-@item Pawns capture the same way they move. There is no initial
-two-space pawn move and no @emph{en-passant} move.
-
-@item There is no special castling move. There @emph{are} a large
-number of possible defensive formations referred to as ``castles''
-(@pxref{Sample game}) but there is no need for special moves to create
-them.
-
-@item A given piece can only promote to @emph{one} other kind of piece.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-@c
-@c Sample game.
-@c
-
-@node Sample game, Mating problems, The rules of shogi, About shogi
-@section Sample game
-@cindex Sample game
-
-@c This will have to be spruced up for the TeX version...
-
-This game was annotated by Pieter Stouten (@pxref{References and
-links}). I have made some minor corrections. Note that captures are
-denoted by the ``x'' symbol e.g. Rx3f and drops are denoted by the ``*''
-symbol e.g. R*3f. Check is indicated by a ``+'' after the move,
-e.g. R3f+. I recommend you use gnushogi/xshogi to play along with this
-game. In xshogi simply hit the ``Force Moves'' button after starting
-up, while in gnushogi enter the word ``force'' at the prompt. This will
-allow you to enter moves for both sides.
-
-Note also that the move numbering system used here is the chess-type
-system where one move means one move by each player. The Japanese count
-one move made by each player as two moves.
-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-Below you will find (the English translation of) an annotated game which
-was published in the Dutch Shogi magazine ``81'' and in the Dutch
-beginners booklet. It has proven to be a very useful game to explain
-some basic principles of Shogi. Also, it is a rather straightforward
-game compared to professional games where in most cases very diffuse
-middle game fights take place.
-
- Pieter Stouten, 14th May 1990.
-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-Black: Michael Trent (1-dan). White: David Murphy (2-dan).
-
- 1. P2f P3d 2. P2e B3c @*
-[ This move is necessary, as otherwise white can exchange pawns: 3. P2d
-Px2d 4. Rx2d. He would thus get a pawn in hand and open up his rook
-file. ]
-
- 3. P7f P4d @*
-[ White closes the bishop diagonal again. He plans to play ranging rook
-(the rook goes to 5b, 4b, 3 or 2b; a defensive strategy) and in that
-case he'd better avoid an exchange of bishops. One of the reasons is
-that he will have problems developing his pieces without leaving holes
-for bishop drops. ]
-
- 4. S4h R3b 5. P3f S4b 6. K6h K6b @*
-[ In general the rook plays an important role in the attacks. It is
-wise to move the king away from the area where the initial fights will
-be and both players act according to the Shogi proverb ``keep the rook
-and king apart''. ]
-
- 7. K7h K7b 8. P5f P5d 9. G4i-5h G4a-5b @*
-[ Both players use their second gold general to build their castle. ]
-
- 10. S6h @*
-[ In itself this move is not bad. However, it will become clear that
-black plans a quick attack and in that case it is wiser to omit this
-move. ]
-
- 10... S5c 11. P1f P1d @*
-[ The advance of the edge pawns must be timed very well. The remark at
-black's tenth move applies here too: this move is good if black wants to
-play a slow game, because it eliminates a future B1e. ]
-
- 12. P4f K8b 13. N3g S7b @*
-[ Black develops his knight in order to start an attack over the second,
-third and fourth files. White strengthens his king's position and
-awaits the attack. He aims at a counterattack as soon as black has
-broken through into the white camp. Probably white's breakthrough will
-take place later, but he has good compensation in the form of a stronger
-castle. This theme occurs very often in static rook versus ranging rook
-games. ]
-
- 14. P4e R4b @*
-[ Black starts his attack and white puts up a very passive defence. His
-rook has a hard task now to penetrate the black position. Moreover, he
-blocks his own bishop. It seems much better to start a counterattack
-with 14... P3e, later to be followed by B2b, B5a or Bx4d in order to use
-his rook more actively. ]
-
- 15. Px4d Sx4d 16. P*4e S5c @*
-[ 16... Sx4e is more active. A silver general is normally more valuable
-than a knight, but white gets two pawns in hand and black none, while
-the knight might come in handy for white too. ]
-
- 17. Bx3c+ Nx3c 18. P2d Px2d @*
-[ Black threatens to break through and white has to consider taking the
-pawn on 2d or starting a counterattack with Nx4e. If he chooses the
-latter, black can play Px2c+ followed by +P3c. The disadvantage is the
-black ``tokin'' (=promoted pawn) that white will get in his camp; the
-advantage is that it will cost black two more moves to promote his rook.
