Check Shogi: Rules and How to Play
Check shogi is shogi for 2 players, about 5 minutes, where the first player to give check wins — no checkmate needed. Pieces move as in shogi. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Objective
Check shogi is a shogi variant where the first player to give check to the enemy king wins. There is no need to checkmate.
Setup
- Use a 9×9 shogi board and the usual 40 pieces, set up as in shogi.
- Black moves first and the players alternate. When you play again, Black and White swap (you can turn this off).
How to play
- On your turn, move one piece on the board or drop one piece from your hand. Moves, promotion and drops are exactly as in shogi.
- You may give check with a dropped piece. Dropping a pawn to give check also wins — the usual ban on mating with a pawn drop does not apply (with the Ōte Shōgi Taizen setting on, Black may not give check by dropping a pawn).
- You may not leave your king open to capture. Two pawns on a file and pieces with no further move are illegal, as in shogi.
Winning and scoring
- You win the moment you give check to the enemy king.
- You also win if your opponent has no legal move.
- If the same position appears four times the game is a draw. With the Ōte Shōgi Taizen setting on, White wins instead.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ōte Shōgi Taizen rulesŌte Shōgi Taizen rulesIn Ōte Shōgi, giving check wins the game on the spot. With these rules, only Black (the first player) is barred from giving check with a pawn drop, and repetition (the same position four times, normally a draw) becomes a win for White. Both rules only restrict the first player, so use them to reduce the edge of moving first. | Off by default. Turn it on to play by the Ōte Shōgi Taizen rules: Black may not give check by dropping a pawn, and repetition is a win for White. | Off | Yes |
| 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 |
| 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
- Check
- Attacking the enemy king so it could be captured next move. Here, giving check wins.
- Line
- The squares a piece attacks. A piece whose line reaches the king gives check.
- Pawn drop
- Placing a pawn from your hand on the board. A pawn drop that gives check wins here.
FAQ
Do I need checkmate?
No. Giving check wins on the spot.
May I drop a pawn to give check?
Yes. The ordinary ban on mating with a pawn drop does not apply (under the Ōte Shōgi Taizen setting, Black may not).
Does Black have the edge?
Some analysis suggests so. The Ōte Shōgi Taizen setting forbids Black's pawn-drop checks and gives White the win on repetition to even it out.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.