Shogi

The Japanese Game of Strategy

Instruction Manual

The Elephant Chess Club

www.ElephantChess.com

Copyright 1997

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Introduction Shogi is a game of strategy in which two kings lead

their armies in battle against each other with the

ultimate goal of capturing, or checkmating, the

opposing king. Shogi is unique from other chess

variants in that captured pieces can be re-played,

and that most pieces can undergo promotion upon

entering, or moving within or from the opposing

territory. These additional dimensions of play result

in a volatile and exciting game in which the tide can

turn with a single move. This game is now available

in an international version in which pieces are

identified using symbols and colors. These

redesigned pieces are represented in this

instruction manual in black and white (Figure 1).

Six of the shogi playing pieces can promote. In this

black and white instruction manual, promotion is

indicated by a reversal of colors. Promotion is

indicated on the actual pieces by the addition of the

color red. 1

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The Playing Board Pieces are placed and move within the 81 rectangles

of the board. By convention, the pieces which start on

the bottom are referred to as Blacks pieces, and the pieces which start on the top are referred to as Whites pieces. Actually, the pieces themselves are

distinguishable only by the way they point, Whites pieces facing down and Blacks pieces facing up. The top three horizontal rows are referred to as Whites camp; this is the promotion zone for Blacks pieces. Once any of Blacks promotable pieces (lance, rook, bishop, knight, pawn and silver general) have moved

into, within, or from this promotion zone, Black has

the option of promoting that piece on that move.

Dropped pieces are always placed in an unpromoted

state. The bottom three horizontal rows are referred

to as Blacks camp, and this is the promotion zone for Whites pieces. Once any of Whites promotable pieces (lance, rook, bishop, knight, pawn and silver

general) have moved into, within, or from this

promotion zone, White has the option of promoting

that piece on that move. There are 4 dots printed near

the center of shogi boards as a memory aid for

dividing up the board into sections. The initial set-up

of the playing pieces is shown below. 3

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Movements of the pieces

The King

The king can move one square per turn in any

direction, but cant move into check (any space which is under attack by opponents pieces). A player whose king is placed in check must extricate the king

from check by moving the king, blocking the attack,

or capturing the attacking piece.

The Pawn

The pawn moves one square forward per move. The

pawn of shogi captures pieces directly in front of it.

A player has the option of promoting a pawn to a

gold general on a move in which the pawn has

completed all or part of a move beyond the promotion

line (moved into, within, or from the promotion zone).

This promoted pawn now has the power to move as a

gold general. The pawn must be promoted after

having reached the furthest row as otherwise it would

be unable to move on a subsequent move.

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The Gold General

The gold general can also move one square per

move, to either of the 3 squares in front (directly in

front, or diagonally in front), to either of the two

squares directly to the sides, or directly behind. The

gold general and the king are the only pieces which do

not have the option of promotion after having moved

within the opposing players territory.

The Silver General

The silver general can also move one square per

move, to either of the 3 squares in front (directly in

front, or diagonally in front), or to either of the two

rear diagonal squares. A player has the option of

promoting the silver general to a gold general after

having completed all or part of its move behind the

promotion line.

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The Knight

The knight moves in a similar fashion to the knight

of western chess with the exception that it can move

forward only. That is, the knight moves one square

straight forward and then one forward diagonally out.

The knight is the only piece which can jump over

another piece. A player has the option of promoting

the knight to a gold general upon completion of a

move in which the knight has completed all or part of

a move beyond the promotion line.

The Lance

The lance can move forward freely along an

unobstructed path (up to and including the first

square encountered which is occupied by an opposing

piece) as many squares per move as desired. A player

has the option of promoting the lance to a gold

general upon completing a move in which the lance

has completed all or part of a move beyond the

promotion line.

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The Rook

The rook of shogi moves in a similar fashion to the

rook of western chess.

The rook can move freely as many squares as desired

per move along an unobstructed path (up to and

including the first square encountered which is

occupied by an opposing piece) either forward,

backward, or horizontally.

Upon completion of a move in which the rook makes

all or part of its move behind the promotion line, a

player has the option of promoting the rook into a

promoted rook.

In the diagram below, Blacks rook has been promoted. This promoted rook (upper right of

diagram) retains the powers of a rook and in addition

can move diagonally one square per move. That is, it

can move both as a rook and as a king.

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The Bishop The bishop moves similarly to the bishop of

international chess.

