Shogi

Shogi

A game of shogi (Fortress opening)
Genre(s)	Board game Abstract strategy game Mind sport
Players	2
Setup time	< 2 minutes
Playing time	30 mins. to 2 hours (typically)
Random chance	None
Random chance	None
Skill(s) required	Strategy, tactics
Synonym(s)	Japanese chess Game of Generals

Shogi (将棋, shōgi, generals' chess) is also known as Japanese chess. It is a two-player board game in the same family as International chess, and Chinese Xiangqi. Shogi is the most popular of a family of chess variants, and is native to Japan. Shōgi means general's (shō) boardgame (gi). In early years, however, shogi was written 象棋 (the same as Xiangqi, "elephant chess").

The earliest predecessors of the game, chaturanga, originated in India in the 6th century AD, and spread from China to Japan, where it spawned a number of variants. Shogi in its present form was played as early as the 16th century, while a direct ancestor without the "drop rule" was recorded from 1210 in a historical document Nichūreki, which is an edited copy of Shōchūreki and Kaichūreki from the late Heian period (~1120).

According to ChessVariants.com, "Perhaps the enduring popularity of Shogi can be attributed to its 'drop rule'; it was the first chess variant wherein captured pieces could be returned to the board to be used as one's own. This has the consequence that few games are drawn, which is a weakness of international chess. David Pritchard credits the drop rule to the practice of 16th century mercenaries (ronin) who switched loyalties when captured—no doubt as an alternative to execution".

Pieces

• King

• Gold General

• Silver General

• Knight

• Lance

• Rook

• Bishop

• Pawn

Movement

Normal Pieces

King: Moves 1 square in any direction

Gold General: Moves 1 square in any direction except diagonally backwards

Silver General: Moves 1 square diagonally in any direction plus 1 square forward

Knight: Moves 1 square forward and 1 square diagonally forward

Lance: Moves any number of squares forwards

Rook: Moves any number of squares orthogonally

Bishop: Moves any number of squares diagonally

Pawn: Moves 1 square forward.

Promoted Pieces

Promoted Silver General, Knight, Lance, Pawn: Moves as a Gold General

Promoted Rook: Moves the same as the demoted Rook, but it can move 1 square diagonally

Promoted Bishop: Moves the same as the demoted Bishop, but it can move 1 square orthogonally

Famous players

• Hiroe Nakai, Ichiyo Shimizu, Kana Satomi - One of the strongest women shogi players in Japan

Related pages

• History of chess