Sometimes both kings walk into the enemy camp. A king up there, surrounded by its own promoted pieces, is almost impossible to mate — and neither side can make progress. That is an impasse, jishogi 持将棋, and it is settled by counting points.
The count
| Piece (on the board or in hand, promoted or not) | Points |
|---|---|
| Rook, bishop | 5 each |
| Every other piece except the king | 1 each |
| King | not counted |
There are 54 points in the whole set: two rooks and two bishops (20) and thirty-four other pieces (34).
The rule this site uses
Rule sets differ, so here is exactly what happens on this site:
- Either player may declare an impasse on their turn, with the Declare impasse button — it never happens automatically.
- It can only be declared when both kings are inside their promotion zones (Sente's king on ranks 7–9, Gote's on 1–3) and the player declaring is not in check.
- The pieces are then counted. A player with 28 points or more wins. Otherwise — which with 54 points in total can only be 27 each — the game is a draw.
This is the 27-point rule (27点法), the declaration rule used in amateur and online play. Professional and many tournament games use a different, 24-point rule: a player with fewer than 24 points loses, and if both have at least 24 the game is drawn (and replayed). If you play elsewhere, check which rule applies.