From: Pieter Stouten <stouten <at> SHOGI <dot> NET>
Date: 11 aug 2000
Subject: Shogi Impasse

I forward the attached mail on behalf of Michael Breier
<ajowan <at> aol <dot> com>, who does not subscribe to SHOGI-L. If you have
answers to his questions, please respond to him directly.

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On an English-language webpage describing an Impasse, the following
two statements are written:

----

IMPASSE
There are very rare cases in which both players have moved their Kings into
the opponent's camp and there is no prospect of a checkmate. This situation
is called "Impasse".
Impasse is adjudicated by counting pieces: each major piece counts as 5
points, the minor pieces as 1 point each. A game ends in a draw when both
players have 24 points or more: one player loses when he has under 24 points.

In SHOGI, a "piece" refers to any unit, including the Pawn. The Rook and
Bishop are called major pieces; the other pieces, with the exception of the
King, are called minor pieces.

http://www.jwindow.net/LWT/SHOGI/INTRO/shogi_intro.html

----

My questions are as follows:

1)  Is the tally only for pieces on the board or does it also include pieces
that are in hand?

2)  Since the King is called neither a major nor a minor piece, is it
therefore not tallied in the final count of pieces?

3)  Is an Impasse declared subjectively?   That is, solely by means of mutual
consent and discretion of an arbiter--or are there concrete guidelines to
call an Impasse?  In other words, how is one to know for sure when Checkmate
is no longer possible for either player?

4)  Can one intentionally force a draw by creating an Impasse?

5)  Can it happen that both players would have under 24 points each?

6)  Does an Impasse occur automatically when the two Kings have entered each
other's territories?

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Michael Breier