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How to play Shogi: rules and setup

Shogi is played by 2 players on a board with 9 × 9 squares. Sente moves first. Win by checkmate or a valid entering-king declaration.

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Quick answer

Shogi is Japanese chess on a 9×9 board, with 20 pieces per side. Captured pieces can return as drops, and many pieces can promote in the opposing camp. Sente moves first. The main objective is to checkmate the opposing king. This guide covers Shogi · JSA move rules, amateur 27-point entering-king declaration. Check the movement, capture and game-ending rules below before applying rules from another variant.

Players
2
Board
9 × 9 squares
First move
Sente moves first.
Pieces per player
20

Ruleset and sources: Shogi · JSA move rules, amateur 27-point entering-king declaration

How is the board set up?

Each side has one king, one rook, one bishop, two golds, two silvers, two knights, two lances and nine pawns. Pawns fill the third rank; the other pieces occupy the back two ranks. Both hands start empty.

How do the pieces move?

  • King

    The king moves one square in any direction, without moving onto an attacked square.

  • Rook

    Move straight; promotion adds a one-square diagonal step.

  • Bishop

    Move diagonally; promotion adds a one-square straight step.

  • Gold & silver

    Gold moves one square in any direction except diagonally backward. Silver moves one square diagonally or straight forward; a promoted silver moves as gold.

  • Knight & lance

    The knight jumps two squares forward and one sideways. The lance slides forward along a clear file. After promotion, either piece moves as gold.

  • Pawn & drops

    The pawn moves and captures one square straight forward; a promoted pawn moves as gold. Captured pieces return unpromoted to the captor's hand and may be dropped on a legal empty square.

Promotion and drops

Promotion is offered when a move touches the final three ranks. It is compulsory when the unpromoted piece would be unable to move again. Select a held piece to choose a legal drop square.

Forbidden drops and finish

Do not drop a second unpromoted pawn on a file, a piece that could never move again, or a pawn that gives immediate checkmate. Sennichite: when the same position (board, pieces in hand and side to move) occurs for the fourth time, ChessPlayX records a draw; Japan Shogi Association (JSA) rules would replay the game with colours reversed. If every move of one player in the repetition was a check, that player loses. Entering king follows the 27-point declaration used in some amateur tournaments: Sente needs 28 points, Gote 27.

When does the game end?

Checkmate or having no legal move loses. On your turn you may also win by entering-king declaration under the 27-point rule used in some amateur tournaments: your king is in the enemy camp and not in check, at least ten other friendly pieces are there, and those pieces plus your pieces in hand score 28 points as Sente or 27 as Gote. Rooks and bishops count five each, other non-king pieces one, regardless of promotion. ChessPlayX offers the declaration only when every condition is met.

What should beginners watch for?

A captured piece in hand is still a threat. Before moving your king, inspect legal drops as well as attacks from pieces already on the board.

Sources and rule verification

Ruleset covered
Shogi · JSA move rules, amateur 27-point entering-king declaration
  1. Japan Shogi Association — Rules
  2. Japan Shogi Association — Entering King

This guide describes play on ChessPlayX. Platform-specific conventions are stated in the relevant sections; tournament administration may differ.

A separate rule-review date is not recorded for this guide. The update date is not a verification date.