Shogi (Japanese Chess)
Also known as: Japanese ChessShogi is a board game for 2 players that takes about 20 minutes. Captured pieces change sides and can be dropped back on the board; checkmate the opposing king to win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Joining is free, and no account is needed.Learn how to play (3 min)
Shogi in 30 seconds
- Set upEach player lines up 20 pieces on their side of the 9×9 board. Black moves first, then players alternate.
- Take turnsEvery piece has its own move. Move onto a square held by your opponent and you capture that piece.
- Promote and dropMoving into or out of the far three ranks lets you flip a piece over to make it stronger. Captured pieces can be dropped back on any empty square as your own.
- WinCheckmate the opposing king — attack it so that no move saves it — and you win. Resigning also ends the game.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players |
| Play time | About 20 min |
| Type | Board |
| Ranked play | Yes |
| Practice against the CPU | Yes |
| Price | Free (no account needed) |
| Rights holder | A public-domain classic game |
| Last updated | 2026-09-13 |
How to play Shogi online
- Tap "Play with friends"A party is created with a 6-character code. No account is needed.
- Send a link or QR codeShare it on LINE, or just read the code aloud.
- Everyone opens it in a browserOnce 2 players have joined, the host taps "Start".
Rule highlights
Setup
- Two players. You need a 9×9 board and 20 pieces each.
- Fill the three ranks nearest you. The back rank runs lance, knight, silver, gold, king, gold, silver, knight, lance.
- On the second rank, place the bishop second from your left and the rook second from your right. The third rank is nine pawns.
- Whoever sat down first plays Black and moves first. Players then alternate, one move each.
How to play
- Choose one of your pieces and move it exactly as that piece moves.
- Move onto a square held by an opposing piece to capture it; it joins your hand. You may never move onto your own piece.
- When a move starts or ends in the far three ranks — your opponent's camp — you may flip the piece over to promote it. Promoting is your choice.
- A pawn or lance reaching the last rank, or a knight reaching the last two ranks, must promote: otherwise it would have no move left.
- Instead of moving, you may drop one piece from your hand onto any empty square. Dropped pieces always arrive unpromoted.
- You may not drop a pawn onto a file that already holds one of your unpromoted pawns.
- You may not drop a pawn so that it checkmates immediately. Dropping any other piece for mate is fine.
- You may never leave your own king capturable. In check, you must escape, capture the checking piece, or block.
Winning
- Check the opposing king so that nothing saves it — checkmate — and you win.
- A player with no legal move at all also loses, and either player may resign.
- If the same position appears four times, the game is drawn by repetition and is played again.
- The exception: if one player reached that repetition by checking every time, that player loses.
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
FAQ
How many players?
Two. One plays Black, the other White.
How long is a game?
About 20 minutes. There is no clock.
Can I practise alone?
Yes. Press Play vs CPU to play the computer, at either Easy or Normal.
Can a game be drawn?
Yes. A fourfold repetition is a draw and you play the game again. Tables that set a move limit also draw at that number of moves.
Can I change the pieces?
Yes. The Pieces button above the board switches between kanji pieces and pieces that show each move as a symbol. The choice stays on this device.
Can I play at school or work (unblocked)?
Yes. Shogi runs entirely in your browser, with nothing to download or install, so it works on most school and work networks that block app stores or game downloads. If your network blocks the whole site, ask an administrator to allow boardgamejoin.com.
Is there a 2 player mode?
Yes — Shogi is played by exactly 2 people.
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. Press “Play vs CPU” on the Shogi page to start right away against a computer opponent — no waiting for other players.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. No app is needed — just open it in a browser. You can join the same party as people on a PC or tablet.
Can two people play?
Yes. This game supports 2 or more players.
Rights holder and physical edition
This is a public-domain classic game. The rules follow the standard reference rules.
Related games
Same type (Board)
- Backgammon2 players, About 15 min
- Checkers2 players, About 10 min
- Chess2 players, About 20 min
- Go2 players, About 15 min
- Gomoku2 players, About 10 min
- Hasami Shogi2 players, About 10 min
- Mancala2–4 players, About 10 min
- Japanese Mancala2–4 players, About 10 min
- Reversi2 players, About 10 min
Same player count
Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.