Join with a codeJOINLog in

Flanking Shogi Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Flanking 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.

Trap a whole row

Lesson 1

In flanking shogi, any number of enemy pieces standing unbroken between the piece you move and another of yours are captured together. Aiming at a row is far better than picking pieces off one by one.

Here two enemy pawns stand side by side on 5e and 4e, with your gold on 6e to their left. The square 3e on the right is empty, so bringing the rook from 3g up to 3e traps both pawns between gold and rook.

A row with an open end is a weakness. When you line up your own pieces, make sure neither end can be closed by your opponent. Captured pieces go into your hand, so a double capture also doubles your attacking material.

Corner pieces fall to two

Lesson 2

To flank a piece you need a square on each side of it. A piece in a corner never has both, so in flanking shogi it is captured instead by occupying the two squares beside it.

Here an enemy lance sits in the corner on 9a, and your gold already stands next to it on 8a. The square below, 9b, is empty — move your gold up from 9c to 9b and the lance is enclosed and taken.

Corners and edges leave pieces few ways out, so they are easy to enclose. If you leave your own lance or knight in a corner, watch the squares beside it.

Guard your king's lines

Lesson 3

Flanking shogi has no check. Instead you lose the moment enemy pieces close both sides of your king, across or down. With two moves a turn, one move to approach and a second to close the trap is a very natural attack.

Here an enemy gold stands on 6i, left of your king on 5i, and the square on the right, 4i, is empty. An enemy piece arriving on 4i would trap your king. Step your gold down from 4h to 4i first and close that side.

At the end of every turn, check all four directions round your king for the pattern "enemy on one side, empty on the other". A king against the edge cannot be flanked along that line, so edging the king toward a side is also a defence.

Stepping between is safe

Lesson 4

In flanking shogi a capture happens only when the flanking side makes it by moving. If you move your own piece into the gap between two enemy pieces, it is not captured.

Here enemy pawns stand on 5e and 3e with the square 4e empty between them. Advance your silver from 4g to 4f; next it can step into 4e, a foothold inside their line — and it cannot be taken just for standing there.

This lets you wedge a piece into the middle of an enemy row and split it. Mind the other axis, though: if the squares above and below your piece are open, it can still be flanked vertically.

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

Play with friendsLearn how to play (3 min)

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