Chu Shogi Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Chu Shogi, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

Take the king to win

Lesson 1

In chu shogi whoever captures the enemy king wins on the spot. Unlike modern shogi, leaving your king in check is not an illegal move — but a king left en prise is taken next turn, and the game ends there.

Here nothing stands on the file between the rook on 6g and the king on 6b. The rook slides any distance orthogonally, so take the king and the game is yours. Chu shogi has many long-range pieces — queen, dragon king, dragon horse — so board-length shots like this are common.

Each turn, first check that no enemy line runs to your king. If your drunk elephant has promoted to a prince, you only lose once both king and prince are gone, so promoting it also strengthens your defence.

The lion's igui

Lesson 2

The lion makes two king steps in one turn. Step onto a neighbouring enemy piece, capture it, then step back to where you began: that is igui. On the board the lion never moves — the neighbour just disappears.

Here an enemy silver sits right in front of your lion on 7g, at 7f. Take it normally and the lion lands on 7f, where the gold on 7e takes it back. With igui the lion captures the silver and returns to 7g, out of the gold's reach.

It takes two taps. Select the lion and tap the square of the piece to capture (dashed frame); the squares for the second step light up. Tap the starting square for igui, or the same square again to stop there. Taking two neighbours in a row works the same way.

Entered unpromoted? Capture to promote

Lesson 3

Promotion in chu shogi differs from modern shogi. Entering the zone from outside lets a piece promote, but a piece that entered unpromoted cannot promote just by moving inside it. It may promote when it captures inside the zone (or while leaving it), or after leaving and re-entering. Pawns and lances may also promote on reaching the last rank.

The gold on 8c entered the zone without promoting. Capture the pawn on 8b in front of it and it may promote on that move. A promoted gold becomes a rook, sliding any distance orthogonally.

Promotion is optional, and generals lose a little on promotion. But skip it on entry and your next chance only comes with a capture, so promoting is usually right.

Take a protected lion with another piece

Lesson 4

Lions trade under special rules. A lion may always take an adjacent lion, but not a lion two squares away that is protected — unless it also captures a piece in between that is not a pawn or go-between.

Here the enemy lion on 7e is protected by the gold on 7d, so your lion on 7g may not take it. Take it with the bishop on 5g instead: any piece other than a lion may capture a protected lion.

Taking a lion with a non-lion triggers counterstrike: on the very next move your opponent may not take your lion if it is protected. Removing their lion while yours stays safe is a key aim in chu shogi.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.