1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @c % ** Start of header.
4 @setfilename gnushogi.info
5 @settitle GNU Shogi manual
10 * gnushogi: (gnushogi). Japanese chess
13 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c ==================================
16 @c TeX-specific macros
17 @c ==================================
21 @c ==================================
22 @c info-specific macros
23 @c ==================================
27 @c ==================================
28 @c Summary description and copyright.
29 @c ==================================
33 This file describes how to use GNU shogi,
34 a program which plays Shogi (Japanese chess).
36 Copyright (C) 1999 Michael C. Vanier and the Free Software Foundation, Inc.
38 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
39 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
40 are preserved on all copies.
43 Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
44 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
45 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
46 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
49 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
50 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire
51 resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission
52 notice identical to this one.
54 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
55 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
56 except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved
57 by the Free Software Foundation.
61 @c =========================================
62 @c End of summary description and copyright.
63 @c =========================================
66 @c ====================
67 @c Title and copyright.
68 @c ====================
72 @comment The title is printed in a large font.
73 @center @titlefont{GNU Shogi (Japanese chess)}
76 @c The following two commands start the copyright page.
78 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
79 Copyright @copyright{} 1999 Michael C. Vanier and the Free Software Foundation
83 @c ===========================
84 @c End of title and copyright.
85 @c ===========================
88 @c =========================
89 @c Top node and master menu.
90 @c =========================
92 @node Top, (dir), (dir), (dir)
93 @top GNU Shogi (Japanese chess)
97 * Introduction:: What is GNU shogi?
98 * About shogi:: General information, rules, etc.
99 * gnushogi:: How to play GNU shogi (gnushogi).
100 * xshogi:: The X interface to GNU shogi.
101 * References and links:: Where to go for more information.
103 * Bugs:: Where and how to report bugs.
109 This document describes GNU shogi, a program which plays Japanese chess
110 (shogi) against a human opponent.
113 @c ================================
114 @c End of top node and master menu.
115 @c ================================
122 @node Introduction, About shogi, Top, Top
123 @chapter Introduction
126 GNU shogi is a program that plays shogi, the Japanese version of chess,
127 against a human (or computer) opponent. This file describes how to use
128 GNU shogi and also gives background information about the game of shogi.
130 This file describes GNU shogi version 1.3.2. It was written by me, Mike
131 Vanier, the current maintainer of GNU shogi. My email address is
132 @email{mvanier@@cs.caltech.edu}.
135 GNU shogi is actually two programs:
142 is the text-based program which also contains the game-playing engine.
145 is the X-windows graphical interface to gnushogi.
151 Since xshogi invokes gnushogi, most players will just type ``xshogi''
154 Disclaimer: I use the personal pronouns ``him'', ``his'' etc. to refer
155 to a shogi player regardless of gender. That's easier than writing
156 ``his or her'' all over the place. I don't mean to infer that women
157 don't play shogi; in fact shogi is very popular in Japan among women as
161 @node About shogi, gnushogi, Introduction, Top
162 @chapter About the game of shogi
166 ``Japanese chess cedes nothing in depth or beauty to the European
167 game... it is at least as interesting.''
169 --- Alexander Alekhine @*
170 (quoted in David Pritchard, @cite{The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants})
174 ``... shogi [is] by far the most complex form of chess that has ever
175 achieved widespread popularity.''
177 --- R. Wayne Schmittberger, @cite{New Rules for Classic Games}
182 Shogi is the version of chess played in Japan. It is strikingly
183 different from standard chess (which I shall refer to henceforth as
184 ``international chess'') and also to all other regional variants,
185 because captured pieces can re-enter play on the side of the capturer.
186 This has several interesting effects on the play of the game:
192 Shogi is much more complex than international chess, at least in
193 terms of the average number of possible moves per turn (estimated at
194 about 35 for chess and at about 80 for shogi).
197 There are almost no draws (about 1-2% of all games in professional play).
200 Exchanges complicate the play rather than simplifying it.
203 There are no ``endgames'' in the standard chess sense; all pieces remain
204 in play throughout the game. Games typically end in a race to
205 checkmate the other player before being checkmated oneself.
208 Ownership of a piece is not indicated by the color of the piece;
209 instead, pieces are wedge-shaped and point towards the opponent. The
210 name of the piece is inscribed in Kanji characters on the front of the
214 Most importantly: it's more fun than other forms of chess :-)
220 Shogi is extremely popular in Japan; it has been estimated that 20
221 million Japanese can play shogi, of which perhaps 1 million are active
222 players. It is even more popular there than the game of go, Japan's
223 other favorite board game. There are a number of professional players
224 who make a considerable amount of money playing in shogi tournaments,
225 and the game receives extensive newpaper and television coverage.
226 Despite this, the game has yet to become popular outside of Japan. Part
227 of this is because the Kanji characters on the pieces scare away some
228 people, but mostly it's due, I think, to lack of exposure to the game
229 and to the difficulty of finding opponents. I hope that GNU shogi will
230 help introduce shogi to a wider audience.
234 * The rules of shogi::
238 * Differences between shogi and chess::
243 @c -------------------------------------------------------
245 @c The rules of shogi.
247 @c -------------------------------------------------------
249 @node The rules of shogi, Sample game, About shogi, About shogi
250 @section The rules of shogi
253 Shogi is a two-person abstract strategy board game with full information
254 (i.e. all pieces and moves are visible to both players at all times).
255 It is in the chess family, being descended from the same ancestral game
256 as international chess: the Indian game of Chaturanga. The two players
257 are referred to as ``Black'' and ``White'', with Black moving first
258 (unlike in international chess, where White moves first), and with
259 movement alternating between the two players. Note that ``Black'' and
260 ``White'' are just names; the pieces are not colored. Instead, they are
261 flat, wedge-shaped pieces which point towards the opponent. The
262 identity of a given piece is indicated by two Japanese Kanji characters
263 on each piece. In fact, only the top character is needed to identify
264 the piece and thus only the top character is used in shogi diagrams. I
265 will use alphabetical equivalents in the diagrams here; to see what the
266 Kanji characters look like, start up xshogi (@pxref{xshogi}) and compare
267 the starting setup there with the starting setup in this file
268 (@pxref{The opening setup}).
270 The object of the game is to capture the opponent's King. The board is
271 a grid of 9x9 uncolored squares, and pieces are placed on the squares.
272 Each player begins with 20 pieces, described in the next section.
273 Capture is by displacement, as in international chess.
277 * The moves of the pieces::
278 * The opening setup::
279 * Promotion of pieces::
284 * Notes for chess players::
288 @c The moves of the pieces.
290 @node The moves of the pieces, The opening setup, The rules of shogi, The rules of shogi
291 @subsection The moves of the pieces
294 Each player at the beginning of a shogi game has a total of 20 pieces of
295 eight different types. The moves of the shogi pieces can be divided
296 into three classes: ``stepping'' pieces, that only move one square at a
297 time; ``ranging'' pieces that move any number of unobstructed squares in
298 a line, and ``jumping'' pieces that can jump over obstructing pieces to
299 reach their destination squares. Most pieces can also promote to
300 different (usually stronger) pieces under certain circumstances (see the
301 next section). All pieces capture the same way that they move (even
302 pawns). The piece moves and promotions are as follows; each piece name
303 is followed by the standard piece abbreviation:
308 The king (K). The king can move one square in any horizontal, vertical,
309 or diagonal direction, just like the king in international chess. The
310 king does not promote.
313 The rook (R). The rook can move any number of squares in a horizontal
314 or vertical direction. The rook is the same as the rook in
315 international chess (except that it can promote). A rook promotes to a
316 ``dragon king'' or ``dragon'' for short (often just referred to as a
317 ``promoted rook''), which can move as a rook or can move one square in
318 any diagonal direction.
321 The bishop (B). The bishop can move any number of squares in a diagonal
322 direction. The bishop is the same as the bishop in international chess
323 (except that it can promote). A bishop promotes to a ``dragon horse''
324 or ``horse'' for short (often just referred to as a ``promoted
325 bishop''), which can move as a bishop or can move one square in any
326 horizontal or vertical direction. Note: the horse should not be
327 confused with a knight (see below), as they are two completely different
331 The gold general (G). A gold general can move one square in any
332 horizontal or vertical direction, or one square in a forward diagonal
333 direction. Gold generals do not promote.
