The Rules of the 21st World Computer Shogi Championship

The Rules of the World Computer Shogi Championship

Computer Shogi Association
Last updated 2010.12.20

Section 1 Definitions

Article 1 (Definitions)

1. The CSA: The Computer Shogi Association
2. The championship: The World Computer Shogi Championship
3. Officers: Tournament administrators selected by the CSA
4. Referees: Tournament referees selected by the CSA
5. A game: Each game of the championship
6. Preliminary contest/the final: All games on a particular day
7. The championship server: The LAN server for the championship that is under the CSA server protocol, ver. 1.1.3, provided by the CSA
8. Entered programs: Programs that enter the championship
9. Move-generating part: The move-generating component of the program/the move-generating hardware
10. Interface part: The complement of the move-generating component of the program, such as communication, display of the board position, and display of the total time spent
11. CSA module library: CSA-authorized shogi-specific program module library
12. Opening data: A part of the move-generating component/the move-generating hardware. Database of board positions, a full or partial list of the consecutive moves to the positions, moves which should or should not be played, and a full or partial list of the values of the moves
13. Learning part: The learning component of the program that tunes the parameters of the evaluation function for move-generating by automated learning
14. Thinking part: The part of the move-generating component of the entered program that excludes the CSA module library/modified library
15. Program developer: Developer of the thinking part of the entered program
16. The entrant: The team leader of the entered program
17. The machine: The computer(s) and peripherals on which the entered program runs

Article 2 (Purpose of the rules)

These rules define eligibility for the championship and the procedures for the preliminary contest and final, as well as those for each game.

Section 2 Eligibility

Article 3 (The thinking part)
1. The thinking part of the entered program must be created through the entrant's own ingenuity.
2. A team member may enter for only one team.

Article 4 (CSA module library)
1. An entrant may use the CSA module libraries for his/her program.
2. The entrant may modify and use the modules. This case is treated as an entrant using the library. The entrant is not required to disclose the modified modules.
3. If the entrant uses the CSA module libraries, he/she must request and receive permission from an officer.

Article 5 (Required features)
An entered program must have the following features:
1. Be able to start and/or resume at any point and with any total time spent.
2. Be able to quit at any point.
3. Display the current board position, pieces in hand, and the turn. It is acceptable to display this information in text.
4. Measure the time spent on each individual move and display the total time spent under Article 22.
5. Record the moves and the time spent on each move showing the recorded moves and the time spent on each move when quitting the game.
6. Be able to play through a LAN server under the CSA server protocol 1.1.3.
7. Be able to enter an opponent's move manually (without LAN).

Article 6 (Suggested features)
An entered program should have the following features:
1. Be able to find perpetual moves.
2. Display the sending/receiving character string through LAN if needed.
3. Start/continue the game for any position, turn, time-spent through LAN.

Article 7 (Computer hardware)
1. The entered program may use any number of computers and any peripherals as a machine.
2. Each machine must be prepared by the entrant.
3. The power of the machine in the venue must be 1000 watts or less.
4. The noise level of the machine in the venue must be 70dBs or less.
5. The machine in the venue must be brought into and set up there as part of the responsibility of the entrant.
6. After the setting up has been done, the machine must complete the game without any interference from humans except for quitting or entering an opponent's move when playing manually (only as directed by the officers).
7. If the machine cannot satisfy clauses 3, 4, 5, or 6, the entrant must request and receive permission from an officer.

Section 3 Application

Article 8 (Application to enter the championship)
1. The entrant must complete the application to enter the championship within the period declared by the CSA.
2. When applying the program, the entrant must disclose the team leader's full name together with all the full names of the developers and possible developers through the web page indicated by the officers for the application to enter the championship. The CSA will disclose the leader's full name, together with all the names of the developers and possible developers.
3. The entrant must be approved by all of the developers and possible developers to enter the championship. If the CSA has a question about whether the entrant is approved by the developers to enter the championship, it may consult each developer directly.
4. If any name is included in lists associated with two or more programs, the CSA will confirm that the individuals are different people. If the CSA finds that a person has entered two or more programs, it will ask for rectification. If such rectification is not acceptable to the entrant, the CSA will disqualify that person and delete the seeding for future championships.
5. The entrant must pay the registration fee announced by the CSA before the deadline for payment. Payment in cash will be accepted at the tournament itself if the entrant lives outside Japan.
6. The entrant must disclose the information of the program that the CSA specifies by the specified date. Specified information will be the processors, memory, CSA libraries used, and so on.
7. The entrant must submit documents to the CSA by the date specified, showing that the entered program satisfies Clause 1 of Article 3.
8. The CSA will not refund any fees if the entrant later declines for his/her own reasons to participate in the championship.

