Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Shogi "Japanese Chess"
From: phygod72@nic.gac.edu (Phil )
Date: 8 Sep 92 09:50:05 -0600

In article <pad.715939062@probitas>  writes:
} In <Bu04G0.8J2@casper.cs.uct.ac.za> mpinnock@casper.cs.uct.ac.za (M B  
Pinnock) writes:
} 
} >I recently discovered an apparently ancient Japanese board game
} >called Shogi (I think). I know very little about it except that it bears
} >some resemblance to chess. It is apparently very popular in Japan.
} 
} >If anyone knows the rules and a little about the game, I would
} >greatly appreciate the info.
} 
} >You can mail to me directly at the address given below.

Or, I can reply here.  I love the game.  It is a great game. 
First, before I go into detail, for those Shogi players out there, there is a  
Shogi mail-server (and mail me - I want to start some matches).

Subscribe to SHOGI-L@technion (that's a bitnet address)

Essentially, Shogi is like English chess, with a couple of devious twists.    
The board is 9x9 (as opposed to 8x8), and is divided into thirds.  Pieces move  
according to their type (and only capture a piece in squares they can move into  
- unlike the English pawn, who captures diagonally).  Once a piece has crossed  
the promotion line, it promotes into a Gold General (unless it is a bishiop,  
rook, gold general, or king). 
 
                              THE BOARD:
                                                                                
   9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1                                    
+--------------------------------------------+       White in hand:             
| wL | wN | wS | wG | wK | wG | wS | wN | wL |  a   +------------------+        
+--------------------------------------------+      |                  |        
|    | wR |    |    |    |    |    | wB |    |  b   |                  |        
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+        
| wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP |  c                               
+--------------------------------------------   <------ black promotion line                                
|    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |  d                               
+--------------------------------------------+                                  
|    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |  e                               
+--------------------------------------------+                                  
|    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |  f                               
+--------------------------------------------+   <----- white promotion line                               
| bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP |  g                               
+--------------------------------------------+      Black in hand:              
|    | bB |    |    |    |    |    | bR |    |  h   +------------------+        
+--------------------------------------------+      |                  |        
| bL | bN | bS | bG | bK | bG | bS | bN | bL |  i   |                  |        
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+


"P" stands for pawn, which moves one square forward (unpromoted)
"B" stands for bishop, which moves any number diagonally (unpromoted) plus one      
     square in the horizontal and vertical squares (promoted)
"R" stands for rook, which moves complementary to the bishop
"L" stands for lance, which moves any number forward (unpromoted)
"N" stands for knight, which moves 2 up and 1 left or right (but never 2 left  
     or right, nor 2 back) (unpromoted)
"S" stands for Silver general, which moves into the three forward squares, and 
     the two rear diagonal squares (unpromoted)
"G" stands for Gold general, which moves into the three forward squares, the 
     two side squares, and the rear square (does not promote)
"K" stands for King, which moves into all adjacent squares.


You might notice the boxes labelled "In-Hand".  Here is the major twist from  
English chess - you can use pieces that you have captured instead of moving a  
piece.  Yes, that's right - I capture your bishop, I can use it against you!!!   
The only restrictions in placing a piece are:
  
  * there can not be more than one unpromoted pawn (that you own) in a row.
  * an unpromoted pawn can not be placed in the square in front of the opposing 
     player's King

Pieces are always placed in the unpromoted state (reguardless of the state that  
they were in when captured), and only promote after crossing the promotion line  
or moving within the promotion zone (the last third of the board).

Those are the basics of the game...as I said before, there is a mail-server on  
which you can pick up pointers, or opponents.  And if you play the game (or  
want to start), mail me and we could get a match going...


Ciao, 
Phil aka Shogi player extrodinare (well, kind of...)
phygod72@nic.gac.edu