336 The silver general (S). A silver general can move one square in any
337 diagonal direction, or one square straight forward. A silver general
338 promotes to a gold general.
341 The knight (N). A knight can move one square straight forward followed
342 by one square to either forward diagonal, jumping over intervening
343 pieces if any. In other words, a knight moves like its international
344 chess counterpart, but forward only. A knight promotes to a gold
345 general. The knight is the only jumping piece, as in chess.
348 The lance (L). A lance can move any number of squares straight forward.
349 A lance promotes to a gold general.
352 The pawn (P). A pawn can move one square straight forward. The pawn
353 captures the same way that it moves, in contrast to international chess.
354 There is also no initial two-space move for pawns and no
355 @emph{en-passant} capture. A pawn promotes to a gold general; a
356 promoted pawn is usually known as a ``Tokin''.
361 @c The opening setup.
363 @node The opening setup, Promotion of pieces, The moves of the pieces, The rules of shogi
364 @subsection The opening setup
365 @cindex Opening setup
367 The opening setup for shogi is as follows:
371 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
372 | wL | wN | wS | wG | wK | wG | wS | wN | wL | a @*
373 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
374 | | wR | | | | | | wB | | b @*
375 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
376 | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | c @*
377 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
378 | | | | | | | | | | d @*
379 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
380 | | | | | | | | | | e @*
381 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
382 | | | | | | | | | | f @*
383 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
384 | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | g @*
385 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
386 | | bB | | | | | | bR | | h @*
387 +---------------------------------------------+ @*
388 | bL | bN | bS | bG | bK | bG | bS | bN | bL | i @*
389 +---------------------------------------------+
392 @c The following TeX macros are taken with permission from
393 @c "TeX for the Beginner" by Wynter Snow.
396 \def\startline{\par\nobreak\noindent}
398 {\obeylines\obeyspaces%
399 \gdef\beginVerbatim{\bigbreak%
402 \obeylines\obeyspaces%
405 \gdef\endVerbatim{\endgroup\bigbreak}
410 +--------------------------------------------+
411 | wL | wN | wS | wG | wK | wG | wS | wN | wL | a
412 +--------------------------------------------+
413 | | wR | | | | | | wB | | b
414 +--------------------------------------------+
415 | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | c
416 +--------------------------------------------+
417 | | | | | | | | | | d
418 +--------------------------------------------+
419 | | | | | | | | | | e
420 +--------------------------------------------+
421 | | | | | | | | | | f
422 +--------------------------------------------+
423 | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | g
424 +--------------------------------------------+
425 | | bB | | | | | | bR | | h
426 +--------------------------------------------+
427 | bL | bN | bS | bG | bK | bG | bS | bN | bL | i
428 +--------------------------------------------+
435 Here, ``b'' stands for ``black'' and ``w'' stands for ``white'', so
436 that, for instance, ``bL'' means ``black lance''. The numbers above the
437 files and the letters to the right of the ranks represent the most
438 common notation system used for shogi by westerners (the Japanese also
439 use Arabic numerals for the files but use Japanese numerals for the
443 @c Promotion of pieces.
445 @node Promotion of pieces, Drops, The opening setup, The rules of shogi
446 @subsection Promotion of pieces
447 @cindex Piece promotion
449 In sharp contrast to international chess, where only pawns can promote
450 to higher-ranked pieces, most of the pieces in shogi can promote. The
451 promoted ranks are discussed in the section on piece moves (@pxref{The
452 moves of the pieces}) but are repeated here for reference:
457 promotes to gold general (called a `tokin' in this case only).
460 promotes to gold general.
463 promotes to gold general.
466 promotes to gold general.
472 promotes to ``dragon horse'' or just ``horse'' for short. The horse can
473 move as a bishop or can move one square in any orthogonal direction.
476 promotes to ``dragon king'' or just ``dragon'' for short. The dragon
477 can move as a rook or can move one square in any diagonal direction.
486 The three ranks furthest away from each player constitute his/her
487 ``promotion zone''. A player may, but is not required to, promote a
488 piece after making a move in which the piece begins and/or ends in the
489 promotion zone. Thus you can promote a piece when moving the piece into
490 the promotion zone, out of the promotion zone, or entirely within the
491 promotion zone. Promotion is mandatory in these cases:
497 @item You must promote a pawn or a lance after moving it to the last rank.
499 @item You must promote a knight after moving it to either of the last
506 These forced promotions ensure that a piece cannot be moved to a square
507 from which it would have no further move.
509 Pieces ``dropped'' onto the board (@pxref{Drops}) always drop in the
510 unpromoted state, even if they drop into the promotion zone.
516 @node Drops, Winning the game, Promotion of pieces, The rules of shogi
520 When a player captures a piece, that piece is not removed from play.
521 Instead, it becomes the property of the capturer and can re-enter play
522 by being placed on (almost) any vacant square during the player's move.
523 This is known as a ``drop'' and counts as a full move (in other words,
524 you can either move a piece on the board or drop a piece onto the board
525 during your move, but not both). All pieces drop in the unpromoted
526 state. Pieces may be legally dropped in their promotion zone, but they
527 do not promote on that turn.
529 There are several restrictions on drops:
533 @item A pawn may not be dropped onto a file if there is already an
534 unpromoted pawn belonging to the same player on that file. It is legal
535 to drop a pawn on a file which contains a @emph{promoted} pawn belonging
536 to the same player, however.
538 @item A pawn may not be dropped to give immediate checkmate on the
539 move. A pawn is, however, permitted to be moved on the board to give
540 immediate checkmate. This is a curious rule, and if anyone knows the
541 reason for it I would appreciate it if they would contact me and explain
544 @item A pawn or piece may not be dropped onto a square from which they
545 would have no legal move. This means that pawns and lances may not be
546 dropped onto the last rank, and the knight may not be dropped onto the
547 last or second-to-last rank.
551 It is entirely permissible (and often advisable) to drop a piece or pawn
552 between one's King and an attacking ranging piece. For this reason,
553 the final checkmating move is nearly always an attack on the King from
554 an adjacent square (except for an attack by a Knight).
556 Captured pieces are said to be pieces ``in hand''.
558 The drop is the primary distinguishing feature of Japanese chess, shared
559 with no other popular chess-type game. It gives shogi a very aggressive
560 quality, and dramatically increases the number of possible moves once a
561 few pieces have been captured. Another interesting feature of shogi is
562 that exchanges complicate play rather than simplifying it (as in
563 international chess), because of the drop rule.
568 @node Winning the game, Draws, Drops, The rules of shogi
569 @subsection Winning the game
570 @cindex Winning the game
572 A game of shogi is won by capturing the opponent's king. In general,
573 this is done by checkmating the king: attacking the king in such a way
574 that the king cannot be defended no matter what the defending player
575 moves. Note, though, that there is no rule that requires a player to
576 defend a king which is being attacked. However, if he does not defend
577 his king, the opponent is entirely free to capture it on the next move,
578 thus winning the game. As in international chess, in practice most
579 games end by resignation when one player realizes that he cannot escape
585 @node Draws, Handicaps, Winning the game, The rules of shogi
589 There are very few draws in shogi; only about 1-2% of professional games
590 end in a draw. One reason for this is that material can never be
591 depleted as in chess, because captured pieces are constantly re-entering
592 play as a consequence of the drop rule. In fact, most of the ways a
593 game can be drawn in chess are not allowed in shogi:
599 @item Draws cannot be offered.
601 @item There is no fifty-move rule.
603 @item A stalemate counts as a win for the stalemater. Stated otherwise:
604 if you can't move, you lose.
606 @item Perpetual check is illegal (see below).
612 There are only two legal ways in which a draw can occur:
618 @item A position (including the pieces in hand) occurs 4 times with the same
619 player to move (called ``Sennichite''). However, if this is caused by
620 consecutive checks (direct attacks on the King, threatening to capture
621 it on the next move) by one side, the player giving these checks loses
622 the game. In other words, perpetual check results in a loss for the
623 attacker who recreates the same position the 4th time.
625 @item Both players have moved their King into the the promotion zone (or they
626 cannot be prevented from doing so) and the Kings cannot be checkmated.
