/usr/share/games/shogivar/Sho.rul is in shogivar-data 1.55b-1.
This file is owned by root:root, with mode 0o644.
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==============
Sho Shogi (or Little Shogi) was the precursor of modern Shogi and was
similar in most respects to the game which replaced it in the sixteenth
century. The major difference is that Sho Shogi did not include the
capacity to re-enter (drop) captured pieces back into play.
While Little Shogi was no doubt popular in Japan, there is very little
literature on the game. The 1696 edition of 'Sho-Shogi Zushiki' includes
a single diagram which shows the Sho Shogi board set-up to be identical
with the modern game but for the presence of the Drunk Elephant (a piece
known from Middle Shogi). The text states that this piece was removed by
order of Emperor Gonara (reigned 1536-1557). As the Drunk Elephant
promotes to a piece (the Crown Prince) that is effectively a second King,
it did not lend itself to a game played with drops. The removal of the
Drunk Elephant has therefore been linked with the transition to the modern
game.
The presence of the Rook, Bishop and Drunk Elephant make Little Shogi a far
more interesting game than the even earlier game from Heian times, but
without drops it lacks the strategy and unique excitement of Modern Shogi.
While the exact rules of the game are not known, for the purposes of this
program they have been reconstructed based on the rules of the larger Chu
and Dai Shogi, which were themselves contemporary to and based on Sho
Shogi.
THE GAME
=========
Sho Shogi is played on a board of 9 x 9 squares and each player has 21
pieces (including 9 pawns).
As in all Shogi games, 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'. If the opposing player has obtained a 'Crown Prince' by
promotion, that piece must also be captured in order to win the game.
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 Sho Shogi that has the power to jump
over occupied squares. The Little Shogi '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.
THE CROWN PRINCE
==================
The 'Drunk Elephant' is potentially a very important piece, as it promotes
to a 'Crown Prince'.
A player who gains a 'Crown Prince' effectively acquires a second 'King'
as the 'Crown Prince' must also be captured (or bared) before the opponent
can win the game.
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.
On promotion:
- The 'Rook' gains the power to move 1 square in any diagonal direction.
The 'Promoted Rook' is known as the 'Dragon King'.
- The 'Bishop' gains the power to move 1 square in any orthogonal direction
and its promoted form is called the 'Dragon Horse'.
- The 'Drunk Elephant' becomes a 'Crown Prince' which has the powers of the
'King'.
- All other pieces move as a 'Gold General' on promotion.
Promotion is not compulsory unless the piece would be unable to make a
further legal move in its unpromoted state. The 'Pawn' and 'Lance' 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, in Sho Shogi sets 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 Modern Shogi, captured pieces in Sho 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 Little Shogi does not lend itself to
handicaps as well as the modern game (as there are no 'drops'), 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 Sho Shogi games in this
program.
The files are designated by numbers (1 to 9), and the ranks by letters
(a to i). 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: DE for Drunk Elephant); 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.
NOTE: This system is the official notation system for shogi
variants of 'The Shogi Association'.
DISPLAYING LEGAL MOVES
=========================
If the 'Show Move' option is selected from the Moves Menu, clicking the left
mouse button on a piece on the board during play will show all the 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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