Article 9 (Restriction of power and/or noise)
1. If multiple machines are used in the venue, the power of the machine exceeds 1000 watts, or the noise level exceeds 70dBs, the entrants must report to the officers before April 1 of the championship year.
2. If the CSA considers that it is difficult for that machine to enter the venue, it will relocate the machine, and may require remote participation (see Article 10, Clause 1).

Article 10 (Remote participation)
1. An entrant may place a machine (that does not have to communicate with the CSA LAN server) outside the venue (such a machine is called a 'remote machine' and this style of participation is referred to as 'remote participation'), if any of the following is satisfied:
1. The entrant requests and receives permission from the CSA at least one day before the first day of the tournament.
2. The CSA makes a request following Article 9, Clause 2.
2. With remote participation, the entrant must prepare an extra communication machine between the CSA LAN server and the remote machine and bring the communication machine to the venue (such a machine is referred to as a 'machine in venue'). The machine in venue must have all the features described in Article 5.
3. Sending to/receiving from the remote machine is on the machine in venue and must not be done manually. The connection and reconnection of communication to the remote machine may be done manually.
4. The entrant must be in possession of the thinking report (or, at least, the moves with the time spent).
5. The entrants take responsibility for communication risks between the remote machine and the machine in venue.
6. The CSA makes an effort to minimize the communication risks in Clause 5 of this Article, but will not accept any form of responsibility.

Article 11 (Front machine)
1. An entrant may put in place a machine which covers all or part of the interface part (such a machine is called a 'front machine'), and communicate the move manually between the machine which covers the generating part (such a machine is called a 'move-generating machine') and the front machine, if one of the following conditions is satisfied:
1. The entrant makes a request before April 1 of the championship year to an officer and receives permission from the CSA because the machine has one or more special features.
2. The entrant reports the lack of a function under Article 5, but the CSA permits him/her to enter.
2. The entrant is responsible for bringing into the venue and setting up the front machine and the move-generating machine.

Article 12 (Successor to a program)
1. The leader of an entered program may declare that the program is the successor to any program that was made by the same team or a part of the same team of any previous championship.
2. The leader of an entered program may declare that the program is not the successor to any program that was made by the same team or a part of the same team of any previous championship.
3. The declaration in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article must be made before April 1 of the championship year.
4. If the developers of the same team of any previous championship are members of different teams in the championship, only one program can be declared as the successor; the other programs will be treated as newcomers. The declaration of which program is a successor is made by the leader of the program. If more than one program is declared as a successor, then the CSA will arbitrate.
5. If the leader does not declare the predecessor of the program as shown in Clause 3, then the CSA will decide which is the predecessor of the program, or the program will be treated as a newcomer. In this case, the program is usually treated as the successor to a program where the intersection of the members of the program and the members of the predecessor is not empty.

Article 13 (Program eligibility)
1. If the program does not satisfy eligibility as defined in Section 2 or the entrant fails to make the application defined in Section 3, the CSA will forbid the program to enter the championship.
2. Clause 1 of this article is not applicable to a program that does not conform with the procedure under Clause 7 of Article 8, but the program will lose the qualification to proceed to the next stage as described in Clause 5 of Article 17.
3. The final decision on whether a program may or may not enter the championship is the exclusive prerogative of the CSA.

Article 14 (Approval and confirmation procedures)
1. The entrant must show the officer all the developers' names of all the versions of the program and all CSA module libraries used before the announcement of the result on each day of the championship. The CSA will disclose all of the developers' names and all of the CSA module libraries.
2. The entrant must show the officer the information that the CSA specified of the machines and all versions of the program before the announcement of the results on each day of the championship.
3. If the entrant fails to show the information in Clauses 1 and 2 of this article, the CSA will disqualify the program and delete the seeding
from future championships.
4. The entrant must be approved by all of the developers for entry into the championship. If the CSA has a question about whether the entrant is approved by the developers to enter the championship, it may consult each developer directly.
5. If any name is included in lists associated with two or more programs, the CSA will confirm that the individuals are different people. If the CSA finds that a person has entered two or more programs, it will disqualify that program and delete the seeding from future championships.