627 A King who has entered the promotion zone is known as an ``entering
628 King''; due to the forward orientation of most shogi pieces, it is very
629 hard to mate such a King. In that case the players may decide to count
630 their pieces as follows: the King does not count, the Rook and Bishop
631 count as 5 points, and all other pieces as one point. Promotion is
632 disregarded. If both players have at least 24 points the game is a draw
633 (called ``Jishogi''). If a player has less, he loses the game.
635 Of course, a player can refuse to count pieces when he still has mating
636 chances or chances to gain material which would affect the outcome of
637 the counting. There is no strict rule about what to do if this is not
638 the case, but nonetheless a player refuses to count up (e.g. because he
639 does not have enough points for a draw). It has been generally accepted
640 that in such a case the game ends and the pieces are counted after one
641 player has managed to get all his pieces protected in the promotion
650 @node Handicaps, Notes for chess players, Draws, The rules of shogi
651 @subsection Handicaps
654 Unlike international chess, shogi has a well-established handicap system
655 which is used when players of different strengths play against each
656 other. Handicaps range from small to huge, which makes it possible for
657 weak players to play against even very strong players and have an even
660 Shogi players are ranked as follows: the weakest rank is around 15
661 ``kyu'', which represents a beginner. 14 kyu is higher than 15 kyu, 13
662 kyu is higher still, and so on until you get to 1 kyu. The next highest
663 rank is 1 ``dan'', followed by 2 dan, 3 dan and so forth. The highest
664 amateur rank is 6 dan; professionals go up to 9 dan. However,
665 professional ranks are not the same as amateur ranks; a professional 1
666 dan is @emph{much} stronger than an amateur 1 dan. This system is
667 similar to that used by go players (and also other Japanese sports such
670 A handicap consists of the stronger player playing White and removing
671 one or more pieces from his side of the board at the start of the game.
672 These pieces are permanently removed from play; they are not in hand.
674 The following is a list of the accepted handicaps, from weakest to
675 strongest. The degree of the handicap, represented by the position in
676 the list, represents the difference in rank between the two players for
677 which the handicap is appropriate. These rules are taken from the books
678 ``Shogi for Beginners'' by John Fairbairn and ``The Art of Shogi'' by
679 Tony Hoskings (@pxref{References and links}) and, I believe, represent
680 current Japanese practice.
687 The stronger player removes his left lance (on 1a).
690 The players play a two-game match; in the first game the stronger player
691 removes his left lance (on 1a), while in the second game he removes his
695 The stronger player removes his bishop.
698 The stronger player removes his rook.
701 The stronger player removes his rook and left lance.
704 The players play a two-game match; in the first game the stronger player
705 removes his rook and left lance (on 1a), while in the second game he
706 removes his rook and bishop.
709 The stronger player removes his rook and bishop. This is usually called
710 a ``two-piece'' handicap.
713 The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, and both lances. This is
714 called a ``four-piece'' handicap.
717 The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, both lances, and both
718 knights. This is called a ``six-piece'' handicap.
721 The stronger player removes his rook, bishop, both lances, both knights,
722 and both silvers. This is called an ``eight-piece'' handicap.
728 Another advantage of playing handicap games is that the handicaps alter
729 the optimal strategy for both players. For instance, handicaps all have
730 their own opening lines which may bear little or no resemblance to those
731 used in non-handicap shogi. This means that when learning handicap
732 shogi, you are essentially learning completely new games which use the
735 The reader may wonder how on earth a player giving an eight-piece
736 handicap, say, could possibly hope to win. Don't forget, though, that
737 in shogi the opponent's pieces can be captured and then become part of
738 one's own army. Thus, if the opponent plays badly enough, the number of
739 pieces will soon even out.
742 @c Notes for chess players.
744 @node Notes for chess players, , Handicaps, The rules of shogi
745 @subsection Notes for chess players
747 Here are a few miscellaneous things that may confuse chess players.
748 Some of these have been mentioned elsewhere, but they bear repeating.
753 @item There is no queen.
755 @item Pawns capture the same way they move. There is no initial
756 two-space pawn move and no @emph{en-passant} move.
758 @item There is no special castling move. There @emph{are} a large
759 number of possible defensive formations referred to as ``castles''
760 (@pxref{Sample game}) but there is no need for special moves to create
763 @item A given piece can only promote to @emph{one} other kind of piece.
773 @node Sample game, Mating problems, The rules of shogi, About shogi
777 @c This will have to be spruced up for the TeX version...
779 This game was annotated by Pieter Stouten (@pxref{References and
780 links}). I have made some minor corrections. Note that captures are
781 denoted by the ``x'' symbol e.g. Rx3f and drops are denoted by the ``*''
782 symbol e.g. R*3f. Check is indicated by a ``+'' after the move,
783 e.g. R3f+. I recommend you use gnushogi/xshogi to play along with this
784 game. In xshogi simply hit the ``Force Moves'' button after starting
785 up, while in gnushogi enter the word ``force'' at the prompt. This will
786 allow you to enter moves for both sides.
788 Note also that the move numbering system used here is the chess-type
789 system where one move means one move by each player. The Japanese count
790 one move made by each player as two moves.
792 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
794 Below you will find (the English translation of) an annotated game which
795 was published in the Dutch Shogi magazine ``81'' and in the Dutch
796 beginners booklet. It has proven to be a very useful game to explain
797 some basic principles of Shogi. Also, it is a rather straightforward
798 game compared to professional games where in most cases very diffuse
799 middle game fights take place.
801 Pieter Stouten, 14th May 1990.
803 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
805 Black: Michael Trent (1-dan). White: David Murphy (2-dan).
807 1. P2f P3d 2. P2e B3c @*
808 [ This move is necessary, as otherwise white can exchange pawns: 3. P2d
809 Px2d 4. Rx2d. He would thus get a pawn in hand and open up his rook
813 [ White closes the bishop diagonal again. He plans to play ranging rook
814 (the rook goes to 5b, 4b, 3 or 2b; a defensive strategy) and in that
815 case he'd better avoid an exchange of bishops. One of the reasons is
816 that he will have problems developing his pieces without leaving holes
819 4. S4h R3b 5. P3f S4b 6. K6h K6b @*
820 [ In general the rook plays an important role in the attacks. It is
821 wise to move the king away from the area where the initial fights will
822 be and both players act according to the Shogi proverb ``keep the rook
825 7. K7h K7b 8. P5f P5d 9. G4i-5h G4a-5b @*
826 [ Both players use their second gold general to build their castle. ]
829 [ In itself this move is not bad. However, it will become clear that
830 black plans a quick attack and in that case it is wiser to omit this
833 10... S5c 11. P1f P1d @*
834 [ The advance of the edge pawns must be timed very well. The remark at
835 black's tenth move applies here too: this move is good if black wants to
836 play a slow game, because it eliminates a future B1e. ]
838 12. P4f K8b 13. N3g S7b @*
839 [ Black develops his knight in order to start an attack over the second,
840 third and fourth files. White strengthens his king's position and
841 awaits the attack. He aims at a counterattack as soon as black has
842 broken through into the white camp. Probably white's breakthrough will
843 take place later, but he has good compensation in the form of a stronger
844 castle. This theme occurs very often in static rook versus ranging rook
848 [ Black starts his attack and white puts up a very passive defence. His
849 rook has a hard task now to penetrate the black position. Moreover, he
850 blocks his own bishop. It seems much better to start a counterattack
851 with 14... P3e, later to be followed by B2b, B5a or Bx4d in order to use
852 his rook more actively. ]
854 15. Px4d Sx4d 16. P*4e S5c @*
855 [ 16... Sx4e is more active. A silver general is normally more valuable
856 than a knight, but white gets two pawns in hand and black none, while
857 the knight might come in handy for white too. ]
859 17. Bx3c+ Nx3c 18. P2d Px2d @*
860 [ Black threatens to break through and white has to consider taking the
861 pawn on 2d or starting a counterattack with Nx4e. If he chooses the
862 latter, black can play Px2c+ followed by +P3c. The disadvantage is the
863 black ``tokin'' (=promoted pawn) that white will get in his camp; the
864 advantage is that it will cost black two more moves to promote his rook.
