Definition

Noun: A traditional Japanese board game for two players, considered a form of chess. It is played on a square board divided into a grid of 9 ranks (rows) and 9 files (columns), totaling 81 squares. Each player begins with an identical set of 20 flat, wedge-shaped pieces, distinguished by the direction they point. The primary objective is to checkmate the opponent's king.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • Shogi is often called Japanese chess.
  • He spends his weekends studying shogi strategies.
  • The complexity of shogi arises from the rule that captured pieces can be returned to the board.

Advanced Usage

• "To play shogi": To engage in a game of shogi.
  • My grandfather taught me how to play shogi.
• "Shogi piece": Refers to any of the 20 different types of pieces used in the game (e.g., king, rook, bishop, gold general).
  • The most powerful shogi piece is the promoted rook.

Variants and Related Words

• Shōgi: An alternative romanization of the same word.
• Tsume shogi (noun): A type of shogi puzzle where the goal is to checkmate the opponent in a prescribed number of moves.
• Gunjin Shogi: A historical variant of shogi.

Synonyms

• Japanese chess

Related Phrases and Terms

• Drop rule: The unique shogi rule allowing a player to place a captured piece back onto the board as their own.
• Promotion zone: The last three ranks of the board where most pieces can be promoted to a stronger version.

Noun

1. a form of chess played on a board of 81 squares; each player has 20 pieces