-Because white did not trust that the result after engaging in a
-``semeai'' (=mutual attack) with 18...Nx4e would give a positive result,
-he captured the pawn on 2d. Making the right decision in moments like
-this often makes the difference between a win and a loss: miss one
-attacking chance and you will be forced to defend the whole game until
-the unavoidable defeat; on the other hand, an unsound attack can destroy
-all ``aji'' (=potential, meaning possibilities, threats) without getting
-anything in return. ]
-
- 19. Rx2d Nx4e 20. Nx4e Rx4e 21. R2a+ P*4g @*
-[ Now it becomes clear why black's 10. S6h was not good. Had this move
-been omitted, then white would not have had the time to play 13... S7b
-and after R2a+ the gold on 6a would hang. Thus black would have kept
-``sente'' (=initiative). Instead of 21... P*4g, B*6d is a very good
-move, because after 22. P*2h black does not have a pawn in hand anymore
-and he is being threatened with the annoying 22... N*4f 23. G5g N3h+
-24. S4g +N4h also. Black can also counter 21... B*6d with 22. N*3g.
-White would then reply with 22... R4b 23. B*3c P*4g 24. Bx4b+ Sx4b. The
-white rook has played its role and instead of spending moves on saving
-it white starts to scatter black's defences by successive pawn drops on
-the fourth file: 25. Gx4g P*4f 26. G5g N*6e 27. G5h P4g+ 28. Gx4g P*4f.
-This analysis was provided by Kato Hifumi, 9-dan professional (the
-highest regular grade). Destroying the coherence of the enemy pieces
-(their shape) by dropping pawns is one of the most important Shogi
-techniques. With the actual move 21... P*4g white missed a good
-chance. ]
-
- 22. Sx4g P*4f 23. B*3g Px4g+ 24. +Rx6a +Px3g @*
-[ 23. B*3g seems pointless, but a closer look reveals that it is
-actually quite mean. On move 24 white cannot capture black's ``Ryu''
-(=dragon =promoted rook) with his silver: 24... Sx6a 25. N*7d K7b
-26. G*8b mate. By attacking the front of the white castle and
-threatening to mate him there, black has the chance to break down the
-white defences from the side. ]
-
- 25. +Rx5b S*6b @*
-[ Here 25... B*4d would be much better, because it is defensive and
-attacking at the same time. After e.g. 26. G*4c Bx9i+ 27. Gx5c black
-threatens 28. +Rx7b Kx7b 29. S*6a K8b 30. S*7a Kx7a 31. G*7b mate.
-White is one move quicker, however. He has the following beautiful
-``tsume'' (mating sequence where every move is check): 27... N*8f 28. Px8f
-S*8g 29. Kx8g B*9h 30. K7h Bx8i+ 31. K8g +B8i-8h 32. K9f L*9e mate.
-This illustrates the sharpness of Shogi: one move can make the
-difference between winning and losing. ]
-
- 26. P*4f Rx4f @*
-[ This move eliminates white's last chances. 26... R4b 27. +Rx4b Sx4b
-28. R*4a seems annoying, but after 28... B*3c 29. S7g B*3b white wins
-the rook and with his ``tokin'' on 3g there still is some hope. ]
-
- 27. N*6e +P4g @*
-[ White cannot defend anymore, so he starts a desperate attack. Black
-does not lose the right track, however. ]
-
- 28. Nx5c+ +Px5h 29. +Nx6b +Px6h 30. Gx6h N*8f 31. Px8f B*6i 32. Gx6i
- R4h+ 33. N*6h +Rx6h 34. Gx6h S*8g 35. Kx8g N*9e 36. K7h Resigns @*
-[ White resigns here, because after 36... B*8g 27. K7g his attack has
-petered out. ]
-
-@page
-
-
-@c
-@c Mating problems.
-@c
-
-@node Mating problems, Shogi variants, Sample game, About shogi
-@section 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:
-
-@ifnottex
-@verbatim
- 3 2 1
-----------------+
- | | | | a
-----------------+
- | | | wK | b
-----------------+
- | | | | c
-----------------+
- | bN | | | d
-----------------+
- | | | | e
-----------------+
- | | bN | | f
-----------------+
-
-Black in hand: S, G
-@end verbatim
-@end ifnottex
-
-
-@tex
-\def\startline{\par\nobreak\noindent}
-
-{\obeylines\obeyspaces%
-\gdef\beginVerbatim{\bigbreak%
-\begingroup%
-\parskip=0pt%
-\obeylines\obeyspaces%
-\let^^M=\startline%
-\tt}}
-\gdef\endVerbatim{\endgroup\bigbreak}
-\beginVerbatim
-
- 3 2 1
-----------------+
- | | | | a
-----------------+
- | | | wK | b
-----------------+
- | | | | c
-----------------+
- | bN | | | d
-----------------+
- | | | | e
-----------------+
- | | bN | | f
-----------------+
-
-Black in hand: 2G
-
-\endVerbatim
-@end tex
-
-Here, Black plays G*2b, White plays K1c, and Black plays G*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'' (@pxref{References and links}).
