/usr/share/games/shogivar/Heian.rul is in shogivar-data 1.55b~git20141011-1.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 | " INTRODUCTION
==============
Heian-Dai Shogi is so named as it dates from 'Heian' times. The game is
noteworthy as being the earliest known Shogi variant, and was described in
some detail in a history text entitled NICHUREKI dated between 1126 and
1130.
There is some doubt as to the exact moves and promotions of the pieces.
The rules used in this program are in accordance with recent research on
the game in Japan.
The pieces in Heian-Dai Shogi have limited powers of movement and
captured pieces are not returned to play. The game is much slower and on
the whole less interesting than later variants. Heian-Dai Shogi is
therefore primarily of historical interest only.
THE GAME
=========
Heian-Dai Shogi is played on a board of 13 x 13 squares and each player
has 34 pieces (including 13 pawns).
The pieces are flat and wedge-shaped and are not distinguished by colour.
Although the pieces are of uniform colour the first player is still
conventionally referred to as 'Black' and the second player as 'White'.
Ownership of the pieces is indicated by the direction in which they face,
with a player's pieces always pointing towards the opponent.
The players make alternate moves, with the object being to capture the
opposing 'King'.
As in Western Chess, when a 'King' is about to be captured next move and
no legal move can be made to prevent the capture, the piece is said to be
'Checkmated'.
In common with other ancient chess games, the game can also be won by
capturing all pieces except the 'King' (the 'bare king' rule). A bare
King may secure a draw if it can also bare the opposing 'King' on the
following move.
On each turn a player can move one piece according to its power of
movement to a vacant square on the board, or to a square occupied by an
enemy piece (in which case the enemy piece is captured and removed from
the game).
THE PIECES
===========
The Piece Help screen provides the names, notation symbols, promotion
details, and powers of movement for all of the pieces in the game.
[The Piece Help screen can be reached by clicking on the 'Pieces' button]
JUMPING PIECES
===============
The 'Knight' is the only piece in Heian-Dai Shogi that has the power to
jump over occupied squares. The Heian-Dai 'Knight' has the same move as
the equivalent piece in the Western game (ie: it may move one square
orthogonally then one square diagonally), except that its move is limited
to the forward direction only.
PROMOTION
==========
Each player has a Promotion Zone consisting of the three ranks (rows of
squares) furthest away from him. All pieces except the 'King' and 'Gold
General' have a promoted rank and can promote on entering, moving within,
or leaving the Promotion Zone.
All pieces except the 'Flying Dragon' promote to 'Gold General' (in the
case of the 'Pawn' the promoted form is called 'Tokin'). On promotion the
'Flying Dragon' gains the power to move one square orthogonally.
Promotion is not compulsory unless the piece would be unable to make a
further legal move in its unpromoted state. The 'Pawn','Lance' and 'Iron
General' must therefore promote on reaching the last rank (that furthest
from the player) and the 'Knight' must promote if it reaches either of the
last two ranks. There can be advantages with some pieces of not promoting
immediately on entering the Promotion Zone.
As in all the games in the Shogi family, the promoted rank is shown on the
reverse side of the piece, and the piece is turned over on promotion to
reveal the new rank.
CAPTURES
=========
Unlike in the modern game of Shogi, captured pieces in Heian-Dai Shogi can
not be 'dropped' back into play. A captured piece is removed from play and
takes no further part in the game.
HANDICAP PLAY
===============
Handicaps are often given when players of unequal strength play Shogi in
Japan. The reason that handicap play is common is that the handicap system
in Shogi works far better than that used in Western Chess.
In a handicap game a player offers a handicap of one or more pieces to an
opponent of less strength. While Heian-Dai does not lend itself to
handicaps as well as Shogi, provision for handicap play has nevertheless
been included in this program.
The same rules for handicaps as in Shogi have been adopted. Under these
rules, the player offering the handicap plays 'White'and his opponent (as
'Black') removes the handicap pieces as the first move of the game. In
handicap play 'White' therefore makes the first move on the board.
NOTATION
=========
The following notation system is used for recording Heian-Dai Shogi games
in this program.
The files are designated by numbers (1 to 13), and the ranks by letters
(a to m). The files are numbered from right to left (in the Japanese
fashion), and the ranks from top to bottom (from Black's point of view).
The top right square is therefore 1a.
A move is described by giving:
a) the designation of the piece (eg: L for Lance); this designation is
preceded by a '+' if it is at its promoted rank,
b) followed by the method of moving;
'-' for a simple move on the board,
'x' for a capture,
c) then the destination square is recorded,
d) finally if the piece promoted on that turn, this is recorded by
adding '+' after the move, or if promotion was possible but was
refused, the symbol '=' is added.
If more than one piece of the same type can reach the destination square
then the starting square is also given after the piece designation to
avoid confusion.
A 'Lance' moving from 5d to 5c (which was occupied by an enemy piece) and
promoting is therefore recorded as Lx5c+.
NOTE: This system is the official notation system of 'The Shogi
Association' for Shogi variants.
DISPLAYING LEGAL MOVES
=========================
If the 'Show Move' option is selected from the Moves Menu, clicking the
left mouse button on a piece during play will show allthe legal moves of
that piece:
- All legal moves to vacant squares are represented as White Circles,
- Legal captures are shown as Red Circles. "
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