Section 4 (Tournament procedure)

Article 15 (Seeding order)
1. The seeding order of the entered programs is decided as follows:
1. The result of the final of the previous championship
2. The result of the second preliminary contest of the previous championship (finalists are exempted)
3. The result of the first preliminary contest of the previous championship (qualifiers of the second preliminary contests are exempted)
4. The result of the second previous championship
5. The result of the third previous championship, and so on.
6. Newcomers (order determined by drawing)
2. The drawing for Item 6 of Clause 1 of this Article will be conducted straight after the deadline for registration on the day of the first preliminary contest expires, i.e., straight after the final decision on the entrants for the first day is made.

Article 16 (Treatment of the seeds)
1. There are first and second preliminary contests and then a final in this tournament.
2. Under the previous article, the top three entered programs are seeded to the final, and proceed directly thereto. The top sixteen (16) entered programs excluding the direct finalists are seeded for the second preliminary contest. The other entered programs enter the first preliminary contest.
3. The final seeded programs and the second preliminary contest seeded programs are decided at the end of March of the championship year, after being accepted for the championship by the CSA and not being treated as an 'unentered program' (these cases occur when applicants withdraw and/or the CSA refuses entry for some reason); such programs are called 'planning-to-enter programs.'

Article 17 (Procedure for the preliminary contests and the final)
1. In the first preliminary contest, all entrants other than the final seeded and the second preliminary contest seeded programs enter. There are seven rounds. The top eight programs qualify for the second preliminary contest.
2. In the second preliminary contest, twenty-four (24) programs that consist of second preliminary contest seeded programs and the qualifying programs of the first preliminary contest enter. There are nine rounds. The top five programs qualify for the final.
3. In the final, eight programs that consist of the seeded programs and the qualifying programs from the second preliminary contest enter. There are seven rounds.
4. If the programs use CSA modules developed by someone other than the entrant, the maximum number of the qualifiers is restricted: The maximum number of the qualifiers to the second preliminary contest is two each for one module. The maximum number of the qualifiers to the final is one each for one module. If the number exceeds the maximum number of the qualifiers, then the runners-up will qualify to proceed to the next stage.
5. A program about which the entrant does not disclose the information defined in Clause 7 of Article 8 does not qualify and the runner-up will qualify to proceed to the next stage.
6. In the first and second preliminary contests, the CSA will ask whether the qualifier wishes to enter the next day. If the entrant quits or it is impossible to make sure that the entrant will enter the next day, the qualifying position will go to the next program.
7. In the first and second preliminary contests, the total number of games may be less than the numbers above according to circumstances.
8. After the end of March of the championship year and before the announcement of the results of the first preliminary contest by the CSA, if there are any unentered second preliminary contest seeded programs, the CSA will not admit any program to the second preliminary contest as a seeded program and permit the number of the qualified programs to increase.
9. After the end of March of the championship year and before the announcement of the results of the second preliminary contest by the CSA, if there are any unentered final seeded programs, the CSA will not admit any program to the final as a seeded program and permit the number of qualified programs to increase.
10. The procedures of Clauses 1, 2, and 3 apply if the number of programs planning to enter is between 28 and 64 (on the last day of March of the championship year). If the number of programs planning to enter is less than 28, there will be no first preliminary contest. If the number is greater than 64, the CSA will increase the number of programs that are seeded for the second preliminary contest and of the qualified programs, one for each five teams. In this case, if the number of the entered programs decreases to 64 or less, the CSA will not decrease their number.
11. If the number in the first or the second preliminary contest is odd (the number is fixed when the entrants come to the venue or communicate with an officer before the assembly time), the CSA will invite an arbitrary program (such a program is called an 'invited program') to enter the contest. The invited program will not qualify. If it achieves a qualifying position, that position will go to a regular program.
12. The invited program is exempted from Article 3 and 8.

Article 18 (Treatment of late/refused programs)
1. If an applicant declines to enter the championship, the applicant must contact the officers before the following deadlines: Final seed applicants should contact the officers before the announcement of the results of the second preliminary contest. Second preliminary contest seed applicants should contact the officers before the announcement of the first preliminary contest. Others should contact the officers before the assembly time of the first preliminary contest.
2. If there is a possibility that an entrant may arrive later than the assembly time, he/she must inform the officers of this before the assembly time.
3. In the first and second preliminary contests, if an entrant does not register or contact the officers before the assembly time to decline to enter or say that he/she will be late, then the entrant will be considered as having given up the program and may not enter the games on that day or afterwards.
4. In the final, even if an entrant does not register or contact the officers before the assembly time to decline to enter or report that he/she will be late, the entrant may enter the games after registration if ready to play.
5. In the case of any entrant who has given up, who contacts the officers too late to decline to enter, or who fails to contact the officers about being late, the CSA will give such an entrant a warning and/or restrict that entrant from entering subsequent championships. However, such penalty will not apply if the CSA judges that circumstances were beyond the entrant's control (e.g., traffic accident or sudden illness).
6. An entrant may give up the games if the entrant declares a wish to do so to the officers and the CSA accepts the declaration. In this case, the results of the game and the succeeding games of the team are loss by default.