-
-@page
-
-@c
-@c Shogi variants.
-@c
-
-@node Shogi variants, Differences between shogi and chess, Mating problems, About shogi
-@section Shogi variants
-@cindex Shogi variants
-@cindex Variants
-@cindex Tori Shogi
-@cindex Wa Shogi
-@cindex Chu Shogi
-@cindex Dai Shogi
-@cindex Tenjiku Shogi
-@cindex Dai-dai Shogi
-@cindex Maka-dai-dai Shogi
-@cindex Tai Shogi
-@cindex Kyoku Tai Shogi
-
-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 (@pxref{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 (@pxref{References and links}).
-
-The historical variants include:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-Dai (great) shogi, played on a 15x15 board with 130 pieces. Other than
-the larger board, this game is very similar to Chu shogi.
-
-@item
-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
-@uref{http://www.colina.demon.co.uk/tenjiku.html}.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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 :-)
-
-@item
-Tai (grand) shogi, played on a 25x25 board with 354 pieces! Until
-recently, this was thought to be the biggest chess game ever devised,
-but now there is...
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-@c
-@c Differences between shogi and chess.
-@c
-
-@node Differences between shogi and chess, , Shogi variants, About shogi
-@section Differences between shogi and chess
-@cindex Shogi vs. 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 (@pxref{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:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-The shogi board is 9x9; the chess board is 8x8.
-
-@item
-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).
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-In shogi, pawns capture the same way they move. There is no initial
-two-space pawn move and hence no @emph{en-passant} captures. In chess,
-pawns capture diagonally which means that opposing pawns can block each
-other.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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). @xref{Sample game}.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-Since pieces are never out of play in shogi, chess-type endgames
-involving only a few pieces do not occur.
-
-@item
-Shogi games are generally longer than chess games (about 60-70 moves is
-typical).
-
-@item
-Shogi has a well-developed handicap system which is in general use;
-chess does not.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-The effects of all these differences on play include (in my opinion):
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-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''.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@end enumerate
-
-
-@c --------------------
-@c gnushogi.
-@c --------------------
-
-@node gnushogi, xshogi, About shogi, Top
-@chapter gnushogi
-@cindex 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:
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item gnushogi -C
-simple curses based version
-
-@item gnushogi -X (or just gnushogi)
-xshogi compatible version
-
-@item gnushogi -R
-raw test display version
-@end table
-
-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.
-@xref{xshogi}.
-
-@page
-
-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
-between black and white separated by whitespace. 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
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item -a
-Do not search on opponent's time.
-
-@item a
-Do search on opponent's time.
-
-@item -b @var{bookfile}
-Use bookfile for opening book.
-
-@item -B @var{binbookfile}
-Use binbookfile for binary opening book.
-
-@item -c @var{size}
-Create a new HASHFILE. File size is 2^size entries of approximately 65+?
-bytes.
-
-@item -C
-Use curses-based display mode.
-
-@item -h
-Do not use hashfile.
-
-@item h
-Do use hashfile.
-
-@item -l @var{pathname}
-Pathname of the loadfile used with get or xget.
-
-@item -L @var{lang}
-Use language lang from the file gnushogi.lang. If -L is not specified
-it uses the first language in the file.
-
-@item -P @var{plylevels}
-Number of plys to include in the binbookfile. For generating a
-binbookfile.
-
-@item -r @var{length}
-Rehash @emph{length} times in searching entries for position in
-transposition table.
-
-@item -R
-Use raw text display mode. This can be used for dumb terminals or for
-systems that don't have curses.
-
-@item -s @var{pathname}
-Pathname of the save file to use with the save command.
-
-@item -S @var{size}
-Size of binbookfile for memory based books. For creating a binbookfile.
-
-@item -t
-Show statistics for HASHFILE.
-
-@item -T @var{size}
-Set the transposition table size to 2^size entries.
-
-@item -v
-Show version and patchlevel.
-
-@item -x @var{value}
-Use value as the evaluation window xwndw.
-
-@item -X
-Use xshogi display mode (the default).
