Japanese chess: rules of the game

At leisure, in the Land of the Rising Sun, they play Japanese chess - an analogue of European, but with certain differences. Amateurs and professionals will easily master the new technique, as there is nothing complicated in it. The main thing to remember is that shogi is a logical game, and the rest will come with practice.

Historical review

The prototype on the basis of which our chess originated and Japanese shogi was popular in ancient India. At the initial stage of formation, there was a checkered board along which identical figures moved in one way or another.

Over the centuries, this chess field migrated first to the West, and later to China, from where it reached Japan. Strange as it may seem, in all parts of the world this logical game had similar rules. Fundamental differences, it would seem, lie in the figures themselves, because we use chiseled, like silhouettes, and in the east we use plates with hieroglyphs. But there are similarities, because these very hieroglyphs in translation mean almost the same names as ours: King, Horse, Rook, pawn, etc.

Playing field

The direct description of the Japanese version of chess will begin with the basics, that is, from the battlefield. The board for the shogi consists of 81 cells, that is, 9x9, and they are not indicated in any way, either by letters or numbers. There are no color differences on it, each cell is no different from all the others.

It is important to know that the segiban is not a folding board, but a little table on the legs, on the surface of which the playing field itself is cut out. On the right side of each player is a team. This is another small table on which captured figures are placed.

In their country, Japanese chess is a sacred game, it can even be ritual in nature. Therefore, high-quality and rare shogibans are often the most worthy decoration of houses. Naturally, such “tables” are sometimes a fortune.

Names and features of figures

The game of Japanese chess is complicated not only by the lack of numbering on the field, but also by the complete identity of the pieces. All of them are equally sharpened under the pentahedron and differ from each other only in the hieroglyphs that are depicted on them.

You are even more surprised when you discover that black and white is an ephemeral concept. The ownership of a particular figure is determined by the direction of its pointed edge - he always looks at the enemy.

The pawns themselves have the exact same color. The game employs 20 pieces for each player, including 8 items. They are distinguished by the patterns of moves, values ​​and strength. Below is an illustration of the meaning of each character found in a shogi game.

In the very middle of the field, the Transformation Zone was held. Passing your figure to the territory of the enemy, you increase its value. We will talk about how exactly later.

We arrange the figures and walk

In principle, remembering all Japanese chess is not so difficult. How to play them, by what rules to move? This is the next question to consider. So:

1. King's move is similar to his move in classical chess.
2. The gold general repeats exactly the king’s move, but he cannot move backward diagonally.
3. The silver general can move one cell forward, and diagonally - in any direction, but again on the same field.
4. The horse moves, like ours, by the letter "G", but exclusively in a straightforward direction.
5. The spear moves vertically only forward and on any number of fields.
6. Pawns go identically in all versions of the game. Only if you play Japanese chess will you have to beat not obliquely, but directly.
7. The rook in Japan is moved, like ours, vertically and horizontally to any number of cells. It is noteworthy that crossing the Transformation Zone, he becomes the Dragon King and can also move one field diagonally in any direction.
8. An elephant, like in chess, can go diagonally at any distance, unless its path is blocked by other pieces. On the territory of the enemy, it becomes a Dragon Horse and walks not only as before, but also directly on one cell in any direction.

How does the transformation

You probably noticed in the above description that some figures, reaching the enemy’s house, change their properties - these were the Rook and the Elephant. But it’s important to add that metamorphoses occur with all participants in the segiban, with the exception of the King and the Golden General. It turns out that the Silver General, Horse, Spear and pawns also acquire new properties, crossing the center line, and to be more precise, they become Golden generals. To do this, just flip the corresponding five-sided plaque. Of course, they also acquire new properties of the course, inherent in a more valuable figure.

Start playing Japanese chess

The rules of the game almost duplicate the familiar chess. Each participant alternately makes his move with one of the pieces, taking into account the rules of its movement. Both opponents strive for the same goal - to checkmate the enemy King.

Chess is called the position of the King under the blow of the opponent’s piece. There is either a direct battle, or he has no opportunity to escape from the attack.

"Taking" the figures

But, as we have already said, “beaten” pawns are added to a special small table, which, oddly enough, can also be used. Having defeated one of the opponent’s pieces, you can put her on the field, and she will be yours. Using a taken figure, it is worth remembering simple rules:

• A pawn should not appear on that vertical, on which there is still a non-converted, another pawn.
• You cannot position a piece in such a way that it cannot make a single move.
• It is forbidden to check the pawn you put up. Walk it at least once.

Assessment of the significance of figures

Chess players all over the world are calculating not by the number of pieces that they have, but by their significance. The unit of measurement is considered to be a pawn, that is, its value is 1. The elephant and the Horse are equal to 3, the value of the Rook is 5, and the Queen gets as much as 9. Japanese chess are calculated using a completely different method.

Segi is a game in which you should take into account the specific position of the piece on the board, and only on this basis, determine its value. This is due to the transformations that we talked about earlier. Let's find out what is the assessment of the main characters in this game:

• Pawn - equal to 1 point.
• Spear - rated at 5.
• Equate the horse to 6.
• The silver general was honored with us 8.
• Golden General - 9.
• The transformed silver general is the Golden general, therefore it is equal to 9.
• We consider the transformed spear as 10.
• A turned horse is also 10.
• The transformed pawn is estimated at 12 points.
• We give the elephant a score of 13.
• Rook - 15 points.
• The transformed elephant is 15.
• Rook turned - 17, the most valuable character.

End of the game

Like any other board games, Japanese chess ends with either a victory of one of the participants or a draw. You can complete the game in the following circumstances:

1. More than four repetitions of the move. In order to avoid losing, players intentionally can repeat the same moves. If this phenomenon is duplicated 4 times, the game ends in a draw.
2. In the case when each of the Kings is in the enemy’s camp, it is impossible to checkmate. The figures are counted according to their value. If the score for each participant is above 24, a draw is declared. Whoever has less than this figure is the loser.
3. The eternal check in shogi is prohibited, it is impossible to force a draw with it. Repeating the same position three times, the player must change tactics, or he must declare himself a loser.
4. The last option for ending the game is, of course, mate.

Tactical features of the game

Having mastered a little basic rules, we will try to reveal some secrets of shogi, which allow a broader look at the essence of what is happening. Firstly, Japanese chess is a very intense action, in which the situation escalates with literally every move. The reason for this is the "taken" figures, which the enemy can put on the field as his own.

In theory, such a game can last forever, because there is no place for a standard chess endgame in it. But, as practice shows, opponents most often have from 60 to 180 moves (if compared with the terminology of our chess, then half-moves, because in sega half-moves are considered one whole).

Thanks to this range of actions, you, as a player, can take advantage of a small secret that will allow you to gain an advantage over your opponent. Try to “kill” the maximum number of enemy figures, because later they will become transformed, therefore, more valuable already directly to you. For such an advantage, you will have to sacrifice your camp, so do it wisely. Do not substitute pawns for the battle (after all, their value in the hands of the enemy will increase significantly).

The second trick is to protect the king. The figure is priceless, because it should be surrounded as much as possible to block all the opponent’s moves around it. This technique is called the construction of a fortress and sometimes requires a premature exchange of figures, in particular - elephants.

The third secret is old and simple. It doesn’t matter if you play European chess, Japanese chess, or even just checkers or backgammon - you should carefully calculate the opponent’s moves. Keep a record of exactly what your figures he had and what value they will gain by appearing again on the battlefield. After all, now their forces will be directed against you.