Beginner path
Learn Shogi before playing a match
Move pieces, check legal moves, and proceed to Start Match, all on the same screen.
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Practice
Live play
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.
Beginner
Back to Learning Home
Basics Tutorial
The ultimate goal is to “Capture the Opposing King”. Check the flow of alternating moves, captures, dropping held pieces, promotion, and checkmating the king as you play it out.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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4
Promote in Enemy Territory
When a move enters enemy territory, you may choose whether to promote. Here, promote the silver so that it moves like a gold.
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5
Checkmate the King
The ultimate goal in shogi is to checkmate the opponent's king. Drop a gold to remove the king's escape squares.
5Step practice
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Move pieces while reading the instructions
Select a step on the left to highlight the piece to move and its destination on the board.
Promote?
When a move enters the opponent's camp, you can choose whether to promote.
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After moving the piece, review the result before selecting “Next.”