Shogi (Concept)

Shogi

CONCEPT

A traditional Japanese board game also known as Japanese chess.

Overview

Shogi, also known by its proper romanization shōgi (or shougi), is a traditional Japanese board game and a variation of the game of chess (to the point that it is sometimes called "Japanese chess"). Loosely translated to "general's game", shogi has two players taking turns moving their military-themed pieces (which are usually flat pentagonal pieces etched with kanji) around the rectangular game board in an effort to capture the opposing player's king. The game is best known for its modern "drop rule", which allows captured pieces to be redeployed as part of the captor's forces (which is likely due to the practice of mercenaries switching loyalties to prevent their execution).

Similar to Western chess and the Chinese board game xiangqi, the earliest known ancestor to shogi is the ancient game chaturanga, which is believed to have originated in 6th century India (Location). It is unknown how the game was brought into Japan, with the earliest documents indicating the game's existence tracing back to the 10th-11th century. Several variations of the game have been invented since its origin, usually affecting the size of the game board and the piece selection. The modern form of shogi (which is simply called "shogi") was standardized in the 16th century and is based on the 9×9 variant sho shogi.

Along with go, standard shogi is one of the most well-known board games throughout Japan, is still tied to traditional Japanese culture, and is played competitively. As with go, mahjong, and hanafuda, the standard form of shogi has received numerous video game adaptations, either as their own separate game (which are mostly Japanese-exclusive) or as part of a board game collection.

Despite a somewhat similar premise and pieces that share the same shape, it is not to be confused with the more-modern gunjin shogi.

Gameplay

The pieces are as follows:

Pawn (fuhyō, 歩兵) - Moves one square forward, similar to chess pawns (although they capture forward, instead of diagonal). They can be promoted (tokin, と金), where they move as if they were a gold general.
Lance (kyōsha, 香車) - Moves any number of squares forward. They can be promoted (narikyō, 成香), where they move as if they were a gold general.
Knight (keima, 桂馬) - Jumps two squares forward and one square to the left or right, similar to chess knights (although they cannot move backwards or towards the sides). They can be promoted (narikei, 成桂), where they move as if they were a gold general.
Silver General (ginshō, 銀将) - Moves one square in any direction, with the exception of directly sideways or directly backward. They can be promoted (narigin, 成銀), where they move as if they were a gold general.
Gold General (kinshō, 金将) - Moves one square in any direction, with the exception of diagonally backward. They cannot be promoted.
Bishop (kakugyō, 角行) - Moves any number of squares diagonally, similar to chess bishops. They can be promoted to a "dragon horse" (ryūma, 竜馬), where they gain the ability to move one square orthogonally.
Rook (hisha, 飛車) - Moves any number of squares in any orthogonal direction, similar to chess rooks. They can be promoted to a "dragon king" (ryūō, 竜王), where they gain the ability to move one square diagonally.
King (ōshō, 王将 / gyokushō, 玉将) - Moves one square in any direction, similar to chess kings. They cannot be promoted, and being captured causes the player to lose. One player is the champion king (ōshō), while the other is the challenger king (gyokushō).

Shogi Variants

Traditional

Tsume Shogi

A puzzle variant, tsume shogi is similar to the "chess problem" in that players are given a board composition and are tasked with capturing the opposing King, solving the puzzle.

Mini Shogi

A small-board variant, mini shogi (also known as gogo shōgi, 5-go shōgi, or minishogi) uses a 5×5 game board and only six pieces per player (one of each of the following: king, rook, bishop, gold general, silver general, and pawn).

It is believed to have been invented (or rediscovered) sometime around 1970, and is notable for its inclusion in the game collection Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics.

Hasami Shogi

Rather than different types of pieces, hasami shogi ("scissors shogi") uses only one type of piece that can be moved any number of empty spaces orthogonally, similar to rooks in standard shogi, and can only be captured when surrounded by two opposing pieces (either by-rank or by-file, or by both when the piece is in a corner). It uses a standard 9×9 game board, gives each player a row of nine pieces, and tasks players with capturing all but one of the opposing player's pieces.

A variation, known as dai hasami shogi, instead gives players two rows of nine pieces each and tasks players with forming an uninterrupted orthogonal line of five pieces outside of their starting area. This version allows players to jump a piece over another.

Its origin are unknown, although it shares some of its rules with the Roman game latrunculi and the Egyptian game Seega. The standard version of hasami shogi is notable for its inclusion in the game collections Daredemo Asobitaizen and Clubhouse Games (Game).

Modern

Yonin Shogi

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A four-player variant, yonin shogi ("four-man shogi", also known as 4-nin shōgi) puts each player's nine pieces (1 king, 1 rook, 2 gold generals, 2 silver generals, and 3 pawns) in a triangular arrangement on their side of the board. Turns are played clockwise, and players are eliminated when they are in checkmate (placing their pieces under control of the mating player). Games can be played in free-for-all or in teams of two.

This variant was originally released in 1993 and received its own dedicated 1995 Super Famicom adaptation.

Dobutsu Shogi

Intended for younger children, dobutsu shogi ("animal shogi") uses simpler rules and a smaller selection of pieces that resemble different animals. Initially, the game was developed for a small 3×4 board, but later received variants for a 5×5 board ("Goro-goro Dobutsu Shogi") and a traditional 9×9 board ("Dobutsu Shogi in the Greenwood"), each with new pieces.

This variant was originally released in 2008 and later received its own game adaptation.

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