Hasami Shogi: Rules and How to Play
Hasami Shogi is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. Every piece is a pawn; trap enemy pieces between two of yours, and the first to capture five wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need a 9×9 board and nine pawns each.
- Fill the rank nearest you with all nine of your pawns. Your opponent does the same on the far rank.
- Whoever sat down first plays Black and moves first. Players then alternate, one move each.
How to play
- Choose one of your pieces and slide it straight along its row or its column, as far as you like over empty squares. Pieces never move diagonally.
- A piece stops in front of anything in its way. You may not jump over a piece, yours or your opponent's, and you may not land on one.
- If the piece you moved and another of your pieces now hold an enemy piece between them along a row or a column, that piece is captured. A gap or one of your opponent's own pieces in between means no capture.
- A whole line of enemy pieces is captured at once, however many. If one move traps pieces in two directions, every one of them is captured.
- A corner has only two orthogonal neighbours, so it cannot be trapped in a line. Hold both squares beside a corner and the piece there is captured.
- Moving your own piece into a gap between two enemy pieces is safe: capture happens only for the player who just moved.
- You may not pass. On your turn you must move.
Winning and scoring
- Capture five of your opponent's pieces and you win.
- A player with no legal move at all loses at once, and either player may resign.
- If the same position appears four times, the game is drawn by repetition and is played again.
- House rules can change the goal: win by a lead of three captures, or by capturing every enemy piece.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show legal squares | Mark the squares a selected piece can reach. | On | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap who plays Black after each game. | On | Yes |
| How to win | What ends the game in a win. | Capture five | Yes |
| Move limit | Draw the game once this many moves have been played. For tables that want to cut a long game short. | None | Yes |
Terms
- Trap
- Holding an enemy piece between two of yours along a row or a column. A trapped piece is captured.
- Corner capture
- Taking a piece in a corner by holding the two squares beside it. A corner cannot be trapped in a line, so this is the only way.
- Lead by three
- The difference in captured pieces. A house rule ends the game as soon as one player is three ahead.
- Repetition
- The same position appearing four times. The game is drawn and played again.
FAQ
Can pieces move diagonally?
No — only straight along a row or a column. They may go as far as they like over empty squares, but they never jump.
How many pieces can one move capture?
As many as are trapped. Three enemy pieces in a row held at both ends all go, and a move that traps in two directions takes every one of them.
What if I move between two enemy pieces?
Nothing happens. Capture only ever applies to the player who just moved. Your opponent can re-form the trap on their turn, and then it counts.
How do I take a piece in a corner?
A corner cannot be trapped in a line. Hold both squares beside it with your own pieces and the corner piece is captured.
Can I drop captured pieces back, as in shogi?
No. Captured pieces stay off the board, which is why every capture counts straight towards the win.
Can the goal be changed?
Yes. A house rule offers capture five (the default), lead by three, or capture them all.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.