Rock-Paper-Scissors Shogi: Rules and How to Play
Rock-paper-scissors shogi: 2 players, about 20 minutes. Before every move you throw, and the winner moves — keep winning, keep moving. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Objective
Rock-paper-scissors shogi is a shogi variant where the winner of a throw before each move makes that move, and the first to checkmate the enemy king wins.
Setup
- Use a 9×9 shogi board and the usual 40 pieces, set up as in shogi.
- There is no fixed Black or White; the bottom side (▲) and the top side (△) tell whose pieces are whose. They swap for the next game (you can turn that off).
How to play
- Before every move both players throw rock-paper-scissors. The winner makes one move. On a tie, throw again until someone wins.
- Keep winning and you keep moving — any number of moves in a row.
- Throws stay hidden until both players have thrown.
- When a player is in check, there is no throw: the player in check moves at once to answer it.
- Piece moves, promotion, drops, two pawns on a file, pawn-drop mate and dead pieces follow shogi.
Winning and scoring
- Checkmate the enemy king (a check that cannot be answered).
- A player who wins the throw but has no legal move loses.
- The same position four times is a draw by repetition (replay). Repeated checks lose for the checking side.
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 | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| 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 sides | Swap the bottom (▲) and top (△) sides after each game. | On | 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
- Rock-paper-scissors
- Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock. Here the winner makes the next move.
- Tie
- Both throw the same. Throw again until someone wins.
- Check
- Threatening to take the king next move. Here the player in check answers without a throw.
FAQ
What happens on a tie?
Both throw again until someone wins.
Can I really move many times in a row?
Yes. As long as you keep winning the throw, you keep moving.
What if I am in check?
There is no throw: you move at once to answer the check. If you cannot, it is checkmate.
Can I see my opponent's throw?
Not until both of you have thrown. Spectators see the throws only once both are in.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.