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Kokose Shogi Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Kokose 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.

Save kokose for the mate

Lesson 1

Kokose lets you choose your opponent's next move after your own, once a game. Spend it in the opening to win a pawn, and that is all it ever does.

It works best right before a mate. Once your attack reaches the enemy king, you often think "one more move and it's mate". Kokose stops them from defending and lets you pick a move that walks the king into danger or pulls a defender away.

Here your pieces are closing in on the king. Declare kokose at the start of your turn. Until you move you can still cancel it, so a misread costs nothing.

Open a line before you choose

Lesson 2

A kokose turn is really three moves in a row: your move, their move (chosen by you), then your move again. Make the first one a preparation for the second.

Here, pushing the pawn from 7g to 7f opens your bishop's diagonal. Then make them push their pawn on 3c, and the line runs all the way to their bishop on 2b — yours to take next move.

Choosing their move without a plan wins little. Open a line with your move, clear the wall with theirs, and cash in with your next. Plan the three moves as one.

Leave no loose pieces

Lesson 3

While your opponent still holds kokose, they may choose your next move for you. They can only pick a legal move — but they will pick the one that hurts you most.

A rook with no defender near their pieces, for example, might be walked straight into capture. Keep major pieces defended and your king's surroundings tight, so no forced move costs much.

Here your rook on 4h has no defender. Step the gold from 5i to 4i to tie it to the rook. A defended piece can be taken back if it is ever forced into capture, so the loss stays small.

The kokose-finish pattern

Lesson 4

With the kokose-finish option on, kokose may only be used when, after the move you pick for them, you can mate in one. It is the rule found in the books, and it turns kokose into a finishing blow.

Whether it is allowed depends on the position after your own move. So first make moves that close the king's escape squares, until a mate in one is ready.

Here the pawn on 5c guards 5b, and a gold dropped on 5b is mate. Play this head-gold mate as ordinary shogi first. Once the pattern is familiar, you will see at once which move to force under kokose finish.

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.