If you’ve ever played chess and thought, “This is fun, but what if my captured pieces could come back and help me?” …then welcome to shogi.
Shogi is often called Japanese chess, but it has one big twist that makes it feel totally different: when you capture an opponent’s piece, it becomes yours and you can drop it back onto the board later. That one rule creates a lot of cool surprises.
Let’s walk through the rules in a simple, easy way.
The Goal
Just like chess, the goal is to checkmate the enemy king.
- Check = the king is under attack.
- Checkmate = the king is under attack and there is no legal way to escape.
In most real games, people also win by resignation (someone sees they’re losing and taps out).
The Board
Shogi is played on a 9×9 board.
That’s bigger than chess (which is 8×8), so there’s more space and more pieces to manage.
Which way do the pieces face?
Shogi pieces are shaped like little wedges. The pointy end shows which direction they move.
- Your pieces point toward your opponent.
- Your opponent’s pieces point toward you.
So “forward” always means “toward the enemy side.”
The Pieces You Start With
Each player starts with 20 pieces:
- 1 King (K)
- 1 Rook (R)
- 1 Bishop (B)
- 2 Gold Generals (G)
- 2 Silver Generals (S)
- 2 Knights (N)
- 2 Lances (L)
- 9 Pawns (P)
Captured pieces don’t leave the game. They switch teams (more on that soon).
How Each Piece Moves
Here’s the easiest way to learn shogi: focus on what each piece can do, one by one.
Quick movement guide (standard pieces)
| Piece | How it moves |
|---|---|
| King (K) | 1 square in any direction |
| Gold (G) | 1 square: forward, backward, left, right, and diagonally forward (but not diagonally backward) |
| Silver (S) | 1 square: forward, diagonally forward, diagonally backward (but not left/right, and not straight back) |
| Knight (N) | Like chess, but only forward: 2 forward + 1 left/right (it jumps) |
| Lance (L) | Any number of squares straight forward (like a rook that only goes forward) |
| Pawn (P) | 1 square straight forward |
| Rook (R) | Any number of squares straight (up/down/left/right) |
| Bishop (B) | Any number of squares diagonally |
A couple friendly reminders:
- Only the knight jumps. Everything else gets blocked by pieces in the way (rook, bishop, lance).
- Pieces capture by moving onto the enemy piece (same as chess).
Starting Setup
You don’t have to memorize this perfectly on day one, but it helps to know the general shape:
Back row (closest to you)
From left to right:
L N S G K G S N L
Second row (the “special pieces”)
- Bishop sits on the left side of that row (from your viewpoint).
- Rook sits on the right side of that row.
- The rest of the squares on that row are empty.
Third row
- All 9 pawns in a straight line.
Your opponent has the same setup, mirrored, facing you.
What You Do on Your Turn
On your turn, you choose one:
- Move one piece (and maybe capture), or
- Drop a captured piece from your hand onto the board (this is the shogi superpower)
No “move + drop” in one turn. It’s one action per turn.
Capturing (and the Best Part: “In Hand”)
When you capture an enemy piece, you don’t throw it away.
You take it and keep it in your hand (people literally hold the pieces during real games). Later, on your turn, you can drop it back onto an empty square as your own piece.
Important details:
- If you capture a promoted piece, it goes back to your hand unpromoted.
- When you drop a piece, it always drops unpromoted.
- Dropped pieces can be promoted later (by moving into the promotion zone).
This makes shogi feel like a constant comeback battle. Even if you’re behind, you might have great “ammo” in your hand.
Promotion
Promotion in shogi is a big deal, but it’s not scary once you know the rule.
The Promotion Zone
The promotion zone is the last three rows on your opponent’s side of the board.
So when your piece moves into, within, or out of that zone, you may get a choice to promote.
Who can promote?
These pieces can promote:
- Pawn, Lance, Knight, Silver
- Rook, Bishop
These pieces cannot promote:
- King
- Gold
What happens when you promote?
You flip the piece to its promoted side (most physical sets have different writing/color).
Promoted movement rules:
- Promoted Pawn / Lance / Knight / Silver move like a Gold.
- Promoted Rook becomes a “dragon” (often called Dragon King):
it moves like a rook plus 1 square diagonally. - Promoted Bishop becomes a “horse” (often called Dragon Horse):
it moves like a bishop plus 1 square straight.
When is promotion required?
Sometimes you must promote, because otherwise the piece would get stuck with no legal moves:
- A Pawn or Lance that moves into the last row must promote.
- A Knight that moves into the last two rows must promote.
(That’s because pawns/lances need at least one square forward, and knights need two.)
Dropping Pieces (The Signature Shogi Rule)
Instead of moving, you can place a piece from your hand onto the board.
Basic drop rule
- You may drop onto any empty square (as long as it’s legal).
- The piece is placed facing forward (toward your opponent).
Drop restrictions
Here are the important “don’t do this” rules:
1) You can’t drop a pawn in a column where you already have an unpromoted pawn.
This is called nifu (meaning “two pawns” in one file).
- Promoted pawns do not count for this.
- It only cares about unpromoted pawns.
2) You can’t drop a pawn on the last row.
Because it would have no legal move.
3) You can’t drop a lance on the last row.
Same reason.
4) You can’t drop a knight on the last two rows.
Because it would have no legal forward-jump moves.
5) The “pawn-drop mate” rule (often taught a bit later):
In standard rules, you cannot drop a pawn if it gives an instant checkmate and the opponent has no response.
This is a real rule, but don’t panic—most beginner games won’t hit it for a while. If you’re learning casually, many apps enforce it automatically anyway.
Check, Defense, and Escaping Trouble
When you put the opponent’s king in check, they must respond immediately, just like chess.
Ways to respond to check:
- Move the king away
- Capture the attacking piece
- Block the attack (works against rook/bishop/lance lines)
- Drop a piece to block or capture (this is very shogi!)
King safety is about smart positioning and smart defense.
How You Win
You win by:
- Checkmating the king, or
- Your opponent resigns, or
- (In timed games) your opponent runs out of time
There are also a couple advanced “draw-ish” situations in official play (like repetition), but if you’re just starting out, you don’t need those to enjoy the game.
A Few Beginner Tips (So You Don’t Feel Lost)
1) Don’t rush your rook and bishop
They’re powerful, but if you throw them forward too early, they can get trapped—and then your opponent gets them in hand (which is terrifying).
2) Golds are your best “bodyguards”
Gold Generals are great for building a safe area around your king because they cover lots of useful squares.
3) Always watch for drops
In chess, once a piece is gone, it’s gone.
In shogi, a captured piece can reappear behind your lines on the very next turn.
So ask yourself often:
- “What does my opponent have in hand?”
- “Where could they drop it?”
4) Promotion is power
Promoted minor pieces become gold-like movers, which are solid and annoying to deal with. And promoted rook/bishop become monsters.
A Simple Way to Start Playing (Without Memorizing Everything)
If you’re new, here’s a good learning path:
- Learn pawn, king, gold first.
- Add rook and bishop next (they’re easy and fun).
- Add silver and knight once you’re comfortable.
- Learn promotion and drops as you go (they stick faster when you see them in real games).
Final Thought
Shogi is one of those games that starts simple (“move pieces, capture king”), and then it slowly reveals how deep it can be, especially because of drops. You’re never fully safe, and you’re never fully out of the game either.