From: Lionel Vidal PLANETMAIL COM> Date: 13 apr 2000 Subject: Re: Checkmate Hello, I am not sure if this will clarify or confuse the issue, but here is a summary from an old post of George Fernandez: ************************ The last version of "The rules of shogi" I have was written in 1993 by Mr. K. Horiguchi 6 Dan[supplement to the January 1993 issue of Shogi Sekai]. The 96 page booklet, written in japanese, is the official rule book accepted by the Japanese Shogi Association. The following definitions were given which apply here: Checkmate: A checkmate is a position in which a King is in check and there are no legal moves to leave the check. Illegal moves: (1)A move is illegal to make a double pawn. (2)A move is illegal to make a deadlocked piece. (3)A move is illegal for a player if his King's square is attacked by an opponent piece after the move.[to remain in check, to move into check or to expose the king to check] (4)A move is illegal to make a repetition check move [Mr. Horiguchi wrote in an addendum the following clarification: "... In the event of perpetual check, if one player player does it FOUR TIMES(three times is permitted), he will lose his game". (5)A move is illegal to make a dropping check move by a pawn which leads to a position in checkmate at once(dropped-pawn mate). Legal moves: A legal move for a player is a move to leave the check by moving pieces on the board or by dropping if his king is in check. Otherwise, a legal move by a piece on the board which can go[move] or a drop move, which is not illegal. Remark (condition of ending game): 1. The game is finished if the position is in a checkmate; The player to move loses the game. 2. The game is finished if one player makes an illegal move; This player loses the game. 3. The game is finished if one player has no legal moves; This player loses the game[contrary to chess rules, where a stalemate is considered a draw]. 4. The game is finished if one player resigns; This player loses the game. In an effort to put this issue behind us, and move on, I'm sharing with you a bizzare diagram from the 1993 rules book[page 93, digram #92]. The diagram was used to illustrate four of the five types of illegal moves[all except the perpetual check]. I don't recommend trying to beat your opponent using this particular strategy! If it is black's turn, he loses(!) because he MUST make an illegal move: (1)doubled pawn,[P* at any unoccupied square other than 1a or 1h]; (2)deadlocked piece[P*1a]; (3)moving into check[K-1h] or (5)the "drop-pawn mate"[P*1h]. Now, if it were white's move then HE would lose, because (3)moving into check[K-1h or capturing a defended piece] is the only choice, he is stalemated and therefore loses! 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +--------------------------------------------+ White in hand: | b+P| b+P| b+P| b+P| b+P| bG | bG | bS | | a(1) +---------------+ +--------------------------------------------+ | | | bP | b+P| b+P| b+P| b+P| bG | bB | bR | bB | b(2) | | +--------------------------------------------+ +---------------+ | | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bN | bS | bN | c(3) +-------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | bP | bS | bR | d(4) +--------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | bL | bN | bN | e(5) +--------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | bL | bG | bS | f(6) +--------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | | bL | wK | g(7) +--------------------------------------------+ Black in hand: | | | | | | | | bP | | h(8) +---------------+ +--------------------------------------------+ |P | | | | | | | | | bL | bK | i(9) | | +--------------------------------------------+ +---------------+ ************************ This, I think solve the problems related to notion of stalemate in Shogi: the player in stalemate (that is who cannot play a legal move, a legal move being defined like in the cited post) loses the game. Now, this does not solve the case where one or both players make illegal moves and realise it later. I would say that if it can be proven that one of the player made an illegal move, then that player loses. If it can be proven that both made illegal moves, than the game is draw and should be replayed. This being possible only before the game result is confirmed by the referee: after that the result cannot be changed, even if post-mortem analysis shows some mistakes... only my personal opinion of course :-) Regards, Lionel.