865 Because white did not trust that the result after engaging in a
866 ``semeai'' (=mutual attack) with 18...Nx4e would give a positive result,
867 he captured the pawn on 2d. Making the right decision in moments like
868 this often makes the difference between a win and a loss: miss one
869 attacking chance and you will be forced to defend the whole game until
870 the unavoidable defeat; on the other hand, an unsound attack can destroy
871 all ``aji'' (=potential, meaning possibilities, threats) without getting
872 anything in return. ]
874 19. Rx2d Nx4e 20. Nx4e Rx4e 21. R2a+ P*4g @*
875 [ Now it becomes clear why black's 10. S6h was not good. Had this move
876 been omitted, then white would not have had the time to play 13... S7b
877 and after R2a+ the gold on 6a would hang. Thus black would have kept
878 ``sente'' (=initiative). Instead of 21... P*4g, B*6d is a very good
879 move, because after 22. P*2h black does not have a pawn in hand anymore
880 and he is being threatened with the annoying 22... N*4f 23. G5g N3h+
881 24. S4g +N4h also. Black can also counter 21... B*6d with 22. N*3g.
882 White would then reply with 22... R4b 23. B*3c P*4g 24. Bx4b+ Sx4b. The
883 white rook has played its role and instead of spending moves on saving
884 it white starts to scatter black's defences by successive pawn drops on
885 the fourth file: 25. Gx4g P*4f 26. G5g N*6e 27. G5h P4g+ 28. Gx4g P*4f.
886 This analysis was provided by Kato Hifumi, 9-dan professional (the
887 highest regular grade). Destroying the coherence of the enemy pieces
888 (their shape) by dropping pawns is one of the most important Shogi
889 techniques. With the actual move 21... P*4g white missed a good
892 22. Sx4g P*4f 23. B*3g Px4g+ 24. +Rx6a +Px3g @*
893 [ 23. B*3g seems pointless, but a closer look reveals that it is
894 actually quite mean. On move 24 white cannot capture black's ``Ryu''
895 (=dragon =promoted rook) with his silver: 24... Sx6a 25. N*7d K7b
896 26. G*8b mate. By attacking the front of the white castle and
897 threatening to mate him there, black has the chance to break down the
898 white defences from the side. ]
901 [ Here 25... B*4d would be much better, because it is defensive and
902 attacking at the same time. After e.g. 26. G*4c Bx9i+ 27. Gx5c black
903 threatens 28. +Rx7b Kx7b 29. S*6a K8b 30. S*7a Kx7a 31. G*7b mate.
904 White is one move quicker, however. He has the following beautiful
905 ``tsume'' (mating sequence where every move is check): 27... N*8f 28. Px8f
906 S*8g 29. Kx8g B*9h 30. K7h Bx8i+ 31. K8g +B8i-8h 32. K9f L*9e mate.
907 This illustrates the sharpness of Shogi: one move can make the
908 difference between winning and losing. ]
911 [ This move eliminates white's last chances. 26... R4b 27. +Rx4b Sx4b
912 28. R*4a seems annoying, but after 28... B*3c 29. S7g B*3b white wins
913 the rook and with his ``tokin'' on 3g there still is some hope. ]
916 [ White cannot defend anymore, so he starts a desperate attack. Black
917 does not lose the right track, however. ]
919 28. Nx5c+ +Px5h 29. +Nx6b +Px6h 30. Gx6h N*8f 31. Px8f B*6i 32. Gx6i
920 R4h+ 33. N*6h +Rx6h 34. Gx6h S*8g 35. Kx8g N*9e 36. K7h Resigns @*
921 [ White resigns here, because after 36... B*8g 27. K7g his attack has
931 @node Mating problems, Shogi variants, Sample game, About shogi
932 @section Mating problems
934 One good way to improve at shogi is to solve mating problems. There are
935 several types of these problems, but the most common is called a
936 ``tsume-shogi'' problem, or ``tsume'' problem for short. In a tsume
937 problem, all pieces that are not on the board are assumed to be in the
938 opponent's hand (except for your King, which is usually not shown).
939 Every move you make must be check until the final checkmate. Your
940 opponent may play any piece on the board or drop any of his pieces in
941 hand in order to prevent the mate. In a properly constructed tsume
942 problem, all of your pieces on the board and in hand must be essential
943 to the solution. One consequence of this is that all of your pieces in
944 hand must be played during the solution. There should only be one
945 correct solution for the given number of moves. Tsume problems use
946 Japanese-style move numbering; thus, a problem where you move (and give
947 check), your opponent moves, and you move to give checkmate is called a
948 three-mover. Here is a really trivial three-mover:
976 \def\startline{\par\nobreak\noindent}
978 {\obeylines\obeyspaces%
979 \gdef\beginVerbatim{\bigbreak%
982 \obeylines\obeyspaces%
985 \gdef\endVerbatim{\endgroup\bigbreak}
1010 Here, Black plays G*2b, White plays K1c, and Black plays G*1d mate.
1011 More typical tsume problems range from 5 moves to arbitrarily high
1012 numbers of moves, and they can be quite brain-busting. Tsume problems
1013 may seem artificial, but in the closing stages of the game where both
1014 players have a lot of pieces in hand, it is often necessary to give
1015 check at every move, or else your opponent will start a counterattack
1016 and will mate you before you mate him. A tsume problem is a worst-case
1017 scenario for the attacker: you have to mate your opponent even though he
1018 has every piece not on the board in hand, which means you have to
1019 develop sharp attacking skills. Many more tsume problems can be found
1020 on the internet; I particularly recommend Patrick Davin's ``Shogi
1021 Nexus'' (@pxref{References and links}).
1029 @node Shogi variants, Differences between shogi and chess, Mating problems, About shogi
1030 @section Shogi variants
1031 @cindex Shogi variants
1037 @cindex Tenjiku Shogi
1038 @cindex Dai-dai Shogi
1039 @cindex Maka-dai-dai Shogi
1041 @cindex Kyoku Tai Shogi
1043 Several historical variants of shogi exist. Most of these were invented
1044 before modern shogi (in some cases hundreds of years before), are much
1045 larger than modern shogi and are not played with drops. Thus, in many
1046 ways they are really more like giant chess games than like modern shogi.
1047 The only one of these games to have survived in Japan is Chu (middle)
1048 shogi, which is still played a little bit. Thanks to the efforts of
1049 George Hodges and John Fairbairn of the Shogi Association (two British
1050 shogi enthusiasts), these games were resurrected and rules and sets for
1051 them can still be purchased from George Hodges (@pxref{References and
1052 links}). I hope to eventually extend GNU shogi so that it can play at
1053 least some of these games. There are also several non-historical
1054 variants of shogi; I don't know much about them but you can find
1055 information about them on the internet (@pxref{References and links}).
1057 The historical variants include:
1064 Tori (bird) shogi, played on a 7x7 board with 32 pieces in all; this is
1065 the only variant that is known to have been played with drops.
1068 Wa shogi, played on an 11x11 board with 54 pieces. This game can be
1069 played with or without drops but the historical evidence favors the view
1070 that it was played without drops. However, most people who have tried
1071 it claim it is a much better game with drops, being even more intricate
1072 than standard shogi.
1075 Chu (middle) shogi, played on a 12x12 board with 92 pieces. This was
1076 (and is) by far the most popular of the variants, and has 21 different
1077 kinds of pieces in the starting line-up alone (along with several others
1078 that appear upon promotion). Unlike modern shogi, there are a
1079 tremendous number of ranging pieces and the game is definitely not
1080 played with drops. There is also an amazing piece called the Lion which
1081 has a double king move and can capture two pieces at once! Chu shogi
1082 has a small but fanatical following, some of whom consider it better
1086 Dai (great) shogi, played on a 15x15 board with 130 pieces. Other than
1087 the larger board, this game is very similar to Chu shogi.
1090 Tenjiku (exotic) shogi, played on a 16x16 board with 176 pieces. This
1091 game is possibly the most complex tactical game in existence. There are
1092 many astoundingly powerful pieces, including one (the Fire Demon) that
1093 can capture up to eight opposing pieces in a single move! Despite the
1094 size of the game, checkmates can occur very suddenly (and often very
1095 early on) if one player makes a wrong move. Tenjiku also has a small
1096 but fanatical following, one of whom (Colin Adams) has written a book on
1097 the game which is available for download at
1098 @uref{http://www.colina.demon.co.uk/tenjiku.html}.
