Japanese shogi
Author: s | 2025-04-23
A Japanese Version of Chess You Should Know. Shogi – Japanese Chess is the popular Shogi game for Windows. Shogi means Japanese chess, which is a popular Japanese game. The Softonic review. Japanese Chess Shogi Champions Review. Japanese Chess, also known as Shogi, is a popular board game in Japan.The Japanese Chess Shogi Champions
Shogi, Japanese Shogi, Japanese Chess, Magnetic
And even strong support for Chu Shogi from some professional Shogi players failed to revive it to its former glory. In the 1970s and 1980s, an Englishman called George Hodges collaborated with Japanese Shogi scholars to bring Chu Shogi, Dai Shogi, and many other Shogi variants to Western audiences. George Hodges is largely responsible for popularising these games in the West, and he even produced physical sets for large Shogi variants all the way up to the gigantic Tai Shogi. Unfortunately George died in 2010, but his widow Angela Hodges continues producing his Shogi variant sets to this day.The rules I’ll be presenting here are the rules used by the Japanese Chu Shogi Association, the Chu Shogi Renmei. While these differ in some respects from the rules generally used in the West, particularly in the promotion rules and King-baring rules, the textual evidence we have such as Chu Shogi checkmate puzzles indicates that the Chu Shogi Renmei rules are the same ones used in medieval Japan. For that reason I encourage you to use these rules, as they seem to be historically correct and also have less ambiguity in certain board situations.The RulesAt the beginning of a Chu Shogi game, each player starts with 46 pieces of 21 different types. The initial board position looks like this:Diagram 1: Chu Shogi initial positionJust for clarity, for the rest of this post I’ll refer to the two sides as Black and White — Black on the bottom of the board heading up,
Shogi, Japanese Shogi, Japanese Chess, Magnetic Board Shogi Chess
Learn and master the fascinating game of Japanese Chess or "Shogi" with this expert guide and Chess set. Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi is the ultimate strategy guidebook for players of any skill level to improve their game and winning strategies. Played by millions around the world, Shogi is the uniquely Japanese variant of chess. It is the only version in which an opponent's captured piece can be dropped back onto the board as one's own. This makes for extremely exciting, dynamic gameplay in which momentum can quickly shift back and forth between players. Trevor Legett, expert player and longtime resident of Japan, gives you all the information you need to play the game, form its basic rules to winning tactics.Also included in this book are: Sample game and commentary Discussion of various opening strategies and game positions Explanation of how to read a Japanese score Fold-out Shogi board Sturdy paper playing piecesJapanese Chess features everything you need to get started playing this challenging and fun game!Experience Japanese Shogi in Kyoto Japanese Shogi Experience
You can download the WinBoard Shogi Variants Package, which includes HaChu, a computer engine designed specifically to play Chu Shogi (it also plays a mean game of Sho Shogi and Dai Shogi). Apparently HaChu can play a pretty great game of Tenjiku Shogi nowadays too, although this version is not yet released — when it is, you’ll want to download WinBoard Alien Edition to play the larger Shogi variants.Anyway, please pick one of those options and give Chu Shogi a go — it may take a game or two to sink in, but if nothing else I’m sure you’ll understand how this game managed to survive for 600 years, even in the face of the massive popularity of modern Shogi. You may even find it becomes an all-time favourite, as it has for me.Even better, once you learn Chu Shogi you can easily pick up the larger Shogi variants — you could learn Dai Shogi in a few minutes, and Tenjiku Shogi in an afternoon. I’ll be covering both these games in later posts, too, including a little piece on why Dai Shogi is more than just Chu Shogi’s older, slower big brother. Tenjiku will speak for itself — that game is like nothing else out there and has a deservedly strong reputation.In future instalments of this Chu Shogi series I’ll cover more detailed tips for Chu Shogi, including building castles for defense and developing checkmating attacks. I’ll also fully annotate a game of Chu Shogi, talking through the moves. A Japanese Version of Chess You Should Know. Shogi – Japanese Chess is the popular Shogi game for Windows. Shogi means Japanese chess, which is a popular Japanese game. The Softonic review. Japanese Chess Shogi Champions Review. Japanese Chess, also known as Shogi, is a popular board game in Japan.The Japanese Chess Shogi ChampionsShogi Shogi (Japanese Chess) playstrategy.org
Then I’ll describe the rules in detail, then I’ll show off the moves of all the pieces, and finally I’ll offer some basic tips for new players. Note that given the detailed kanji characters on the pieces and the complexity of some of the diagrams below, I’ve made this post so that each image links directly to a much larger version — please do click through to the larger images if any of the diagrams look a bit cramped on your device.What is Chu Shogi?Back in the 14th and 15th centuries, before modern Shogi existed, the Japanese were playing not just one, but three main variations of Shogi: Sho Shogi, Chu Shogi and Dai Shogi. These names mean, respectively, Small Shogi, Middle Shogi, and Large Shogi, and refer to the different board sizes used by each game: Sho Shogi is the direct predecessor to modern Shogi and is played on a 9×9 board; Chu Shogi uses a 12×12 board; and Dai Shogi is played on a 15×15 board. There were many other Shogi variants being developed in Japan around this time, but these three games were by far the most popular.Chu Shogi is one of the most popular variants of Shogi played today, chiefly because of its finely balanced armies and the dominating presence of the Lion, a spectacularly powerful piece that shapes the entire game. A game of Chu Shogi is substantially more strategically and tactically complex than the smaller Chess-type games we’re used to, and offers the dedicatedJapanese Shogi Notation – Shogi, 将棋, and Japanese Chess
