From: SalvaAC <at> AOL <dot> COM
Date: 29 aug 2000
Subject: Re: Impasse Thanks

Hi,

I know too well the frustration of the opponent's king running down your
throat.  It usually happens to me when I don't make sure my mating net is
tight enough.  I start worrying about checking the king than making sure he
is trapped before I go for the kill.  Or miss an escape route.  The best way
probably to avoid this is to practice tsumeshogi and just keep playing games.
 My endgame is far and away my best point in my game (when I can get there),
and have turned bad situations into wins because of practicing tsumeshogi
problems and getting used to finding typical moves quickly that keep the king
where you want him.

Sal

> My many heartfelt thanks go out to all those who offered insights
>  on the Impasse.  I now realize that my original concern was not so much
>  with Impasse, No-contest or Draw--but with Entering Kings in general.
>  I found that in the relatively few games I have played with friends,
>  this situation occurred more than once and always with frustrating
>  results.  We would just dance around each other to little avail.  The
>  question arose whether we should just call for a Replay but I did not
>  know if we COULD do that under the circumstances.  I was under the
>  impression that the scenario must be played out until a conclusive
>  resolution had been reached.  We would just trudge on until one or the
>  other Resigned from boredom.  It seems that we had the option all along
>  of starting afresh whenever we got stuck.  This type of problem is, I
>  suppose, only the sort of thing that happens with beginners.
>  Nonetheless, I am searching for ways to minimize this stumbling block.
>  Practice might be the best way.