1101 Dai-dai (great-great) shogi, played on a 17x17 board with 192 pieces.
1102 The opening setup alone has 64 different kinds of pieces! This game and
1103 the larger ones that follow sound pretty outlandish, but they have
1104 actually been played; a game of Dai-dai can supposedly be played in
1108 Maka-dai-dai (great-great-great) shogi, played on a 19x19 board with 192
1109 pieces. For those for whom Dai-dai shogi is just too small :-)
1112 Tai (grand) shogi, played on a 25x25 board with 354 pieces! Until
1113 recently, this was thought to be the biggest chess game ever devised,
1117 Kyoku tai (extremely grand?) shogi, played on a 36x36 board with 402
1118 pieces. The rules for this have just been unearthed in an old Japanese
1119 book. Hopefully someone will soon organize a postal Kyoku tai shogi
1120 championship; maybe their distant ancestors could finish it :-)
1122 It is thought that the really huge games (Dai-dai and up) were never
1123 really played to any significant extent (gee, wonder why?) and were
1124 devised merely so that the creators could have the fun of inventing
1125 enormous games, amazing their friends and confounding their enemies.
1126 However, the games up to Tenjiku shogi at least appear to be quite
1127 playable, assuming one has the time.
1134 @c Differences between shogi and chess.
1137 @node Differences between shogi and chess, , Shogi variants, About shogi
1138 @section Differences between shogi and chess
1139 @cindex Shogi vs. Chess
1141 Some differences between shogi and international chess have been
1142 mentioned elsewhere in this document; I summarize them here for people
1143 who are interested in game comparisons. I won't try to deal with the
1144 thorny question of which game is ``better'' although my bias may have
1145 already come through :-) In fact, the drop rule makes the two games so
1146 different in character that arguing over which game is better is like
1147 comparing apples to oranges (you'd be better off comparing chess to Chu
1148 shogi (@pxref{Shogi variants}). However, I believe that if you are a
1149 chess fan you'll really like shogi as well, and shogi is also popular
1150 with many people who don't particularly like chess.
1152 Here are the significant differences between chess and shogi:
1159 In shogi, captured pieces become the property of the capturer and can
1160 re-enter play by being dropped onto almost any vacant square. In chess,
1161 captured pieces are out of the game. Thus, in shogi, piece exchanges
1162 complicate the play significantly while in chess they simplify it.
1165 The shogi board is 9x9; the chess board is 8x8.
1168 Shogi has five pieces with no counterpart in chess: the gold and silver
1169 generals, the lance, the promoted rook and the promoted bishop. Chess
1170 has one piece with no counterpart in shogi: the queen. The knight's
1171 move in shogi is much more restrictive than in chess. Pieces in shogi
1172 generally have a much smaller range of movement than in chess (unless
1176 In shogi, all pieces except the gold general and the king can promote,
1177 but only to one kind of piece. Promotion is easier in shogi because the
1178 promotion zone is closer to the starting position of the pieces
1179 (especially pawns). In chess, only the pawn can promote, but it can
1180 promote to any other piece except the king.
1183 In shogi, pawns capture the same way they move. There is no initial
1184 two-space pawn move and hence no @emph{en-passant} captures. In chess,
1185 pawns capture diagonally which means that opposing pawns can block each
1189 In shogi, you only have one rook and one bishop. Note that the bishop
1190 is not restricted to only one ``color'' square (squares in shogi aren't
1191 colored, but never mind) because promoted bishops can also move one
1192 square orthogonally.
1195 There is no special castling move in shogi. The term ``castle'' is
1196 used in shogi to denote a defensive formation consisting of (usually)
1197 three generals which protect the king. There are many such castles
1198 (about 40 or so have names). @xref{Sample game}.
1201 Draws are much rarer in shogi than in chess. Perpetual check is not
1202 allowed. Stalemate is a virtual impossibility, and is a loss for the
1206 Since pieces are never out of play in shogi, chess-type endgames
1207 involving only a few pieces do not occur.
1210 Shogi games are generally longer than chess games (about 60-70 moves is
1214 Shogi has a well-developed handicap system which is in general use;
1221 The effects of all these differences on play include (in my opinion):
1228 Piece/pawn structures in chess are more rigid than in shogi. Pawns
1229 block each other and pawns, once advanced, cannot ever retreat. In
1230 shogi, you can repair the hole caused by a pawn advance by exchanging
1231 the pawn and dropping it back where you want it. Thus shogi is more
1232 fluid than chess and less ``structural''.
1235 Counterattack is MUCH more common in shogi than in chess. Games
1236 typically end in mutual mating attacks, where each player is trying to
1237 checkmate the other player before being checkmated himself. This makes
1238 tempo incredibly important and also makes sacrificial play quite common.
1241 Attacks involving only ranging pieces are more a feature of chess than
1242 of shogi. A shogi attack typically uses a ranging piece or pieces to
1243 support an attack by short-range pieces (especially generals). It is
1244 very rare to mate a king with a non-adjacent ranging piece in shogi
1245 since the player whose king is threatened can almost always interpose by
1253 @c --------------------
1255 @c --------------------
1257 @node gnushogi, xshogi, About shogi, Top
1261 This section describes how to run the ``gnushogi'' program.
1269 gnushogi [ [[-]a] [-b bookfile] [-B binbookfile] [-C] [-h langfile]
1270 [-L langfile] [-r length] [-R] [-s pathname] [-l pathname] [-S binbooksize]
1271 [-t] [-c size] [-T size] [-v] [-x] [-X] arg1 arg2 ]
1279 GNU shogi (gnushogi) plays a game of japanese chess (shogi) against the
1280 user or it plays against itself.
1282 At startup gnushogi reads the binbook file if it is present. It then
1283 looks for a book file. If it is present it adds its contents to the
1284 binbook data. If the binbook file is writable a new combined binbook
1287 Gnushogi is a modified version of the gnuchess program. It has a simple
1288 alphanumeric board display, or it can be used with the xshogi program
1289 under X windows. The program gets its opening moves from the file
1290 gnushogi.bbk which is located in a directory specified in the Makefile.
1291 To invoke the program type:
1298 simple curses based version
1300 @item gnushogi -X (or just gnushogi)
1301 xshogi compatible version
1304 raw test display version
1313 If one argument is given, it is the search time per move in
1314 [minutes:]seconds. So gnushogi 30 will generate one move every 30
1315 seconds, while gnushogi 5:00 will generate one move every 5 minutes.
1317 If two or more arguments are given, they will be used to set tournament
1318 time controls with the first argument of each pair being the number of
1319 moves and the second being the total clock time in minutes[:seconds].
1320 Thus, entering gnushogi 60 5 will set the clocks for 5 minutes (300
1321 seconds) for the first 60 moves, and gnushogi 30 3:30 will allow 3
1322 minutes and 30 seconds for 30 moves.
1324 gnushogi 30 5 1 :30 will allow 5 minutes for the first 30 moves and 30
1325 seconds for each move after that. Up to 4 pairs of controls may be
1328 If no argument is given the program will prompt the user for level of
1331 For use with xshogi see the documentation on that program.
1342 The book gnushogi.tbk consists of a sequence of openings. An opening
1343 begins with a line starting with a # (the rest of the line is a comment).
1344 Following this is a series of moves in algebraic notation alternating
1345 between black and white separated by whitespace. A move may have a ?
1346 after it indicating this move should never be made in this position. Moves
1347 are stored as position:move so transpositions between openings can take
1356 The hashfile if created should be on the order of 4 megabytes; you can
1357 create such a hashfile by typing ``gnushogi -c 22'' (see below). This
1358 file contains positions and moves learned from previous games. If a
1359 hashfile is used the computer makes use of the experience it gained in
1360 past games. Tests run so far show that it plays no worse with the
1361 hashfile than without, but it is not clear yet whether it provides a
1370 Note: Piece letters are determined by the language file. What is
1371 specified here is the default (English).
