About Shogi
Shogi plays on a 9×9 board, but captures do more than remove an opponent’s piece: the piece joins your hand unpromoted and can return on a later turn. Promotions and drops create defensive resources and sudden mating threats. Play three computer difficulties or a shared-device match. Japanese characters are paired with reference letters, while native hints, move history and undo support learning. Local continuation restores the position, pieces in hand and recent undo history after a reload.
How to play
Sente moves first. Select a board piece or a piece in hand, then a highlighted destination. Eligible moves into, within or out of the opposing camp offer promotion. Promotion is compulsory when a piece would otherwise have no future move. Hint marks one legal suggestion; Undo revisits moves in an unfinished game.
Rules in this version
- Checkmate wins. The opponent’s final three ranks form the promotion zone.
- Captured pieces join the capturer’s hand unpromoted. Dropping one onto an empty square uses a turn.
- A pawn cannot be dropped onto a file containing another friendly unpromoted pawn, or dropped to deliver immediate mate.
- Pawns, lances and knights cannot be dropped onto dead ranks. Pawns and lances must promote on the final rank; knights on either final rank.
- Four occurrences of the same position and turn draw unless caused by continuous checking, which forfeits. Entering-king declaration requires its qualifying pieces and points: 28 for Sente, 27 for Gote.
Tips for playing
- Include pieces in hand when counting threats. A drop can block a long-range attack or create a check close to the king.
- Promotion changes a minor piece’s movement. Consider its useful destinations before accepting it.
Questions about this game
Can captured pieces be used again?
Yes. They join the capturer’s hand without promotion and can be dropped on a later turn under the legal-drop restrictions.
Does Shogi save across devices?
This edition continues games locally in the current browser. It has no Shogi cloud-save adapter.
Game screenshots