-
-@end table
-
-
-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.
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item alg
-allow algebraic input (not implemented).
-
-@item Awindow
-change Alpha window (default score + 90).
-
-@item Bwindow
-change Beta window (default score - 90).
-
-@item beep
-toggles beeping after each move (default: on).
-
-@item bd
-updates the current board position on the display.
-
-@item book
-turns off use of the opening library.
-
-@item both
-causes the computer to play both sides of a shogi game.
-
-@item black
-causes the computer to play as White, if the computer was to move
-first.
-
-@item bsave
-saves a game to disk as a book textfile. The program will prompt the
-user for a file name.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item coords
-show coordinates on the display (visual only).
-
-@item contempt
-allows the value of @emph{contempt} to be modified.
-
-@item debug
-asks for a piece as color piece, as wb or bn, and shows its calculated
-value on each square.
-
-@item debuglevel
-sets level of debugging output if compiled with debug options.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item edit
-allows the user to set up a board position.
-@itemize @minus
-
-@item #
-clear the board.
-
-@item c
-toggle piece color.
-
-@item .
-command will exit setup mode.
-
-@item p3b
-place a pawn on 3b
-
-@item p3b+
-place a promoted pawn on 3b
-
-@item p*
-place a pawn in hand (among the captured pieces)
-
-@end itemize
-
-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.
-
-@item exit
-exits gnushogi.
-
-@item first
-tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a move.
-(same as ``go'').
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item get
-retrieves a game from disk. The program will prompt the user for a file
-name.
-
-@item go
-tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a move.
-(same as ``first'').
-
-@item hash
-use/don't use hashfile.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item help
-displays a short description of the commands and the current status of
-options.
-
-@item hint
-causes the program to supply the user with its predicted move.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item list
-writes the game moves and some statistics on search depth, nodes, and
-time to the file ``shogi.lst''.
-
-@item material
-toggle material flag - draws on no pawns and both sides < rook.
-
-@item new
-starts a new game.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item quit
-exits the game.
-
-@item random
-causes the program to randomize its move selection slightly.
-
-@item rcptr
-set recapture mode.
-
-@item remove
-backout the last level for both sides. Equal to 2 undo's.
-
-@item reverse
-causes the board display to be reversed. That is, the Black's pieces will
-now appear at the top of the board.
-
-@item rv
-reverse board display.
-
-@item save
-saves a game to disk. The program will prompt the user for a file name.
-
-@item switch
-causes the program to switch places with the opponent and begin
-searching.
-
-@item test
-performs some speed tests for MoveList and CaptureList generation, and
-ScorePosition position scoring for the current board.
-
-@item time
-set computer's time remaining, intended for synchronizing clocks among
-multiple players.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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).
-
-@item white
-causes the computer to play as Black; if the computer is to move
-first the go command must be given.
-
-@item xget
-read an xshogi position file.
-
-@item xsave
-save as an xshogi position file.
-
-@item xwndw
-change X window. The window around alpha/beta used to determine whether
-the position should be scored or just estimated. Note: this has
-@emph{nothing} to do with xshogi or X windows; the terms are completely
-separate.
-
-@end table
-
-
-@c --------------------
-@c xshogi.
-@c --------------------
-
-@node xshogi, References and links, gnushogi, Top
-@chapter xshogi
-@cindex 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.
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item [standard Xt options]
-xshogi accepts standard Xt options like -display, -geometry, and
--iconic.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -mps or -movesPerSession moves
-Number of moves in a time control period. Default: 40 moves.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -fsp or -firstShogiProgram program
-Name of first shogi program. In matches between two machines, this
-program plays white. Default: ``gnushogi''.
-
-@item -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''.
-
-@item -fh or -firstHost host
-Name of host the first shogi program plays on. Default: ``localhost''.
-
-@item -sh or -secondHost host
-Name of host the second shogi program plays on. Default: ``localhost''.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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''.
-
-@item -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 /.
-
-@item -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 /.
-
-@item -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 /.
-
-@item -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 /.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -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.
-
-@item -pc or -pieceColor color
-Color specification for pieces suitable for XParseColor().
-Default: #FFFFD7.
-
-@item -sc or -squareColor color
-Same for squares. Default: #EBDFB0.
-
-@item -wps or -westernPieceSet (True | False)
-Choose the Western style piece set.
-
-@item -npb or -normalPawnBitmap file
-@item -nnb or -normalKnightBitmap file
-@item -nbb or -normalBishopBitmap file
-@item -nrb or -normalRookBitmap file
-@item -nkb or -normalKingBitmap file
-Names of the bitmap files for the bitmap piece icons.