1373 Once gnushogi is invoked, the program will display the board and prompt
1374 the user for a move. To enter a move, use the notation 7g7f where the
1375 first letter-number pair indicates the origin square and the second
1376 letter-number pair indicates the destination square. An alternative is
1377 to use the notation P7f where the first letter indicates the piece type
1378 (P,L,N,S,G,B,R,K). To promote append a + the type of the new piece to
1379 the move, as in 2d2c+ or P2c+. Note that you must use capital letters
1380 for the pieces by default.
1384 COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
1391 Do not search on opponent's time.
1394 Do search on opponent's time.
1396 @item -b @var{bookfile}
1397 Use bookfile for opening book.
1399 @item -B @var{binbookfile}
1400 Use binbookfile for binary opening book.
1403 Create a new HASHFILE. File size is 2^size entries of approximately 65+?
1407 Use curses-based display mode.
1410 Do not use hashfile.
1415 @item -l @var{pathname}
1416 Pathname of the loadfile used with get or xget.
1419 Use language lang from the file gnushogi.lang. If -L is not specified
1420 it uses the first language in the file.
1422 @item -P @var{plylevels}
1423 Number of plys to include in the binbookfile. For generating a
1426 @item -r @var{length}
1427 Rehash @emph{length} times in searching entries for position in
1428 transposition table.
1431 Use raw text display mode. This can be used for dumb terminals or for
1432 systems that don't have curses.
1434 @item -s @var{pathname}
1435 Pathname of the save file to use with the save command.
1438 Size of binbookfile for memory based books. For creating a binbookfile.
1441 Show statistics for HASHFILE.
1444 Set the transposition table size to 2^size entries.
1447 Show version and patchlevel.
1449 @item -x @var{value}
1450 Use value as the evaluation window xwndw.
1453 Use xshogi display mode (the default).
1463 In addition to legal moves, the following commands can be entered at the
1464 gnushogi prompt. Note: command names are determined by the language
1465 file and may vary with the implementation. The default language is
1471 allow algebraic input (not implemented).
1474 change Alpha window (default score + 90).
1477 change Beta window (default score - 90).
1480 toggles beeping after each move (default: on).
1483 updates the current board position on the display.
1486 turns off use of the opening library.
1489 causes the computer to play both sides of a shogi game.
1492 causes the computer to play as White, if the computer was to move
1496 saves a game to disk as a book textfile. The program will prompt the
1497 user for a file name.
1500 toggles game mode time control. Assumes the time specified for time
1501 control is the time for a complete game. Input with the level command
1502 should be the game time and the expected number of moves in a game. go
1503 command must be given.
1506 show coordinates on the display (visual only).
1509 allows the value of @emph{contempt} to be modified.
1512 asks for a piece as color piece, as wb or bn, and shows its calculated
1513 value on each square.
1516 sets level of debugging output if compiled with debug options.
1519 allows the user to change the search depth of the program. The maximum
1520 depth is 29 ply. Normally the depth is set to 29 and the computer
1521 terminates its search based on elapsed time rather than depth. If depth
1522 is set to (say) 4 ply, the program will search until all moves have been
1523 examined to a depth of 4 ply (with extensions up to 11 additional ply
1524 for sequences of checks and captures). If you set a maximum time per
1525 move and also use the depth command, the search will stop at the
1526 specified time or the specified depth, whichever comes first.
1529 toggles easy mode (thinking on opponents time) on and off. The default
1530 is easy mode ON. If easy mode is disabled, the keyboard is polled for
1531 input every so often and when input is seen the search is terminated. It
1532 may also be terminated with a sigint.
1535 allows the user to set up a board position.
1545 command will exit setup mode.
1551 place a promoted pawn on 3b
1554 place a pawn in hand (among the captured pieces)
1558 Pieces are entered by typing a letter (p,l,n,s,g,b,r,k) for
1559 the piece followed by the coordinate. Here, letter case is ignored.
1561 The usual warning about the language file applies.
1567 tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a move.
1571 allows the user to enter moves for both sides. To get the program to
1572 play after a sequence of moves has been entered use the ``black'' or
1576 retrieves a game from disk. The program will prompt the user for a file
1580 tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a move.
1581 (same as ``first'').
1584 use/don't use hashfile.
1587 allows the user to change the minimum depth for using the hashfile and
1588 the number of moves from the beginning of the game to use it.
1591 displays a short description of the commands and the current status of
1595 causes the program to supply the user with its predicted move.
1598 allows the user to set time controls such as 60 moves in 5 minutes etc.
1599 In tournament mode, the program will vary the time it takes for each
1600 move depending on the situation. If easy mode is disabled (using the
1601 ``easy'' command), the program will often respond with its move
1602 immediately, saving time on its clock for use later on.
1605 writes the game moves and some statistics on search depth, nodes, and
1606 time to the file ``shogi.lst''.
1609 toggle material flag - draws on no pawns and both sides < rook.
1615 evaluates the board and shows the point score for each piece. The total
1616 score for a position is the sum of these individual piece scores.
1619 causes the program to display the principal variation and the score
1620 during the search. A score of 100 is equivalent to a 1 pawn advantage
1627 causes the program to randomize its move selection slightly.
1633 backout the last level for both sides. Equal to 2 undo's.
1636 causes the board display to be reversed. That is, the Black's pieces will
1637 now appear at the top of the board.
1640 reverse board display.
1643 saves a game to disk. The program will prompt the user for a file name.
1646 causes the program to switch places with the opponent and begin
1650 performs some speed tests for MoveList and CaptureList generation, and
1651 ScorePosition position scoring for the current board.
1654 set computer's time remaining, intended for synchronizing clocks among
1658 toggle tsume mode. In tsume mode, not all possible moves will be
1659 generated. If a king is in check, only moves that get the king out of
1660 check are generated. If the king is not in check, only moves that give
1661 check to the opponent's king are generated.
1664 undoes the last move whether it was the computer's or the human's. You
1665 may also type ``remove''. This is equivalent to two ``undo'''s
1666 (e.g. retract one move for each side).
1669 causes the computer to play as Black; if the computer is to move
1670 first the go command must be given.
1673 read an xshogi position file.
1676 save as an xshogi position file.
1679 change X window. The window around alpha/beta used to determine whether
1680 the position should be scored or just estimated. Note: this has
1681 @emph{nothing} to do with xshogi or X windows; the terms are completely
1689 @c --------------------
1691 @c --------------------
1693 @node xshogi, References and links, gnushogi, Top
1697 This section describes how to run the ``xshogi'' program.
1713 xshogi provides an X11/Xt/Athena Widgets user interface for gnushogi.
1714 With xshogi you can play gnushogi, set up arbitrary positions, force
1715 variations, or watch xshogi manage a game between two shogi programs.
1716 Furthermore, it can be used as an interface between two players on
1719 xshogi can also be used as a shogi board to play out games. It will
1720 read through a game file or allow a player to play through a variation
1721 manually (force mode). This is useful for keeping track of email postal
1722 games or browsing games off the net.
1724 After starting xshogi, you can make moves by pressing mouse button 1
1725 while the cursor is over a square with your piece on it and dragging the
1726 mouse to another square. If the move is illegal, gnushogi will not
1727 allow it. xshogi will then retract the move.
1731 COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
1735 The following command line options also correspond to X resources that
1736 you can set in your .Xdefaults file.
1742 @item [standard Xt options]
1743 xshogi accepts standard Xt options like -display, -geometry, and
1746 @item -tc or -timeControl minutes[:seconds]
1747 Amount of time for a set of moves determined by movesPerSession. If
1748 this number of moves is played within the time control period, xshogi
1749 resets the time clocks. Default: 5 minutes.
1751 @item -mps or -movesPerSession moves
1752 Number of moves in a time control period. Default: 40 moves.
1754 @item -st or -searchTime minutes[:seconds]
1755 Tell gnushogi to spend at most the given amount of time searching for
1756 each of its moves. Without this option, gnushogi chooses its search
1757 time based on the number of moves and amount of time remaining until the
1758 next time control. Setting this option also sets -clockMode to False.
1760 @item -sd or -searchDepth number
1761 Tell gnushogi to look ahead at most the given number of moves when
1762 searching for a move to make. Without this option, gnushogi chooses
1763 its search depth based on the number of moves and amount of time
1764 remaining until the next time control. Setting this option also sets
1765 -clockMode to False.
