Shogi (将棋) is the Japanese version of an ancient Indian game that became Chess in Europe and xiangqi in China. In fact, Shogi is frequently referred to as Japanese chess in the English speaking world.

Shogi is played on a 9×9 board, unlike the 8×8 board of Western chess. Shogi has some pieces that are very similar to Western chess, a king, pawns, rook, bishop, and knight. Shogi also has pieces that are not found in Western chess such as gold generals, silver generals and the lance.

The most interesting difference between shogi and chess is that when opposing pieces are captured in shogi, they become loyal to the player that captured them. These captured pieces are then dropped back on the board to continue the game.

You can get a feel for the game of shogi by trying my free online 2014 shogi app or my newer free online 2025 shogi app. The online shogi apps should work in any modern web browser on PC’s, Macs, tablets, and smart phones. The older version is fantastic for learning the game or teaching young children the game.

Also, check out shogi history, tutorials, articles and news on our sister site, Japanese Chess dot net!

In addition to the two versions of shogi, I have updated the tsume puzzle page with millions more tsume puzzles, and the GSDB game archive now has an interactive game browser.