Back to top
Learning home
Learn Shogi
Review the goal through a picture story, then work through the chapters you need one at a time.
Shogi goal (What is Shogi?)
A two-player game in which players take turns moving their pieces and capturing opposing pieces, ultimately winning by checkmating the opposing king.
Scene 1
Move one step at a time, alternating turns.
Black and White alternate one move at a time in shogi. Start by learning how it feels to advance a pawn one square.
Scene 2
Capture an Opposing Piece
Move one of your pieces onto an opposing piece to capture it. The captured piece enters your hand in the next step.
Scene 3
Drop a Piece from Your Hand
In shogi, captured pieces become your own pieces and can be reused. Here, drop a pawn from your hand onto the board.
Meet them all
Items: 8
The stars of this game
Explore all 8 pieces, cards, tiles, and adopted roles in order. Pause autoplay or choose any item from the list.
King
The heart of victory and defeat
King / Jeweled General
Skills and characteristicsMoves one square in any direction. Protect it from capture.
Relative strength
5/5
Value varies by position and combination. This is a learning guide only.
1/ 8
King / Jeweled General
Shogi
Beginner
Basics Tutorial
Practice the basic controls right here
Choose a step in the inline tutorial below to review the flow.
Shogi reference
Piece movement quick reference
Move record and board coordinates
Standard human-readable notation
7g7f
Squares are read from the top right, starting at １一.
King / Jeweled General
One square forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally It cannot move to a square controlled by an opponent. The King and Jeweled General move identically. Promotion: No promotionRook
Any number of squares vertically or horizontally It cannot jump over intervening pieces. It is the key piece for attacking distant files and ranks. Promotion: Dragon: Any number of squares vertically or horizontally + one square diagonallyBishop
Any number of squares diagonally It cannot jump over intervening pieces. Open the bishop's diagonal to control distant squares. Promotion: Horse: Any number of squares diagonally + one square vertically or horizontallyGold General
One square forward, backward, or sideways, or diagonally forward A cornerstone of defense. It cannot move to either diagonally backward square. Promotion: No promotionSilver General
One square forward or in any of the four diagonal directions Useful in attack. It cannot move sideways or directly backward. Promotion: Promoted Silver: Moves like a Gold GeneralKnight
Jumps to either of the two squares two ranks forward The only piece that can jump over intervening pieces. It must promote within the last two ranks. Promotion: Promoted Knight: Moves like a Gold GeneralLance
Any number of squares forward It cannot move backward. It must promote on the last rank. Promotion: Promoted Lance: Moves like a Gold GeneralPawn
One square forward It cannot move backward. Nifu—placing two unpromoted pawns on the same file—is prohibited. Promotion: Tokin: Moves like a Gold General
“Forward” means toward the opponent's camp
Checkmate the opposing king to win
Double pawns are prohibited
Pawn-drop mate is prohibited
Pieces with nowhere to move are prohibited
You must respond to check
Moves that expose your own king to check are prohibited
Captured pieces can be dropped from your hand
Some pieces can promote upon entering enemy territory
Repetition occurs when the same position appears four times
Impasse is decided when the kings enter enemy territory
Flow of play and how to win
- Sente and Gote alternate one move at a time. On your turn, either move a piece on the board or drop one from your hand.
- Move onto a square occupied by an opposing piece to capture it, then use it as a piece in hand on a later turn.
- Check means the king could be captured on the next move. You must answer it by moving the king, capturing the checking piece, interposing a piece, or another legal defense.
- Checkmate is a position in which no legal move can answer the check. Checkmate the opposing king to win.
Violations and check
- Double pawns are prohibited: you cannot have two unpromoted pawns on the same file.
- Pawn-drop mate is prohibited: you cannot drop a pawn from hand to deliver immediate checkmate.
- Pieces with nowhere to move are prohibited: you cannot drop or move a pawn or lance unpromoted to the last rank, or a knight unpromoted to either of the last two ranks.
- You must respond to check: move the king, capture the attacker, block the attack, or otherwise resolve it.
- Moves that expose your own king to check are prohibited: you cannot move your king into an opponent's attack.
Promotion and pieces in hand
- Captured pieces become pieces in hand and may be dropped onto an empty square as your own.
- You may promote when a move enters, leaves, or stays within the opponent's three-rank promotion zone.
- A pawn or lance moving to the last rank, or a knight moving to either of the last two ranks, must promote because it would otherwise have no legal next move.
- Promoted Silver, Promoted Knight, Promoted Lance, and Tokin move like a Gold.
Repetition and impasse
- Repetition: when the same position occurs four times, the game is treated as a draw.
- Impasse: when both kings enter enemy territory and are difficult to checkmate, the result is decided by piece points or tournament rules.
Next step
Choose after the tutorialOnce you are comfortable moving pieces, review anything that was unclear or practice your decisions with a short problem.
Learn: Your first three minutes
Quickly review board orientation, piece selection, promotion, and pieces in hand.
Web tutorial
Learn: Piece movement quick reference
Check each piece's movement and violations on one screen whenever you are unsure.
CMS guide
Train: Next move
Practice opening moves, attacking formations, and defenses against check through short puzzles.
Practice before a match
Mastery: Maxims and competitive philosophy
Read about whole-board vision, decisions, attack and defense, the endgame, and competitive spirit in a practical guide.
Reading