Article 19 (Swiss pairing method)
1. The perfect Swiss pairing method is defined as the following:
1. In each round, there is one win point for a win, a half-win point for a draw, and zero win points for a loss, these to be combined with the win points of the preceding rounds. Entrants who have the same win points are paired where possible. If it is the first round, all entrants have zero win points to start with.
2. If pairing fails on the rule above (if, for instance, the number of entrants with the same points is odd), then entrants who have nearly equal win points will be paired.
3. The same opponents are not paired twice.
2. The modified Swiss (accelerated Swiss) pairing method is like the perfect Swiss system. In each round, the win points of the preceding rounds except for the previous round are totaled.
3. In the preliminary contest, the pairing is decided according to the following:
1. By the perfect Swiss pairing method for the first round.
2. By the perfect Swiss, supposing the higher seeded teams win, for the second round.
3. By the modified Swiss pairing method for the third round.
4. By the perfect Swiss for the fourth round and thereafter.
4. The pairings and the first player for each game are decided by a pairing system provided by an officer. If the pairing system does not decide the pairing, the officer will decide.
5. The round robin method is applied to the final. All orders of games and first players of all games are decided by an officer before the first round begins.

Article 20 (Championship results)
The championship results are determined by the following rules, in the order given, where a draw is treated as a half win and a half loss (or a half-win point):
1. Number of win points
2. Sum of all opponents' win points
3. Sum of all defeated opponents' win points
4. Sum of all defeated opponents' win points, except the top and the bottom
5. Results of head-to-head competition; number of wins minus number of losses, taking into account only those games involving the player whose results are the same after 1 to 4 above
6. Order of seeding (for seeded teams) or position in a preliminary contest (for the others)

Section 5 (Game process)

Article 21 (Process)
1. All games are played without handicap.
2. Each starting time is announced by the officers at least ten minutes before the start of play.
3. All games are conducted through the championship server.
4. The message announcing the start of each game is given by the championship server. If the championship server is not available, then a referee will give a sign to start the game, but if both players agree, they may start earlier than the referee's signal in this case.
5. If it is impossible to start the game at the planned starting time, the difference between the planned starting time and the actual starting time will be subtracted from the playing time of the side for which starting on time was not possible. If it is impossible for both sides to start the game, the time difference will be subtracted from both sides.
6. If the championship server is not available, then play will be conducted manually.
7. After each game has started, no person may act in a way that affects the generation of any move.
8. The following procedure must be carried out by the leader of the program or the developer. (If the entrant makes a request to the officers before the planned starting time of the game and the CSA permits another person to act (such a person being called an 'agent'), the agent may carry out the procedure.)
1. Start the entered program and establish communication with the CSA LAN server.
2. Enter an opponent's move when proceeding manually.
3. Quit the program when a referee requests.
4. Re-establish communication between the machine in venue and the remote machine when remote participation is in operation.
5. Carry out communications manually between the front machine and the move-generating machine.
9. If a game is aborted as a result of some accident after the start, a referee may order the game to be played or replayed manually at that point, or, in certain cases, a couple of moves before that point.
10. An entrant must not change the source program, or recompile or modify parameters manually for a specific opponent, during a game. However, an entrant may freely change the source program, and recompile and modify parameters, for a specific opponent before or between games.

Article 22 (Time spent)
1. The time spent is counted in seconds. The minimum time spent for each move is one second, i.e., if the time spent on a move is one second or less then the program must count it as one second. If the time spent on a move is more than one second, then the program must count in whole seconds, rounding fractions
down if desired.
2. The total time spent is the sum of time spent.
3. Each program is allowed a total of twenty-five (25) minutes of playing time. If one side runs out of time before it wins or declares to win, then it loses the game, even if it mates on the move made when the total time spent is greater than or equal to the time limit.
4. The CSA may reduce the time limit depending on championship procedures.
5. When playing through the championship server, the server counts the time spent for each move and manages the total time spent. The time spent for a move is measured between the sending player's move (or the server's initial order to start the game) and receiving the reply. The delay time is included in the time spent.
6. When playing manually, the time spent is counted according to the time spent as counted by the program.
7. When playing manually and by remote participation, time spent is counted on the machine in venue. The time spent includes the communication time and the reconnecting time (for communication breaks).
8. When playing manually and using a front machine, time spent is counted on the front machine. The time spent includes the communication time between the front machine and the move-generating machine.
9. If there is any impropriety during measuring or displaying the time spent, referees will decide on an appropriate course of action.

