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+<TITLE>GNU Shogi manual: Drops</TITLE>
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-<H3><A NAME="SEC13">Draws</A></H3>
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+<H3> 2.1.4 Drops </H3>
+<!--docid::SEC10::-->
<P>
-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:
-
-
-
-<UL>
-
-<LI>Draws cannot be offered.
-<LI>There is no fifty-move rule.
+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.
+</P><P>
-<LI>A stalemate counts as a win for the stalemater. Stated otherwise:
+There are several restrictions on drops:
+</P><P>
-if you can't move, you lose.
-
-<LI>Perpetual check is illegal (see below).
-
-</UL>
+<OL>
+<LI>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 <EM>promoted</EM> pawn belonging
+to the same player, however.
<P>
-There are only two legal ways in which a draw can occur:
-
-
-<OL>
+<LI>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 :-)
+<P>
-<LI>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.
-
-<LI>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.
+<LI>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.
+<P>
</OL>
+<P>
-<P></P><HR>
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+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).
+</P><P>
+
+Captured pieces are said to be pieces "in hand".
+</P><P>
+
+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.
+</P><P>
+
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