From: "George I. Fernandez" MINDSPRING COM> Date: 13 apr 2000 Subject: Re: Various shogi rules At 09:50 PM 4/12/00 +0100, Justin Hollingworth wrote: >----- Original Message ----- >From: 'Marc Theeuwen' AMSINC COM> >> >> George Fernandez wrote: >> >> >4. A player must push the clock with the same hand that moves the pieces. >> As far as I know this is common in Europe, but not a requirement. A move >>is considered done when the player lets go of the piece he has moved. Pressing the >>clock is not necessary (but wise anyways). Therefore taking back moves is illegal. General Rule #4 does not address this particular issue. The reason for the rule is to prevent a player from moving, let's say, with his left hand, and a split-second later pushing the clock with his right hand in order to save his/her time and minimize the oppponent's time. >Marc, >I was under the impression that a player's move was not over until that >player pressed the clock and that you could put down and then pick up a >piece again. >Justin There was a discussion about this particular issue at the 1999 U.S. Shogi Championship during the announcement of the rules, prior to the start of the tournament. Tournament Chairman, Mr. Akio Ishikawa, Pro 6Dan, clarified matters and chose to go with the standard shogi rule on this issue, that is, when a player's hand leaves the piece the move is over, even if only for a split-second. This remains the official USSF rule on this issue. In many U.S. shogi tournaments in the past we had opted for the other rule, where a move is over when the clock is pushed, but this created more problems than it solved because players, at times, would deliberately not push their clocks and wait to see the opponent's move and then say "oh, sorry but I haven't finished moving yet!" We had tried the alternate rule in order to avoid rare conflicts, in crucial situations, where players would disagree as to whether or not the piece had actually been released! ["let's go to the videotape/ instant replay!" is a common American sports phrase these days]. One of our American forefathers Abraham Lincoln once said in part "... but you can't please all of the people all of the time." ;-) George George I. Fernandez President United States Shogi Federation 28-30 34th Street, Apt.#6-O Long Island City, NY 11103 USA Home Telephone: (718)956-5382 Pager: 1(800)Sky-Page, Pin#1149515 E-Mail: g.fernandez mindspring com