As some of you out there already know, I’m a huge fan of Shogi, the Japanese version of Chess, and its many variants. Shogi is a dynamic, attacking game enjoyed by millions of players around the world, and in my view is the most exciting of the major Chess variants played today. Chu Shogi is my favourite of the many larger variants of Shogi, and in my estimation is the best-designed game of the lot. I hope that by the end of this very long post you might be inspired to give this unique and fascinating game a try.I have to admit that, as much as I love Chu Shogi, it is substantially more difficult to learn than modern Shogi or Chess. The board is large — 144 squares, as compared to 64 in Chess or 81 in modern Shogi — and each player starts with 46 pieces in their army. In Chess you need to learn the moves of six different types of pieces, whereas in Chu Shogi there are 28 different moves to remember!However, once you get a game or two under your belt, all that complexity will melt away — you’ll be surprised how quickly the rules will become second nature. In this post I’m aiming to help you on that journey, by providing a complete reference to all the rules and piece movements you need to know to get started with this fantastic game.I’ll start first with a brief look at the origins of the game,Is Shogi Japanese chess? - The Way Of Tori Shogi
Board, promoted pieces, and the movement powers of the pieces: Thanks to this book we know that Chu Shogi existed in essentially its current form all the way back in 1443, and possibly significantly earlier. There are two other Edo-era sources, the Sho Shogi Zushiki and Shogi Zushiki from the late 17th century, which also describe the rules of Chu Shogi and numerous other variations of Shogi. In most cases they agree on the rules, but some of the very large games have some inconsistencies across these three volumes — more on that when I cover those games in future posts.Regardless of some of the inconsistencies here and there, Shogi historians generally agree that Chu Shogi was a reduced form of Dai Shogi, which may have been the first large Shogi game or itself derived from larger games. Chu Shogi was then reduced further to Sho Shogi on the 9×9 board, and in the 16th century the drop rule was introduced, giving rise to the modern form of Shogi. Subsequently this rejuvenated version of Sho Shogi became by far the most popular form of the game. Prior to that, Dai Shogi was considered the most prestigious form of Shogi, followed by Chu Shogi, whereas Sho Shogi was thought to be a short and easy game more suitable for children (!).After modern Shogi took over, Chu Shogi still remained mildly popular all the way into the 20th century. Unfortunately the game suffered a significant drop in popularity following World War II,. A Japanese Version of Chess You Should Know. Shogi – Japanese Chess is the popular Shogi game for Windows. Shogi means Japanese chess, which is a popular Japanese game. TheComments
And even strong support for Chu Shogi from some professional Shogi players failed to revive it to its former glory. In the 1970s and 1980s, an Englishman called George Hodges collaborated with Japanese Shogi scholars to bring Chu Shogi, Dai Shogi, and many other Shogi variants to Western audiences. George Hodges is largely responsible for popularising these games in the West, and he even produced physical sets for large Shogi variants all the way up to the gigantic Tai Shogi. Unfortunately George died in 2010, but his widow Angela Hodges continues producing his Shogi variant sets to this day.The rules I’ll be presenting here are the rules used by the Japanese Chu Shogi Association, the Chu Shogi Renmei. While these differ in some respects from the rules generally used in the West, particularly in the promotion rules and King-baring rules, the textual evidence we have such as Chu Shogi checkmate puzzles indicates that the Chu Shogi Renmei rules are the same ones used in medieval Japan. For that reason I encourage you to use these rules, as they seem to be historically correct and also have less ambiguity in certain board situations.The RulesAt the beginning of a Chu Shogi game, each player starts with 46 pieces of 21 different types. The initial board position looks like this:Diagram 1: Chu Shogi initial positionJust for clarity, for the rest of this post I’ll refer to the two sides as Black and White — Black on the bottom of the board heading up,
2025-04-05Learn and master the fascinating game of Japanese Chess or "Shogi" with this expert guide and Chess set. Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi is the ultimate strategy guidebook for players of any skill level to improve their game and winning strategies. Played by millions around the world, Shogi is the uniquely Japanese variant of chess. It is the only version in which an opponent's captured piece can be dropped back onto the board as one's own. This makes for extremely exciting, dynamic gameplay in which momentum can quickly shift back and forth between players. Trevor Legett, expert player and longtime resident of Japan, gives you all the information you need to play the game, form its basic rules to winning tactics.Also included in this book are: Sample game and commentary Discussion of various opening strategies and game positions Explanation of how to read a Japanese score Fold-out Shogi board Sturdy paper playing piecesJapanese Chess features everything you need to get started playing this challenging and fun game!