1767 @item -clock or -clockMode (True | False)
1768 Determines whether or not to use the clock. If clockMode is False, the
1769 clock does not run, but the side that is to play next is still
1772 @item -td or -timeDelay seconds
1773 Time delay between moves during ``Load Game''. This doesn't have to be
1774 a round number. Try -td 0.4. Default: 1 second.
1776 @item -nsp or -noShogiProgram (True | False)
1777 If this option is True, xshogi acts as a passive shogi board; it does
1778 not try to start a shogi program, not even to check whether moves made
1779 in Force mode are legal. It also sets -clockMode to False. Default:
1782 @item -fsp or -firstShogiProgram program
1783 Name of first shogi program. In matches between two machines, this
1784 program plays white. Default: ``gnushogi''.
1786 @item -ssp or -secondShogiProgram program
1787 Name of second shogi program, if needed. In matches between two
1788 machines, this program plays black; otherwise it is not started.
1789 Default: ``gnushogi''.
1791 @item -fh or -firstHost host
1792 Name of host the first shogi program plays on. Default: ``localhost''.
1794 @item -sh or -secondHost host
1795 Name of host the second shogi program plays on. Default: ``localhost''.
1797 @item -rsh or -remoteShell shell_name
1798 Some systems do not use rsh as the remote shell. This option allows a
1799 user to name the remote shell command. This should be done in the
1802 @item -mm or -matchMode (False | Init | Position | Opening)
1803 Automatically run a game between firstShogiProgram and
1804 secondShogiProgram. If matchMode is set to Init, xshogi will start the
1805 game with the initial shogi position. If matchMode is set to Position,
1806 xshogi will start the game with the position specified by the
1807 loadPositionFile resource. If matchMode is set to Opening, xshogi will
1808 play out the opening moves specified by the -loadGameFile resource. If
1809 the -saveGameFile resource is set, a move record for the match will be
1810 saved in the specified file. Default: ``False''.
1812 @item -lgf or -loadGameFile file
1813 Name of file to read a game record from. Game files are found in the
1814 directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable
1815 is not set, the current directory is used unless the file name starts
1818 @item -lpf or -loadPositionFile file
1819 Name of file to read a game position from. Position files are found in
1820 the directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
1821 variable is not set, the current directory is used unless the file name
1824 @item -sgf or -saveGameFile file
1825 Name of file to save a game record to. Game files are saved in the
1826 directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable
1827 is not set, the current directory is used unless the file name starts
1830 @item -spf or -savePositionFile file
1831 Name of file to save a game position to. Position files are saved in
1832 the directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this
1833 variable is not set, the current directory is used unless the file name
1836 @item -coords or -showCoords (True | False)
1837 If this option is True, xshogi displays algebraic coordinates along the
1838 board's left and bottom edges. The default is False. The coordFont
1839 resource specifies what font to use.
1841 @item -mono or -monoMode (True | False)
1842 Determines whether xshogi displays its pieces and squares with two
1843 colors or four. You shouldn't have to specify monochrome. xshogi will
1844 determine if this is necessary.
1846 @item -pc or -pieceColor color
1847 Color specification for pieces suitable for XParseColor().
1850 @item -sc or -squareColor color
1851 Same for squares. Default: #EBDFB0.
1853 @item -wps or -westernPieceSet (True | False)
1854 Choose the Western style piece set.
1856 @item -npb or -normalPawnBitmap file
1857 @item -nnb or -normalKnightBitmap file
1858 @item -nbb or -normalBishopBitmap file
1859 @item -nrb or -normalRookBitmap file
1860 @item -nkb or -normalKingBitmap file
1861 Names of the bitmap files for the bitmap piece icons.
1863 @item -rpb or -reversePawnBitmap file
1864 @item -rnb or -reverseKnightBitmap file
1865 @item -rbb or -reverseBishopBitmap file
1866 @item -rrb or -reverseRookBitmap file
1867 @item -rkb or -reverseKingBitmap file
1868 Names of the bitmap files for the outline piece icons.
1870 @item -debug or -debugMode (True | False)
1871 Turns on debugging printout.
1886 The actual string that is sent to initialize the shogi program can be
1887 set from .Xdefaults. It can't be set from the command line because of
1888 syntax problems. The default value is ``new\nbeep\nrandom\neasy\n''.
1889 The ``new'' and ``beep'' commands are required. You can remove the
1890 ``random'' command if you like; including it causes gnushogi to
1891 randomize its move selection slightly so that it doesn't play the same
1892 moves in every game. Even without ``random'', gnushogi randomizes its
1893 choice of moves from its opening book. You can also remove ``easy'' if
1894 you like; including it toggles easy mode off, causing gnushogi to think
1895 on your time. That is, if ``easy'' is included in the initString, GNU
1896 Shogi thinks on your time; if not, it does not. (Yes, this does seem
1897 backwards, doesn't it.) You can also try adding other commands to the
1898 initString; see the gnushogi documentation (@pxref{gnushogi}) for
1901 @item blackString and whiteString
1902 These resources control what is sent when the Machine Black and Machine
1903 White buttons are selected. This is mostly for compatibility with
1904 obsolete versions of gnushogi.
1906 Alternate bitmaps for piece icons can be specified either by choosing
1907 one of the built-in sets or with the file name resources described
1908 above. There are three built-in sets of piece bitmaps available, large
1909 (the default), medium, or small. It is easiest to select the set you
1910 prefer in the .Xdefaults file:
1912 XShogi*boardSize: Medium
1914 The font used for button labels and comments can be changed in the
1915 .Xdefaults file. You may want to choose a smaller font if you are using
1918 XShogi*font: helvetica_oblique12
1920 The font used for coordinates (when the showCoords option is True) can
1923 XShogi*coordFont: helvetica_10
1925 If you are using a grayscale monitor, try setting the colors to:
1927 XShogi*pieceColor: gray100 @*
1928 XShogi*squareColor: gray60 @*
1934 COMMAND BUTTONS AND KEYS
1941 Quits xshogi. Q or q is a keyboard equivalent.
1944 Resets xshogi to the beginning of a shogi game. It also deselects any
1945 game or position files.
1948 inverts the view of the shogi board.
1951 displays a move hint from gnushogi.
1954 plays a game from a record file. If no file is specified a popup dialog
1955 asks for a filename. Game files are found in the directory named by the
1956 SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable is not declared then
1957 the current directory is used unless the file name starts with a /. G
1958 or g is a keyboard equivalent. The game file parser will accept almost
1959 any file that contains moves in algebraic notation. If the first line
1960 begins with `#', it is assumed to be a title and is displayed. Text
1961 enclosed in parentheses or square brackets is assumed to be commentary
1962 and is displayed in a pop-up window. Any other text in the file is
1966 sets up a position from a position file. If no file is specified a
1967 popup dialog asks for a filename. Position files are found in the
1968 directory named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable
1969 is not declared then the current directory is used unless the file name
1970 starts with a /. Position files must be in the format that the Save
1971 Position command writes.
1974 saves a game to a record file. If no file is specified a popup dialog
1975 asks for a filename. If the filename exists, the user is asked whether
1976 the current game record is be appended to this file or if the file
1977 should be replaced. Game files are saved in the directory named by the
1978 SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable is not declared then
1979 the current directory is used unless the file name starts with a /.
1980 Game files are human-readable, and can also be read back by the Load
1981 Game command. Furthermore, they are accepted as gnushogi text bookfiles.
1984 saves a position to a position file. If no file is specified a popup
1985 dialog asks for a filename. Position files are saved in the directory
1986 named by the SHOGIDIR environment variable. If this variable is not
1987 declared then the current directory is used unless the file name starts
1988 with a /. Position files are human-readable, and can also be read back
1989 by the Load Position command.
1992 forces gnushogi to play white.
1995 forces gnushogi to play black.
1998 forces a series of moves. That is, gnushogi stops playing and xshogi
1999 allows you to make moves for both white and black.
2002 plays a game between two computer programs.
2005 moves forward through a series of remembered moves. F or f is a
2006 keyboard equivalent.
2009 moves backward through a series of remembered moves. As a side effect,
2010 puts xshogi into Force Moves mode. B or b is a keyboard equivalent.
