King
The king moves one square in any direction, without moving onto an attacked square.
Shogi
Captured pieces change sides and can return to the board. On a 9 × 9 board, most pieces can promote in enemy territory.
No one is playing yet0 waiting rooms
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.
Read the full guide
Board setup, special rules and winning conditions for Shogi.
Drop captured pieces from your hand. Never drop a second unpromoted pawn on the same file, or a pawn that immediately checkmates.
A quick guide to Shogi
Read the Shogi rulesWhat is Shogi?
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.
Can you drop a pawn to give checkmate in Shogi?
No. A pawn dropped from your hand may not give immediate checkmate (uchifuzume), so ChessPlayX never offers that drop. Moving a pawn already on the board to checkmate is legal, and so is dropping any other piece to mate. You also cannot drop a second unpromoted pawn on a file.
Is sennichite (fourfold repetition) a draw in Shogi?
On ChessPlayX, yes: the fourth occurrence of the same board, pieces in hand and side to move is recorded as a draw. Japan Shogi Association rules would instead replay the game with colours reversed. If every move of one player in the repetition was a check, that player loses.
How do you win by entering king in Shogi?
On your turn, declare when your king is in the enemy camp and not in check, at least ten other pieces of yours are there, and those pieces plus your hand score 28 points as Sente or 27 as Gote. Rook and bishop count five, other pieces one. This is the 27-point rule of some amateur tournaments.
How can I play with a friend?
Share one device for a local game, or choose the friend option above to create an online room and send its invitation. Online games need an internet connection. Local games are saved in this browser.
Play Shogi on one deviceWhich rules apply here?
Shogi · JSA move rules, amateur 27-point entering-king declaration. Read the setup, legal moves, special rules and end conditions before starting. The guide describes the variant used on ChessPlayX, including differences from other versions where relevant.
Read the Shogi rulesCan I play against AI?
Choose AI mode to practice at your own pace. Start with a lower difficulty while learning the moves, then increase it when you can spot threats and plan your replies.