Stuck on a Japanese Board Game? We Have Your Crossword Answer!

Shogi is a two-player board game that is extremely popular in Japan. The game is also referred to as Japanese chess. The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king similar to chess. The game is played on a 9×9 board with pieces that are similar to chess pieces, though they function differently. Both players start with twenty pieces, with one player’s pieces being slightly darker than the other’s.

The objective of shogi is to capture your opponent’s king. However, there are some unique rules that make shogi different from chess. Firstly, most of the pieces can promote to a stronger piece after they cross the middle of the board. Also, when a player captures an opponent’s piece, they are then able to drop it onto their own side of the board as their own piece.

One of the most notable features of shogi is the “drop” rule. If a player captures an opponent’s piece, they can hold it in reserve and then, on their turn, drop that piece back onto the board as one of their own pieces. The player can choose which piece to drop and where to place it on the board, provided the move is legal. This adds a level of strategy not found in other games like chess and has made shogi quite popular among strategy game enthusiasts.

In summary, Shogi is a fascinating board game that has similarities to chess, but with its unique rules and mechanics, it stands out in its own right.