Shogi Rules

Moving, Capturing, Promotion, Drops & Winning

The objective of Japanese chess (shogi) is the same as normal chess--to checkmate the opposing king.

Go to The Pieces to see how each piece can move.
If you move into a square occupied by an opposing piece, you've captured it (the same as chess).
You can not move into a square that's occupied by another one of your own pieces.

All pieces (except the King and Gold General) can be promoted.
You may promote a piece as you...
- move into your opponent's camp.
- move from one square to another within your opponent's camp.
- move out of your opponent's camp.
Pieces are promoted by turning them over. The promoted symbol is printed on the bottom of the normal piece.
Promotion is not usually mandatory. It could be a mistake to promote in some tactical situations.
Lances and pawns must promote upon reaching the last (9th) rank.
Pieces can not be un-promoted.

When it's your turn, you may opt to "drop" a piece you've captured instead of moving.
Pieces are always dropped in their unpromoted state (regardless of their status when captured). They can not be promoted as they are dropped.
Pieces can be dropped almost anywhere on the board, except for a few restrictions.

If you have an unpromoted pawn on a file, you can not drop another unpromoted pawn onto the same file.
Pawns and lances can not be dropped on the last rank (the 9th row).
Knights can not be dropped on the last two ranks (the 8th or 9th row).
Checkmating the opponent's king by dropping a pawn is illegal.
Attacking the king with a pawn drop is ok if the King can escape capture on the following turn.
Checkmating the opponent's king by dropping any other piece is ok.

Usually the game will end when a king has been checkmated.
If a player feels that his position is hopeless, he may forefit.
If the same position occurs 4 times, the game ends in a draw. If a position occurs 4 times because the king is being checked, the player making these checks loses.
If both kings are in their opponent's camp and can not be checkmated, the players may agree to decide the game by comparing the total value of their armies. The King is worth 0 points; Rooks & Bishops are 5 points; all other pieces are 1 point.
- If both players have 24 points or more, the game ends in a draw.
- If one player has less than 24 points, he looses.