2013 pauses the clocks or (in Load Game mode) pauses the game being loaded.
2014 Press Pause again to continue. P or p is a keyboard equivalent.
2017 lets you set up an arbitrary board position. Use mouse button 1 to drag
2018 pieces to new squares, or to delete a piece by dragging it off the board
2019 or dragging an empty square on top of it. To drop a new piece on a
2020 square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over the square. This brings up a
2021 menu of black pieces (button 2) or white pieces (button 3). Additional
2022 menu choices let you empty the square or clear the board. You can set
2023 the side to play next by clicking on the Black or White indicator at the
2027 allows you to make a two display game between two human players. Enter
2028 the display you want to connect to. If you are allowed to connect, a
2029 new board is displayed at the remote display. Challenge mode can only
2030 be stopped by pressing ``quit''.
2033 allows you to reset the clocks for both players. Enter the number of
2034 moves and the number of minutes in which the moves should be done.
2037 force computer to stop thinking and to make the current best move.
2039 @item Iconify I, i, C or c
2050 If you press the Pause button during GNU Shogi's turn,
2051 xshogi will stop the clocks, but gnushogi will still make a
2054 After a mate or draw when playing against gnushogi, if you
2055 back up with the Backward button, the clocks are reset
2056 (because gnushogi has exited and must be restarted).
2058 The game parser recognizes only algebraic notation.
2066 Original authors of XBoard: Chris Sears and Dan Sears.
2068 Enhancements for XBoard (Version 2.0): Tim Mann.
2070 Conversion to XShogi (Version 1.1): Matthias Mutz.
2072 Current maintainer: Mike Vanier.
2076 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
2080 XShogi borrows its piece bitmaps from CRANES Shogi.
2082 Copyright 1991 by Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Massachusetts.
2083 Enhancements Copyright 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Enhancements
2084 Copyright 1993 Matthias Mutz. Further enhancements copyright 1999 by
2085 Michael Vanier and the Free Software Foundation, Inc.
2087 The following terms apply to Digital Equipment Corporation's copyright
2092 Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
2093 documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
2094 provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
2095 both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
2096 supporting documentation, and that the name of Digital not be used in
2097 advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
2098 without specific, written prior permission.
2100 DIGITAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING
2101 ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL
2102 DIGITAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR
2103 ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS,
2104 WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION,
2105 ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS
2108 The following terms apply to the enhanced version of XShogi distributed
2109 by the Free Software Foundation:
2111 This file is part of XSHOGI.
2113 XSHOGI is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
2114 ANY WARRANTY. No author or distributor accepts responsibility to anyone
2115 for the consequences of using it or for whether it serves any particular
2116 purpose or works at all, unless he says so in writing. Refer to the
2117 XSHOGI General Public License for full details.
2119 Everyone is granted permission to copy, modify and redistribute XSHOGI,
2120 but only under the conditions described in the XSHOGI General Public
2121 License. A copy of this license is supposed to have been given to you
2122 along with XSHOGI so you can know your rights and responsibilities. It
2123 should be in a file named COPYING. Among other things, the copyright
2124 notice and this notice must be preserved on all copies.
2127 @c ---------------------
2128 @c References and links.
2129 @c ---------------------
2131 @node References and links, Acknowledgements, xshogi, Top
2132 @chapter References and links
2135 @cindex Mailing lists
2139 There are very few English-language books for people learning shogi.
2140 The two I recommend are:
2147 @cite{Shogi for Beginners, 2nd. Edition}, by John Fairbairn. This is a
2148 superb beginner's book in every way, covering all phases of the game.
2149 It was out of print for a long time, but has now been reprinted and is
2150 available either from Kiseido (@uref{http://www.labnet.or.jp/~kiseido})
2151 or from George Hodges (see below).
2154 @cite{The Art of Shogi}, by Tony Hoskings. This is one step up from the
2155 Fairbairn book. It covers a lot of ground, and is especially noteworthy
2156 for its detailed treatment of opening lines. You can order this book
2157 from Amazon.com's UK branch (@uref{http://www.amazon.co.uk}).
2163 Another book you may find is @cite{Shogi: Japan's Game of Strategy} by
2164 Trevor Leggett. This book is very elementary and is somewhat outdated,
2165 having been published first in 1966. However, it does feature a paper
2166 shogi board and punch-out pieces, so if you want a really cheap shogi
2167 set you might pick this book up. It is still in print.
2169 Two books that are no longer in print but are definitely worth getting
2170 if you find them are @cite{Guide to Shogi Openings} and @cite{Better
2171 Moves for Better Shogi}, both by Aono Teriuchi. They are published in a
2172 bilingual edition (English/Japanese) and are the only books on shogi in
2173 English written by a Japanese professional shogi player. John Fairbairn
2174 did the translation from Japanese to English.
2176 Shogi sets are available from:
2184 United Kingdom BR1 2WT
2189 George also sells equipment for all the historical shogi variants
2190 (@pxref{Shogi variants}) (except for Kyoku tai shogi) and also sells
2191 back issues of the magazine ``Shogi'' which he published for 70 issues
2192 in the late 70's to late 80's. This magazine is STRONGLY recommended;
2193 it contains more information about shogi in English than you will ever
2196 Here are some useful URLs:
2202 @item Pieter Stouten's shogi page: @uref{http://www.shogi.net}
2203 This is the main shogi-related site on the internet, with links to
2204 almost all the other sites.
2206 @item Roger Hare's shogi page: @uref{http://www.ed.ac.uk/~rjhare/shogi}
2207 This has lots of information, including full rules to most of the shogi
2210 @item Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus: @uref{http://www.vega.or.jp/~patrick/shogi/}
2211 There's lots of cool stuff on this site; my favorite is the extensive
2212 collection of Tsume-shogi (mating) problems, both for beginners and
2213 more advanced players.
2215 @item Steve Evans' shogi page: @uref{http://www.netspace.net.au/~trout/index.html}
2216 Steve has written a program that plays almost all of the shogi variants,
2217 unfortunately it only runs on Windows :-(
2219 @item Hans Bodlaender's chess variant pages: @uref{http://www.cs.ruu.nl/~hansb/d.chessvar}
2220 This page has an almost unimaginable variety of rules for different
2221 chess variants, including many shogi variants (historical and non-historical).
2227 @c -----------------
2228 @c Acknowledgements.
2229 @c -----------------
2231 @node Acknowledgements, Bugs, References and links, Top
2232 @chapter Acknowledgements
2233 @cindex Acknowledgements
2235 I would like to thank the following people:
2242 Matthias Mutz, who originally developed GNU shogi as a spin-off of GNU
2243 chess and who very kindly let me take over the maintenance of this very
2244 interesting project.
2247 Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation, for creating an
2248 organization where anyone can contribute software for the common good of
2249 all, for making GNU/Linux possible, and especially for writing emacs and
2250 gcc, without which my working life would be intolerable.
2253 Georges Hodges, for starting the Shogi Association in England, without
2254 which I would probably never have heard of shogi, for supplying shogi
2255 equipment, for publishing the excellent magazine ``Shogi'' (now sadly
2256 defunct), for personally answering all my silly questions by mail, and
2257 for being the ambassador of shogi to the West.
2260 Pieter Stouten, for having the most comprehensive shogi site on the
2261 World Wide Web (@uref{http://www.shogi.net}), and for
2262 maintaining the shogi-l mailing list. Go to Pieter's web site for more
2263 information on subscribing to the list. Also thanks to everyone who
2264 contributes and has contributed to that list.
2267 Matt Casters, for testing GNU shogi. Matt and I will be working
2268 together on improving the solution engine in future versions of this
2279 @node Bugs, Index, Acknowledgements, Top
2282 The motto of GNU shogi is ``100% bug-free or you don't pay!'' :-) In the
2283 extremely unlikely case (*ahem*) that you do find a bug, please send me
2284 (Mike Vanier) an email at @email{mvanier@@cs.caltech.edu}. Also, feel
2285 free to send me comments, complaints, out-and-out raves, suggestions,
2286 plane tickets to Hawaii, and/or large suitcases filled with unmarked,
2287 untraceable hundred-dollar bills.
2300 @node Index, , Bugs, Top