How do you play Shogi?

Shogi is Japanese chess on a 9x9 board. Each player has 20 pieces. Sente moves first. Pieces move differently by type, and when you capture an enemy piece it joins your hand and can be dropped back onto an empty square later. You win by checkmating the opponent's King.

What are the shogi pieces and how do they move?

There are 8 piece types: King (1 square any direction), Rook (slides orthogonally), Bishop (slides diagonally), Gold General (6 directions), Silver General (5 directions, the forward plus all diagonals), Knight (jumps 2-forward 1-sideways), Lance (slides straight forward), and Pawn (1 square forward). Each side also has a King, two Golds, two Silvers, two Knights, two Lances, one Rook, one Bishop and nine Pawns.

What is the promotion zone in shogi?

The farthest three ranks from your side are the promotion zone. When a piece starts in, ends in, or passes through this zone you may promote it (except Kings and Golds). Promoted pawns, lances, knights and silvers move like a Gold. A promoted rook (Dragon King) gains one-square diagonals; a promoted bishop (Dragon Horse) gains one-square orthogonals. Pawns and lances reaching the last rank must promote, and knights must promote on the last two ranks.

How do drops work in shogi?

When you capture an enemy piece it is demoted and added to your hand. On any turn you may drop a piece from your hand onto an empty square instead of moving. You cannot have two unpromoted pawns on the same file (nifu), you cannot drop a pawn or lance on the last rank or a knight on the last two ranks, and a pawn drop that immediately checkmates is illegal (uchifuzume).

How do you win a game of shogi?

You win by checkmating your opponent's King - putting it under attack with no legal escape. In shogi, if a player has no legal moves at all they lose, even if they are not in check. Draws are extremely rare because captured pieces re-enter play, but the same position repeated four times is a loss for the repeating side.

What is the difference between shogi and chess?

Shogi uses a 9x9 board (vs 8x8), each side has 20 pieces (vs 16), and the biggest difference is drops: captured pieces become yours and can be returned to the board, so shogi games almost never end in a draw. Shogi also has a promotion zone rather than a fixed pawn-promotion rank, and pieces are wedge-shaped with Japanese kanji.

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How to Play Shogi (Japanese Chess)

Shogi (将棋, "general's game") is Japanese chess, played on a 9×9 board with 20 pieces per side. Sente (you, bottom) moves first. The goal is to checkmate the opponent's King. Unlike Western chess, captured pieces switch sides and can be dropped back onto the board — so games rarely end in draws.

The 8 Shogi Pieces and How They Move

King 玉王 — moves 1 square in any of the 8 directions.
Rook 飛 — slides any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
Bishop 角 — slides any number of squares diagonally.
Gold General 金 — 1 square in 6 directions: forward, the two forward diagonals, sideways, and straight back (not back-diagonals).
Silver General 銀 — 1 square in 5 directions: forward and all four diagonals (not straight back).
Knight 桂 — jumps 2 squares forward + 1 sideways (only the two forward-L squares); may leap over pieces.
Lance 香 — slides any number of squares straight forward only.
Pawn 歩 — 1 square straight forward.

Promotion Zone

The farthest 3 ranks are your promotion zone. When a piece moves into, within, or out of this zone you may promote it (except Kings and Golds). Promoted pawns, lances, knights, and silvers all move like a Gold. A promoted rook (龍 Dragon King) gains one-square diagonals; a promoted bishop (馬 Dragon Horse) gains one-square orthogonals. Pawns and lances reaching the last rank must promote; knights must promote on the last two ranks.

Drops — Shogi's Signature Rule

When you capture an enemy piece it joins your hand (komadai). On your turn you may either move a board piece or drop one captured piece onto any empty square. Restrictions: no two unpromoted pawns on the same file (nifu); you cannot drop a pawn/lance on the last rank or a knight on the last two ranks; and a pawn drop that gives immediate checkmate is illegal (uchifuzume).

Check, Checkmate & Winning

When your King is attacked it is in check — you must immediately escape check by moving the king, blocking, or capturing the attacker. If there is no legal escape, it is checkmate and you lose. In shogi, having no legal move at all (even when not in check) is also a loss. The same position repeated four times ends the game as a loss for the repeating side.