2025-04-19Then I’ll describe the rules in detail, then I’ll show off the moves of all the pieces, and finally I’ll offer some basic tips for new players. Note that given the detailed kanji characters on the pieces and the complexity of some of the diagrams below, I’ve made this post so that each image links directly to a much larger version — please do click through to the larger images if any of the diagrams look a bit cramped on your device.What is Chu Shogi?Back in the 14th and 15th centuries, before modern Shogi existed, the Japanese were playing not just one, but three main variations of Shogi: Sho Shogi, Chu Shogi and Dai Shogi. These names mean, respectively, Small Shogi, Middle Shogi, and Large Shogi, and refer to the different board sizes used by each game: Sho Shogi is the direct predecessor to modern Shogi and is played on a 9×9 board; Chu Shogi uses a 12×12 board; and Dai Shogi is played on a 15×15 board. There were many other Shogi variants being developed in Japan around this time, but these three games were by far the most popular.Chu Shogi is one of the most popular variants of Shogi played today, chiefly because of its finely balanced armies and the dominating presence of the Lion, a spectacularly powerful piece that shapes the entire game. A game of Chu Shogi is substantially more strategically and tactically complex than the smaller Chess-type games we’re used to, and offers the dedicated
2025-04-11As some of you out there already know, I’m a huge fan of Shogi, the Japanese version of Chess, and its many variants. Shogi is a dynamic, attacking game enjoyed by millions of players around the world, and in my view is the most exciting of the major Chess variants played today. Chu Shogi is my favourite of the many larger variants of Shogi, and in my estimation is the best-designed game of the lot. I hope that by the end of this very long post you might be inspired to give this unique and fascinating game a try.I have to admit that, as much as I love Chu Shogi, it is substantially more difficult to learn than modern Shogi or Chess. The board is large — 144 squares, as compared to 64 in Chess or 81 in modern Shogi — and each player starts with 46 pieces in their army. In Chess you need to learn the moves of six different types of pieces, whereas in Chu Shogi there are 28 different moves to remember!However, once you get a game or two under your belt, all that complexity will melt away — you’ll be surprised how quickly the rules will become second nature. In this post I’m aiming to help you on that journey, by providing a complete reference to all the rules and piece movements you need to know to get started with this fantastic game.I’ll start first with a brief look at the origins of the game,
2025-04-20China and to a lesser degree have always catered to the Western market in fahsioneing chess sets - both countries have quite ancient versions of chess themselves, Chiangqi in China and Shogi in Japan. The figurative ivory and bone sets made until quite recently in Canton and Hongkong - or in Japanese workshops - all are figurative and represent either traditional society - or at least the images Western clients are supposed to have. Apart from these expensive bibelot carvings, leser chess et have been carved in jade, wood, stone, soapstone and even bamboo...chiangqi and shogi sets are usually not very showy - their main distinction are the carefully fashioned identifying ideograms, reflecting the huge importance of this script in in Eastern society. Guam daimyos Simply and roughly carved wood set depicting feudal Japanese society - the daimyo, his lady, the buddhist priest - and the low caste dragging a heavy burden! These sets seem to have been a simple post-war tourist item, mainly for the US soldiers stationed in Japan and adjacent areas - this set was bought by a US tar in the Island of Guam. Not the least interesting fact are the wooden blocks inside the folding board, minutely taylored to keep every figurine in its place! Almost a metapher of the rigid caste system in feudal traditional Japanese society...with hardly any vertical movement possible....every piece/man in its allotted slot
2025-04-03A strong defensive castle structure — to be covered in the next article — a few sacrificed pieces can open up holes in that structure that your Lion can exploit. In your hunger for victory, just be careful not to leave your Lion too exposed, or your opponent may harass it away or even capture it!Take advantage of strong promotions. If you’ve managed to keep your Phoenix and Kirin alive, now’s the time to bring them forward! They move a bit awkwardly, but they promote to Free King and Lion, and having extras of those pieces is always extremely useful. You may also have Horned Falcons and Soaring Eagles or other strong pieces available through promotions, which can do severe damage to your opponent’s remaining defences.With these basic tips in mind, you should be able to get a handle on the general flow of a Chu Shogi battle once you have a few games under your belt. There’s some good information out there online if you want to take your game further — get in touch with Angela Hodges to buy PDF copies of the Middle Shogi Manual and the back issues of Shogi Magazine, which contain a series of useful articles on the game by R. Wayne Schmittberger. Even if you can’t read Japanese, Google Translating the Chu Shogi Renmei website may be useful — there are a number of instructive articles there, as well as checkmate puzzles and complete game records for both historical and recent high-level matches.Why
2025-04-06