From: teruko <kismet <at> P2242 <dot> NSK <dot> NE <dot> JP>
Date: 14 apr 2000
Subject: <no subject>

It's a little difficult to understand all the concern about when to "claim"
games. Why would anyone want to? As far as I know one enters a shogi
tournament in order to play shogi and have fun, claiming games isn't playing
shogi and is likely to cause an atmosphere of strained relations unconducive
to fun. Pieter's increasing stakes dont seem much of an excuse, cash prizes
are still small and haven't changed any attitudes I'm aware of, tickets to
Japan have been around for more than ten years and surely nobody is so
concerned about ratings or exaggerated titles. George Hodges expressed the
excellent advice that situations not specifically covered by the rules
should be dealt with in the Japanese spirit of the game. The rules under
discussion recently are mainly those of tournament conduct, not rules of
shogi. Rules issued by the Renmei seem likely to be of the same nature and
as such are irrelevant. Japanese themselves aren't bothered by these kind of
rules. If my opponent makes a nifu I press the clock and point it out, most
players change their move. A king that can be taken is a different case, the
player will resign. It seems that rather than being considered illegal, (for
amateurs), nifu type moves are viewed as invalid, whereas a king left in
check can be taken so is not an invalid (illegal) move in the same sense. In
last year's Amateur Meijin qualifier I dropped a piece on 4c when I intended
to drop it on 5c, my opponent, in the full awareness that were the offer
accepted he would quickly lose, suggested I play the move I intended. This
might exemplify the Japanese spirit of the game George was talking about.
Shogi players are a society and it's important for them to get along well
together, interestingly in Japanese one plays with one's "aite" a word which
can also mean interlocutor, lover, etc, it lacks the negative connotations
of "opponent". If the mooted Westernisation of shogi means importing trivial
attitudes from chess, one of the beauties of the game will be gone.
A final small point, the player giving the handicap is usually the winner in
what would in non-handicap games be drawn situations.
Michael Sandeman.