Shogi

Shogi is Japanese chess: two armies of 20 pieces on a 9×9 board, racing to checkmate the enemy king. The big difference from Western chess is that captured pieces change sides. Anything you take goes into your hand, and on a later turn you can drop it back onto the board as your own. Play the shogi game online free in your browser against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or against a friend on the same device, with no download or sign-up.

How to play

Sente (the first player, at the bottom) and Gote take turns. On your turn you either move one piece or drop one piece from your hand. Each wedge-shaped tile points toward its owner’s opponent. Tap a piece to see its legal moves, then tap a highlighted square.

• King (玉 / 王): one step in any direction, never into check.
• Rook (飛): any distance in a straight line. Bishop (角): any distance diagonally.
• Gold (金): one step any way except diagonally backward.
• Silver (銀): one step forward or diagonally, but not sideways or straight back.
• Knight (桂): jumps two forward and one to the side, over other pieces. Forward only.
• Lance (香): any distance straight forward. Pawn (歩): one step straight forward, capturing the same way.

Tick English labels to show letters (K, R, B, G, S, N, L, P) instead of kanji. Move hints adds small blue marks to every piece, dots for single steps and lines for any distance, and describes the piece you select.

Promotion and drops

The last three ranks on the far side are the promotion zone. When a piece moves into, within or out of it, a dialog asks Promote or Don’t promote. Promoted pieces turn red. Silver, knight, lance and pawn then move like a gold. The rook becomes a Dragon (plus one diagonal step) and the bishop a Horse (plus one straight step). Gold and king never promote. Promotion is forced only when a piece could never move again: a pawn or lance on the last rank, or a knight on the last two.

Captured pieces sit in your tray, unpromoted, with a count when you hold more than one. Tap one, then a highlighted empty square, to drop it. The game enforces the three drop limits:

• Nifu: no pawn drop on a file that already has one of your unpromoted pawns.
• No dead pieces: no pawn or lance on the last rank, no knight on the last two.
• Uchifuzume: you can’t checkmate by dropping a pawn. Mate with any other drop, or with a pawn moved on the board, is fine.

Winning, draws and the computer

Checkmate the enemy king or make your opponent resign to win. If the same position, with the same pieces in hand and the same player to move, appears four times, the game ends in sennichite, scored as a draw. The exception is perpetual check: if one side gave check with every move of the repetition, that side loses.

The computer looks one move ahead on Easy, two on Medium and three on Hard, weighing material (pieces in hand included) and how freely its pieces can move. It answers in about a second or less. Easy plays loosely, while Hard spots short mates and rarely leaves pieces hanging. You can play as Sente or Gote, with your side at the bottom. Wins, losses and draws are saved for each level, and an unfinished game can be continued later. In 2 Players mode the board flips after each move so the player to move sits at the bottom. Untick Flip for player 2 to keep it fixed.

Tips for beginners

• Castle your king. Move it a few squares to one side and wall it in with golds and silvers before attacking.
• Respect pieces in hand. A captured piece can land almost anywhere, so even a pawn trade hands your opponent a drop.
• Check the last move. Green marks the opponent’s last move. Look at it before every reply.

FAQ

Is this shogi game free?

Yes. No account and nothing to install, on desktop, tablet or phone.

Can I take back a move?

Yes. Undo (or Z) takes back the last move in 2 Players mode, and your move plus the computer’s reply in a game against it. Undo is off once a game against the computer has ended.

Is there a move list?

Yes. Moves are listed in Japanese kifu style, such as ▲７六歩(77), or in English notation, such as P-7f, when English labels are on.

New to the game? Read our guide on how to play shogi, then compare it with Western Chess or Chinese chess in Xiangqi.