"moves (for) a thousand days") or repetition draw is a rule in shogi stating that the game will end in a draw if the same position is repeated four times during a game as long as the repetitions do not involve checks.
(Perpetual check is an illegal move, which ends the game in a loss in tournament play.)
In professional shogi, a sennichite outcome is not a final result of a match as draws essentially do not count.
This is a significant difference from western chess, in which a player can play specifically to obtain draws for gaining half points.
In professional shogi, sennichite usually occurs in the opening as certain positions are reached that are theoretically disadvantaged for both sides (zugzwang).
In amateur shogi, sennichite tends to occur in the middle or endgame as a result of poor positions.
Aiming for sennichite may be a possible professional strategy for the White player in order to play the second game as Black, which has a slight statistical advantage and/or greater initiative.
For instance, Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook is a passive strategy for White with the goal of a sennichite (as it requires two tempo losses – swinging the rook and trading the bishops) while it is a very aggressive strategy if played by Black.
A surprising repetition draw occurred in the endgame of a game between Akira Watanabe (Black) and Yoshiharu Habu on October 3, 2012.
Dropping the gold to the 89 square puts Black in his own threatmate situation as White is threatening the mate-in-one 63...Bx88+ [mate] on his next move.