From: Benjamin Good <bg18+ <at> ANDREW <dot> CMU <dot> EDU>
Date: 9 feb 1999
Subject: winning tai shogi

Excerpts from mail: 8-Feb-99 Re: random shogi stuff by Colin Paul
Adams@COLINA.
>     Benjamin> i'm not sure i see why tai would be a certain draw.  on
>     Benjamin> the other hand, i've never finished a game.
>
> GFH or RWS (I can't remember which) speculated that it was unlikely
> anyone would have enough material left to capture the emperor.

i believe the idea is that you have to keep one hook mover in reserve to
cover most of the board (if i remember correctly, the hook mover demotes
upon capturing) in order to win.

on the other hand, now that i think about it, it seems that if you're
losing, and you also have a hook mover in reserve, as your opponent
clears out the baord to force your emperor into open space, that there's
no way that your opponent can cover the board w/ his hook mover and
avoid your forcing of a hook mover trade.