Shogi in its present form was played as early as the 16th century , while a direct ancestor without the `` drop rule '' was recorded from 1210 in a historical document `` Nichūreki '' , which is an edited copy of `` Shōchūreki '' and `` Kaichūreki '' from the late Heian period ( c. 1120 ) .
Shogi in its present form was played as early as the 16th century , while a direct ancestor without the `` drop rule '' was recorded from 1210 in a historical document `` Nichūreki , '' which is an edited copy of `` Shōchūreki '' and `` Kaichūreki '' from the late Heian period ( ~ 1120 ) .