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
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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
Practical tutorial
The ultimate goal is to “Avoid violations and adopt a strategy of enclosure and attack.”. From the judgment of checks and illegal moves, to representative fighting styles, enclosures, and close-up tactics and their responses.
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1
Answer Check by Moving Away, Capturing, or Interposing
A check must always be answered. The three basic options are moving the king to a safe square, capturing the checking piece, or interposing against a rook, bishop, or lance. Here, drop a gold on ５八（5h） to block the check.
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2
Distinguish Mate, Mating Threats, and Hisshi
Mate means a check cannot be answered, a mating threat aims to mate on the next move, and hisshi means the opponent cannot defend against that threat. Promote the bishop to remove an escape square first and create a hisshi.
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3
Avoiding double pawn
Nifu—having two unpromoted pawns on the same file—is illegal. A promoted pawn, or tokin, does not count. Avoid the fifth file and drop the pawn on the fourth file.
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4
Avoid Pawn-Drop Mate and Pieces with No Legal Move
Uchifuzume—delivering immediate checkmate by dropping a pawn—is illegal. You also may not drop a pawn, lance, or knight on a rank from which it would have no legal move. Use a gold instead of a pawn in this position.
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5
Learn About Tesuji, Openings, and Castles
A tesuji is a technique useful in many positions, an opening is a studied early-game sequence, and a castle is a piece formation that protects the king. Here, learn what these terms mean before studying individual strategies and castle shapes.
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6
Think about attack and defense together
Attack in the endgame means bringing the opposing king closer to mate, while defense means stopping the opponent's threats and checks. A bishop capture on ９五（9e） that takes a checking rook and creates a horse gives you both defense and counterattack.
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7
Learn the Ideas Behind Common Opening Lines
Yagura, Bishop Exchange, Double Wing Attack, and Side Pawn Picker are major Static Rook openings; Fourth-File Rook, Third-File Rook, and Central Rook are major Ranging Rook openings. Rather than memorizing sequences, compare the bishop diagonals, rook placement, and king safety.
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8
Identify Castle Structures and Their Weak Points
A castle is a defensive structure of gold and silver generals around the king. Consider not only its solidity, but also how many moves it takes to complete, how it fits your attack, and vulnerable points such as the edge, the king's head, and diagonals.
6Step 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.”