From: Doug Dysart KASPAROVCHESS COM> Date: 11 aug 2000 Subject: Aiming For a Draw In shogi it is rare for a draw to be an aim from move 1. The only time I've noticed it to be a realistic aim from the get-go is in a professional title match. If a player has Gote, it can be advantageous to reach a draw by sennichite and have Sente in the replay. So, Gote would try for an advantageous position and then indicate to Sente that he has "a way out" of his peril via sennichite. Thus, Sente is relieved to have escaped what may have seemed like certain death, while Gote now has the opening advantage in the replay. Certainly one may try to get safety for himself with the "entering king," but this is not directly aiming for a draw per se. The only time you could really say someone is aiming at a draw with the entering king is when his opponent has already done so successfully to the point that mating is no longer realistic. So, it really takes nothing away from the game, and draws don't hurt the results because draws are replayed anyway. I do think the draw rules should be preserved - they seem perfect to me - and they should be kept handy at all tournaments whenever possible. In amateur games I'd say they come in handy once every 500 games or so (very rough estimate). I do respect the right of local organizers to bend the rules to their liking, but it might be a concern if you're looking for the tournament to be sponsored by a higher organization. Doug Dysart Ohio Shogi Club founder Great chess, great e-mail: http://www.KasparovChess.com