Japanese Chess – Shogi – 将棋
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Tag: nifu

  • The Nifu Rule: Why You Can’t Drop Two Pawns in One Column (and How That Rule Got Here)

    If you’ve played even a few games of shogi, you’ve probably heard someone say “nifu!” in a slightly panicked voice.

    Maybe it happened to you. You’re feeling clever. You have a pawn in hand. You see a good square. You drop it… and then the game ends right there because it’s illegal.

    That’s rough. So today I want to talk about the nifu rule, including what it is, why it matters, and the coolest part: how far back we can trace it in shogi history using Japanese sources.

    And yes, we’ll also look at a few “pawn-related” rules that are basically nifu’s cousins. (more…)

  • Shogi Rules (Japanese Chess): A Friendly, No-Stress Guide

    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. (more…)