This bishop can move freely as many squares per

move as desired along an unobstructed diagonal path

(up to and including the first square encountered

which is occupied by an opposing piece). Upon

completing a move in which the bishop makes all or

part of its move behind the promotion line, a player

has the option of promoting the bishop to a promoted

bishop. In the diagram below, Whites bishop has been promoted.

This promoted bishop (lower left of diagram) retains

the powers of the bishop and in addition has the

option of moving one square either forward, backward

or to the sides. That is, the promoted bishop can

move both as a bishop and as a king.

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Capturing Pieces

All pieces capture in the same way they move. If a piece

moves to a square which is occupied by an opposing

piece, the opposing piece is removed from play and

replaced by the capturing piece. This captured piece can

later be re-played by the player who captured it. A player

can move their piece to an unoccupied square or to a

square which is occupied by an opposing piece, but cannot

move their piece to a square occupied by its own piece,

nor can a piece, with the sole exception of the knight,

jump over any piece.

Playing Captured Pieces A player has the option, instead of moving a piece already

on the board, of re-playing one of the pieces which they

captured onto any vacant square bearing in mind the

following exceptions:

1) A player cannot re-play a pawn into a (vertical)

column in which that player already has an unpromoted

pawn.

2) A player cannot re-play a pawn if the re-played pawn

would checkmate the opposing king on that move.

3) It is not allowable to re-play a piece onto a square in

which it would be unable to move.

When a piece is re-played, it must be placed on the board

in its unpromoted state, even if placed beyond the

promotion line. A player would have the option of

promoting that piece on a subsequent move.

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Promotion

When a player moves his piece into, within, or from the

opposing camp, he has the option of promoting that piece on

that move. A player, after having promoted a piece, cannot

reverse the promotion. Promotion is indicated by turning a

piece over immediately upon completion of a promotion-

qualifying move. Players must promote pieces which would be

unable to move otherwise. The option to promote any piece is

at the time when the move is completed and must be made

prior to a move in which the piece uses the promoted powers.

The promoted state of a piece is indicated by the addition of the

color red to the design of the piece. A piece whose promotion

is optional must be promoted prior to the move in which it uses

its promoted powers.

Checkmate A player wins when the opposing king cannot

extricate itself from check and would therefore be captured on

the next move.

Recommended for further reading

Shogi, Japans Game of Strategy by Trevor Leggett, Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland, VT, USA, & 2-6 Suido 1-chome,

Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112 Japan

The Art of Shogi by Tony Hosking of the The Shogi

Foundation

Shogi, How to Play by John Fairburn, The Shogi Association 16

Lets look at the figure on the opposite page (Figure 8) and we will find some examples which will illustrate play, promotion of pieces,

and dropping captured pieces on the board. The pieces at the side of

the board have been captured and are now reserve pieces which can therefore be played. Whites pieces are on top facing down, Blacks pieces are on the bottom facing up. If it is Blacks turn, Black could place White in check by:

1) moving the bishop from f3 to d1, capturing Whites pawn. The bishop is protected from capture by the king because of the position

of Blacks lance on i1. or...

2) moving the bishop to e4. White could block this attack by

advancing its silver general from c3 to d3 or moving the king to b3.

or...

3) dropping the reserve knight to either e1 or e3. (If dropped to e1,

Blacks knight could be captured by Whites pawn on d1).

Lets say that Black places White in check by moving the bishop to e4. White could move its king to b3 to escape from check. If White

moved its king to b3, Black could again check Whites king by dropping its reserve rook to anywhere along the b-file. The rook,

even if dropped into its promotion zone, would initially be dropped

down in its unpromoted state. If Black places the rook on b5,

Whites king (on b3) would be in check. White could protect its king by moving to a2, a3, or a4 or by blocking the attack by

dropping in any of its reserve pieces onto a4. When Black later

decides to move the rook which was just dropped onto the board,

Black will have the option of promoting the rook.

Lets look again at the figure and assume that it is Whites turn to play. White would be able to check Blacks king by:

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1) capturing Blacks gold general at g7 using either the rook at d7 or the knight at e8. By doing this, either piece could be

promoted, the rook to a promoted rook, and the knight to a gold

general. The knight would need to be promoted in order to

place the king in check.

If White captures Blacks gold general at g7 using the rook, Whites rook can undergo promotion which would force Blacks king to f5.

Figure 8

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