I love standard shogi: the 9×9 board, the quiet tension, and the “wait… you can drop THAT?!” moments.
But sometimes I want something faster. Or something I can teach in minutes. Or a shogi‑flavored game that works with kids and friends who don’t know the pieces.
Japan has a whole world of “casual shogi” (カジュアル将棋) and shogi-inspired games. I dug up these five modern variants that show up again and again as popular, selling well, or widely played shogi variants. (more…)
I’ve added a new Middle (Chu) Shogi game to the site.
https://japanesechess.org/chushogi2026/
Middle Shogi is the common English name for 中将棋（ちゅうしょうぎ / Chū Shōgi）. It is an older, bigger shogi game played on a 12×12 board with 46 pieces per player (92 total) and 21 kinds of pieces.
This guide explains one common modern rule set described in Japanese sources (including special Lion rules and “no piece drops”).
Note: Some groups and computer programs use different promotion timing rules, so always agree on rules before you start. (more…)