Shogi Kuzushi: Rules and How to Play
Shogi Kuzushi is a 10-minute game for 2–4 players played with shogi pieces. Pull pieces off a pile one at a time; if another piece makes a sound, your turn ends. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Setup
- Two to four players. Playing alone, you face the computer.
- The 40 pieces of a shogi set (King, Jeweled king, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 4 Golds, 4 Silvers, 4 Knights, 4 Lances, 18 Pawns) start heaped in the middle of the board. The pile is different every game, and pieces overlap.
- The first player is chosen at random, then play follows seat order. From the second game, the next seat goes first (this can be changed in settings).
How to play
- On your turn, select a piece in the pile, set the fan range, stop the arrow, then drag it off the board.
- You can't slide a piece toward the center of the board.
- If the piece gets off the board without any other piece making a sound, you keep it and may pull again (a setting can pass the turn after each pull).
- If pieces collide, drop or scrape and the noise meter passes the limit, the pull fails and the turn passes. Sliding your own piece on the board doesn't count, and very small impacts, drops and quiet scrapes are safe.
- Letting go midway is not a fail: the piece stays where it stopped and you keep pulling the same piece on the same turn (you can't switch pieces). The clock keeps running, and if time runs out, the turn passes.
- A piece with another piece resting on it usually fails, because the piece on top shifts and makes a noise.
- A pull can't be taken back.
Winning and scoring
- The game ends when the pile is gone. By default, whoever has the most pieces wins.
- Equal piece counts are a draw. With Points, equal scores are broken by piece count; if that is equal too, it is a draw.
- Settings let you use piece values, or the local rule where whoever takes a King or Jeweled king wins on the spot.
- If no one can take any piece in any direction, the selected scoring rule decides the result.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep pulling after a takeKeep pulling after a takeWhen on, a player who takes a piece without any other piece making a sound keeps pulling until a pull fails. Several pieces can go in one turn, so comebacks are more likely. When off, the turn passes after each pull whether it succeeds or not. | After taking a piece, the same player keeps pulling until a pull fails. When off, the turn passes after every pull. | On | Can be changed |
| How to winHow to winPoints adds up the value of each piece taken (King 10 down to Pawn 1). Pieces counts only how many pieces were taken. The local rule Take a king ends the game as soon as someone takes the King or the Jeweled king, and that player wins. | How the winner is decided when the pile is gone. | Pieces | Can be changed |
| Time limitTime limitThe first pull of your turn uses the time chosen here (15, 30 or 60 seconds) for choosing, aiming and pushing. After you take a piece and keep pulling, every later pull gets 2/3 of that (10, 20 or 40 seconds). If you let go partway and keep the same piece, the clock does not reset. When it runs out, nothing is taken and the turn passes. | Time from choosing a piece to finishing the push. When you take a piece and keep pulling, it is 2/3 of this (20 seconds for 30). When it runs out, nothing is taken and the turn passes. | 30 seconds | Can be changed |
| Rotate who goes first | From the second game, the first player moves to the next seat. | On | Can be changed |
Terms
- Pile
- The heap of pieces in the middle of the board. Pieces overlap, and a piece with another resting on it is likely to make the pile sound off when pulled.
- Pull
- Picking one piece and a direction and sliding it all the way off the board.
- Fail
- Impacts, drops or scrapes pushing the noise meter past the limit. The turn passes. Letting go before the piece is off the board is not a fail; you can keep pulling the same piece while your time lasts.
- Points
- Each kind of piece has a value: King 10, Jeweled king 8, Rook 7, Bishop 6, Gold 5, Silver 4, Knight 3, Lance 2, Pawn 1.
- Back side
- A piece lying face down shows a red character: 龍 is the rook, 馬 the bishop, 全 the silver, 圭 the knight, 杏 the lance, と the pawn. King, jeweled king and gold have a blank back. It is worth the same points as the front.
FAQ
Can I slide toward the center?
No. Only directions away from the center. Arrows you can't use are dashed, and tapping one shows why.
Can I pull a piece with another on top?
You can try, but the piece on top shifts and makes a noise, so the pull almost always fails.
Does the turn pass after I take a piece?
By default you keep pulling until a pull fails. Turn off Keep pulling after a take to pass the turn after every pull.
How are points counted?
King 10, Jeweled king 8, Rook 7, Bishop 6, Gold 5, Silver 4, Knight 3, Lance 2, Pawn 1. A setting can score by number of pieces instead.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-01 · Run by Qdan, Inc.