english
Japanese chess
Shogi is a strategic board game for two players.
Sittuyin, Makruk, Xiangqi, Janggi, Shogi, and Chess all share common origins in the ancient Indian game of Chaturanga.
Shogi, which means Game of Generals, is more commonly referred to as Japanese Chess.
In-depth Analysis:
History of Shogi
english
Shogi Board
The game is played on a board called a Shogiban.
The board is rectangular in shape, though it is often represented as square.
The Shogiban is divided into 81 squares (9*9=81). The squares are delineated by lines without filled colors.
pezzi • pieces
駒
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Pieces
At the beginning of the game, each player has twenty pieces (koma) at their disposal.
The pieces are flat, pentagonal in shape, and have no color coding. Pieces are identified by the kanji characters inscribed on them. Reading the kanji is not necessary; it is enough to distinguish them.
The base of the piece indicates its owner, while the tip represents the opponent.
At the start of the game, the pieces are as follows:
1 King (Osho or Gyokusho);
2 Gold Generals (Kinsho);
2 Silver Generals (Ginsho);
2 Knights (Keima);
2 Lances (Kyosha);
1 Rook (Hisha);
1 Bishop (Kakugyo);
9 Pawns (Fuhyo).
It is recommended to use the Japanese terms.
Pieces can be promoted, captured, and reused. These topics will be explored further later on.
Dropping a previously captured piece onto the board is a unique feature of Shogi.
porta pezzi
駒
台
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Komadai
Support for placing captured pieces from the opponent.
Normally, it is placed beside the shogiban, to the right of the player.
It’s not essential; pieces can be placed on the table beside the shogiban.