To win

A player wins a game when they checkmate the opponent’s King. The opponent’s King cannot escape the threat.

Formally, the player in check must admit the opponent’s victory. Admission is the true conclusion of the game.

A player who realizes an impending defeat can admit the opponent’s victory well in advance.

In Shogi, there is no draw. A game without a winner and a loser is null and must be replayed.

The rules of Shogi are strict. A player who does not follow the rules loses the game.

The game is lost for an illegal move:

Two Fuhyo of the same player in the same column.
An unauthorized drop.
A wrong move.

Perpetual check is not allowed beyond the fourth repetition. The attacker loses the game.

The game is lost if the King is left in check. The opponent does not need to announce the threat.

The game is null if the same position is repeated for four consecutive moves.

Impasse

Some games can last a long time. The two players might think they cannot checkmate the opponent. There are some conditions that allow awarding the victory after a kind of counting.

The conditions are:

Entering Kings (when both Kings are in the promotion areas).
The Kings are not in check.
Players agree on the piece count.
There is the possibility of a count upon a single player’s request.
Pieces are counted only with their base value.
Pieces are counted on the Shogiban and in the Komadai.
Hisha and Kakugyo are worth 5 points each.
Osho and Gyokusho are not counted.
All other pieces are worth 1 point each.
The player with fewer than 24 points loses the game.
The game is null if players have at least 24 points.