Article 23 (Declaration of a win)
1. The program may declare a win (such a declaration is called 'declaration of a win') if the position satisfies all of the following conditions. If the position does not satisfy one or more conditions, then the declaring side loses:
1. It is the declaring side's turn.
2. The King of the declaring side is in the third rank or beyond.
3. The declaring side has 28 (the first player) or 27 (the second player) piece points or more. Piece points are counted only for pieces of the declaring side that are in hand or in the third rank or beyond. Piece points are counted as follows: King: 0; Rook, Bishop, Promoted Rook, or Promoted Bishop: 5; Other: 1.
4. The declaring side has 10 or more pieces other than the King in the third rank or beyond.
5. There is no check on the King of the declaring side.
6. The declaring side has at least one second left.
2. The program must display the declaration on the monitor and send an "@KACHI" command.

Article 24 (Outcome of the game)
1. The outcome of a game is determined by the following rules, in the order given:
1. The decision of the leader of the team, the program developer, or an agent to resign. Resignation is established when the referee accepts the resignation on the resigner's turn.
2. A decision by a referee.
3. A decision by the championship server.
4. A resignation by the program when playing manually.
2. After deciding the outcome, the entrants must report the outcome to the officers as soon as possible.
3. The reported outcome is announced to the officers at the designated place. The outcome is fixed when the CSA announces the pairing or (for the last game) the CSA announces the results of each day. After such time results cannot be changed, even if errors are subsequently found.

Article 25 (Outcome of the game by referees)
1. The referees may decide which program loses when the following conditions occur (except when both sides satisfy the conditions):
1. There are no legal moves left.
2. Total time spent has reached the time limit.
3. There has been one or more illegal moves.
4. The opponent legally declares a win.
5. The declaration of a win has been unsatisfactory.
6. There has been illegal communication when playing through the LAN (where illegality results from not following the CSA server protocol ver.1.1.3).
7. It is impossible to input/output a move as a result of a program stopping for any reason, such as problems with communication or the operating system, after the start of thinking about the fifth move. But the referee will not decide which program loses if the program stops after an illegal character string has been sent, displayed, and kept in the display after the program stops.
8. It is impossible to resume smoothly when a referee orders as such at any point (position, turn, time spent).
9. A referee decides that the entrant has made an illegal action.
2. The position of perpetual repetition is a draw, except that if one side's moves are checks only then that side loses the game. Perpetual repetition is decided by the championship server if the game is under LAN. It is decided by the perpetual repetition decision program prepared by the officers after being declared to the officers by referees, leaders of the teams, program developers, or agents.
3. The referees will decide on an appropriate course of action when a LAN cable causes trouble and/or there is an accidental power shutoff.
4. The referees will decide the outcome (including a draw) even during a game in order to allow the tournament to proceed if the tournament procedure does not go as planned.
5. The referees will decide the outcome (a win, a loss, a draw), replaying from the start or resuming from a certain position.

Article 26 (Game record)
1. The CSA may publish any game record at any time.
2. Entrants must bring the game record to the CSA immediately after the game if the game is played manually. A USB flash memory should be used.
3. The file format for the game record (defined in the second clause) must be the CSA standard game record file format.
4. In the file of the game record (defined in the second clause), the entrant must record each amount of time spent.

Section 6 Program-keeping and appeals

Article 27 (Program-keeping period and appeals)
1. The entrant must keep the complete reproduction set for the championship (such a set is called a 'program for the championship') for one year from the last day of the championship. This set must include all of the versions of the executable program, data, and so on that entered the championship.
2. For an entered program, if there is an appeal that the program does not satisfy one or more conditions of entry, the CSA may accept the appeal and the committee will examine the situation.
3. In the case above, the entrant will be required to show the set, which a committee will examine. The committee may examine a remote machine if remote participation is involved.
4. If the set is not shown, or the committee decides that the appeal is justified, and that the program does not satisfy one or more conditions of entry to the championship, the CSA may remove the seed and/or restrict entry in subsequent tournaments.
5. Appeals must be made within six months of the last day of the tournament.

Additional clauses
1. These rules are valid from December 20, 2010.
2. The rules and regulations are available in both Japanese and English. In all questions of interpretation, the Japanese version shall be regarded as authoritative.