-
-@item -rpb or -reversePawnBitmap file
-@item -rnb or -reverseKnightBitmap file
-@item -rbb or -reverseBishopBitmap file
-@item -rrb or -reverseRookBitmap file
-@item -rkb or -reverseKingBitmap file
-Names of the bitmap files for the outline piece icons.
-
-@item -debug or -debugMode (True | False)
-Turns on debugging printout.
-
-@end table
-
-@page
-
-OTHER X RESOURCES
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item 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 (@pxref{gnushogi}) for
-details.
-
-@item 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*pieceColor: gray100 @*
- XShogi*squareColor: gray60 @*
-
-@end table
-
-COMMAND BUTTONS AND KEYS
-
-@table @samp
-
-@item Quit
-Quits xshogi. Q or q is a keyboard equivalent.
-
-@item Reset
-Resets xshogi to the beginning of a shogi game. It also deselects any
-game or position files.
-
-@item Flip View
-inverts the view of the shogi board.
-
-@item Hint
-displays a move hint from gnushogi.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item Machine White
-forces gnushogi to play white.
-
-@item Machine Black
-forces gnushogi to play black.
-
-@item Force Moves
-forces a series of moves. That is, gnushogi stops playing and xshogi
-allows you to make moves for both white and black.
-
-@item Two Machines
-plays a game between two computer programs.
-
-@item Forward
-moves forward through a series of remembered moves. F or f is a
-keyboard equivalent.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item 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.
-
-@item Challenge
-allows you 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''.
-
-@item Select Level
-allows you to reset the clocks for both players. Enter the number of
-moves and the number of minutes in which the moves should be done.
-
-@item Move NOW
-force computer to stop thinking and to make the current best move.
-
-@item Iconify I, i, C or c
-iconifies xshogi.
-
-@end table
-
-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.
-
-
-@c ---------------------
-@c References and links.
-@c ---------------------
-
-@node References and links, Acknowledgements, xshogi, Top
-@chapter References and links
-@cindex References
-@cindex Books
-@cindex Mailing lists
-@cindex Web sites
-
-
-There are very few English-language books for people learning shogi.
-The two I recommend are:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-@cite{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 (@uref{http://www.labnet.or.jp/~kiseido})
-or from George Hodges (see below).
-
-@item
-@cite{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 (@uref{http://www.amazon.co.uk}).
-
-@end enumerate
-
-Another book you may find is @cite{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 @cite{Guide to Shogi Openings} and @cite{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:
-
-@quotation
-George F. Hodges @*
-P.O. Box 77 @*
-Bromley, Kent @*
-United Kingdom BR1 2WT
-@end quotation
-
-George also sells equipment for all the historical shogi variants
-(@pxref{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:
-
-@table @asis
-
-@item Pieter Stouten's shogi page: @uref{http://www.shogi.net}
-This is the main shogi-related site on the internet, with links to
-almost all the other sites.
-
-@item Roger Hare's shogi page: @uref{http://www.ed.ac.uk/~rjhare/shogi}
-This has lots of information, including full rules to most of the shogi
-variants.
-
-@item Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus: @uref{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.
-
-@item Steve Evans' shogi page: @uref{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 :-(
-
-@item Hans Bodlaender's chess variant pages: @uref{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).
-
-@end table
-
-@c -----------------
-@c Acknowledgements.
-@c -----------------
-
-@node Acknowledgements, Bugs, References and links, Top
-@chapter Acknowledgements
-@cindex Acknowledgements
-
-I would like to thank the following people:
-
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-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.
-
-@item
-Pieter Stouten, for having the most comprehensive shogi site on the
-World Wide Web (@uref{http://www.shogi.net}), 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.
-
-@item
-Matt Casters, for testing GNU shogi. Matt and I will be working
-together on improving the solution engine in future versions of this
-program.
-
-@end itemize
-
-@c -----
-@c Bugs.
-@c -----
-
-@node Bugs, Index, Acknowledgements, Top
-@chapter 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
-report it to the bug tracker at
-@uref{https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnushogi/}. Also, feel free
-to post comments, complaints, out-and-out raves, suggestions and such
-to one of the mailing lists at
-@uref{https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=gnushogi}.
-
-
-@c ============
-@c End of body.
-@c ============
-
-
-
-@c ====
-@c End.
-@c ====
-
-@node Index, , Bugs, Top
-@chapter Index
-
-@printindex cp
-
-@contents
-
-@bye
-
-
projects / gnushogi.git / blobdiff