page_title: Shogi
section_title: Setup and gameplay
hierarchical_section_title: Shogi / Setup and gameplay
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Результат фуригомы
context_page_description: Shogi, also known as Japanese chess or the Game of Generals, is a two-player strategy board game that is the Japanese variant of chess. It is the most popular chess variant in Japan. Shōgi means general's board game.
  Shogi was the earliest chess variant to allow captured pieces to be returned to the board by the capturing player. This drop rule is speculated to have been invented in the 15th century and possibly connected to the practice of 15th century mercenaries switching loyalties when captured instead of being killed.
  The earliest predecessor of the game, chaturanga, originated in India in the 6th century, and the game was likely transmitted to Japan via China or Korea sometime after the Nara period. 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form was played as early as the 16th century, while a direct ancestor without the drop rule was recorded from 1210 in a historical document Nichūreki, which is an edited copy of Shōchūreki and Kaichūreki from the late Heian period.
context_section_description: Each player sets up friendly pieces facing forward (toward the opponent).
  In the rank nearest the player:
  the king is placed in the center file;
  the two gold generals are placed in files adjacent to the king;
  the two silver generals are placed adjacent to each gold general;
  the two knights are placed adjacent to each silver general;
  the two lances are placed in the corners, adjacent to each knight.
  That is, the first rank is
  or
  In the second rank, each player places:
  the bishop in the same file as the left knight;
  the rook in the same file as the right knight.
  In the third rank, the nine pawns are placed one per file.
  A furigoma 振り駒 'piece toss' is used to decide who moves first. One of the players tosses five pawns. If the number of tokins (promoted pawns, と) facing up is higher than unpromoted pawns (歩), then the player who tossed the pawns plays gote 後手 'white' (that is, getting the second move).
  After the piece toss furigoma, the game proceeds. If multiple games are played, then players alternate turns for who goes first in subsequent games. (The terms "Black" and "White" are used to differentiate sides although there is no difference in the color of the pieces.) For each turn, a player may either move a piece that is currently on the board (and potentially promote it, capture an opposing piece, or both) or else drop a piece that has been previously captured onto a square of the board. These options are explained below.
caption: Deciding who goes first: Furigoma
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