From: Jonathan Tisdall <jtisdall <at> C2I <dot> NET>
Date: 21 aug 1998
Subject: Re: Sekita shogi

At 16:06 21.08.98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 98-08-21 09:00:34 EDT, you write:
>
><<
> This is not quite the same position! Sekita will have an extra pawn
> in hand, which could make the difference between winning and loosing
> a game. Anyway, the pawn push is not necessarely a wasted move.
>
> Albrecht Heeffer
>
>  >>
>
>I'm not sure what is gained when the program drops the pawn on the same
>square like this several times.  That's my point.  Seems a waste to me.
>I get several free moves.  I'd like to know the point of this if it isn't a
>programming flaw.
>
>Stephen Leary
>

This is in fact one of the things I was wondering about, along with its
general playing strength at higher levels. I have also experienced that it
will go into a kind of loop, repeating a time losing sequence. I have seen
it do the kind of thing you report by dropping a pawn to start, so that it
achieves absolutely nothing, simply loses a move.

Still waiting to hear more.

jt