Shogi
Shogi is a two-player strategy game from Japan. The goal is to capture the opponent king. Captured pieces can be reused, and some pieces can be promoted when they reach the enemy camp.
Squares on the board
Pieces per side at start
Different piece types
How It Works
The two players are called Sente (plays first) and Gote (plays second). Players take turns moving one piece or dropping one from hand.
- 01 Players take turns. Sente starts. Each turn has one move: move a piece or drop one from your hand.
- 02 Capture: land on an opponent piece to capture it. It goes to your hand (mochigoma).
- 03 Drop: instead of moving, you may place a piece from your hand onto an empty square (with 1 restriction for pawns: only 1 pawn per column).
- 04 Promotion: when a piece enters the last 3 ranks of the opponent camp, you may choose to promote it.
- 05 Check: if your king is attacked (ote), you must get out of danger on that turn.
Piece Movements
Blue squares show reachable squares from the center position. Use the button to view the promoted version when available. All pieces are shown from Sente's perspective.
King Ōshō
Moves one square in any direction. Its capture ends the game.
Rook Hisha
Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
* The Dragon adds one-square diagonal movement.
Bishop Kakugyō
Moves any number of squares diagonally.
* The Dragon Horse adds one-square horizontal or vertical movement.
Gold General Kinshō
Moves one square forward, backward, left, right, or diagonally forward. Cannot promote.
Silver General Ginshō
Moves one square diagonally or straight forward.
* When promoted, it moves like a Gold General.
Knight Keima
Jumps in an L-shape forward only: two forward and one sideways.
* When promoted, it moves like a Gold General.
Lance Kyōsha
Moves any number of squares forward only. It cannot move backward.
* When promoted, it moves like a Gold General.
Pawn Fuhyō
Moves and captures one square forward.
* Tokin moves like a Gold General.
How To Win
The game ends when a player checkmates the opponent king (tsumi): a check with no legal escape.
Ote - Check
When your king is threatened, you must defend it this turn: move the king, block the line, or capture the attacking piece.
Tsumi - Checkmate
If the king is in check and no legal move can save it, the game is over.
Sennichite - Draw
If the same position appears four times with identical hands, the game is a draw, except in repeated-check situations by one player.
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