Lately a lot of draws happened with me playing black, all perpetual raichi: 7 times since november.
I myself could have forced a draw under the existent rules in my latest game against ughaibu, a much better player.

The purpose of this post is to re-open the discussion on this issue.

Let me first point out a rule-change would take only a change in the description of the rules, not re-programming. This is important because it means it would take very little time for Fencer to adjust the rules. Just a text change.

What I'm trying to do is the following:
taking up the project ughaibu has started, I will try to prove white has a forced draw from the start. Maybe I will not succeed, but at least I will show the "perpetual raichi is draw" rule diminishes blacks options hugely and pervades the game in a negative way.

The move that leads the easiest to perpetual raichi is 1. d5-d8.

What are the options of the black player?

1. ... d1-d5, 1. ... d1-d7, 1. ... f9-f8, 1. ... e8-g8, 1. ... b5-b7. Those are the natural responses to d5-d8, although 1. ... d1-d7 is dubious already. Of course there is no need to explore every move, only the logical ones.

In this first part I will try to prove that in all but 1. ... d1-d5 white has perpetual raichi. In later parts I will try to do the same for 1. ... d1-d5, or at least make clear the game tree is narrowed so much when one tries to prevent perpetual raichi, the game loses much of its charm.

Here follow the variations:

1. ... d1-d7

1. d5-d8 d1-d7
2. e5-d5 e2-d2
3. d5-d3 b5-b3
4. e3-e2 h5-h3
5. c5-c2 e1-d1
6. e2-e1 f1-f2
7. d3-d2 white escapes

1. d5-d8 d1-d7
2. e5-d5 e1-d1
2. c5-c7 now white has 6 rows on which to give raichi with 4 soldiers to block. Moving e8 or e2 could reduce it only to 5 which is still perpetual raichi. The same goes for d1-d2, d9-d8, d9-d7, a6-d6. 2. ... d9-d6 fails to 3. c7-c6 perpetual raichi or win. 2. ... a4-d4, 2. ... d1-d3 and 2. ... d1-d4 will all be captured and are no reasonable defenses.

1. .... e8-g8/f9-f8

1. d5-d8 e8-g8/f9-f8
2. e5-d5 d1-d2
3. c5-c1 d9-c9
4. d8-c8 a6-d6
5. c8-c6 perpetual raichi

1. ... b5-b7

1. d5-d8 b5-b7
2. e5-d5 d1-d2
3. c5-c1 d9-c9
4. d8-c8 a6-d6
5. d5-b5 perpetual raichi

1. d5-d8 b5-b7
2. e5-d5 d1-d2
3. c5-c1 a4-d4
4. d5-c5 forced win