Chu Shogi

Chu Shogi ('Middle Shogi') has been the dominant form of Chess in Japan for many centuries, until the invention of piece drops caused it to be replaced by modern Shogi.

Board

Played on a 12x12 board

Initial setup

Reference Guide

Gold general: moves and captures to adjacent squares in any orthogonal or the forward diagonal direction.

Silver general: moves and captures to adjacent squares in any diagonal or the forward orthogonal direction.

Pawn : The Pawn: moves and captures to the square directly in front of it.

Rook : as in chess.

Bishop : as in chess.

King : as in chess.

Lance : The Lance moves as a Rook but only forward in the same file, never sideways or backward.

Copper general

Side mover

Vertical Mover

Reverse Chariot

Flying Ox

Free Boar

White Horse

Whale

Drunk Elephant

Leopard

Tiger

Go between

Kirin: moves and captures to diagonally adjacent squares, or by jumping to the second square orthogonally.

Phoenix: moves and captures to orthogonally adjacent squares, or by jumping to the second square diagonally.

Stag

Prince: If a crown prince is in play, he must be captured in addition to the king.

Queen

Falcon: Move like a queen except vertically forward where it has a form of Lion Power. It can make up to two steps, continuing after a capture, but only along the same ray. So for the (optional) second step they can only decide if they want to continue in the same direction, move back to their starting square or stay on the square

Eagle: Move like a queen except diagonnaly forward where it has a form of Lion Power. It can make up to two steps, continuing after a capture, but only along the same ray. So for the (optional) second step they can only decide if they want to continue in the same direction, move back to their starting square or stay on the square

Lion: A Lion moves as King, but up to twice per turn, in independent directions, also if the first King move captures something. The ability to move on after a capture is called 'Lion power'. The combination of two steps can also be taken as a hop, i.e. over an occupied square without disturbing it, when it does not return to the starting square. So the Lion can:

• move or capture by leaping to any square in the 5x5 area surrounding it,
• capture an adjacent piece, and then go on moving or capturing once more as a King,
• move to an adjacent empty square and back, effectively passing a turn.

Restrictions on Lion trading : To conserve the Lions, there are restrictions on capturing those, aiming to prevent elimination of two Lions in consecutive turns.

A non-Lion cannot capture a Lion when on the previous turn a Lion was captured by a non-Lion on another square. ('counter-strike')

A Lion cannot capture a Lion if that would expose it to recapture in the next turn, as if it had become an absolute royal for one turn. ('protected')

A non-Lion cannot capture a Lion when on the previous turn a Lion was captured by a non-Lion on another square. ('counter-strike')

Promotion

A piece may promote when it enters the last four ranks, and - for a move that starts inside them - when that move captures something. The move must still end inside the zone: the modern Shogi rule, where any move touching the zone may be played as a promotion, leaving it included, was never used in Chu Shogi. Promotion is optional, except for a Pawn reaching the last rank. Each row shows the piece and what it becomes, with the 2D Classic glyph on the left and the 2D Mnemonic one next to it. The Lion, the Free King, the Horned Falcon, the Soaring Eagle, the King and every already promoted piece never promote.