From: Michael Vanier <mvanier <at> BBB <dot> CALTECH <dot> EDU>
Date: 16 jan 1999
Subject: Re: SV:      shogi questions

Hi,

I suspected that this was the reason (historical, rather than for any
practical reason).  It's reminiscent of the fact that in old shogi (before
drops were introduced) there was a piece called the Drunk Elephant (which
still exists in Chu Shogi and larger variants) which promoted to a Crown
Prince which was in effect a second king.  Apparently some high-ranking
individual in the royal family (I forget whom) objected to a "drunk
elephant" becoming a king, and the piece was removed from the game
completely.  In point of fact, this actually was important since having a
D.E. in a drop game would be very bad in practice; you could capture the
opponents D.E. and drop it into the promotion zone to get an entering King
quite easily.  So there was a good reason as well as a "historical" reason
for the change, and one wonders if the historical reason was just used as a
post hoc justification for the change.  It occurs to me that if the
D.E. was objected to so strongly it would have been removed from Chu Shogi
as well, but it wasn't.

Mike


> >
> >1) Does anyone know why the rules prohibiting pawn drops to give
> >   checkmate exist?
>
>
> I asked Mr Aono Teruichi, 9 dan professional, when he visited the Swedish
> Shogi Federation in Stockholm. I think I remember his answer correctly:
>
> A pawn, beeing the weekest piece, a simple pawn after all, has to bow for
> the Emperor before making the 'kill', that is why only a pawn already on the
> board is permited to check-mate.
>
> That was the 'historical' reason. I think he mentioned another reason to but
> sad to say, I do not remember that one or even if he told us what it was.
>
> Hope that you and everyone else is happy with that answer!
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Ronny Thörnvall, 4 kyu
> Member of The Swedish Shogi Federation
> http://www.cd.chalmers.se/~ralf/shogi
>